Haggling for rugs

OK, so have found yourself in a fabulous Arab bazaar in some hot, sandy and exotic country. It is a maze of twisting alleyways crammed with people and intriguing shoplets selling bright and alluring handicrafts: colourfully decorated carpets, lamps, clothes, leather and metalware.

Trapped in shopping heaven, you almost pass out with excitement. Sweet, musky incense wafts through the air, and as you saunter along in the heat, handsome swarthy men try to entice you into their shops with cheesey one-liners “Madame, can I ask you something…?” Read more

Merzouga is our next stop – actually it is really the Sahara Desert, but there is no town there, so Merzouga is the best place to identify on a map. We are definitely out of the cities, it is dusty, hot, and the scenery is of two kinds – stony desert or date palm oasis.

Mostly the habitation is around the date palms, but a surprising number of people are living, or walking in what seems to be the middle of nowhere. Read more