Stuck in the middle of the Sahara Desert with no presence of human existence in sight besides the bare tent community nestled between sand dunes, and suffering from severe stomach pains, I lived to see past the most memorable place of my life.
Last year while studying abroad in Spain I chose to take a group trip to Morocco for Spring Break. This was a unique opportunity that I did not want to pass up despite the numerous warnings I received from multiple sources before departing for the trip. I thought I could handle it. The awful stomach ails that were almost guaranteed to find me, were nothing. The feeling of alienation in an Islamic nation as a young American woman dressed in pants and a T-shirt among a sea of staring men and a few Moroccan women with only their faces revealed in public, was no big deal. Well, this may be an exaggeration but amid the mainly temporary uncomfortable moments, I found a beautiful country and place I would never forget.
After spending a few days touring the city of Marrakech, my group of over 60 students and international study abroad program leaders loaded two buses that journeyed through green rolling hills, past snowcapped mountains, along rushing streams and eventually landed in the Sahara Desert. Our final destination contained two makeshift toilets (mind you over half of us were sick during this part of the trip), and a giant rectangle of interconnected stick and burlap tents plopped in a sandy abyss.
After about an hour of running around in the sand dunes like little kids we were called to the giant white plastic tent where we would have our meals for the next two days. Dinner consisted of couscous and a mysterious looking green chicken-like substance with olives. As the sun escaped into the night and the temperatures dropped a large group of us sat on the sand mound overlooking our little village. Three of the students brought out their guitar, banjo, and harmonica. They serenaded the rest of the group until our eyes drooped. We retreated to our tents where each of us was granted a thin mattress-like rectangle covered with prickly wool blankets to keep out the chill of the night.
I’m not sure how many hours passed before I was awoken by a combination of two things, my body shivering from the extreme drop in temperature during the night and my stomach turning inside out. I laid there trying to wish the cold and ache away, but it was no use. I fumbled to find the opening in the tent and was pleasantly surprised to see the brightest night sky I had ever seen with the stars illuminating the path to the designated “bathroom” which lay approximately 50 feet away.
I returned to my tent and prayed for the awful feeling to leave my body. How could I be sick I thought? I ate the special yogurt and took the recommended pills two weeks before even leaving Spain. I had not even touched the water in Morocco that I was warned again
st, and used strictly bottled water for everything from brushing my teeth to drinking. Before I knew it I was awoken once again, this time it was from one of the program leaders who was arousing us to watch the sun rise from atop the sand dune. I went to get up and the pain in my stomach went from very uncomfortable to sharp stabbing sensations. I did not want to miss this once in a lifetime chance to see the sun rise in the middle of the vast Sahara Desert so I forced myself up the sand dune. In a matter of minutes the sun peaked up beyond the mounds of sand and slowly rose in the sky. All the shivering students stood hovered together in complete silence gazing at the magical sight. My pain seemed to subside for a moment as I witnessed one of the most tranquil and beautiful experiences of my life.
After taking a variety of pills given to me by my program director I went back and lied down for the better part of the morning unable to stand from the twinge in my stomach. I missed the camel ride to the nearby village which the rest of my group took that day and did not eat for two days. Between the miserable stomach pain that lasted most of the three days in the desert, the shivering cold nights, and hot as Hell days you may not understand why this is my most memorable experience. It must have been the indescribable pure and natural feeling of watching the sun rise and seeing the brightest stars on earth light up the night protected from smog in the harsh yet beautiful desert.
Last year while studying abroad in Spain I chose to take a group trip to Morocco for Spring Break. This was a unique opportunity that I did not want to pass up despite the numerous warnings I received from multiple sources before departing for the trip. I thought I could handle it. The awful stomach ails that were almost guaranteed to find me, were nothing. The feeling of alienation in an Islamic nation as a young American woman dressed in pants and a T-shirt among a sea of staring men and a few Moroccan women with only their faces revealed in public, was no big deal. Well, this may be an exaggeration but amid the mainly temporary uncomfortable moments, I found a beautiful country and place I would never forget.
After spending a few days touring the city of Marrakech, my group of over 60 students and international study abroad program leaders loaded two buses that journeyed through green rolling hills, past snowcapped mountains, along rushing streams and eventually landed in the Sahara Desert. Our final destination contained two makeshift toilets (mind you over half of us were sick during this part of the trip), and a giant rectangle of interconnected stick and burlap tents plopped in a sandy abyss.
After about an hour of running around in the sand dunes like little kids we were called to the giant white plastic tent where we would have our meals for the next two days. Dinner consisted of couscous and a mysterious looking green chicken-like substance with olives. As the sun escaped into the night and the temperatures dropped a large group of us sat on the sand mound overlooking our little village. Three of the students brought out their guitar, banjo, and harmonica. They serenaded the rest of the group until our eyes drooped. We retreated to our tents where each of us was granted a thin mattress-like rectangle covered with prickly wool blankets to keep out the chill of the night.
I’m not sure how many hours passed before I was awoken by a combination of two things, my body shivering from the extreme drop in temperature during the night and my stomach turning inside out. I laid there trying to wish the cold and ache away, but it was no use. I fumbled to find the opening in the tent and was pleasantly surprised to see the brightest night sky I had ever seen with the stars illuminating the path to the designated “bathroom” which lay approximately 50 feet away.
I returned to my tent and prayed for the awful feeling to leave my body. How could I be sick I thought? I ate the special yogurt and took the recommended pills two weeks before even leaving Spain. I had not even touched the water in Morocco that I was warned again
st, and used strictly bottled water for everything from brushing my teeth to drinking. Before I knew it I was awoken once again, this time it was from one of the program leaders who was arousing us to watch the sun rise from atop the sand dune. I went to get up and the pain in my stomach went from very uncomfortable to sharp stabbing sensations. I did not want to miss this once in a lifetime chance to see the sun rise in the middle of the vast Sahara Desert so I forced myself up the sand dune. In a matter of minutes the sun peaked up beyond the mounds of sand and slowly rose in the sky. All the shivering students stood hovered together in complete silence gazing at the magical sight. My pain seemed to subside for a moment as I witnessed one of the most tranquil and beautiful experiences of my life.After taking a variety of pills given to me by my program director I went back and lied down for the better part of the morning unable to stand from the twinge in my stomach. I missed the camel ride to the nearby village which the rest of my group took that day and did not eat for two days. Between the miserable stomach pain that lasted most of the three days in the desert, the shivering cold nights, and hot as Hell days you may not understand why this is my most memorable experience. It must have been the indescribable pure and natural feeling of watching the sun rise and seeing the brightest stars on earth light up the night protected from smog in the harsh yet beautiful desert.
Absorbing reading, Katie. I wonder if being sick also heightened some of your sensations. Sounds like the night sky was amazing.
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