As the jeep rolled across the desert, I looked back at the walled city, now only a small dot on the horizon. A sand dust flow was coming from the tires of the sturdy jeep, continuing around my yet more messy hair and then falling on the everlasting sandy wilderness. We were on our way to a place which used to be a haven for nomads but a nightmare for foreigners – Jbel yachi, Eastern Atlas.
On the first day, we made it to Midelt – a town in central Morroco where we would prepare for the trip. We had chosen a cosy hotel in the suburbs. Just before we dozed off, Celeste had a sudden anxiety attack. She was wondering what would happen if something went wrong. Her sapphire-blue eyes were shining, reflecting the dim light from the gas lamp. Ace quickly helped her get hold of herself. Nonetheless, all three of us had a trip to go on.
The sun in the following morning was too bright even for a place around the equator. After a quick breakfast, we were back on track. It took us around six hours just to reach Point Ayachi where we were to leave our jeep and continue on foot for the rest of the trip. Walking through the pathways of Atlas is not an easy job. The boiling sun and the overgrazed plants around us only emphasized how scorching the weather was. In contrast, there was snow on the higher peaks of the mountain range and Celeste’s eyes were twinkling like dew on fresh grass. And Ace, soldierlike as usual, was climbing up like a reverse waterfall. All these extraordinary things just could not fit with the burning background. Yet there was even more polarity when it came to the day-night cycle. It is well-known that nights in deserts are extremely cold. That fact was about to hit us really hard.
We found an excellent spot to set up our campsite. Standing on top of the endless sand and under the countless stars that place felt more and more unique. The campfire we set was sparkling just like the heavenly bodies above us and that heavenly calmness washed over our camp. But just like the stars, the fire burns. And that fire was about to start burning fiercely. One of the tents burst into flames. Celeste and I woke up immediately only to see how Ace managed to cut a hole in his burning tent and escape. We quickly grabbed our important items and ran away leaving the fiery site behind. It was freezing cold and we were lost.
The only option we had was to find our jeep and go back to Midelt. We wandered around searching for it, but it was extremely difficult when the only light we had was from that from the Moon above. Celeste was frightened. She was wondering what could happen if we didn’t find the car. I stopped and looked at her shining eyes. Only then did I notice that she was crying. Warm tears were rolling down her cold face. I couldn’t tell her anything since I was worried as much as she was. But then I saw something unusual. Something else was sparkling behind her. I pushed her carefully and ran towards the light. It was a set of metal letters which spelt Range Rover...
After it was all over, we made it back home with our jeep. That was a trip we would never forget.