There was a complete silence but I could sense the loud air of annoyance and disbelief when I told the tour guide that I would like to see some fossils. It was the final lap of the tour in Morocco.
Almost everyone in the group, including my wife, had wanted to go shopping at a mall. Someone had claimed that branded items were cheaper in Morocco than in Malaysia.
(Well, it turned out to be the truth as many ended their shopping trip carrying bagfuls of items.)
However, this lone but pushy dissident still wanted his way, despite the guide's annoyance. In the end, there was a compromise - I was given 20 minutes to check out the fossils.
I badly wanted to visit an authorised fossil outlet after having seen so many fossils of all shapes and kinds on sale throughout the eight-day tour in this country.
"Why does this fella want to waste time going to see some stones and seashells?" I overheard another person grumble.
I was determined to do it. I had no idea that beneath the desert sands, there used to be ocean floors with plenty of sea creatures. Indeed, climate change had started taking place centuries ago.
A well preserved fossil fish, dating back to hundreds of million years ago, at a shop in Erfoud.
When I signed up for this tour with Apple Vacations, I only had travel fantasies of desert sands, the smoke-filled "Rick's Cafe" in Casablanca, inspired by the movie of the same name, and the bazaar at Marrakesh.
I didn't expect to walk into a treasure trove of the prehistoric world, though. There was simply an abundance of fossils with trilobites and ammonites in perfect condition here, marking their existence millions of years ago.
Trilobites are extinct arthropods, the animal group today that includes insects, centipedes, crustaceans, spiders and more, while ammonites were marine animals like shellfish in coiled chambered shells.
My first encounter happened quite by accident in the old medina of Marrakesh. Amid the usual bustle of lanterns, leather goods, and ceramics, a small stall displayed something entirely different: slabs of marble embedded with perfect trilobites and ammonites.
At first, I assumed these were replicas. But the vendor smiled knowingly and assured me, in halting English, that they were real - millions of years old, freshly unearthed from Morocco's fossil-rich mountains.
Soon, I encountered more of them but I could not tell which were fakes and which ones were genuine. But I was determined to look for more.
The writer standing next to a huge stone slab covered with fossils.
According to reports, much of Morocco, especially the Atlas Mountains and the Sahara's edge, was once submerged beneath ancient seas.
Today, towns like Erfoud and Rissani near the Sahara are famous for their fossil workshops. Here, artisans transform ancient stone into tabletops, bowls, and decorative tiles, giving new life to remnants of the Paleozoic era.
I took a day trip to Erfoud, and there the surprise deepened. Along dusty roads, children held out polished ammonites like marbles.
Erfoud is an oasis town in the Sahara, located in south eastern Morocco, with a modest collection of historical and cultural landmarks but known for its fossil sites.
In the workshops, I watched skilled craftspeople patiently polish limestone slabs to reveal intricate spirals and armoured trilobites with almost delicate precision.
This wasn't some niche collector's pursuit -- fossils are part of everyday life here, woven into the local economy and artistry.
What's most astonishing is the accessibility. In Morocco, many of these common items are sold from about RM10 to RM20, depending on your bargaining skills.
A perfectly-shaped trilobite, an extinct creature which looked like a centipede, on sale at the town.
But for large or rare specimens, which are coveted by serious collectors and scientists worldwide, the amount can be staggering.
As always, the US dollar is the preferred currency for shopping here. Most of the items were really beyond my affordability, especially a well-preserved fossil fish that I was eyeing.
There was no way that I could leave Erfoud without a tangible piece of Earth's ancient past in their hands, though - something that feels almost magical.
It was near Christmas and I could buy myself a gift. However, my wife insisted that I can only have one - the trilobites or ammonites.
I settled for the latter without thinking about whether they were real, or if the Moroccan customs will let me through at the airport.
The Moroccan guide with us said the country has one of the most open fossil markets in the world and for common invertebrate fossils - and in small quantities - the items would be let through.
"You are not buying dinosaur fossils, just common stuff which we have plenty of, don't worry,'' he assured me. To be on the safe side, I requested a receipt and certificate from the shop.
Until today, the fossils in my home remain the best gift that I have bought on my trips.
Morocco gave me belly dancers, mint tea and sunsets, bustling markets, timeless architecture, and allowed me to relive scenes from my favourite Hollywood classic, Casablanca. Most of all, it gave me a connection to Earth's story.