Driving, driving, driving........in the desert!

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Question:What do you get when you put two women in a car after they have had minimal sleep in the desert, its 38 degrees and the next leg of the trip is going to take around 7 to 8 hours ?
Answer: Very cranky women with no tolerance for any thing, with a tummy bug for one of them thrown in for good measure. NOT HAPPY JAN!

Apparently the Todra Gorge is beautiful, absolutely amazing we have been told by someone who recently saw it, so believing we are soon to be marveling at the power of nature we suck up our complaints and pin our hopes on our destination being worth the effort. After hours of driving windy roads in a car so hot that we could have cooked a tangine we arrive at the Todra Gorge. But we can't really see the gorge because we are focused on the bus loads of tourists (one Italian tour guide even has a whistle to round up his flock) and the road works and the diggers and large trucks kicking up the dust as they barrel along….. then there's the skanky sales man with dodgy goods and the children begging with their mother urging them on…… ohhhh we could cry. But we are tough little travelers and to make ourselves feel better ditch our guide just to have a laugh, really not very mature or nice but a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do when the going gets tough. The guide is relived when he finds us and far more attentive we must say and we head off again through the Rose Valley , except there's no roses at this time of year and we whiz by the shops - so no rose oil for us and continue on for hours and hours and hours!!

We reach Skoura for our overnight stop in a Kasbah that is in the middle of nowhere and has a desolate feel as it sits alone in the dry arid landscape. But surprise surprise they have internet and it connects every now an then when the wind stops howling and I can ring home while Rochelle went to bed a little worse for wear. The tangine for dinner is also one of the best we have had so we end a long day feeling a little calmer.

The following day dawns and we breakfast and are in the car again to head out to the most famous Kasbah of them all built in the 11th century, Ait Benhaddou. This Kasbah has been the location for many a movie such as Lawrence of Arabia, Jewel of the Nile and Gladiator. It rises out of the valley floor, all mud and straw walls with tall towers for protection and is nestled against the cliff face. 8 families still live here and their existence is tough to say the least. There's not electricity or water, grain for bread is still ground by hand and cooked in a communal oven and most of the men are off in the cities working to make ends meet. Have to say there is a sense of sadness about the place.

Yep you guessed it then it's back in the car to drive some more……so looking forward to seeing the water of the Atlantic, guess you really can't take the Northern Beaches out of a girl and its safe to say the desert, apart from the rolling dunes of the Sahara, is not for me!

We arrive at our hotel in the middle of nowhere wishing with all our hearts that a pool awaits us. We arrive to some tiled walls and a gorgeous foyer… so far so good…a little oasis. We spot a sign at the desk that refers to the swimming pool and jacuzzi, we try to stay calm and keep pur expectations under control.People we have arrived. After our fresh squeezed OJ on arrival and advised that the hotel does in fact sell alcohol, we are asked if we would like towels for the pool. I don't think we could have said yes any quicker.

We dash to our room, quickly look at the in room brochures which have not been in most places we have stayed and we get changed. Once at the pool we order two G&Ts and go swimming. Aaahhhh finally, whilst pools would be difficult to keep clean in the desert they are exactly what you need in all that heat.

Dinner is a vegie soup, bacon and eggs on toast, auberjine bake, gigantic steaks, apple tart, peach mousse and a bottle of wine. We are wondering if we should just stay here for a few days as we could easily do with a day by the pool. But the sea awaits us and we must go. Off to bed ready for 5 hours drive tomorrow…we are sure the blog will be riveting!!!

Love P&R xox

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