We were both a bit lethargic on waking up, the travel taking its toll, but that was ok, the sun was shining, I did a bit of washing, reading and planning the days ahead- maps out, where can we go what do we want to do etc..
We drove into Merzouga to check out the quad hire prices, availability etc. Tony had already done a little research and the prices for hire were frankly steep for what was on offer, we had to have a guide, needed to hire two bikes (even though we already had one). We said we would think about it (but not for long) we put extra fuel on board Tone's bike, drinking water, maps, compass etc and headed off tandem. It worked quite well, I played the part of scout, when the dunes were a bit steep or we didn't know what was on the other side (drop off, camel herd or Land Rover).
It was spectacular, ploughing through the sea of sand, pitching and rolling with the dunes. Like off piste skiing, you need to pick your line with care, otherwise you end up in a bowl. The dunes like snow often lack definition and it can be tricky to judge the steepness of a dunes pitch, this is known as 'yellow out conditions'.
Driving in deep sand is a trick I am yet to master, Tony seemed to have it sorted- consequently he did most of the driving. I had a few goes, but I can say with honesty that I was not as confident as Tone, I hadn't ridden a quad before so I took charge of camel spotting.
We picked our way through medium to small dunes, using a large rocky outcrop in the distance as a marker beacon, this worked fine. On arriving at said point there was a small Berber restaurant, having taken little money with us, we went for the coke option. The owner asked if we wanted food, I explained we haven't brought much money (which was true) – 'no problem' he said. He was very proud of his little operation –tents, outside oven, BBQ and a little vegetable garden - he clearly had plans to have people stay overnight. He served up a wonderful salad and omelette, and with us seated on Berber chairs and carpets and chatting to him, it couldn't have been better - I gave him what we had (100dhm = £9). We exchanged thank you's and rode off in search of 'Ergs'.
Getting back to the campsite (after I managed to throw both Tone and myself off the bike) I was relieved to see no one had stolen my now dry undies and socks from the spiky bush they were hanging on. This had been playing on my mind for some time- as rates of underwear theft have skyrocketed in this region. We had been warned the previous day by a semi-naked german couple to 'watch our pants' - it got lost in the translation, we just thought they were weird or being overly friendly.
As you would expect with a diet rich in dates, figs and lentils, there is quite a market for second hand underwear in Merzouga, particularly in Men's XXL, you will often see the young local men flaunting the 'St Michaels' label when dining or perhaps a pair of white Y-fronts if wooing the girls. 'Clean' or nearly clean athletic supports have supplanted iphones as the must have accessory and command high prices at the weekly souk.
We dined out again in town, next to the plinth celebrating Captain Cameron Merzouga of the Royal Hussars - 'The Lonely Berber - A Friend to all, but particularly young men' it said, unfortunately the bronze statue of him mounting his camel was recently taken down, after a series of complaints about it being too obscene.
Dinner was beef brochette (skewers of beef) once again very tasty and inexpensive. We rode back to the camp cross country, sorted out 'stuff' watched the end of a film and fell asleep. Only three people asked about the dimensions, cost, abilities and attributes of the truck today - have we offended someone?
Tomorrow we leave the desert and head towards the High Atlas and Marrakesh.
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