Tony had toothache. An internet search revealed a suitable (hope) dentist in Ouarzazate (sounds a bit like Wazzazat) – a two day drive north. The wind was relentless and the sand blowing across the road made it difficult to see where we were going. Our journey took twice as long as our satnav predicted. Our route crossed and recrossed dry river beds. When it rained water would rush down from the mountains, flooding the roads and destroying concrete causeways. It was said that more people perished in the desert from drowning than from dehydration.
Fech-fech was a phenomenon in those parts where a cloud of fine powder-like dust filled the air, making it hard to breathe. It would hang in the air like fog, reducing visibility and making driving hazardous. Fech-fech was particularly dangerous if you were travelling off-road because the dust settled in deep hollows and dry lake beds forming a perfectly smooth surface which would then crust over. Should a vehicle drive over it, the surface would collapse and the vehicle would be trapped up to its axles in soft powder. Although we carried sand ladders on the truck we were careful to stick to the highways and well-trodden tracks.
