From Zagora we drove to Tata, heading south west between the Anti Atlas Mountains and the Algerian border -which was permanently closed due to political hostilities. Our elevation was 2,500 feet and there was very little traffic on the long and dusty road. Acacia bushes dotted the stony ground, and we saw several groups of camels grazing. The Moroccan camel was a one-humped dromedary and was used to carry goods along the trade routes crossing the Sahara.
Today camel rides were a big tourist attraction. Tourists could ride out at dawn or dusk to the top of the dunes to watch the sunrise or sunset. Our choice was an evening camel ride into the dunes, dinner accompanied by Berber music and a night sleeping under canvas with a camel ride back in the morning. Several places even sold camel milk – but we chose not to try it.
