Sunrise in the Sahara! The Erg Chebbi Dunes are part of the largest desert on earth.Of course there are camels! It will take you 80 days to get to Timbuktu by camel caravan…These Khettara Irrigation Access Shafts are near Hassilabied. This is part of an ancient system that brought groundwater to the Sahara.The irrigation channels in the Hassilabied Palmeraie – palm dates with the almond trees starting to bloom as well as some of the other crops.Footsteps in the sand – the wind has erased all trace of those that have walked before us. Erg Chebbi DunesThe sun is intense as it rises… Erg Chebbi DunesWe explored south into the dry desert landscape to the end of the pavement. Another day we took a 4×4 jeep tour to explore offroad deeper into the dunes……We visited a Berber Nomad Camp with lots of goats. The little kids were quite friendly and curious. This is a harsh life……We toured a French abandon Lead mine as well as the ghost town they left behind. Now Pyrite and Quartz are the main minerals mined in the area.What a calm day to visit Dayet Srji Lake! You can see the dunes rising in the background. This is a seasonal lake — only here in the winter from the rains and snows in the mountains — that is much larger than we expected.Hassilabied Apartment Hotel is our oasis in the Sahara desert! We enjoyed our spacious apartment very much and the six friendly brothers that owned it.After an amazing Berber omelette breakfast, the patient chef showed me how to make the chicken Tajine for our next meal. That is two red onions that go in first….then the chicken is topped with potatoes, carrots, zucchini, and tomato.The staff celebrates the preparation of the Tajine! The friendly young man in blue is our waiter – he has graduated from college in law but wants a job working with tourists.Perfection in the wind carving.We enjoyed our time here at the Erg Chebbi Dunes — the corner of the Sahara that we explored.
