12/26/06: Camp

Today was a great day. We woke up around 8, got breakfast, and hit the road in the SUV’s. First we went to some small town with a big town square full of people and markets. There were some dancers and music and it was very lively. I browsed around the shops, found nothing, and got back in the SUV. We had lunch at another very nice hotel, and as usual, the food was awesome. After lunch, we had some free time and it was nice out, so everyone laid out in the sun and relaxed for about an hour.

After that it was time to go to our camp in the desert. WE made our way deep into the Sahara, parked the cars, and waited as several people brought camels for us to ride. There weren’t enough camels for everyone but fortunately I got one. Mine was very angry at first and I had to hope on quickly before he got too wild. But as soon as he stood up he was fine and good to go. We had a young guide who roped three camels together and walked us to the camp. It was a remarkable experience. The setting was unbelievable: white rolling sand dunes that stretched forever. Camels are kind of gross animals, they foam at the mouth, make really weird noises with their throats, and often flick their feces and urine up onto their riders with their tales. Luckily mine was pretty clean and I didn’t face any problems. Others weren’t as lucky.
The ride lasted about an hour and we arrived at the camp. It was a really cool setup: just lots of huts and tents, complete with a bar, souvenir shop, dining hall, and swimming pool.

I got my room assignment and then found Matt, John, and Conor and just started walking in a random direction in the desert. We were barefoot and the sand was so fine that it felt great to walk in. We ran down some dunes, played in the sand, and watched the sunset. The sand grew cold and we headed back to camp for dinner. I played hearts with Fr. Gary, Matt, and Conor and then ate dinner. They had a dance floor set up so after dinner everyone partied. We finished the rum and I ended up back out in the desert watching the starts. They were very bright and I saw several shooting stars. The sky was perfectly clear. That night I was freezing cold when I fell asleep in my tent, but I couldn’t have chosen a better place to spend the night: a 50 million star hotel.