Fezouata formation, Morocco - Polarsteps

Since we're not making it to Merzouga, the site of actual huge, orange desert sand dunes, we decided to try to see some around our desert stop in Zagora; all that was nearby on the map was the Tinfou Dunes, so we left our tent set up in the campground in Zagora, packed some sandwiches, and "had a day off" (read: "biked fifty kilometres"). It was a nice jaunt, unloaded, down a flat, quiet desert road. The dunes were, it turned out, a small deposit nestled in next to some cliffs ("Fake desert," warned someone on TripAdvisor-- the words of someone who was sold a tour to the Moroccan sand dunes and was understandably disappointed to arrive here). Between the road and the dunes is a Berber bivouac camp with a lot of men trying to sell camel rides. We rejected some offers and walked our bikes through to have lunch on the dunes. Kini's Morocco bucket list did, in fact, include getting on a camel, though (and mine included staying on the ground with my camera and watching their dreams come true), so we ultimately connected with Camel Guide Abdul and Hermione the Camel, who made it happen (Kini really wants you to know that the Berber head wrap was not a choice that they made, but a choice that was rather insistently made for them. They're a bit embarrassed by the resulting photos, but had a joyous time regardless).