"Why are WOMEN like CAMELS to the NOMADS?"After the disappointment of missing the stars, the beautiful sunrise made up for it the very next day! At around 6, we got up for breakfast and watched the sunrise. Similar to sunset, from the time the sun hid behind the mountains till it rose up above the horizon took probably only 2 minutes! But the view was just MAGNIFICENT. You guys got to see the photos I took. Sad to say, my camera had a bit of problem after that because the sand got into it. I was afraid that it would die on me. I still had Barcelona and Paris on my itinerary, probably the next 2 loved cities on my list. :)
The minute ray of light in the desert at 5a.m in the morning.
We rode the camels back to where we headed out from the previous day and this time round, the sun was behind us all the time... The most fabulous thing was I didn´t go to the loo for another 13 hours this time round. It was a breakthrough from my record of 12 hours in Vietnam when we were on the train from Sapa back to Hanoi. I didn´t want to do it in the desert so I controlled my water intake really hard. hahaha...
Watching the sunrise is simply amazing! :) I hope it will not be once and also the last in the desert. MORE to Come please! Eygpt~My next destination!
Watching the sun "crawl" up the horizon is just memsmerizing! :) I can't put any words to it. It's a feeling/emotion that keeps your heart occupied and not want to take a look at anything else.
Along the way, we did talk to the nomads here and there to find out more about their life. The tents that we stayed at was their base from the BIGGER DESERT out there. It was nearer to the city so from time to time,tey will use it as a transition point to go to the city to get food supplies. Their families stay in the BIGGER DESERT in the SAHARA which explains why we didn´t meet them.I remember before we reached the destination, one of the Welsh girl sitting next to me asked if I would live in the desert and I gave her a firm NO. My reason was that I am a CITY GIRL and I can´t stand being isolated from the world, from technology etc. However, when we chatted at the desert that very night, I told her I´d change my previous answer. She questioned about the availability of running water, of good food, proper sanitation and I thought about that too. I think you will definitely find it difficult to adapt to it initially but if you are there for long, together with your family, somehow you will get used to it. Further, you will not miss the luxury of urban living because everyone around you doesn´t own that and there wasn´t any room for comparison. Most of the time, jealousy and envy only comes along when there´s comparison. Isn´t it so?
Life in the desert. Vast yet simple. :)
They are shelters for the nomads to rest along the way.
There will be some day in the near future when I will not spend just 2 days 1 night in the desert but rather a whole week or month or so out there in the desert. Apparently, there´s this famous sign ´TOMBOUCTOU 50 JOURS´ (In French) which means Tinbucktoo (nowhere) in 50 days somewhere in Morocco but I didn´t find it. What it simply means is you will find yourself in nowhere after 50 days in the desert. hahaha.. Anyone who´s heading to Morocco and happen to see it please tell me where it is!! I wanna find it... hehe...
Honestly, after the night at the desert, I smelled really bad. I smelled like a CAMEL and I hadn´t bathe for 2 full days. hehe.. But rug and dirt was meant to be part of the tour so I´d no complaints. :) Furthermore, I am seriously an AFRICAN-KID REBORN once again. I get tanned easily and after spending the past 7 days, 4 in Portugal and 3 in Morocco under the scorching sun, I can´t find any reason of me being fair. haha.. But I am a FAT African kid compared to those real ones. hehe.. Honestly, I didn´t see a single FAT NOMAD or kid in my 2 days there. Everyone walks so much that there wasn´t any possibility of putting on weight. haha...
While You and I are happily enjoying the air-conditioner installed in our cars at a temperature of 33deg celsius, kids in the desert are doing the pony-ride under a temp. of 40deg celsius. :) So the next time before you wanna complain about the weather, why not think about kids out there?
Kids who run errands and earn pocket money out of it. :) It could be providing directions or buying some takeaway.
On the journey back, everyone was so tired and sick of taking photographs. There weren´t too many stops compared to the journey there. The only one which I remembered vividly was the shooting venue for all the desert related or ancient movies. I don´t know the name of that place because the guide didn´t say but I went to the museum and saw the shooting scenes for shows like Alexander, Kingdom of Heaven, Gladiator etc. Both the battery in my camera went flat when I entered the museum and I was so exasperated. I don´t know why but somehow I had a guide to bring me through the museum and it was great. It beats me going around in circles in the museum. I finished touring the museum in like 20 minutes since I didn´t take any photos but a thought strike me after I finished. I had my camera phone but it was on the van so I asked if he could wait while I go get my phone. He actually agreed and since there weren´t many people in the museum, he took me through the venues once again to let me take photos. I even had one with the gladiator costume! COOL!
The shooting studio in Morocco.
Yeah! If only it was My Gladiator Costume! :) I'd love to daunt on something like this. Like I said, I wished I was a KNIGHT! hahaha...
Recall scenes in shows like Alexander, Kingdom in Heaven. These are the chambers.
I think this was used in Kingdom of Heaven where they carry those Princesses and Princes...
Some insights from the tour. The group of 7 of us talked quite a bit about what we observed in Morocco. People just keep bugging you all the time to buy things and sometimes you get really pissed off. Well, Vietnam is worst than Morocco but when we were there, people didn´t keep bugging us. I never had a single meal in peace. As we were chatting, some of them commented that I was too soft to actually give in and give them money, buy the tissues etc. I didn´t argue my way out with them and took the comments as it is as I felt it was unnecessary. But I did a lot of thinking throughout my 4 days in Morocco and came to this conclusion myself which made me part with my money.
I am considered well-off to many of them out there but I thank god that I was born in an urban city. All of us do not have a choice when it comes to the family we are born into. However, being born in an urban city provided me the opportunity to seek education and improve my life and standard of living. What about them? They were not given and will NEVER EVER be given that opportunity. All their lives, they will stay in this country and be dependent on others. I believe if they had a choice, asking for money will be the last thing on their mind too. Yes, they can work but they are kids. What can they work as? Can they give tuition like me? Can they work part-time like me? THEY CAN´T. So all of you out there, be FORTUNATE that we are born in Singapore, an urban city with an island-wide size but first-class living standard. If you are not contented with life, think about the vast opportunities out there that you may explore yet refused even before you try.
The 2nd thing is I never see WOMEN out there in the streets. The streets are always dominated by males. I really wonder where the women are?
I talked to Alvin and PL after I came back from the desert. When I told them I was in Morocco-Marrakesh, both commented I was crazy. Yes to a certain extent, I think I really am. In fact some of the people in the group questioned my courage to come to Morocco by myself as a girl. Marrakesh is in North Africa and women here are like RARE human beings and you don´t see them on the streets. So as a women walking along the streets, you often attract a lot of stares here and there. I don´t know what gave me the courage to come here by myself either. I guess my dreams is what that drove me to come here. As the Chinese saying goes, ´Ren Ying Meng Xiang Er Wei Da´. To realise my dreams, I will embark on any journey and may even do anything which people might think is MISSION IMPOSSIBLE.
Last but not least, I shall end my post with the answer to the question I asked. It´s a super meaningful answer and I am amazed by the nomads´ thinking capacity.
Camels are for CROSSING through the Desert while Women are for CROSSING through LIFE.
No comments:
Post a Comment