Little by little, the camel goes into the couscous ~ Moroccan Proverb HE SAID... Today we are travelling from Marrakesh (Morocco) to Hobart (Australia). We left Riad Helen (our haven in Marrakesh for the past three days) and made our way through the quiet narrow lanes of the medina until we emerged outside Dar El Bacha Palace. We negotiated a taxi fare to the airport that included an umbrella that a fellow traveller had gifted to us in Marrakesh when he left the country (and we’d been carrying ever since). It had garnered some interest from a previous taxi driver, so I thought I’d use it as a bargaining chip… and it worked. The temperature had ramped up quite a bit over our last few days in Marrakesh, and it had peaked at 34 degrees right ... read more

The sun cannot be covered by a net ~ Moroccan Proverb HE SAID... Today we were travelling northwest from Tafraoute to Taghazout. We’d fallen for the charm of Tafraoute (a remote mountain village high in the Anti-Atlas), but it was time to leave. However, we needed to breakfast first, so we made our way to the formal dining area of our hotel (Chez Amaliya) and enjoyed tea, orange juice, yoghurt, msemen (flaky Moroccan flatbread), khobz (traditional round bread), boiled eggs and honey. We had a long day of travel ahead. We were descending from the Anti-Atlas on route to the Atlantic coast, so we loaded our packs into the minibus and left Tafraoute at 9am. As we started winding our way through the mountain roads, I was drawn to the Anti-Atlas peaks towering above us. They ... read more

Never say I regret, say I learned ~ Moroccan Proverb HE SAID... Today we were travelling southwest from Marrakesh to Sidi Ifni via Agadir. We woke late. I’d accidently set the alarm for 6:30pm, so we had to hustle. We quickly organised our packs and headed straight down to breakfast. Ren wasn’t feeling 100%%, as she had not slept well during the night (due to a constant cough). Her appetite was fairly low, but I made up for what she couldn’t eat. I had three fresh juices – orange, lemon and beetroot – along with mint tea, cornflakes, almond yoghurt, baguettes and jam. It was a standard way to start the day, and I loved the simplicity and freshness of our Moroccan breakfasts. We dragged our packs down to the hotel lobby, loaded them into the ... read more

The mind is free and the slightest thought has great influence ~ Moroccan Proverb HE SAID... Today we were travelling northwest from Taroudannt to Essaouira (via Agadir). After a whistle-stop visit to Taroudannt (where we explored the town’s red-mud walls ramparts and crowd-free souqs), we jumped into our minibus and headed to Agadir on the Atlantic coast. We were taking the scenic coastal route to Essaouira. We drove past endless oranges groves and banana plantations (many of which were under cover) on the way to Agadir. Nearly 40%% of Moroccans are employed in agriculture, and this was very apparent as we gazed out the window at the Sous Valley’s changing terrain. We also drove past endless argan trees and witnessed the Moroccan phenomenon of goats in trees. Goats love to eat the outside flesh of the ... read more

The camel never sees his own hump but that of his brother’s is always in his eyes ~ Moroccan Proverb HE SAID... Today we were travelling south from Zagora to a Sahara Desert Camp (via Tamegroute). We checked-out of our spacious hotel (Le Tinsouline) at 9am, had a cheesy photo stop at the replica Timbuktu, 52 Days sign, checked out the indigo head scarves worn by Berber men as protection against wind-borne sand and embarked on a walking tour of Zagora’s palm groves. By the time we’d finished it was mid-morning, so we jumped into the minibus and drove a short distance southeast to the dusty village of Tamegroute. The peaceful Nasiriyya Zawiya complex was our first port of call. We wandered the quiet internal courtyard with its distinctive green tiles and large wooden doors before ... read more