Blogs from Meknès-Tafilalet, Morocco, Africa - page 8

Time in the wild reminds me how much of what I ordinarily do is mere dithering, how much of what I own is mere encumbrance. The opposite of simplicity, as I understand it, is not complexity but clutter. - Scott Sander Leaving Fes, we head out, swapping train for the inevitable tourist mini-bus that always makes a show on these group tours. As mini-bus standards go...this one is pretty good, comfortable, air conditioned and spacious enough to allow each person a window seat, on both the sunny and shaded side of the bus. Off the railway and on to the roads - this is starting to bode well for my search for sand dunes... at least until we start heading across the Atlas mountains and hit the alpine ski resorts! Ski fields, pitched roof houses and ... read more

Sunday Day 15 Wow, what a fantastic few days! I spent two nights in the Sahara; the first at a Bedouin camp and the second with a nomadic family 15km from the Algerian border! But, let's start with Friday morning. We broke camp around 8am and left with Rasheed who was organising the next few days for us. We followed him to M'hamid where we visited a 14th century Kasbah. Considering there are 200 families that have, on average, 10-12 people per household (children and extended family) inside the walls, it was eerily quiet - though it was during the day so I guess most are at work/school. We learnt a few interesting things: white paint around a doorway means a wedding is taking place and all are invited to help celebrate and yellow means they've ... read more

Today we are driving the Dades Gorge, which is only 100kms from Todra Gorge. It is not as deep, but has magnificent rock formations running into the river valley below. This valley is full of Birch trees (what their use is I am not sure) but they look simply beautiful scattered amongst the small farms and sandy houses. The road at the end turns extremely windy. Sharp, 180 degree bends are stone-walled into the edge of the mountain. Climbing up, we reach the view at the end of the gorge, where the edges narrow sharply with a clear, rocky stream flowing between. Kathy is pushing the Lancia through its paces like James May. Leaving Dades Gorge we drive down Dades Valley, passing the usual Palmeraies, until we come upon Ouarzazate. This is a very strange town. ... read more

Motorhome News from Morocco 2 22nd January 2012 Continuing our travels through Morocco by motorhome, with friends, Kit and Morag from Norfolk, UK, and Brian and Kathryn from Adelaide, Australia. The Saffron Trail - into the desert, and that red warning light is still trying to tell us something! We came to Tafraoute on an anti-clockwise route previously recommended by friends; from Tiznet on the Atlantic coast, climbing up the precipitous road into the Anti-Atlas Mountains. For the Imelda Marcos fans amongst you, Tafraoute is the place to come for shoes; the round toed Berber variety, plain or delicately embroidered, yellow for the gents and red for the ladies, all hand-made in the tiniest of dingy workshops on narrow alleys in the souk. I guess we take bread for granted back home. But it's a staple ... read more

De tourgroepen zouden deze ochtend om 7 uur ontbijten, dus wij zijn om 8 uur verschenen, wat de eigenaar wel handig vond. Buiten was het koud en een beetje bewolkt, dat zijn we niet gewend tot nu toe. Na een paar boodschappen te hebben gedaan in de lokale supermarkt zijn we terug gereden richting de grote weg. Vandaag was het gasflessendag en je zag allerlei mensen, voornamelijk vrouwen, met gasflessen lopen of langs de kant van de weg staan. Eenmaal op de hoofdweg was het maar een uur rijden naar onze volgende bestemming, de Gorge du Tohdra. Vanaf de hoofdweg voert een smalle weg door een aantal dorpen en ga je met haarspeldbochten omhoog. Uiteindelijk kom je uit in een vernauwing waarbij rotswanden enkele honderden meters boven je uitsteken en de rivier de Tohdra doorstroomt. Ook ... read more