SAHARA DESERT ADVENTURE

SAHARA DESERT EXPERIENCE 

During school time, I used to study regarding the geographical features of earth– the Atlas mountains, the Mediterranean sea, the Sahara desert of Africa which is the largest desert in the world, the life of the Bedouin people, their way of living etc. But I never knew that I would really land someday in Africa, and really see these mysteries of nature and the traditional life of Bedouins.How blessed I am to get chance to see with my family, the real spectacular beauty of Africa and the people there.

In this poem, I have narrated my experience with my family(parents and my two elder brothers)of Sahara desert’s adventure. What a great adventure I had spending the freezing night in the tent, watching the stars in the sky spread like a black blanket, the camp fire dance and music, talk and interact with the Bedouins and rise the camels.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. 

In the Holy Quran, in Surah Zumar, it is mentioned:

“And the earth of Allah is spacious”

Little did I know that someday I will land, 

On the largest desert, Sahara, and walk on the sand.

The grainy and powdery red sand of Sahara,

It seemed as if I travelled to an old era.

As our car did get stuck,

And didn’t move at all,

Wheel got buried in the sand,

In the vast desert, it did stall.

At last, did a man come,

Like a helpful angel, to our aid,

Pulled out our car,

With his car strap, as he laid.

As I mounted the camels,

Each camel tied to the other,

Forming a long chain.

As we did travel further.

Traveling miles and miles,

To a long, long distance.

We could observe,

The bedouin’s life’s difference.

As far as the eye could see,

The desert was extensively spread,

In the amber-like red sand,

The ships of the desert did tread.

Amidst the wilted grassy patches,

As the camels did lumber,

And slowly trudge,

I did enjoy the magic hour.

Away from the forests dense,

The awesome camel safari,

The enchanting richness in beauty,

Did remain a mystery.

  

As if I had done time travel,

And reached in the past,

Found the chance to see in reality,

The African life at last.

Being greeted and welcomed,

With their colloquial word Marhaba,

How amiable was their behaviour,

The people of Africa.

Found the different Bedouin lifestyle,

Their way of living and vernacular,

Their traditional costumes, staple food,

Involving bread,honey,olives and butter.

Bedouins talking in their dialects,

Dressed in their traditional Moroccan thobes,

Leading a normal simple life,

Residing in mud houses of adobe.

The sun’s edge touched the horizon,

And slowly and gradually was gone,

As I reached the campsite,

The carpets spread so long.

I rested beneath the canopy overhead,

Of the hut built of palm leaves,

Relaxing after the hot sun bath,

In my warm sleeves.

The thrilling magic of the desert,

Unfolded, in our journey.

Resonated the majesty,

Of the sand dunes inner beauty.

As the sun hid its face,

Coloring the sky to gold,

The wavering light of sinking sun,

Did change the day’s heat to cold.

As I sat in the chilly evening,

Near the crackling camp fire, 

With folks of different places,

Clothed in their traditional attire.

The myriad sparks that emanated,

Thick spirals and billows of smoke,

And flared from the wooden logs,

The fire, people did stoke.

Dressed in my long coat,

And my weary hat.

Near the hot burning embers,

To warm up myself, I sat.

People dancing around the firelight,

And the musicians playing their drums,

The beating of the instruments,

Caused amusement to my eardrums.

The faint glow of stats,

Casted in the chilling weather,

As I saw the celestial bodies,

As a sky gazer.

In the starry night,

Around the tent, I did saunter.

The dinky tents adjacent to one another,

In the bleak night of October.

There was a strange mixture,

Of the extreme chilling cold and excitement,

Because curiosity takes the place,

And makes one quite resilient.

Meeting in the suburbs,

The inhabitants to north Africa,

Of the remote Berber villages,

Seemed like a strange world’s replica.

Despite being a one night stay,

In the snug furnished tent,

What a lifetime adventure,

Causing a hell lot of amusement.

My innate love for nature’s secrets,

On me, did pressure exert,

The footprints’ trail caught my eye,

Of the inmates of the desert.

As I left the vast stretch of land,

The view grew fainter,

The golden ball did position,

At the horizon at the centre.

Picking our way back,

We drove taking multiple strides,

The car making jolts and jounces,

Having a chugging family ride.