We traveled over 1920km in 7 days.

|| 326 Day 01
|| 187 Day 02
|| 195 Day 03
|| 143 Day 04 (93+50 offroad)
|| 318 Day 05 (250+68 offroad)
|| 300 Day 06
|| 455 Day 07
|| Total traveled = 1924 ||

We saw everything from beaches and rocky shores to desert dunes and oasis’. It was truly a magical adventure.
While assembling all of this into a log I found it hard to believe how much we experienced in a single day. My mind remembers many more then 7 days of experiences, and yet 7 is what we had. It’s all here in black and white.

At the end of the trip I asked everyone to provide a few personal highlights in the form of the following questions:
– Top three favorite experiences
– A memorable moment
– Favorite City / Cities
– Any other thoughts

So enough of my ramblings – Here are the thoughts in their own words.

Top word “Ridiculous”

MIMI (number 1)
#1 Ait Ben Haddon
#2 Stars in the desert
#3 Feet in the water @ Taradout (Agadar) – Magical
#4 The Clay
#5 Goats in Trees
Group Moment
– Sunrise in the desert
– Dinner in the port town
– Carriage ride in Marrakech
Cities
– Marrakech (Day 1)
– Essaouira (Day 6)
Anything else that comes to mind:
– Smooth and rich travel experience
– Friends from all over being together in the same place

MIKE (number 13)
#1 The desert
– 4x4s
– Sunset
– Sleeping under the stars
– Sunrise
#2 The “Real” Kasbah
#3 Lunch in the ancient two story mud hut
#4 BBQ lunch surrounded by authentic town
Group moment
– Photo shoot in the desert
Cities
– Essaouira (Day 6)
– Marrekech (Day 1)

ERICA (number 2)
#1 Sleeping under the stars
#2 Mike and Mimis wedding
#3 4×4
#4 Riding Bob the camel
Group moments
– Last dinner – Felt like everyone was coming together and having a great time
Personal Moment
After being so sick for the past 6 months not being able to any physical activity so climbing the dunes (even though I was the last) was a very special moment for me.
Cities
– Essaouira
– Marrakech
– Ait Ben Haddou
Anything else that comes to mind:
I think in general this has been such a special and rare experience. We were given the opportunity to experience this culture through the eyes of people who know it and while we did get to be tourists at times (going to the medinas and sleeping under the stars) in general we were given inside perspective and that is a very unique and amazing gift.
I’ll never forget this trip. There are million little moments (like cooking a home cooked meal and eating it on a blanket in the back yard) that I’ll never forget.

TERESA (number 3)
#1 Sleeping under the stars
#2 Camel Ride
#3 Hammam
#4 Lunch in the Musee
#5 Picking up Mimi by horse and carriage for the surprise bridal shower
Moments
The moments of complete peace and clarity of mind that came from
– Watching the sunset over the dunes in the sahara
– Falling asleep under the stars
– Riding the Camel
Erica and I laughing ourselves to tears on the occasion of call to prayer in Essaouira and the night before the wedding.
Bonding with the beautiful ladies in the Hammam
The times our “walls” were completely knocked down and where we could completely and unapologetically love ourselves and love each other. Women bonding!
Cities
-Essaouira
– Sahara desert
Anything else that comes to mind:
It is very special when you first hear the news that two people who you care deeply about are going to get married. But it’s wen this knowledge comes to fruition that it’s truly magical. There were two moments in Rabat that were very emotional for me and brought me to tears (the good kind).
– When Mimi came to the pre-wedding henna and
– When Mike and Mimi walked down the “aisle”
Truly priceless

BRUCE (number 5)
#1 The Moroccan experience of the wedding.
#2 Seeing the artisans (pot makers, metalworkers, etc) producing by very menial and manual tasks
#3 Being amongst the growing camaraderie of the group.
Cities
-Essaouira

COCO (number 6)
#1 Ride from the camp to meet the bus out of the desert in the morning
#2 Watching the most beautiful stars I’v ever seen
#3 Sleeping outside the camp and sunrise
Moments
– First shooting star!!!
– Making the clay pot
Cities
– Essaouira
– Rabat
Anything else that comes to mind:
– Best driver and tour guy ever!
– David taking amazing pictures!
– Grateful for Moira’s KIND bar!
– Peter doesn’t drink coffee (no coffee buddy)
– Bruce loves to sing!
– El’s kindness
– Everyone was on time

ELSE (number 8)
#1 Arriving in Marrakesh at our Riad
#2 going out in the Medina – the square and the snake charmers
#3 Then out to Dinner at Sunset
Cities
– Zagora
– Ait Ben Haddou and the”Mud Village”
Moments
– Definitely in the desert Camel ride
– Lunch at the Musee
– Sleeping under the stars
Anything else that comes to mind:
Great group camaraderie!!
All in all fun fun fun

MOIRA (number 9)
#1 Watching the sunset and the colors change in the silence of the dunes
#2 Eating the Vegetable Tajine at Cafe Arab in Marrakech
#3 Floating in the pool and looking at the starts
Moments
– Doing Yoga with Kahlid in the desert
– Seeing the young Nomad boy smiling
Cities
-Essaouira
Anything else that comes to mind:
– The beautiful clothing
– Seeing Kahlid wear his Berber clothes in the Berber area

MATTI (number 10)
#1 Zagora- ATVs
#2 Desert Sunrise / sunset
#3 Desert Outdoor sleeping
[He left us early so didn’t have a chance to answer all the questions]

Davy (number 11)
#1 Mimi & Mike’s wedding
#2 Climbing the dune in the middle of the desert looking at the sunshine
#3 Spices shop in Marrakesh
Moments
– Sharing our group feelings while in the desert
– Maati achieving one his child’s dream and rolling down the dune
– CoCo’s first shooting star and first clay pot
Cities
– Essaouira
– Rabat
Anything else that comes to mind:
– Moira and her Kind bars
– David and his solowheel and taking pictures and taking pictures and more pictures
– Bruce & Els’ energy
– Amazing time and lunch at Maati’s parents house while the girls were getting ready on their own

HEATHER (number 12)
#1 Racing through the desert terrain (cars weaving in and out from each others way) to catch the sunset in the desert. Then hiking up the dunes as quick as possible and having a moment to reflect once at the top overlooking ta sea of never-ending mountains of sand.
The of course watching Matti roll down the hill.
#2 Sleeping under the stars in the Sahara. It was as if we were sleeping in a planetarium and I kept closing my eyes and opening thinking this is not real, but it was…. pure bliss!
#3 The entire wedding from start to finish was amazing.
Group Moment
– Our last group dinner everyone was joyful, talkative, energetic and as if we were a real family
Personal Moment
– Watching Mimi and Mike cut the cake @ their wedding. Their love for each other was so genuine
Cities
– Essaouira
– Does the sahara count? [I’d say yep]