Humped nearly to death in the Sahara by a camel

Hey everyone!

Since we last talked i have had access to exactly 0 usb ports and will strive to upload some new photos now as i have access to 2.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8075577@N02

Ok, now down to business. Thank you Sam, my only true friend for commenting. Although it was disjointed and a little confusing, good to hear from you mate. The rest of you are dead to me. Obviously except you mum and linden, you both email me seperately, and i love you both (In VERY different ways)! Nick, Daino, Swaney, Greg Etc. Dead.

Ok, since insane Marrakech which by the way i saw the highest heat i have even seen, about 40 mins west of Marrakech. I saw a big LED thermometer sign saying it was 55 degrees and as i was sitting on a bus that had no windows and broken aircon i reckon i was in even hotter heat.

Ok, so since Marrakech we grabbed a bus down to the coast directly west in the sweltering heat to a place called Essaouira. We drove through heaps of desert like plains and down to the beautiful town on the ocean. There were millions of little twisters everywhere. At the bus station we met 4 spanish guys and a spanish couple who we got along really well with. I have many a place to stay in Basque country now which is cool. So we basically just chilled in a pleasant climated beach town for 2 days and hung out with ze spanish. James and i had a great room on top of a big building so we had an awesome breeze and view.

Then we busted a move back to Marrakech where we said goobye to the spanish guys and because we couldnt stand the heat, we headed to Ouarzazate near the sahara to escape..... i know, idiots.

We rolled in to town about 2am and passed out in the cheapest hotel we could find. cockroaches but really nice guys running it. In the morning we organised our camel trip into the sahara and jumped in a taxi to get there. I really dont want to go into the details seperately cos it will make me mad. We ended up paying double as much as we should and after they made us pay the total halfway, they tried to coax us out of the taxi to get a coffee. No freaken way! You got the money you jerks, but at least we got to M'hamid.

It was a giant mood swing the second we rolled out of the taxi. Greeted by some really really nice hotel staff (amplified by the fact that we were the only guests) and given some omeletes, i started to calm down. the hotel was also very cheap and the hotel staff and some nomads stayed up talking to us for hours and hours. They even walked us out of town and we sat in the moonlit sahara while they sang songs in arabic.

The morning consisted of breakfast followed by green water expelled from my butt at high speed. I cant explain the colour or the fact that i am constantly sick! I perservered and soon we were atop our excellently named camels, chewbacca and chickenbutt. Their really names Mohammad and Loot. I kinda just kept calling them wingus and dingus. Anyway, Chewbacca really did sound like his namesake and would not shutup when being loaded up.

So with our guide Mohammad we rode Loot and Mohammad out of the town M'hamid (pronounced Mohammad) into the Sahara. After a bit we found an oasis (no water) and settled down to sleep off the midday heat. I was unable to eat lunch and am now very proficient at digging holes in sand and filling them with green water. We slept for hours in the ridiculous heat until finally it cooled slightly. We set off again into the dunes (which i might add, get VERY hot) and im proud to say i held off the green feeling until we stopped to camp for the night.

Sadly when i dismounted i erupted green water from the mouth and just barely, barely held the green in down below. Sorry for being so graphic, it was a big deal to me at the time. You try being in the desert where you need to drink 7.5 litres of water per day when you are a dragon breathing green fire from both ends. Now thats dehydration. Anyway so i emptied then settled down on the big dunes for dinner. an awesome tagine.... that i couldnt eat.

After a while we moved up onto the top of the dune to sleep. Mohammad (the nomad, not camel, town or prophet) sang and drummed a water tank for us. The desert at night is the most silent place i have ever been. there is nothing. when the wind stops, nothing at all. and the sky! if i had not had a full moon the stars would have been breathtaking. to be honest it was anyway.

A perfect place for reflection and thought. so calm and serene. you feel so insignificant. I dunno maybe it was just me and the dehydration but i got some good thinking done out there. Sadly I forgot the meaning of life shortly after realising it.... something to do with xbox. nope cant remember.

Later i was rudely awaken by a sandstorm! we were totally buried in sand and i soon learned to enjoy having every orrafice full to the brim with sand. Jez, I really am graphic today. Luckily i had the pash/turban/sandmask Linden gave me nearby and just went back to sleep.

In the morning we got up and packed after breakfast. Back on the camels, and i must say at this point my butt was pretty damn sore from everything its been through. I dont think even swaney's butt could take that much humping from a camel without getting sore. So we rode until we got to a well surrounded by nomads, camels and donkeys. Lots of cameltoe and ass if you get my drift.

We hung out with the nomads and they were very impressed with james' ipod and my leatherman. shocked at the value though. then after a sleep through the midday heat it was time to be heading back to M'hamid.

I left some things out so i hope i can cover some stuff with my observations,

Camels have humerous shaped feet.
They poo and fart extraordinary amounts.
Everything is named Mohammad.
A turban/pash is essential. and really easy to tie once you get the hang.
The desert, in africa, in summer is hot.
Sand, when left in the above conditions, also hot.
Green compliments orange sand well.
Dehydration is the coolest.
Water from underground has potential to be very smelly.
Nomads like singing.
To really enjoy the desert you must like sand
and wind
and combinations of the two.

Overall though, a really awesome experience. I did it hard but it was totally rewarding.

Cant wait to hear from you all soon. Hope everything in Oz is going well. Hope you got home safe Greg and your trip was awesome!

Lots of Love
Hutch