Away from the normal teaching, training teachers and looking after the campsite and small holding, I have just returned from leading an Across the Divide walking expedition in the western Sahara Desert with 32 participants raising money for UNISEF. The UNICEF Morocco trek took place in the awe-inspiring landscape of gravel plains, sand dunes and Berber villages, where we walked 94km in 5 days. Temperatures hovered around 35 in the day but dropped dramatically at night to just above freezing. 
Habitation was limited, however the settlements we did see were made of the local adobe ( mud) bricks with flat roofs. Adobe is an excellent insulator, keeping the houses cool in the summer and warm in the winter.
The desert was also alive with a wide range of wildlife both plant and animal. Scorpions, snakes, lizards, hares and foxes all live in this harsh environment, partly due to the clever relationship they have with a beetle. 
If you want to see more go to Naturesbase.co.uk and press the utube tag.
