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 October 2005 - From the moment I first saw "Lawrence of Arabia" on the drive in movie screen as a child, I knew that without a doubt, one day, I would need to see the Sahara desert! The camels! The horses! The people! The landscape!
Over the years my fascination with Africa has only grown; the wonder of the cultures, the people, the land. Every year I would find myself sifting through large stacks of magazines, which featured articles on Africa and on Morocco. The country fascinated me; the ancient souks, the city of Fez, even re-reading the Marguerite Henry children's book "King of the Wind" which is loosely based on the account of the Sultan Moulay Ismail who gave the King of France several prized Barb horses over 300 years ago only spurred my interest.
Well, the time had arrived! It was time to no longer sift through magazines and old newspaper ads about North Africa! It was time to pack up my bags and go! Thankfully, my adventurous husband, Jeffery, also had an interest in this trip!
How difficult could it possibly be to coordinate a camel trip on the edge of the Sahara I thought? Initially, this proved a bit more difficult than expected. Every company I contacted would have my husband and I part of a larger group. Not exactly what I was either thinking or hoping for. Until, while doing an Internet search I came across "Berber Tours". After my initial contact via email with co-owner, Jeffrey Teachout, it seemed as if my life long dream of seeing the sand dunes and sleeping with camels on the desert was about to become a reality!
 And, what a reality it became! From the moment that we met co-owner, Daoud Bouhaddou, at our hotel in Marrakech, to the drive over the Atlas Mountains, to being introduced to our wonderful guide and cook, we knew that we were about to embark on truly a "trip of a lifetime"! The camels, which were our faithful "ships of the desert", could not have been nicer! Kind and sweet with inquisitive, expressive eyes and soft breath; always curious and ready to set off across the desert. Our guide Khalid was simply remarkable! How he was able to ever know which direction we were traveling with so much sand around us is something I am still in awe and wonder over. Khalid was always willing to stop and chat with my geologist husband about the local geology or fossils that he may have found. Our cook, Mohammed, truly outdid himself with scrumptious lunches and authentic Moroccan dinners that were simply superb! Humming inside the "chef's tent", each meal was always well thought out by Mohammed and prepared with such care. We enjoyed a variety of fresh fruit and vegetables as well as delectable cheeses and breads.
The scenery of the Sahara desert is, in a word, breath taking! As we began our journey, the smaller sand dunes offered us a chance to look at local geology as well as fossils. As we proceeded each day, the changing landscape was evident. On our last day we experienced Erg Chigaga... the big dunes! With sand as soft as confectioner's sugar and a red color that is uniquely Saharan they are in a word, unforgettable!
We cannot thank everyone at Berber Tours enough for the first rate hospitality which we received. Every detail for the entire trip went without a problem; from our initial booking until our return to our hotel in Marrakech. Without a doubt, Berber Tours is a first class company that creates "memories of a lifetime".
Terri and Jeffery Thornton-Roloff
San Francisco, California
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