The Journal

Dispatches from the Origin Planet

Field notes, guides and stories from the cradle of humankind.

At Jebel Irhoud, fossils pushed our species' story back to about 315,000 years. The cradle of humankind isn't on the way — it's the start.

Past the last dune, the noise of the world drops away. What's left is a sky so dense with stars it feels like a homecoming.

Behind an unmarked door in the medina, a courtyard opens to the sky. The riad is Morocco's quiet masterpiece of hospitality.

Mountains, medinas and desert in one trip ask for range, not volume. Here's how to pack light and still be ready for everything.

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