Morocco

Morocco is one of three countries to have Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea coastlines. (7/2016)

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A VW bus fits in perfectly with the surrounding architecture and atmosphere. (7/2016)

Sitting on the newly constructed walkway that runs along the Tangier coastline. (7/2016)

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Evening descends on the Port of Tangier. (7/2016)

A stunning sunrise from my first Moroccan guesthouse. (7/2016)

The Chefchaouen medina, famous for its blue hue, sits in the distance. (7/2016)

According to a local, the blue hue of buildings is used to keep mosquitos away, much like a blue mosquito lamp. (7/2016)

The various colored flower pots provide an interesting contrast to the blue-colored houses. (7/2016)

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Cats, both house trained and otherwise, roamed the narrow streets looking for food and company. (7/2016)

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Reflections. (7/2016)

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Standing against a colorful backdrop. (7/2016)

Sunset from the walls that surround the medina. (7/2016)

Looking into the Meknes media. (7/2016)

Manual scale used to measure goods for sale. (7/2016)

Anyone need a spare shoe? (7/2016)

The motorbike is a popular form of transport no matter the country. (7/2016)

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After an overnight bus journey from Meknes, I found my feet in the sands of the Sahara Desert. (7/2016)

Looking out a window in my accommodation onto the fine sands of the Sahara. (7/2016)

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Panoramic photograph of the entrance to the Sahara Desert. My accommodation can be seen on the right. (7/2016)

My friend Kriboch (pronounced cray-bush) valiantly carried me through the Sahara on a three-day trek. (7/2016)

Away we go…into the Sahara we walk. (7/2016)

Temperatures soared as the sun rose over the horizon. (7/2016)

Muhammed, my guide, led Kriboch and myself into the Sahara. (7/2016)

While only a few miles from civilization, it appeared as though we were on a different planet. (7/2016)

The sun begins to set and closes out Day 1 in the desert. (7/2016)

The start of Day 2. (7/2016)

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Over the course of Day 2, we went from sand to rock and back to sand. (7/2016)

To escape the heat, we sought out the shade in a partially abandoned nomad village. (7/2016)

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A makeshift mosque was erected for those passing through. (7/2016)

The skeleton of a building that was used when Morocco was a French colony. (7/2016)

While surrounded by sand in the distance, I stand in awe at the rock that now spread in all directions. This portion of the Sahara Desert is known as the Black Desert. (7/2016)

After relaxing in the Black Desert to avoid the sun, we saddled up Kriboch and meandered back onto the sand. Here, remnants of the wind can be seen on the sand. (7/2016)

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Victory after having reached our camp for Night #2. (7/2016)

This small cat hid found a home under a nearby water tank. Although emaciated, he followed me around all evening even as I traversed many large sand dunes. I left camp the following morning worried that the cat might not make it living in the desert. I spoke to Muhammed, my guide, the other day and to my surprise, this cat is still wandering around the camp. He sure is resilient. (7/2016)

Evening descends on the desert. Two days down, One to go. (7/2016)

The start of my final day in the Sahara Desert. (7/2016)

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We made it! Three days, sweltering temperatures! I got this. (7/2016)

After three days trekking, I hung around my accommodation for a few days until my bus to Marrakech. I became very close to many of the staff. (L) Muhammed, my desert guide; (R) The man in the kitchen, who served up delicious meals. Here we are relaxing on the sand outside my accommodation. (7/2016)

The sand was so fine, it felt like powder in my hands. (7/2016)

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There has to be water below that sand. (7/2016)

I was surprised at the number of rocks throughout the portion of the Sahara Desert that surrounds Merzouga. (7/2016)

With less than a week until I returned back to America, I spent my last night in the desert pondering what I had accomplished over the previous nine months and what might await me in the future. (7/2016)

The moon stands in stark contrast to the dark sky. (7/2016)

From the sand to the city. Horse-drawn carriages line the streets that stretch from the Koutoubia Mosque. (7/2016)

The maze like alleys of the Marrakech medina were the largest I experienced in Morocco. (7/2016)

Ornate tea pots for sale. (7/2016)

Colorful bracelets on display. (7/2016)

Spices lined many shopfronts in the medina. (7/2016)

Fresh orange juice for sale in the Djemaa el Fna, a large square that by evening is lined with food and juice vendors, bands, snake charmers and other attractions. (7/2016)

Taking orders in the Djemaa el Fna. (7/2016)