Into the Moroccan South! From Fez we started a three day trek into the Atlas Mountains and the Sahara Desert! On the first day we made a stop in a monkey reserve, an were able to see a very lively family of monkeys, including some babies. Their moms were quite protective as the babies clung on to their moms very tightly! The scenery along the way was spectacular, as the road winded along with the mountains.

By late afternoon we arrived at a hotel/refuge on the edge of the Sahara Desert. We then jumped on some camels for one and a half hours and ventured into our desert camp. Note that this is legit desert, with massive sand dunes surrounding us. A group of us perched ourselves at the top of the sand dune and waited for the stars to come out. The sky lit up with stars – and we had a fantastic view of the Milky Way. However, none of us brought a flashlight, so we stumbled over dunes and fought our way back to the camp! Many good adventures!

On the second day of our trek, we continued on through the Atlas Mountains, and enjoyed the scenery of gorges, valleys, and even a 400 year old well system. Now the wells are dried up, so we could wander through the underground system in a series of tunnels. Very cool! We stayed overnight in Ouarzazate, and grabbed a bus to Marrakech on the third day. Onward and forward!