After a brief visit to Sidi Ifni along the coast to rest and recuperate from our travels through the Atlas Mountains, we decided to head into the desert. This is the sole reason for me wanting to make this journey down towards Mauritania and I was looking forward to it. Nine days later we were back at Sidi Ifni, with memories to last me a lifetime. A seed has been planted, a being transformed. My love for the desert sparkled - the longing to return burning inside every day.

There was a force driving us towards the sands of the desert. After having trouble with extending South African visas, we decided to hit the road. We bumped into Mubarak and Basheer, when we arrived in Guelemine, the last biggish town before the desert. They kindly let us stay in their home, an ancient mosque built from clay.

I was taken back by how little they have in possessions.  The only material thing inside their house was a few carpets, a tagine pot to make food in, some embers from last night's meal and some crockery.

Because it was Ramadan, we tried to fast during the day and feasted as soon as the sun went down. We loved the sweetness of the dates, the succulent goat's meat and hearty Harira soup. It was great to experience such a religious occasion with real people - salt of the earth

After our lovely evening with our friends, it was time to move along, meet new people and camp in more exotic locations. We drove due east towards the sand dunes of Zagora and Merzouga. This evening we decided to camp next to a some palm trees, a mini oasis with the exception of no water.

Our campsite made of a dramatic background as the sun turned all colours pastel again. I was in heaven.

Two more hard days driving and a few punctures later, we found ourselves in the middle of some very large sand dunes. We were surrounded by seas of sand and had a cloudless blue sky as a roof - nothing else. Something has to be said about the simplicity of it all; the only two colours around us was blue and gold, and somehow, in the midday sun, it melted into oneness. I have never in my life felt so free of society and all the rules associated to it.

More days in the sand, more smiles amongst the dunes. It was now early December, mid winter and the clouds seemed to congregate towards the south. Sadly, the South African visas were nearing their end, and Frikkie had a plane to catch from Casablanca back to Cape Town via London...

Reluctantly, we left the peace of the desert behind and headed back to Sidi Ifni to say our goodbyes to all the acquaintances we met there. The sun was exploding white again, and although it was nearing mid winter, at this low altitude, it still felt like a summer evening  in Kent. Each to their own thoughts, I couldn't help but notice the rest of our team silently smiling, thinking of days gone by

The sun was setting in Essaouira. The wailing cries started to resonate through the streets of the small town. People were closing down their tourist shops and heading towards the mosque for their final prayers before breaking fast. As the only western travellers walking around the empty alleys, I felt some sort of longing back to something I haven't lost yet. I didn't want to return back to London, but reality started to look me straight in the face