ESL Blogs

My letter to Tara, about my visit to the Sahara

Dear Tara,

I am so glad you had an enjoyable trip to New York City. I can imagine how it was wonderful with your kids. I’m going to be a mother, and I know how it feels to be happy with your family in any place you put your feet in.

My husband Josef is interested in making Discovery Tours, for the first time he suggested visiting the Sahara last year in March, I thought he was joking, “What! A trip to the desert?!”… He insisted and I hesitated, however, I finally decided, he promised me to have a great time there!

Our travel was to Algeria, and exactly to the Hoggar which is situated in the southward. The way was so long for so many hours, we were with seven European tourists from different countries, and the tourist guide, they were exhausted, but for what? Any ideas?! … Maybe to see camels? Or to face fennecs, or else to dance with snakes on that wide carpet of sands, under the warm sun shining over our little heads!!

You know what Tara? Sahara didn’t use to be a desert. It used to be a green land with large rivers and big lakes which contained a lot of fish. It had vast forests, which were full of dangerous animals. People there used to live in caves. They painted many beautiful pictures of animals and hunters. They wore the skins of the animals which they hunted.

“Guess the origin of the word Sahara!” asked Josef, “I know you will tell me that it comes from the Arabic word Sahra which means desert” he added, and then I replied “Well dear, that’s what we’ve learned at school! But It seems that I’m about to discover another thing”. He agreed and said “Yes you are, the word Sahara probably comes from Sagara which is a Sanskrit word for big sea.”

I took beautiful pictures of the cave frescoes in the Hoggar, and amazing photos of mountains and golden sand dunes in the sunset, I’m looking forward to showing them to you and our friends. I truly realized that the Sahara desert is a land of beauty, history, and adventure.

                                                                        With my big respect and best wishes of zest

                                                                        Camelia.