The Sahara Desert
The Sahara stretches a staggering 9 million square kilometers over several countries. We travel to Erg Chebbi or “Sea of Dunes” apart of the Sahara Desert, located in the south east of Morocco and the nearest town is Merzouga.
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Our camp for the night is a series of individual tents organised around a central meeting point. The desert is not what I expected, the sand is burnished red in stark contrast to the bright blue sky. Forming high dunes, the mounds shift in the light brezze, stretching out beyond the horizon. The grains of sand were soft to the touch; like paprika through your fingers; cool in the early evening, the heat of the day still wrapped around you. The desert embraced you; it felt like sinking into a warm bath or opening the oven to a newly baked bread.
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We rode on camels, their large soft feet padding effortlessly across the ridges of the dunes. They swayed to and fro, shifting their massive bulk as we watched the fading sun into the haze.
Drumming echoed late into the night. Men sang and beat drums to the rhythm of one another creating a hypnotic sound that vibrated through the ground. We danced with them around the fire pit. We ventured out beyond the camp onto the dunes guided by the milky streak of stars now high above us. A sense of calm envelopes you; humbles you under these pin pricks of light in the dark blanket of the night. To think that there they sit watching through both the day and night as we live out our lives; it is a wonderful thought.
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From 'The Alchemist' by Paulo Coelho: A story of the oil and the spoon. It is a story of a boy who seeks to learn the secret of happiness from the wisest man in the world.
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Upon traveling for forty days in the desert, the boy finds the wise man living in a beautiful castle and surrounded by merchants, music, and fine delicacies. After waiting patiently for an audience with the sage, the boy asked to learn the secret of happiness.
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The wise man had a busy schedule and instructed the boy to explore his beautiful palace and surrounding areas. Before he sent the boy on his way he gave him a spoon with two drops of oil and instructions not to spill the oil.
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The boy returned a few hours later with the spoon and oil, but without appreciating the abundant art, gardens, and splendors of the palace. He was too focused on not spilling the oil and had not diverted his attention long enough to look around.
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The wise man once again sent the boy to explore the palace with the spoon and the oil. This time the boy was aghast with the splendor and abundance that filled the palace. However, after returning he looked to find the spoon empty and the oil nowhere to be found.
This time he was too engrossed in his surroundings and didn’t concentrate enough on keeping the oil in the spoon.
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The wise man gave the boy some advice. He said “The Secret of Happiness lies in looking at all the wonders of the world and never forgetting the two drops of oil in the spoon.”
