We follow explorer Alice Morrison on a world-first 2,800-mile trek across the entire length of Morocco. Starting in the city of Ouarzazate, at the foothills of the Atlas Mountains, we will walk with her from the lush valleys of the Draa River across the barren windswept dunes of the Western Sahara to the tallest peaks of the High Atlas Mountains. We will discover lost cities, tombs of giants, singing sands and dinosaur footprints. We will learn about the lives of the nomadic Sahrawis, the people of the desert, and the Amazigh, the original inhabitants of Morocco. This is more than a long walk, this is a journey through the culture and history of one of the most fascinating and beautiful countries on Earth.
But Alice didn’t do it just any old way. Mirroring journeys taken by traders and nomads across Morocco for centuries, she decided to travel in a traditional caravan of six camels, led by her two Amazigh companions and camelteers Brahim and Addi. And despite not being very keen on the animals to start with, she ended up falling head-over-heels for them – particularly a very naughty one called Hamish. Yes, that’s right – somewhere in Morocco right now, there is a camel called Hamish.
This is a story about history and archeology, it’s a story about endurance and moments of sublime beauty. But mostly it’s a story about a deep exploration of a place and its people. Alice relied on the kindness and hospitality of local communities throughout and because she speaks fluent Arabic she was able to get an intimate insight into their lives that most outsiders would never see.
It’s also one hell of an adventure. Alice is known as ‘Indiana Jones for Girls’. This is a story that even Indy himself would have been proud of.
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Hosted by founding editor Lyn Hughes and special features editor Rosie Fitzgerald, this episode was produced by the award-winning podcast Armchair Explorer and presented by our very own podcast interviewer Aaron Millar.
To listen to more episodes of Armchair Explorer click here or go to www.armchair-explorer.com
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