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| Room balcony @ Sahara Sky hotel/observatory Credit: S. Lamoureux/ KTY Toutatis |
On my latest
astronomy trip to the Sahara in Southern Morocco, I met with many
enthusiast people in astronomy. I had a blast doing many activities
related to astronomy such as Meteorite hunting, astrophotographying
the night sky and learning much of astronomy in general at this
fabulous hotel/observatory called Sahara Sky. 10 days of meteorite
hunting, astronomy learning and stargazing in the Sahara was
incredible and just unforgettable. Please join me in a series of
posts on my journey through the Sahara in Southern Morocco and one of
the most dark skies places I have ever seen.
First of all, I left
Finland with a boat to Sweden where I had to catch a direct flight
from Stockholm to Marrakesh. Arriving in Marrakesh I booked into an
cheap hostel for one night waiting for the next day to travel to
Southern Morocco in the Valley of Draa to spend 10 days at this
stunning hotel/observatory to observe the Universe.
The trip from
Marrakesh started badly with all the roads closed, because of heavy
rains. The road between Marrakesh and Ourzazate through the Atlas
mountains was closed for buses and coaches. There I was stuck and
fearing the worst. I could have taken an other route that took off 2
days of my trip or take a taxi and head through the Atlas pass and
take my chances.
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| My taxi from Marrakesh to Sahara Sky in the Sahara desert. 550 km Credit: S. Lamoureux |
The adventure called
and I took the Taxi for the Sahara. 550 km of taxi could have been
very
expensive, but it
turned out to be the best deal ever (63 euros only). Air conditioned
old Mercedes Benz with a cool driver that let me smoke my cigarettes
freely during the trip. From time to time during the fair, he asked
me if he could pick up some people on the side of the road and take a
small fee for taking them to their destination. Everything is about
money there, so I accepted and he was a happy man for it.
8 hours later I was
at the hotel and the driver ask me if I could give him a tip for the
extra 500 meters he had drove to take me to the hotel drive way. I
said to him: ”No, the deal was 63 euros and you got your people
fairs on the side, so off you go”. You have to be firm sometimes
with people like that, they will eat you up in a heart beat! As the
taxi left, the owner of the hotel was stunned to see me coming with a
taxi and asked me how much it cost? I replied 680 dirhams (63 euros)! He could
not believe it, he thought it was fair borderline expensive! I
laughed and told him that I could not go 20 km with that fair in
Finland, and here I was 550 km from where I started.
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| Me on a camel near the Tinfu dune. Credit: S. Lamoureux |
It was so great to
be at the hotel, the adventure could start. I couldn't wait for the
night to come and start stargazing.
Please continue
reading the next post of my Astronomy trip in the Sahara, Southern
Morocco HERE.
Follow the complete travel post series and enjoy the
astronomy behind it.
This is all part of
the public outreach of Astronomy Club Toutatis, Kustavi, Finland.
Links through Space:
Read more about Astronomy Club Toutatis
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