Writing Retreat in Moroccan Desert

Back in September 2012, The View from Fez ran a story about an unusual writers' retreat to be held in the Moroccan desert. (see story here) The retreat, run by Jan Cornall, is now underway

Writer and performer Jan Cornall mentors writers and teaches writing at Australian universities and community colleges. She also leads writing retreats and workshops in inspiring international locations - Bali, Fiji, Cambodia, Burma, and Laos. Each year a number of her students go on to publish with major publishing houses. As Jan explained to The View from Fez, her trip, which started a few days ago began in the streets of Fez before heading into the Moroccan desert.

The Australian writers pose in Riad R'cif before heading for the desert

The retreat takes place at Cafe Tissardmine, established by Australian artist Karen Hadfield. Cafe Tissardmine is fast becoming a hub for writers, painters, photographers, even scientists wishing to study desert flora and fauna

Writing The Journey - Morrocan Caravan, Jan 10 - 22, 2013.
www.writersjourney.com.au 
 www.cafetissardmine.com


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Moroccan Mars Meteorite to Go Under the Hammer

A meteorite that landed in the Moroccan desert last summer was ejected from the surface of Mars 700,000 years ago, a new study reports. The meteorite is composed of an abundance of black glass, with noble gases trapped inside. On Sunday a piece of it will be offered at an auction in New York.

The meteorite ( fragment pictured above), named Tissint, after a nearby village, is only the fifth Martian meteorite that people have witnessed falling to Earth. There are about 60 known meteorites thought to be from Mars. But Tissint is unique because it fell into the desert and suffered little damage from Earth’s environment.  According to  Dr Hasnaa Chennaoui Aoudjehane, an astronomer at the Hassan II University in Casablanca, it is in perfect condition. “We had no rain between the moment it fell and the moment it was collected,” Dr. Aoudjehane  said. “It was fresh, and it is very exciting to be able to analyse this. Based on the noble gas measurements, we could calculate the ejection age of the meteorite”.

The meteorite may have been knocked loose from Mars by an asteroid or some other large body that hit the planet, the researchers believe. The impact may have also caused some melting, creating the black glass and preserving a Mars “signature” inside the glass.

When Dr Aoudjehane first heard news of the fireball that lit up the sky she traveled 700 miles from Casablanca, over the Sahara, to find the "strewn field" — where pieces spread across the sand. She was not the first one there. "The first thing that I see is hundreds of people in the middle of nowhere. And this is something that I will never forget." Men, women and children were camped out, hunting for the pieces. Meteorites are often found in North Africa — unusual rocks stand out in the desert — and they bring a good price.

A piece of the Tissint meteorite will be offered at a meteorite auction in Manhattan that is billed as the biggest ever, and the fragment on auction starts at $230,000.

It is believed that the fragment on auction fits exactly with the piece (pictured above) at the Natural History Museum in London. Hopefully someone will be generous enough to reunite them.

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Writing the Journey - a Moroccan Desert Retreat

Writer and performer Jan Cornall mentors writers and teaches writing at Australian universities and community colleges. She also leads writing retreats and workshops in inspiring international locations - Bali, Fiji, Cambodia, Burma, and Laos. Each year a number of her students go on to publish with major publishing houses. As Jan explained to The View from Fez, 2013 will see her run a writers' retreat that begins in the streets of Fez before heading into the Moroccan desert

When I decided I wanted to run a desert writing journey in Morocco I was lucky to find the ideal place - an oasis retreat in the a tiny traditional Berber village, perched on the edge of one of the Sahara’s most extraordinary natural landforms, the 22 km long sand dune, Erg Chebbi.

Established by Australian artist Karen Hadfield, Cafe Tissardmine is slowly becoming a hub for writers, painters, photographers, even scientists wishing to study desert flora and fauna.

Karen was on a short holiday to Erg Chebbi in 2010 when it all became clear - this was where she would set up an artist’s retreat. She found her renovators dream, a mud brick ruin in Tissardmine village, and with business partner Yousef Bouchedor, set about converting it into a guest house. Located 30km from the well travelled towns of Erfoud and Rissani, Cafe Tissardmine is a place of tranquility, ‘where the loudest thing you will hear is the birdsong.’

In January, our twelve day writer’s journey begins in Fez with a day and a night to explore the ancient city before we head out by four wheel drive to Tissardmine. For our six day desert retreat we sleep in traditional Berber tents (complete with en-suite bathrooms) and attend daily workshops and readings in the comfortable artist’s salon.

Taking our inspiration from the cosmology of the Moroccan star, we will explore the mystical significance of the eight cardinal directions and the areas of writing craft they relate to. Excursions into the desert from our base will employ the senses and elements to capture the unique desert experience and transform it into powerful writing. We will complete our journey with a breathtaking drive across the Atlas Mountains to Marrakech, where we will celebrate our writing achievements with a feast of Moroccan culture.

Please join us if you would like to come. Writers of all genres and all levels of experience are welcome. Creative artists, photographers, performers - even if you have no idea what you might write you will be surprised what you are capable of.

Writing The Journey - Morrocan Caravan, Jan 10 - 22, 2013.
www.writersjourney.com.au 
 www.cafetissardmine.com

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Winter in the Sahara

Venturing into the Sahara during winter can be challenging. But as today's guest post from intrepid travellers, Mary Finnigan and partner Chris Gilchrist, shows - there is poetry to be found everywhere and at any time of year. 

Light glazes the dunes like honey - Photo Chris Gilchrist

"Four days in the Sahara fulfilled our R&R dreams like no previous holiday."  

We are middle aged and so were appreciative of the creature comforts offered by an impeccably managed and elegantly presented Moroccan guest house, Dar Daif. Situated three kilometres from the outskirts of Ouarzazate, Dar Daif is a short stroll from the shores of Lake Ouarzazate.

The RAMSAR wetlands - Photo Sandy McCutcheon

The lake is a RAMSAR designated wetland, teeming with bird life. We sat for hours in pleasant winter sunshine gazing at hundreds of cormorants and storks, alongside osprey, spoonbills, black wing stilts, ruddy shelduck, great crested grebes, ringed plover, many varieties of wheatear and wagtail.

Mary and Chris

We had two days of luxury either side of the bit in the middle that satisfied our craving for novelty and adventure. We camped, walked and rode with three camels and three Berber gentlemen - Echou the guide and Omar and Idir the camel men. Zaid the driver completed the ensemble.

Chris, dressed for comfort, stays warm

 The trek was glitch-free and enormously good fun. The stars at night, the silence of the days and the awesome beauty of the dunes are best captured in poetry and in pictures.

 Light glazes the dunes like honey, 
 melts them like wax, 
 fixes them harsh at noon, 
 draws lines with them at sunset, doubts them at night. 


 Wind and sand and powdered rock - 
 a life reduced to mere clinging at the surface, 
 thin as a camel's cough, 
 the sussurant shower of a small cascade of grains. 


 No body lives here; 
 all burn out, dry to wisps and curls of hair, 
 talismans of bone. 


 Fold upon fold, the voluptuous dunes 
 threaten a serpentine erotic embrace. 
 Sandriffs build a symphony 
 always fading away. 
A set of fading footsteps 
 is my only hope of return 
 to browsing camels, water, 
 the small fierce dry-wood fire 
 under the starless heft 
 of the ancient tamarisk. 

Poem by Chris Gilchrist 

 the ancient tamarisk 

  DETAILS

Find out more about Dar Daif and the Ouazazate area here; Ouazazarte

Dar Daif is an old kasbah house. Owners Jean-Pierre Datcharry and his wife Zineb have recreated the feel of a desert caravanserai with richly coloured carpets, plants and artifacts. The guesthouse has been awarded La Cle Verte - one of a handful in Morocco - due to its ecologically sustainable practises.

Visit Dar Daif


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Extreme sports event in Morocco

Morocco's first Djebelya Grand Raid is an extreme endurance test. Competitors have 200 hours to cover 2500km throughout Morocco, over four weeks, from 28 June to 28 July. Events include a 120km kayak across the Atlantic from the Canary Islands to Tarfaya in southern Morocco, 2100km of mountain biking, a 40km desert trek, 150km on horseback, a 20km swim and an optional mountain climb.

Billed as 'from one sea to the other' the Djebelya Grand Raid will end at Cabo Negro on the Mediterranean, not far from Tangier after traversing the High Atlas mountains and the Sahara. The project was initiated by Mounir Essayegh, a natural sports aficionado, and Arnaud Mollaret, a horse riding teacher in Casablanca. So for a month, this competition which aims to lead the raiders from a sea to another, using only natural sports (ie no polluting, motorised vehicles), will cross more than 13 provinces in 24 stages. Presented as a "race against oneself" which stresses endurance, the objective of the raid is also to promote citizen tourism through natural sports. It highlights the natural and cultural riches of Morocco, emphasising green tourism and our social and environmental responsibility. Children in rural schools along the way will benefit through the NGO Amis des Ecoles.

If you're feeling energetic, find out more at www.djebelya.com.

Horseriding in Morocco

Riding camels in the Sahara is de rigueur, but did you know that you can also ride horses into the desert, and in plenty of other spots in Morocco, too? The View from Fez takes a look.

It's true there aren't many stables with well-looked after and well-trained horses, with and proper guides and insurance. But Maroc Rando Cheval on the Route d'Immouzer near Fez airport is a professional outfit with excellent facilities.

They not only offer horseriding trips into the Sahara, but also along the coast from Tangier to the lagoon at Moulay Bousselham (wonderful for birdwatching), into the Middle Atlas, around Volubilis and Meknes, to the thermal spa towns of Sidi Harazem and Moulay Yacoub,and into the mountains around Fez. Every Friday there's a ride around Fez; other trips are by arrangement.

riding in the Middle Atlas

The equestrian centre also offers lessons, dressage and a pony club for children. There's a clubhouse and large pool, and if you're horse-mad, you can even stay at Ryad al Faras on the same property.

See the website here.

Moroccan Photography Competition no. 18

This entry for The View from Fez Moroccan Photography competition comes from Nora Fitzgerald.


It's entitled Desert March. Nora says, "I'm an American woman who has lived in Morocco almost her whole life. This year I finally made it out to the desert with my husband, two older kids, and in-laws. The highlight was a camel ride by the light of the full moon out to the oasis camp where we spent the night. This picture was taken by my husband the following day as we made our way back to civilisation. It's really just you, your camel, and rolling sand dunes as far as the eye can see."

If you would like to submit a photograph taken in Morocco, please email it in jpeg or gif format to fes.riad@gmail.com and put "photo entry" in the subject line.

A regularly updated collection of all the photographs is now available on The View from Fez Photo Journal

Explore the desert from Ouarzazate

The southern Moroccan city of Ouarzazate (pronounced Wazza-zat) is the perfect jumping-off place to explore the desert region by camel, mule, quad-bike or on foot. The View from Fez team visited recently.
The city comprises the ancient kasbah as well as a French-built garrison town built in the 1920s. There are plenty of restaurants, and supermarkets for stocking up for a desert trip. It's also a good base for visiting the Dades Gorge, Todra Gorge, the Valley of the Roses and surrounding kasbah villages.

While you might think that Ouarzazate would be all sand and dust, there's a suprising amount of water. Just outside the town is a massive dam on the Draa River and a wide expanse of wetlands that forms a Ramsar protected area, ie a wetland of international importance.

Ramsar-protected wetlands in Ouarzazate

Birdwatching here is highly recommended: spotted recently were Grey Heron, Ruddy Shelduck, Kentish Plover, Marbled Teal and even Osprey. White Storks nest on the ruined kasbahs and on every minaret.

storks nesting on the ruined kasbah next to Dar Daif

In Ouarzazate, the Team discovered another oasis, Dar Daif, which is a great place to stay. Just 3km from the city centre (there's a shuttle bus to take you into town), Dar Daif is an old kasbah house. Owners Jean-Pierre Datcharry and his wife Zineb have recreated the feel of a desert caravanserai with richly coloured carpets, plants and artefacts. The guesthouse has been awarded La Cle Verte - one of a handful in Morocco - due to its ecologically sustainable practices.

the patio at Dar Daif

Jean-Pierre and Zineb organise desert trips - and are especially happy to cater for children or physically challenged people. The trips can be anything from a couple of days to a few weeks long and are run by pure professionals. In fact, Zineb was the first ever woman desert guide, accredited over 20 years ago.

the bedrooms are very comfortable

See Dar Daif's website for more information, or book through Fez Riads.


Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news

Moroccan Desert Trips - a rare experience

…..”And the moon fell on the desert’s silence, and a man’s journey in search of treasure….” “The Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho.

The desert is another dimension, a world apart from what we know and expect. In the expanse of the dunes there are no distractions to appreciating man’s greatest treasure - his own soul. Nothing exists but the undulating sand, the expansive sky, the moon, the stars and silence. Here, there is room for meditation; reflection on the essence of life and the magic within it.

The power of the desert is omnipotent with the sudden rising of the winds, the shifting sands and the constant need to search for life giving water. The desert’s secret touch is about learning our own humility and coming away from this sacred place with each memory and experience etched into our minds, providing us with priceless treasures.

All this majesty is one of the treasures of Morocco. There are a number of options available, but one of the best we have come across is offered by Desert Majesty SARL who offer a superb service and a unique opportunity to experience the desert in all its splendour. At sunset or sunrise with the dawning of a new day, from the heat of midday to the cool of evening, when the colours of the dunes shimmer and reflect inimitable hues or whilst trekking on a camel sharing the rhythms of life of a Saharan nomad; if only for a few days or hours your time will have you savouring the spirit of the desert and understanding why the world’s three great religions of the book stemmed from here. For the single reason that no value may be placed on the desert because man is exposed to its whims.


Desert Majesty SARL are based in Ouarzazate

Contact:

Felicity Greenlaw-Weber
00 212 (0)661 23 56 36

Abdelhadi Slimani
00 212 (0)671 66 04 94

www.desertmajesty.com
info@desertmajesty.com
Hay El Wahda No 1865
Ouarzazate
Morocco

“The essence of life is unpredictable. The greatest joys are experienced at the moment they are least expected….leaving deep longings in the heart….” “Wind, Sand and Stars” Antoine de Saint-Exupery.

Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news