SAHARA CAMPING. At night the moon was full, and, alas, bright. I gazed eight stars having come this far away from city lime/neon lights. God did not serve my order on the menu. A better dish was prepared. 
It lightning'd and rained that night. Trying to sleep in my tent, I thought, "flash flood?!" Next morning, the sun rose gloriously. 
Sixteen tour mates walked individually or in two's and three's miles across the desert to a nomad camp along nothing but sky and desert 360º; it felt like walking the treadmill, because reference points hardly changed.
And then SANDSTORM!! After voting among us, we evacuated while the tents were coming alive in the wind. I scrambled inside, with the tent flapping and hitting me, jammed everything in the bag half filled with sand, and jumped into a 4x4. 
There were no roads, there was no visibility, the Berber driver took off his baseball cap and instead in seconds wrapped his bare head a turban covering except the eyes. I knew it was time to rock and roll, literally!! The four 4x4's took off, each in God's fate. Ensha Allah!! I peeked at our gallant driver, Yusseff, just a walk in the park for him. I turned to the window and enjoyed seeing sand rippling and flowing like a beige ocean. Hours were but a momentus bleep at times like this. I breathed, my cup runneth over, again. And then more. At a distant, like an apparition, a lone camel was seen slowly braving across. It was naked with no saddle and bondage; a Zen master of absolute grace. Where, why? “The answer my friend is blowing in the wind.” 
TRIBUTE TO A NOBLE ANIMAL. The cow is revered in Buddhist culture. It was said that Goddess Kwan Yin offered herself as a cow to mankind. The cow toils the land, eats only grass, and then every part of its body becomes food and usable materials. Brother Camel is of the same martyr fate, with no glorification. God's gift to the desert, no less.
MORE. Twelve untainted snapshots.
