General Chat

Day 7 - Friday Like Thursday, we again got up an hour earlier to try and take advantage of the potentially cooler air in the morning and nullify the effect of any sand blowing around in the afternoon by getting to camp sooner. We firstly all wished Tracey a happy birthday for today. Ken told us that today would be the longest day walking – 22km in fact, but that it was flat all the way. He was not wrong, we set out after breakfast and crossed the giant saltpans. There was absolutely no natural shade today whatsoever and although one could see the ridge of mountains to our right and an escarpment in the far distance, this was about as open and exposed an area as you could imagine. To be honest, there was little to remark upon from the day’s walking as there was little or nothing in the way of changing scenery and the experience felt, if you’ll forgive the pun, somewhat flat in comparison to the thrills and spills of the previous day. That said, we were able to gaze in amazement at the mirages in the distance, which suggested that there was a lake or an area of water to be found if we kept on walking but of course it was naturally a hoax. Even the terrain in the immediate distance seemed to suggest we would be encountering sand again for walking on, however that too proved unfounded. Eventually we saw in the distance the sight of the tent having been erected for lunch, thankfully this was not a mirage and gave us something to aim at, as the tent slowly but surely got nearer and nearer. Ken felt that we had made good time in the morning and so told us that we would have a long lunch break. For the first time in the week, it looked as if we would not be bothered with sandstorms in the afternoon as we were so far away from any sand. The sun was by now scorching and I sat in what little shade there was outside the tent, writing some notes for my diary. We had lunch and lazed about in the tent with Ken dozing off at one point, before we then set off again for the final leg of the journey. The afternoon offered more of the same; the escarpment that we had been heading towards seemed no nearer than when we first set out in the morning, proving that it was impossible to gauge distances today. After some time Ken told us to wait up by this large stony mound, which had a cairn erected on it. We were told that this was the 99.9km marker and that the finish was just around the corner. To mark the occasion, Ken told us that the normal course of events in these situations was for the group to link arms and walk in side by side, as a team. It certainly felt like the right thing to do, as we’d all experienced together the highs and lows of the week that been. So, I joined hands with Yvette and Julie, and as we turned the corner, we saw the Berbers there waiting for us, with finishing posts erected, complete with the Cancer Research bunting. The Berbers were banging their drums and cheering and as we got closer we noticed that rocks had been laid out on the ground, spelling the word ‘Finish’. After congratulating each other, we posed for the group photos at the finishing line, before heading to the tent to recuperate and drink some more water. Having got to the tent, I crashed out and relaxed for a bit, Tracey examined the state of her feet, which had taken a brutal pounding since day 1 – how she managed to get through from start to finish is a credit to her guts and determination. Some people still had plenty of energy to spare, with Paul, Clare, Daisy & Cliff deciding to climb this big stony dune, located behind the camp. Susie came into the tent still bubbling, and impressed us with an impressive burst of energy, by pole-dancing up and down the tent-pole.

We then had a whip-round for the Berbers for their dedicated service during the week and started filling bags with items (clothes, food etc…) that we no longer needed. Some people had also especially brought some items such as toys with them in order to give them to people who needed them. Everyone seemed to be in good spirits and on a bit of a high from having completed the trek, but one or two of us were already starting to feel a bit down at the realisation that it was now over. We had set out to do what we wanted to do and we had now done it, so what next? That somewhat melancholy thought took us to dinner, which immediately banished any such thoughts as the Berbers arrived, armed with plates of chicken and chips! What a result, just what was needed and we tucked in like never before. Then just as with Tuesday, the Berbers returned and sang what I presume was Happy Birthday in their native language to Tracey, before presenting her with a plate of what may have been pancakes. It was also time to convey our thanks to the Berbers and present them each with a share of the money that had been collected earlier. We clapped each of the guys, who would now be returning to their every day lives, having been a vital part of our adventure. It felt a very emotional moment, something that can’t really be explained unless you had lived the moment, but I can report that it probably had something to do with the bonding and togetherness we’d all shared during the week. Any temptation to stay up late and revel in our achievement was soon put into focus by the sobering thought that we would have to be up at 3.30am the following morning for breakfast and to set off for one final walk across the desert to catch the sun rising. I tried to sort out as much as I could with my rucksack- by now resembling a laundry basket instead of a bag containing neatly folded clothes- before I went to sleep to minimise the amount of clearing up in the morning. Tomorrow would be another very long day.

Wonderful Andy, so emotional at the end!!

Daisy is currently away, so I'm going to be adding in her last 3 days to the diary. ***Daisy's Diary*** Another 5.30am start and one or two clearly had hangovers but wisely didn’t mention this to the rest of us! During breakfast we sang happy birthday to Tracey and gave her a card. She was still in extreme pain but insisted on walking today. Ken reminded everyone that we only had 3 litres of water each until lunchtime when the Berbers would catch us up in the landy, having gone to fetch more water for us. Whilst eating breakfast four little boys appeared. We gave them some of our gifts and they seemed pleased. We set off at 7am with the welcome news that we only had a 3 hour walk this morning, mostly across the flat salt pans. There were a few small dunes to start with but these petered out quite quickly and we then walked across several kilometres of Hamada with dunes lying to the south. Eventually the acacia trees disappeared and we were walking on the flat open saltpan - terrain so completely flat, cracked and dry that it resembled crazy paving. The last rains were just last month but already everything was parched. There was no shelter, little breeze a strong heat and nowhere to pee without waiting for everyone to pass by first. Ahead of us was a large mountain, which appeared to be a coastline because of the shimmering heat. This was our mirage and it was quite spectacular. I took several photos, not expecting to capture the mirage and was delighted when I succeeded! It was impossible to judge distances and although our lunch tents were clearly visible ahead it was another 30 minutes before we reached them at 10am. It was stiflingly hot and we were glad of the shelter. Lahcen told us that trekkers following one day behind us would be the last until October because the heat and conditions are too hostile. That explained the 43C then! After lunch we topped up our platypuses and set off on the 2 hour walk to camp. It was a very long and hot couple of hours and we couldn’t see the camp at any point. We stopped at a mound at the edge of the saltpans, by the foothills of the Jebel Bani and Ken pointed to a collection of stones atop it and explained that this was the official 99.9km marker. He suggested we all take a minute to think about why we made this trek and what we’ve all achieved personally and for the charity. Then we linked hands and walked round the corner of the mound to find the camp ahead of us and our Berbers standing around 2 finishing posts, the CRUK banners strung between them. As we approached the finish line the Berbers sang and beat their drums and we all walked through the posts together. Just beyond the posts was a square of stones with the word FINISH set out in more stones. We all hugged and congratulated each other and lined up for our photos. Clare and Paul asked if anyone fancied climbing the stony dune to admire the view. I was the only taker so off we went. It was a little precarious as so many stones were loose but we made it to the top and looked down on the camp and across to the Jebel Bani, the salt pans and, in the far distance the point at which we would make our final journey across the last of the Sahara. After taking our photos and enjoying the peace of being so high up, we made our descent, gingerly stepping on the more sturdy looking stones, hoping they would hold. After a quick rub down with the baby wipes we made for the mess tent for Tracey’s mini birthday cake and our hot chocolate and then went to our sleeping tents to sort out bags of clothes, food, toiletries and the children’s gifts we were giving to the Berbers. Dinner was a lovely surprise - minestrone soup, chicken and chips, carrots, peas and fruit salad! Then, as before, the lights went off and we saw the orange glow of the mini jack-o-lantern and the sound of the drums and singing as the Berbers entered the tent with a cake for Tracey. We all thanked the Berbers for a wonderful time and for their hospitality and they told us that we were now part of their families and they shall always be in our service. There was not a dry eye in the mess tent and then we handed over our gifts to the Berbers who seemed very pleased, even if a lot of the t-shirts were pink!

Day 7 c'td Just as we were heading off to bed, Jack and Clare started looking for stones. Under the word FINISH they had used more stones to spell GAYNOR. Most of us joined in and in no time at all we had spelt out “FOR GAYNOR & DIANA”. We tried to take a photo but it was too dark even with everyone standing round pointing their headlamps and torches. Susie dashed off to Mohammed who drove the landy round and directed the headlamps at our message. Someone suggested I get on top of the landy to take a photo and up I climbed, standing on the landy roof in my pjs taking photos. Despite the solemn message in the stones it was a very funny moment and we were all laughing. Then it was time for bed ready for our early start. Or so we thought. Susie and Cliff had seen someone lurking in the distance and we were all very jittery, so Larson and a few of the Berbers went off in the landy to check it out. Everything was fine but nobody was taking any chances so once again the Berbers slept outside and patrolled the camp.

We have our breakfast then pack up. Funny that it’s the last day already – it has really flown. Today is walking over hard flat ground so it’s relatively easy but we have the longest distance to do. We walk at a good pace and arrive at lunch early. Thankfully they have put up a toilet tent (it is so open that there really isn’t anywhere to go). I feel a little sick before lunch – I think it is because I am in need of food. I must be right, as I feel so much better after eating. I keep in the shade, unlike Anna who sunbathes (mad!), although I would quite happily sunbathe if there were a nice cool pool to dive into. The afternoon walking is pretty good – we are nearly there. It is very hot and windy but thankfully there is not really any sand about so we are escaping the whipping. There is nowhere to wee unless you drop to the back and tell everyone to keep looking forwards. I’m at the front and don’t want to drop all that way to the back so I hold it in. It makes it harder walking with a full bladder but I try not to think about it. Eventually we arrive at the foot of a hill and camp is around the corner. We stand and wait for everyone to catch up (please hurry up I need a pee!!!). We all stand in a line and hold hands and walk around the corner and into camp together. The Berber crew is our welcoming committee. They have put up Diana’s banner and written ‘FINISH’ using stones on the ground. They are playing drums and singing. That’s it – we’ve done it – 100K. The feeling is great (apart from my now massive tummy!). We pose for photos before I literally run to the toilet tent. I manage to stamp my feet for a few seconds while I take a photo of the freshly dug hole (I know the kids will be impressed) then its trousers down as quick as possible! We get our kit bags and sort out our stuff for our last night in the desert (or rather half a night). We then sit and chill with coffee and freshly baked cake. I can’t wait to get my boots off – the prickly heat is now on my feet. We sort out our stuff, anything we don’t need we are going to leave for the crew and their families (a full bag full of cuppa soups amongst other things!) and then I take a bit of time to catch up with my diary before smothering my prickly heat in calamine lotion (how good does that feel!). Others climb up a nearby hill or just have time to reflect on what we have just achieved. Dinner is early tonight – at about 6. Then we are all set for an early night, as we will be getting up at 3.30am so that we can walk as the sun rises. This will mean, that even taking the jeep ride into account earlier in the week, we will have physically walked over the 100K. Dinner is a real surprise – we have minestrone soup instead of the usual followed by……………Chicken and chips! It really is amazing what the chef can rustle up in the middle of the desert! Today is Tracey’s birthday so we have another cake and candle and the chef has made what are rather like pikelets. We chat for a while then we leave the mess tent to add to the ‘FINISH’ message that is written in the stones. It’s a real team effort and we write ‘For Gaynor and Diana’. It is now too dark to be able to take a photo (even with everyone’s torches) so the land rover is called upon. Daisy climbs onto the roof to take photos while the headlights shine over our message. We all plan to share our photo’s using the miracles of modern technology so Daisy takes a few to make sure and finally it’s time for bed. It’s too windy to sleep outside so we are all in the tents tonight. I wake once needing a wee but manage to fall asleep without going – it’s too cold to get up tonight and I am sure it’s not too far off 3.30 anyway. I’m right. In no time at all Daisy’s alarm clock goes off and we all very slowly drag ourselves out of bed, get dressed, visit the hole and sort out our bags.

Day 8 We have breakfast about 20 past 4. There is freshly squeezed orange juice and it’s lovely. I have bread and jam again. Some people can’t manage to eat anything, as it is too early so they stock up on tracker bars for later. None of us can believe that we have just spent our last night in the desert. We are all a bit sleepy but get our teeth cleaned and are just about ready to set off walking at 5am. It is easy walking in the cold and the moon is bright so we can see. The sun will rise behind us so we keep looking back over our shoulders. We walk for about an hour before having a quick break to allow everyone to catch up. People chat and have a bit of time for reflection. I am thinking about my mum. I am sure I hear her voice in my head saying, “well done kid – I’m proud of you”. I feel a bit tearful. We have been fundraising and building up to this trek for around a year now. It really gave me something to focus on after my Mum’s death last April. What’s going to fill the hole now it’s all over? The sky is so beautiful now. All but 2 stars have disappeared. Where the sun is about to appear the sky is pink. Pink for Mum. Pink for Diana. Pink for all of us. Very apt. We reach a little peak and decide to sit and watch the sun come up. Clare and I nip behind a hill for what will be our last wee al fresco. We all take photos – it really is something else. We HAVE walked over 100 Kilometres now and are so very proud. I don’t have any blisters and my prickly heat is fading fast. I feel wonderful. We set off walking again and soon see the land rover and the truck approaching. We stop and wait. A few of the group go in the land rover for the more comfortable ride but most of us get in the back of the truck for the white-knuckle ride. It’s like a truck for cattle, high sided, no roof. At first we sit down on our kit bags – it’s a bumpy ride. We decide to stand and look out. WOW. What a ride – it’s exhilarating. People would pay good money for a ride like this. We bounce all over but soon get the knack of it. I grin all the way. We also get covered in sand, eat dust and get a few bruises! No way would this be legal in England. What a fine way to leave the desert. The journey takes us a couple of hours and then we meet the mini buses at the edge of the desert. We have a 3-hour drive back to the hotel. The chef has prepared us all a picnic lunch (Freshly baked bread, a hard boiled egg, a tomato, cheese, salami (yuk!), and an orange). Our bus eat lunch at about 11ish after a brief toilet stop (where Daisy shouts for someone to pee with her so the noise will help pmsl) – well we have been up since 3.30! We arrive back at the hotel at about 12.30. Once in our rooms I can’t decide who to phone first. I phone Ellie. It is so lovely to talk to her. I have missed my baby so much. We chat and laugh for a while then I say goodbye and ring Dean. It feels like so long since we last spoke. Now I can’t wait to get home. I dread my mobile phone bill as someone tells me its £1.79 a minute – looks like mine will top the £100 mark. It feels strange to be inside 4 walls. I go to the loo. How nice to be able to sit on a toilet!! Clare and I head down to the bar and get a coffee (yes – coffee!) and we text Pink. She texts us back telling us to sod the coffee and get a beer down our necks – maybe later. There are a few of the gang around the pool so we chat for a bit before deciding that we really do need a shower as it has been 3 days since our last one. Clare goes first while I catch up with my diary. I feel grubbier than ever. Now it’s my turn for the shower. It truly is a wonderful feeling to be clean, especially my hair (clean on my head and gone from my legs!). I seemed to be in the shower for ages, in fact it was probably the best shower I have ever had! I brought white clothes for the last night (like Mum always did on holiday) to show off my T-shirt tan and make me feel doubly clean. White combat pants, a strappy top and sandals. I feel like a woman again. Clare and I go and sit with some of the others around the pool and have a couple of beers (not Clare as she doesn’t drink). It is a bit chilly so we end up in the bar. I decide to change some money for the celebratory night out later and change £40 into dirhams. I buy the whole group a drink and it only comes to about £12.50. It sure is cheap here. At 7pm the buses pick us up to take us to the restaurant. Several of us girls have to cover our shoulders and bare arms, as strappy tops are apparently not the way to dress in Morocco. I borrow Suzy C’s shash as mine is white and filthy which does not look good with my white outfit! I don’t feel quite as nice but obviously don’t want to offend anyone. The restaurant isn’t far away. It has been reserved only for us. We rearrange the tables so that we can all sit together. We have fun but the food is not a patch on what we ate in the desert. I am sat between Clare and Anna and between them they are sneaking food onto my plate. The waiter must think I keep getting more and so leaves my rather full plate until last! We leave the restaurant early as some of the group are tired (hardly surprising) and we have to be up early, again. Once back at the hotel half a dozen of us have a drink in the bar – just the one though! We are all pretty exhausted and we have to be up at quarter to 3 for breakfast at 3.

Sorry - must be too long again. Here's the rest: We rearrange the tables so that we can all sit together. We have fun but the food is not a patch on what we ate in the desert. I am sat between Clare and Anna and between them they are sneaking food onto my plate. The waiter must think I keep getting more and so leaves my rather full plate until last! We leave the restaurant early as some of the group are tired (hardly surprising) and we have to be up early, again. Once back at the hotel half a dozen of us have a drink in the bar – just the one though! We are all pretty exhausted and we have to be up at quarter to 3 for breakfast at 3. Jack xx

Day 8 - Saturday The alarm on my mobile went off and the screen started flashing, yes it really was 3.30am. I could hear the voices in the tent next door chattering away but there was not much movement coming from our tent, as some of us tried to poach another 20 minutes sleep in the hope that it would make getting up seem more bearable. I slept in the clothes I was going to be wearing and wondered how the hell I was going to fit my holdall bag (in storage back at the hotel) back into my giant rucksack, which was already heaving despite having given away some t-shirts and shorts to the Berbers. The whole process from getting up to getting walking resembled one continuous blur, during which I mumbled good morning to the others as I entered the mess tent to laughingly grab ‘breakfast’ at 4am. This morning's walk was in addition to the 100km that had already been covered, however seeing as we had lost the Tuesday afternoon to the sandstorms, it was nice to know that the distance walked this morning would compensate for the distance lost on the Tuesday. Sometime around 5am, we said one last goodbye to some of the Berbers and left camp for the final time. It was cold, but not unbearably so and we trudged off down the track in the darkness. I was still wearing my head torch with it still switched on, under the illusion that it was lighting up the path in front of me when in actual fact, it was doing nothing of the sort, so I turned it off and packed it away. The walk we had to do was easy underfoot and fairly unremarkable but we just had to keep going for an hour to an hour and a half before we would stop to take in the sunrise. There was a somewhat funereal like atmosphere amongst the group that was a combination of a lack of sleep and the realisation that we would soon be homeward bound. After some time, one could tell it was gradually getting lighter as the night skies began to disappear. Soon, Ken pointed to a raised bit of stony ground, which was where we would park ourselves in readiness for the sun coming up. Not much was said as we sat and waited and then up it came; we had to be quick as the sun rises quickly in this part of the world and we would only have a few minutes to click away on our cameras. Looking at the photos I’d taken, I was pleased to see that I had managed to capture the different stages of it rising. Ken looked at his watch; we were due to hop aboard either the truck or the Land Rover to take us back to civilisation but he seemed to think we had time to spare. He asked us whether we wanted to walk a bit more or just wait where we were sat until the vehicles showed up. It was still too cold to be sat around waiting so the consensus was that we would walk for a bit longer. Almost no sooner had we got to our feet than the Land Rover and truck came hurtling down the track to come and greet us. Those feeling somewhat queasy or not in the best of shape opted for the seemingly safer option of travelling in the Land Rover, whilst the rest of us climbed aboard the back of the truck. Our giant rucksacks were already aboard having been loaded on there back at camp and so Ken opted to use the rucksacks as a makeshift bed and grabbed 40 winks as the truck bumped its way across the desert. The rest of us initially sat on the floor but it was going to be a rough couple of hours journey and so we decided we might as well look at the scenery along the way. Although it was a largely futile exercise, I grabbed whatever photos I could whilst trying not to land up arse over tit, though fortunately the truck and Land Rover stopped once or twice for toilet breaks, so I used the opportunity to take some photos then. I suddenly remembered the need to apply some suncream as there had obviously been no need around the time we left camp, but now it was starting to get warmer, I hastily applied some to my face and arms. Daisy later joined us in the back for the remaining journey and as we looked into the distance, houses and buildings started to appear against the backdrop of the mountains, the more we got closer to the roadside. We made it to the roadside and clambered down awkwardly from the truck, this was it - goodbye desert, farewell to six highly memorable days and nights. We didn’t have to wait long for the mini-buses to turn up and so there was time to say goodbye and thanks to Abdul, the Land Rover driver, and Mohammed (Hokey Cokey Blokey), the truck driver who was still in slightly animated form – he was a right old character!

I switched my mobile on for the first time in days and picked up a signal straightaway as well as a text sent a few days ago from Diana, explaining why she’d left. I replied back and said we’d done it and we were just waiting to be taken back to Ouarzazate. Once aboard the bus, I had planned to stay awake and take some photos from the bus window as it was a gorgeous day once more. However, it was no good, having at last obtained a reasonably comfy seat, I couldn’t beat the urge to nod off and soon I was away. I woke up a couple of times to find everyone else had done the same. After some time we did all wake up and tucked into our packed lunches that had been put together by the Berbers. As we got closer to Ouarzazate, the driver pointed out to us some film studios and told us that films such as Gladiator and Cleopatra had been filmed there. We made it back to the hotel and were given details of the room arrangements once more; I would be with Paul again. We were back in Ouarzazate long before Ken’s original time estimate and we had the whole afternoon to play with before dinner at the restaurant in the evening. Some wanted to go into the centre of Ouarzazate and do some shopping, others favoured swimming in the hotel pool or just lounging beside it. Both Paul and I were fairly ambivalent about going into town - after the early start doing anything remotely active did not seem like a good idea, whereas lounging by the pool did. We decided to get cleaned up first before coming to a decision; I looked in the mirror and chuckled at the amount of sand I had once again accumulated from being in the back of the truck. It was good to get a wash, shave and a shower as I managed to turn a perfectly clean white towel into a not so clean orange one. Both Gemma and Daisy were in favour of heading into town, so Paul and I decided to muster what little strength we had for a walk about in the centre of Ouarzazate. As we were ready before Daisy, we headed down to the pool-side and parked ourselves on the loungers. The ones who were going to hang round the pool came down and then our group consisting of me, Paul, Gemma, Daisy, Yvette & Cliff headed out to the front of the hotel to try and stop a couple of passing taxis.

We managed to flag a couple of them down and a few minutes later arrived at our destination. We looked to see where we should head first though problem was nowhere looked particularly inviting and we felt a bit conspicuous amongst all the locals. We went round the block a couple of times and ran the gauntlet of the local shopkeepers whose methods of motivational salesmanship just to say stopped short of physically kidnapping you from the street. Of course, we were easy prey and so feebly made a promise to come back and look inside the shop once we’d had a look about. A decision was eventually made to head for the local street market and so we headed down a narrow passage that would make idle browsing impossible if it were busy. We looked at the various trinkets and fabrics and didn’t have to wait long before we were either lured inside or were being handed items for us to deliberate over. Initially, I wasn’t really in the mood for bartering and playing along with the pantomime spiel but I began to warm to the task as the afternoon wore on. Paul and I were shown some neck chains, rings and bracelets, all of which looked ornate but easily could have been cheap tat in disguise. Having been shown some items, the market holder named his price in Dirham. A few mental calculations later and I shook my head at the offer, so he then asked me to name my price. I wrote down what I thought the items were worth and showed it to him. He then launched into the usual ‘what are you trying to do to me’ response as he set about defending the offer he’d made. To be fair to him and everyone else we met that afternoon, they didn’t get nasty about it, and relaying the tale about how we’d had money stolen in the Sahara may have helped to a certain extent in them going easy on us. In the end, both Paul & I got the items at the price we had offered and I remember Daisy coming away with a pair of shoes. We were getting offers to come and visit other shops and it was at this point that we started getting split up a bit. Cliff seemed unperturbed about being lured into a shop by himself, whilst Yvette and I found ourselves in a tiny little shop selling more of the same kind of trinkets. The young guy running the shop said he was studying English at university and that he welcomed the opportunity to put his English skills to good use, and no doubt his salesman skills as well, I cynically thought. His brother rustled up some drinks for me and Yvette, leading me to wonder what I would have to purchase in order to secure my release from the shop as recompense for the free drinks. That said, he was friendly enough, however in the end, Paul came in, made a purchase and we were able to make our farewells with the minimum of fuss. Paul had already paid a couple of visits to the cash machine and in the end we were using him to loan us the money, as we all came away with a brand new shash. The afternoon had certainly given a new meaning to the term shop till you drop and we all headed back once more to the hotel. Having got back to the hotel, we joined the others who were still by the pool, and got the barman to bring over some nice cold beers. As the evening got ever nearer, we later transferred to the bar itself and secured a table. The bar was playing easy-on-the-ear Dire Straits, which was followed up by Bruce Springsteen. However the strains of ‘The Boss’ singing Thunder Road were soon cut short as the evening’s entertainment then turned to a poor quality keyboard player who’d clearly over-dosed on Kraftwerk at some stage, as he played and sang this interminable dross at a volume that intruded in on conversation. It was then time to go to the restaurant for our evening meal and so we piled in the mini-buses again and headed off down town. We got to the restaurant and seemed to climb what felt like an infinite number of steps before we made it to the floor where we would be eating. The buffet spread that had been laid out was very nice and it was all very civilised. However, understandably, we were tired having been up so early and plans for an all-nighter through to the morning were quickly shelved in favour of bed. When we got back to the hotel, no-one appeared to opt for the bar, and so we disappeared off to bed, this time knowing we would have a 3am start in readiness for the flight back home! Eeek!

***DAISY'S DIARY*** Saturday – Day 8 And so to the last morning of our trek. We woke at 3.30am and struggled to force down some breakfast. After packing our bags for the very last time we said a last goodbye to our wonderful Berbers who would now return to their families across the desert. It was 5am and we had an hour and a half’s walk to watch the sunrise. It felt quite weird walking in the dark with our headlamps on and it was freezing. As we walked along we spotted a desert rat rooted to the spot like a rabbit in headlights. Apart from some lizards, a snake, the locust and a few beetles we hadn’t seen much in the way of reptiles and insects and, to our disappointment, no scorpions. Soon after we stopped at a small stony ridge from where we watched the sun rise. It was a beautiful array of colours. We took photos but nobody really spoke except in a whisper. 5 minutes later the truck and landy appeared and it was time to jump on board to be transported for 2 hours across the remainder of the Sahara. I was feeling a little queasy so elected to go in the landy with Tracey, Julie, Gemma and Yvette. The others were loaded into the empty truck like cattle and would have to stand up for the entire journey. I desperately needed to pee but we were off before I could mention it to anyone and it took all my effort and concentration to control my pelvic floor muscles as the landy bumped across the dunes and vegetation at breakneck speed. The scenery was amazing; like something out of a Western with imposing mountains to both sides and a vast expanse ahead and behind us. However, despite the view, after 20 minutes I could bear it no longer and asked the driver to stop among some shrubs. The truck flew past us tooting and once I returned to the landy the driver drove like a man possessed, determined to overtake the truck. Within 10 minutes we did, quite literally heading the truck off at a pass and not long later we stopped again. This time the truck stopped too. It appeared everyone else needed a pit stop aswell! The ladies were offered the relative privacy of the side of the truck but the queue was long and it was going to take at least half an hour for everyone to go separately. By now I needed to go again and suggested to the girls that we go together. Seven of us lined up at the side of the truck and peed, giggling all the time! Another first and I sincerely hope nobody took a photo! Feeling much better I decided not to miss out on the fun of the white knuckle ride so hopped onto the back of the truck and hung on for dear life. The wind whipped the sand into our faces and we had to grip the sides of the truck, keeping our knees soft whilst the truck threw us from side to side. It was totally exhilarating and great fun but all too soon we reached a checkpoint and saw a small town ahead of us and realised that this was the end. We were waived ceremoniously through the checkpoint and pulled over by the side of the road to wait for our minibuses. Our bags were taken off the truck and loaded onto the buses and then it was time for a final goodbye to our drivers and to the Sahara before we climbed on board for the 4 ½ hour journey to Ouarzazate. After just one pitstop we pulled into the hotel forecourt and raced to our rooms! It was such a relief to use a loo and the shower and hair wash was absolute bliss! I rang home and spoke to Chris and later Ellie. It was so lovely to hear their voices and know that they were ok. In just over 12 hours I would see them and Fran and Tom again and it seemed an interminable time to wait now. Yvette and I went into the town with Gemma, Paul, Andy and Cliff and spent some time bartering with the shopkeepers as we bought our souvenirs and presents. I haggled for some lovely fuchsia pink, camel leather shoes and a purple shash, both of which I shall probably never wear but absolutely had to have as a memento. I also bought a wooden camel and some bracelets and I think I drove a hard bargain. The shop keepers seemed to think so but I suspect it was all part of the game! The bartering was fun but became very tedious and irritating when they pushed it too far, offering to return to our hotel with us, or to the bank so that we could get more money. We left with them chasing after us still trying to sell us things we didn’t want! I don’t think they were offended though – it was just a normal day for them after all.

im a bit slow lol,heres my day 7 Friday day 7 Up nice and early today which is surprising since we didn’t get to bed till well after midnight on Thurs. I feel fine, not at all hung over. I decided to walk at the front today, to prove a point really to Ken, that we could get tipsy and be silly the night before and still manage to walk fine today. There is no shade at all today; we are walking our final few kms over the salt pan, which is totally flat. If we needed to go to the loo, we had to wait for the camels to pass us and just go where we stood lol, no bushes for us to hide behind today!! We can see the lunch tent set up in the distance, but it takes ages to reach it. We also saw a mirage today. It looked amazing. It was like we were walking towards the sea in the middle of the desert! We arrived at the lunch tent at a ridiculously early hour( just after 10 am I think)The Berbers are preparing our lunch so we all take time to relax, and I decided to try and top up my suntan! We ate our final lunch and relaxed some more before the last walk of the trek. In the afternoon, I felt quite sad as i knew my time out here was coming to an end, so i hung around at the back of the group. We pretty much walked all the way without stopping as there was no escape from the sun, so we just pressed on to get to our final camp. We spotted a pile of rocks in the distance, and Ken said this is just before the 100km mark, so we all held hands and walked the last short bit together. It was very emotional. We rounded a corner and there were all the Berbers waiting for us. They were so sweet. They had wrote FINISH on the ground with stones and made a finishing line thing with the CRUK banners, they were all gathered around by the finish, playing their drums and singing for us. I shed a tear or 2 at this point, and I think most of the others did too. I couldn’t believe this was it. All the months that I had spent worrying whether or not i had done enough training WE DID IT!! It was on the whole much easier and more enjoyable than I had ever expected it to be. I was sad though, that I would soon have to say goodbye to all the others, most of whom I had only just met. After we had our photos taken, we went to relax in our tents. We have to get up at 3am in the morning lmao. We hear laughing from the other tent and wonder what it is, we don’t have long to wait to find out. Susiebabes decided to do a bit of pole dancing on the central tent pole. OMG i don’t know where she got her energy from. I take a nice photo of her with her bum in the air lol. After a short while, its time for food, we all go and sit expectantly in the mess tent and wait. We were expecting some sort of veggie stew again tonight, but its not, its chicken and chips, with soup to start with again, and nice warm fresh bread. I was just tucking into my soup when a fly dropped into it lol. I helped myself to a huge pile of chips,2 bits of bread and made myself a chip buttie. The only thing missing was vinegar. It was Tracey’s birthday today, so again the Berbers presented her with a “cake” and sang Happy Birthday. We decided to have an early night, so after dinner, we gathered up all of our unwanted kit, and left over energy bars and sun cream etc and gave them to the Berbers. They did such a fantastic job, making us feel welcome, cooking for us, laughing with us (or maybe at us lol) I went back to my tent and sorted out my gear for tomorrow and i crawl into bed exhausted!! Anna

***DAISY'S DIARY*** c'td Back at the hotel we joined the others round the pool for a drink and then Yvette and I returned to our room for a quiet time before dinner. At 7pm we went down to the bar and then on to the restaurant for the gala dinner. The dinner was in a lovely restaurant in the centre of Ouarzazate. A fabulous buffet was laid out for us and although we enjoyed it, we were all tired and soon ran out of steam so, just a couple of hours later we made our way back to the hotel and fell into bed only to wake at 3am for breakfast.

Day 8 SATURDAY We are up at 3.30 am ready for breakfast at 4ish!I cant face eating this early so i take a couple of cheese triangles to eat later. We are walking for 2 or 3 hours this morning, to see our last sunrise in the desert. It’s really cold and stupid me has packed all of my fleeces away, so im walking in a T-shirt. It is really dark, but I don’t have my torch so i just follow everyone. We walked for a while and then we stopped to watch the sun come up. It was an amazing sight. After taking loads of photos, Ken asks us if we want to wait here for the truck, or start walking. We decide to walk, but no sooner have we got up to go, the truck and jeep appear .Some of us climb on the back of the big truck and the others opt to go in the Jeep, Its very dirty, dusty and smelly in the truck and i started to feel sick so i tried sitting down, it was really uncomfortable, like being on a white knuckle ride at the fairground lol. I decided to stand up to see where we were going, but i was too small to see over the edge of the truck, so i stood on Sheila’s bag. We have a couple of stops for the toilet,and at last we can see a small town up ahead. The drivers drop us off and we say our goodbyes to Mohammed and Abdul (i think)I quickly called home because it was Jacobs 9th birthday today, I didn’t realise it was so early. The mini buses arrive almost immediately and we clamber onboard. Lahcen gives us our packed lunch which consisted of bread, a tomato, an orange, some cheese and ham and a hard boiled egg. I manages to eat my egg with no problems,but it was hard eating tomatos and oranges on a bumpy bus so most of the juice from these ended up all down Pauls top (sorry Paul lol) Before we knew it, we were driving through Quarzazate and are back to the hotel. Im sharing with Sheila this time, as i didn’t want to sleep in a room by myself. We pick up our rucksacks and carry them to our room. I need the loo so I lock my self in. When i try to get out, im stuck lol .I shouted to Sheila and Suzy to help me, then i started to panic. They call for Lahcen who then goes and gets the maid who lets me out. I decided to have a shower with the door open as i don’t fancy getting stuck in there again. It felt so nice to wash my hair and shave my legs. We decide to catch a bit of sun this afternoon, so we put on our cosies and head down to the pool area with Suzy C and Susiebabes. Tracey and Julia are all ready there. We called the waiter over and ordered a beer each, then another and another… Susiebabes dived into the pool, which was absolutely freezing. I climbed in very slowly to get used to the water but then Susie soaked us lol. We decided to just sunbathe after that! At 5ish, half drunk we go back to our rooms to get dressed for the evening meal. I have another shower and put my jeans on. They seem a bit looser than they did last week so i am well happy! We get in the minibuses and are driven for about 5 minutes to our restaurant. It has opened especially for us tonight. We arranged the tables in a big long line so we could all talk to each other, then the food arrived. It was a buffet. There was Moroccan soup to start, then veggies and chicken and beef tangine. It is ok, but as someone else said, not a patch on what we ate in the desert! There are also these little samosa things with rice in them,I took a handful, they were absolutely delicious. There is beer and wine to drink. We chose a bottle of white wine, which looked suspiciously like a urine sample lol. Jack held the glass up against her white top and the wine was bright yellow. We head back to the hotel early as everyone is really tired and we have to get up nice and early again .A few of us go to the bar for one last drink then we head of to bed for a few hours sleep. All to soon, my alarm went off at 3am ,and its time to get up for the long trip home! Anna :-)

Day 9 It doesn’t take long to fall asleep and the alarm is bleeping at us in no time. Clare and I got everything ready the day before so we sleepily put on our clothes and head down to the hotel restaurant for breakfast. A few of the others are waiting outside in the cold and the restaurant appears to be closed. After a bit of hassle (and a rather stressed Ken) we finally get our breakfast around 4am. We are only sorry that we missed out on an hour’s much needed sleep. We are on the buses and on our way to the airport before 4.30. The 10-minute journey to the airport is a fairly quiet one – after so little sleep we haven’t got much energy! At Ouarzazate airport it’s time to say goodbye to Lahcen. He hugs us all one by one before we head into the airport to check in. After a bit of sitting around we board the plane. Around 40 minutes and not so much as a drink later we arrive in Casablanca. The airport terminal is going to be our home for the next five and a half hours. We take over a café and buy drinks and then shop until we have spent all our dirhams. To my dismay I discover that the duty free shops only take sterling, euros or cards. This means I have to buy extra souvenirs and another round of drinks as there is no point changing the dirhams back as the rate is so poor and we can’t bring them home. Everything is cheap so spending the dirhams takes some doing. How I regret changing £40. The hours pass by so slowly, probably because we are all very tired. After what seems like an eternity (and a few jokes about Tom Hanks in the film the terminal) we finally get called to gate. We are sent away to fill in a form and have our passports stamped then back to the gate. The wait is relatively short. Once on the plane it doesn’t take me long to nod off but I keep waking either because my neck aches or because of the noise. I’m awake when they start bringing round food and suddenly I feel really hungry. I eat and then doze a bit. We are approaching Heathrow and Clare and I are getting giddy. Not long now before we get to see our loved ones. We all decide to collect our bags and then walk into arrivals together. While we wait for our bags I can hear people talking about us and what a fantastic thing we have done and I wish I had my pink fund t-shirt on. When all bags are collected and the gang is all-together we head off around the corner. I see Dean and my heart skips a beat. I see Diana and Andy so the first thing I do is give Diana a big hug before running to Dean. It’s so good to see him. He looks and smells great. I hug everyone in the group goodbye (or at least I think I did – sorry if I missed anyone out. I give Rob a hug and we head home. Part of me would have loved to have stayed a bit longer with everyone at the airport but I really wanted to get back home in time to see Ellie. I ring her once we are out of the airport and I feel excited about seeing her. I talk at Dean on the way home and tell him everything about the Pink Sahara trek. I feel on such a high. The exhaustion I felt on the plane seems to have passed. It looks like we are going to be home in time for Ellie to come home so I ring her and ask her if her Dad can drop her off at 8.30. That leaves us just enough time to ring the Indian take away and order some tea to collect as we pass. We get in and sit down with our food and Ellie comes home 5 minutes later. She gives me the biggest hug ever. I am so happy. I am very proud of what I have done and so pleased to be back with my family. I have presents for everyone courtesy of the airport at Casablanca. Ellie opens hers while I finish my chicken madras. I really look forward to seeing Sam and Jake at the weekend so I can give them their presents. I feel that they are part of my family too and I haven’t seen them for over 2 weeks. I put Ellie to bed and she says that she is so happy to be in her own home, in her own bed, with her own mummy. Bless. It’s not long before tiredness catches up with me again so off we go to bed. My bed feels like the comfiest place in the world and I have got Dean to snuggle up with. I feel like the luckiest person in the world. Day 10 Down to earth with a bang! I have taken today off work and once I have unpacked my bags I have mountains of washing. I take Ellie to school and am asked to talk to the class about my experience at 3pm that afternoon. I go home and do more washing and sort out my photo’s to show Ellie’s class. More washing and more washing then it’s time to head to Ellie’s school. The talk goes well. All of the class seem interested and ask questions. I run over time by a couple of minutes (oops – thought they finished at 3.20 but it’s 3.15, shows how often I pick Ellie up from School). The rest of the week went by in a bit of a daze. I didn’t realize how little sleep we’d had in the desert until it came to catching it up – it took until Thursday to feel almost human again. I missed the rest of the trekkers and really didn’t want to go to work to sit looking at a computer all day. But by Friday it was like I’d never been away. So would I do it all again? Um…………………..er……………………well…………………. YES – of course I would – it was FANTASTIC Thank you so much to Diana, Daisy, Anna, Clare, Sheila, Susie B, Suzy C, Andy, Cliff, Paul, Gemma, Tracey, Yvette and Julie for helping to make this the experience of a lifetime. I will never forget you. Thank you also to Ken, Victoria, Lahcen and the Berber crew that looked after us so well – I don’t think I will forget you lot either! Rob, thanks for taking Clare and I to Heathrow, for carrying our bags and for the wonderful breakfast that gave us the energy to take our first steps. Finally, thanks to my Mum who was my inspiration (I love you) and everyone who has supported me and helped me with my fundraising – I couldn’t have done it without you. Pinksaharajacks

The rest of the week went by in a bit of a daze. I didn’t realize how little sleep we’d had in the desert until it came to catching it up – it took until Thursday to feel almost human again. I missed the rest of the trekkers and really didn’t want to go to work to sit looking at a computer all day. But by Friday it was like I’d never been away. So would I do it all again? Um…………………..er……………………well…………………. YES – of course I would – it was FANTASTIC Thank you so much to Diana, Daisy, Anna, Clare, Sheila, Susie B, Suzy C, Andy, Cliff, Paul, Gemma, Tracey, Yvette and Julie for helping to make this the experience of a lifetime. I will never forget you. Thank you also to Ken, Victoria, Lahcen and the Berber crew that looked after us so well – I don’t think I will forget you lot either! Rob, thanks for taking Clare and I to Heathrow, for carrying our bags and for the wonderful breakfast that gave us the energy to take our first steps. Finally, thanks to my Mum who was my inspiration (I love you) and everyone who has supported me and helped me with my fundraising – I couldn’t have done it without you. Pinksaharajacks

It's been wonderful reading all this. Well done again to you all. A wonderful achievement and a trip in a lifetime!!! Dianexx

what a wonderful account of your experiences I have lived it with you and enjoyed every minute (without the pain of actually doing it). well done everyone you did so well. Ann Glos

Wow, have just finished reading this thread, thanks to you all for your diary entries, it has reminded me just how wonderful an experience we had, and what a great bunch of people you all are...not that i had forgotten, just that life has been a bit mental since getting back. I am just sorry i didn't get a chance to add to the story, but i doubt i could have told it so well. Jack, you were a huge inspiration to us all as well...as was Clare, and i am sure i am not the only one who feels honoured to have been a part of the trek with you both. I miss each and every one of you. Yvette xx