Status Update: The Dunes Are Busy
Rmyla here. Full season has arrived at Arawan Luxury Desert Camp, and my patrols have doubled. The carpet has been flying every night.
Here’s what my intelligence shows: guests are coming to us from everywhere. The USA. The UK. France. Spain. Italy. Switzerland. Denmark. And even from Morocco itself, which tells you something. When Moroccans travel to the desert to stay with us, you know the hospitality is real.
I greeted them all in their own languages, or close enough. Everyone gets my best effort. I’m still working on learning all the languages.
What I noticed: these weren’t tourists looking for a photo. They asked good questions. They sat by the fire and actually listened to Baba. They looked up at the Milky Way and went quiet. That’s the kind of guest Erg Lihoudi deserves. We want more of them.
The Bad Boy File: A New Development
BadBoy has been away. Where, I can’t confirm. Ostriches don’t file travel plans.
But his absence produced something unexpected. His friend Fatima followed his trail across the dunes and found her way to camp. She now visits regularly.
Assessment: Fatima is feistier than BadBoy. Considerably. She also loves to dance. Feathers out, feet stomping, full performance, usually when guests are watching. BadBoy never had that kind of stage presence. The guests love her. I’m reserving judgment.
The Addax Sighting (Which I Missed)
This is the big one.
Baba took a group of guests out on a tour and they spotted an addax. For those who don’t know: the addax is a pale desert antelope with long spiral horns, built for the Sahara and now one of the rarest antelopes on Earth. Most people who come to the desert will never see one. Our guests did.
When Baba returned to camp, he sat down and told me everything. Where they were. How it moved. How the guests reacted. I made him tell it twice.
Did I wish I’d been there? Yes. Could my carpet have gotten me there in time? Probably. But someone has to stay at camp and keep operations running. Full season doesn’t manage itself.
That someone is me.
What’s Next
More guests. More stories. More patrols. If you’ve been thinking about the desert, now is the time. Come see what full season looks like when it’s done the Amazigh way.
I’ll be watching for you.
—Rmyla 🐾
