western sahara adventure 2014, day 3

Three weeks in North Africa driving as far south as latitude 23

Camera: Canon EOS 1Ds MKIII
Lens: Canon EF 16-35 mm. f/4.0L IS

We from Europe, Scandinavia or from similar places in the first world are used to having easy access to fresh clean water, we normally take it for granted and never really think about it. Still, we all know that fresh clean water are becoming more and more difficult to get and access for many people all over the world.

When you travel deeper south into Morocco and the Anit-Atlas you will be reminded about this fact numerous times every single day. Driving all day on the beautiful desolated dusty pistes in your adventure truck; you will have a view to the dry land and be an eyewitness to the war the locals constantly fight to gather water to sustain their living and so desperately need for their crops and livestock.

And then, when you suddenly unprepared find yourself standing up front to a dead camel laying in a dry oued (wadi) in the desert; it becomes painfully obvious to you that water is still so very difficult to find and access in the desert. These camels is worth a fortune for the locals; and still they are deadly victims from the lack of water here.

Although a dead camel is serious business it’s difficult not to enjoy the spectacular vistas here, especially the hour around sunrises and sunsets is a bombardment of colors, - and smells. Due to the fact that most of the surfaces here is covered in rock, gravel and dust; all mostly in red colors adds to the color-cast when the sun is low in the horizon.

I try to make and effort to enjoy these lovely hours in camp, being either early in the morning or late afternoon.