Marvellous Morocco-South

We woke up early ready to explore Marrakech by bicycle. It's crazy hot here, reaching 40 degrees most days but before 10am it is reasonably cool so we made the most of it. It was just Tony and I with our guide Mohammed so Tony hung out at the front pretending not to be scared by the crazy traffic whilst I braved the near misses of a horse hitting me, people walking in front of me and then a taxi nearly taking me out. As the taxi veered off, I noticed someone waving to me in what I thought was an apology. Turns out it was Adriana from our

trip, waving me hello!
Our bike trip took us to Koutoubia mosque, past the Saadian tombs, around the massive yellow palace walls and through the now very quiet medina into the spice shop. The spice shop was fabulous as the man who ran it gave us the run down of every herb and spice he had. Excitedly, he explained the medicinal qualities of them all and gave us a good sniff. Cycling was a wonderful way to get an idea of the medina, souqs and square without the craziness and heat but after a few hours cycling we were definitely ready to head back to the air con to get ourselves ready for joint the next group.
After a quick meeting to meet our new friends-only three them-we had one last dinner with our

buddies that had remained in Marrakech. Wanting to see Djemma El Fna in the dark, I convinced everyone to jump on the bus and we took the local way in. The sight that met us was in utter stark contrast to our mornings experience. There were thousands upon thousands of people in the square and to say it was alive with colour, sound and spectacle is an understatement to say the least. The snake charmers had gone but the Barbary apes were still there along with water sellers clanging their bowls and drummers from all parts of the African continent. There were fortune tellers, Muslim scaremongers yelling out passages of the Koran and ladyboy dancers. My favourite with the tooth puller- A little old man with a small table on

which hundreds of teeth were piled with a few crude pairs of pliers. It makes me shudder still just writing about it. Making our way through the throngs of people, we saw in the centre an al fresco dining area. Walking through it we were met with shouts of 'My restaurant is the best!' and 'Come and eat at my place, I have a special table for you!' to 'You have a very beautiful sister!' said to Tony, about me. Awkward! Tony replied with a quick yet curt 'She's my wife'
Settling in to a restaurant which had a balcony overlooking the craziness, we recapped our adventures of the past few weeks and made plans to keep in touch. We were going to miss this fabulous group of new friends!
Heading off the next day, we had managed to score

a massive mini bus for a group of five. We had Michael the dentist (or as the locals called him 'Ali Baba') and a lovely couple from Croatia: Jelena and Lino who had done the North of Morocco a few years prior and had comeback to explore the south. We were heading to the Atlas Mountains which are the highest mountains in North Africa. Storing our big bags at a local restaurant, we packed our day packs onto a mule and began the hour long walk into the village. It was much cooler here and there was even snow on the tip of the mountain which I found so hard to get my head around. 30 odd degrees and snow. Wow!
The village was tucked away at the base of the mountain ranges and was a very local affair. Windy little lanes with twists and turns at every step. We

were greeted at our gite-a homestay, with a big pot of mint tea and a beautiful courtyard overlooking the valley. After a hearty lunch, we set off up the mountain. The mountain is a popular trekking destination and we saw pack mule after pack mule carrying up tents, bags and supplies for people doing a six night trek across the ranges. The path was rocky and dry and totally uphill. Despite it being cooler, it was still very hot and we gratefully stopped at each little shop along the way which was located next to the mountain stream. The locals were using this stream to their advantage-hanging bottles of Pepsi and Fanta in the cool water. Eagerly wetting our hats and scarves to cool down we continued uphill. A few hours later we were met with a beautiful wide

section of the stream where locals were swimming and stopped to have a drink. Amazingly, we saw numerous runners coming down past us and it turns out that there is a marathon through the Atlas ranges. I'm surprised there aren't loads of broken bones, I'm struggling to place each foot down and I'm carefully walking!
The walk is important for local Muslims who come here as a place of pilgrimage to visit Sidi Chamarouch. It's the burial place of a mediaeval saint and people come seeking blessings and also bring goats for sacrifice. Not sure how they get the goats up though.
Walking back was much quicker and we reached our guesthouse as a plate of freshly made pancakes hit the table with local mountain honey. Yum! Chilling out and having showers, we had a feast of tagines before retiring early after our day of walking.
The following morning we had a hearty breakfast before beginning the hour long walk back down to the Tauranga where our bags were. We were off to Ait Benhaddou which centuries ago was an important stop for caravans passing through carrying salt across the Sahara. Amazingly, they traded this salt for gold, ivory and slaves-what a deal! The drive there was long but very very beautiful and precariously high. Turns out it is Morocco's highest pass at 2260 metres above sea level. We stopped along the way to grab some happy snaps and out of no where appears this man with cameleons. Michael was intrigued and soon had two of them climbing up his shirt ready for photo opportunities. They were incredible to see up close and once Michael had parted with some cash, it was back on the bus. When we arrived, Ait Benhaddou appeared a sleepy little town but walking around its kasbah, we were soon blown away by its beauty. It is considered one of the most beautiful in the whole of Morocco and it is made of adobe bricks and mud. It has managed to stand the test of time although no one lives in it anymore. It is an impressive vision from a distance and was recently used in filming for Gladiator as well as historically for Lawrence of Arabia and The Jewel of the Nile. Gladiator has left some of its props and even the main gate which had been made quite

sympathetically to match the kasbah and surroundings so the locals have kept it up. I'm sure it boosts tourism too! The kasbah had quite an arty feel to it with locals busy painting and creating in the little windows we could see through as we meandered through the tiny lanes. The main draw card in the kasbah so after we'd wandered through it, went back to the hotel to a welcome dip in the pool, enjoying the cooler breezes from the rooftop restaurant for dinner.
Another long drive was planned to get us to the edge of the Sahara at Zagora. Along the way we stopped at Ouarzazate which is where Atlas Film Studios is located. It has been the location for many a brilliant film including Game of Thrones, season

three-the slave city of the Unsullied with Khalisi and her dragons. I was quite excited about that and wished we could've gone closer but it was built out in the middle of the sand for maximum cinematographic effect. There were still sets up from Gladiator and a buddhist temple. They were filming something when we were there as noted by the Roman toga'd man who stepped out from behind a pillar and the massive pile of tyres they'd set on fire for maximum smoke effect. It was actually a really interesting place seeing how the cameras roll from one side of the set to another and how sets are constructed. I realised the importance of lighting and costume as when you're inside it in the middle of the day it looks tacky and unbelievable but all together, the backdrops look

incredible. We headed off once more, stopping at a tiny town to pick up supplies for a picnic lunch. In the supermarket I noticed two young ladies and one had a curious wallet. I admired it and she opened it up to show me. She'd reused a tetra juice carton, cutting the ends off and folding it in the middle sewing a toothpick through the middle to keep it all together. We got chatting and they had caught a local bus there and were planning to catch another-if it turned up. Wishing we could give them a lift, we had to head off and armed with a bit of fruit, bread, olives and cheese we had lunch and I was delighted to find some affordable argan oil as well. I was noticing that as we edged our way closer and closer to the desert, my skin was

becoming really dry and flaky. Argan oil ended up being a miracle oil and I used it day and night on my face and hair to keep it feeling more skin like than sandpaper. Finding a palmerie on the side of the road, we wandered in and found some dirt to sit on and eat our lunch under the shad of the palms. It was a pretty cool place to be although not cool in temperature-we were now mid 40's every day and getting hotter the closer we got to the desert. Our guesthouse for the night was absolutely incredible. It had a massive pool surrounded by date palms with desert mountains in the background. It even had a bar! We all got in for a swim and I was telling everyone how palm trees in Asia can be quite deadly as falling coconuts can kill people. We got

back into swimming when all of a sudden there was a massive crack, and in fell a whole hand of dates in to the pool-narrowly missing Lino. Dragging it out of the pool, it weighed a ton and Lino was really lucky not to have gotten seriously hurt. Since he nearly died, we thought it important to celebrate life with a few beers or three and the five of us had a great afternoon chilling and chatting trying to keep cool in the ever increasing temperature. At dinner that night, we were in the hotel's massive restaurant watching their resident cats and their kittens play when low and behold, in walks the two German girls we'd met in the market. They'd managed to get here and had found a local man who was putting them up for the night but needed food. Turns out, they had about three weeks of

holidays so have hitchhiked from Germany down into Spain and across into Morocco. They are so inspiring to me and I hope to one day be able to be more free in my travels and wing it like they do.
The next morning we were heading into the desert and as it's mid summer, we were leaving at midday to get to our desert camp. We can't camp in the Sahara as its too hot and when we set off to Ouled Indriss we were thankful. A thermometer was showing 47 degrees and it was only going to get hotter.
Our camp had simple mud brick huts and our beds and mattresses had been taken out into the surrounding grounds. We had toilets and showers but most importantly, a tiny swimming pool. It was unbearably hot so our afternoon consisted of lunch, swim, drink, swim, chat, swim and drink, swim. As soon as we got out, we were dry and the water was so full of minerals that when our clothes dried, they turned rock hard. In the afternoon we had a little camel ride into the desert and my camel was the leader. Tied up together into a caravan, we were able to see the desert from a new perspective and

the cheeky second camel behind mine kept inching forward until his lips were right next to my toes. Camels are quite charismatic and I'm quite sure it gave me a naughty smile as he edged in-it was a wonderful opportunity to see their beautiful eyes and incredibly long eyelashes. Our camel friends brought us back into the sleepy town and we went through the kasbah into a small museum. Full of wooden cooking and household implements, it was a good opportunity to see inside the mud brick houses. I especially loved seeing the handmade wooden bassinet that swung from the beams. Sleeping on the edge of the desert was a night I'll never forget. The moon was full and beaming brightly all night long and we fell asleep to the

sounds of the locals singing. Sleep was quite allusive really as we knew we were getting up at 3am, it was crazy hot and there were some snorers amongst us. The main reason though, was at 2:30 in the morning, we began hearing a noise in the distance. Getting louder and louder, it reached roar like status before I realised what was happening. No, it wasn't a massive freight train, it was a sand storm. Shouting at Tony to pull the sheet over his head, the other passengers ran for cover as Tony and I bunkered down to lie it out. Cocooning ourselves in the sheets was the best option as I was worried if I left, I wouldn't be able to see our hut and would get sand all through my eyes and staying was kind of fun in a terrifying way! The

wind and sand were howling around us for about 15 minutes before it all died down again and went back to silence. It was the best alarm clock I'd ever had and since we were all awake, got ready for our 4x4 adventure.
All up, I think we spent eight hours in the jeep and whilst cramped and bumpy, Tony and I loved every second. As we were up so early, the nocturnal wildlife was still up and our driver showed us (or nearly ran over in his quest to light them up with the headlights) the creatures of the night. We saw desert mice and desert foxes and in the eerie silence of the night came dawn about to break with the birds beginning to sing. First one, then another until the morning was upon us. Reaching Erg Chigaga dunes we got a glimpse of the woolen

tents where we would've stayed in cooler temperatures and a man whizzed out of his tent in order to make us all mint tea. Climbing up the sand dune in the dark, we could just make out the shapes of the tents below us before slowly, the sky began to get brighter and colourful hues appeared. Our mint tea had arrived and it was an incredible experience to be in the middle of the desert, watching the sun rise and drinking a hot cup of tea. It was peaceful, beautiful and incredibly special and although we spent only a very small amount of time there, I fell in love with this amazing place. A few happy snaps on dunes later, we were herded back into the 4x4 as we were told it was going to get very very hot, very very fast and we still had a few hours of driving ahead of us in the 4x4 before we

would meet up at a cafe to travel the remaining six hours.
Along the way, we had stops on an ancient salt lake, now totally dried up but strangely, with a restaurant placed smack bang in the middle of it. As we continued on our way it was awesome to see the landscape slowly morph from desert into rock mounds into towering mountains. Finding a palmerie on the edge of the desert, we stopped for a short break and I once again lamented not owning a good camera. The colours within the palmerie and the landscape surrounding it were bright and surreal and at that precise moment I knew I had to deepen my relationship with the desert in the future. Managing to reach a road, our talented

driver took us into a little trading town, busy with sales and visitors from all over Africa. A fresh orange juice and a toilet stop only and we got back into the minibus.
The unremarkable drive was broken up with the unusual spotting of goats climbing trees. It turns out that our drive to Taroudannt takes us through a reserve for the indigenous argan tree. Goats have an insatiable appetite for these almond like nuts and will do anything it takes to chomp on them. We stopped along the way at a women's cooperative to watch the process and it's hard work. It's the women who do it all from picking the fruit to drying and crushing the kernel to retrieve the oil. I'm delighted with the purchase I made of it

back at Zagora as my skin seems much calmer and happier enduring the hot weather and dry winds. I think it will remain a regular in my 'beauty' repertoire. (Washing skin and adding moisturiser)
After another massive day of travel, we finally arrived in Taroudannt and our hotel was a little bit out of the city in an old palace. Our rooms are massive, big enough for two rooms actually and we are loving the beautiful grounds the hotel is set on. We have resident peacocks, huge swimming pools and a decadent restaurant to enjoy which is what we all feel like doing after our big day. The pool is an interesting place to people watch as obviously all of the wealthy Muslims are holidaying here and the majority of them are wearing bikinis. Quite

revealing ones actually, so the contrast between their long jellabas in public and their swimming attire is noteworthy. Our dinner tonight was in the restaurant and we were greeted with crisp white linen tablecloths, fresh flowers in the centrepiece and rose petals strewn over the table. I could get used to this.....if only I could enjoy a glass of alcohol too!
Our group has become quite desert and temperature weary so the thought of heading to the beach with some fresh sea breezes and a distinct change of pace is very appealing. We don't have too long to travel today in comparison to our 9 and 10 hour days so five hours seems a breeze. Along the way, we stopped off at a local supermarket and gathered up some supplies for a picnic lunch. It was a huge shop with absolutely everything so we found some beautiful cumin spiced cheese, rice crackers and fresh fruit along with a cheeky cherry tart. Our picnic spot was a very local beach on the Atlantic Coast complete with a lot of pollution, burqas, camels and locals wielding hot tea kettles. Putting my feet into the cool water, we had a lovely picnic by the sea-feeling more and more excited to be staying at the beach.
Essaouira was a sweet little place with an arty carefree feel and a lot of tourists. Our hotel was a local riad with bags full of character-windy staircases, lots of stained glass and bespoke dark wood furniture. Getting our bearings with a quick city walk, we realised why it was called the Windy City. The sea breeze was fierce even in the town

and the temperature had dropped twenty degrees easily, we needed a jacket but sadly hadn't packed one so resorted to my Turkish towel to offer some warmth. It feels incredible to say we were cold considering we'd just been in the desert, but it was! We found a great little local restaurant and ordered some fresh fish. We had thought it was no alcohol but the owner told us quietly we could have it. Happy to have some fish, chips and a sneaky beer, we settled in. Our beers came to us in a very non traditional way-in coffee mugs. Turns out they don't have a liquor licence but quite frankly none of us cared too much, we were happy to be able to indulge in a few drops. Soaking up the light hearted feel of the town, we went to bed content-looking forward to our next day of exploring the city.
Our guide, Rachida was absolutely incredible. I wish she had of been our tour guide the whole way as her enthusiasm knew no bounds. Rachida brought Essaouira alive for us, highlighting the reality of women and Islam, life by the sea and quirky little places we would never have discovered by ourselves. She showed us how important bread was to the people-any left over bread or uneaten food was placed high up in the alleyways on shelves. The farmers coming to town the next morning would collect it in a bag and take back for their animals meaning nothing was wasted and all food was respected and appreciated. We liked that story and it has made me think a lot about the huge wastage we have in the west each day.
Essaouira is famous for its thuya wood products and as we walked through the ramparts surrounding the city, we came across some very clever woodworking. One table was exceptional. It was circular, but was in fact three different pieces put together into a circular shape. The shapes were like pieces of a yin&yan and the table could be arranged in multiple ways. If only we had a home.....there were also fabulous little magic boxes whereby a hinge or a slot was hidden amongst the designs and when pushed or slid, opened up to show a hidden velvet compartment. With so many cool arty things around, it was no wonder that Jimi Hendrix chose to hang out here and make music!
I was incredibly excited about my afternoon-I was finally going to a Hamam! Having heard how the girls up North were scrubbed within an inch of their lives in ALL bodily areas, I was grateful to be going alone where I could be nude without my fellow passengers. The Hamam turned out to be a simple affair; a mix between the very local tiled room we'd seen in Chefchaouen but not quite to the standard of a posh massage salon. The ladies were all very sweet and kind and I went in with my bikini on to see what they'd make me do. I had my

own steam room-a stone slab to lie on which was heated externally from a very hot fire. It was nice to begin with but then began getting incredibly hot which I guess she'd predicted as she came in and threw a bucket of water over me from the well in the corner of the room. I was having a simple Hamam with black olive soap scrub so telling me to remove my top, she began slapping on the thick black soap, all over my body. Using hand signals to tell me to lie back down, she again disappeared and I laid on the hot stone, cooking in my juices. She came back in once again, at the perfect time of bordering on unbearably hot and began scrubbing me with one of the mits I'd bought in Tangier. Wow, that mit really does scrub hard and soon I was covered from neck to knees in long strips of black

soap and potentially dead skin. Hmmmm, better off than on I guess. She threw another bucket of water over me and gestured for me to sit on a stool. Washing my hair and all over my body, it was like being a little girl in the bath tub with Mum washing me. Kind of weird as an adult, but also quite humbling and a very loving gesture. All freshly clean and scrubbed, I walked back to our guesthouse, delighted I'd finally had the opportunity to experience it. I was very clean.
The next morning we walked along the beach, watching the games of soccer and children jumping in from the edge exuberantly. The water was warm and inviting and we sat people watching for a while amazed at the women attempting to swim in burqas and their male companions in small shorts.

We took a local bus back to Marrakech before having our final dinner. Our guide had well and truly stopped trying by now so the five of us focused on having a lovely night, going upstairs to have a few beers and watch the night sky evolve around us. Our Croatian buddies headed off the next morning leaving just Michael and us. We'd planned to visit the Saadian tombs together and Michael was checking into a posh riad in the middle of the souqs so we headed off together.
Not knowing where his riad was, Michael paid one of the trolley men to carry his bag to the riad which was a great move as none of us would've found it. It was a typical riad in that it had very tall walls, no windows and absolutely no hint of what was inside. It was absolutely stunning even just being in the courtyard and Michael came back pretty happy with his room. Morocco is cool like that.
We went off exploring, heading in the direction of the Saadian tombs. Along the way we came across the tyre section of the souq, and these tyres were being upcycled mostly. I found a shop run by a woman who had made the most artistic things-full length dresses, masks, cod pieces and jewellery. The BDSM community would be in heaven here, and I was so impressed by her creativity and flair in her designs. I bought a little wrist cuff as a reminder of her work and motivation to find more ways to upcycle. We reached the tombs relatively easily and we seem to have finally found our souq feet, navigating through them to the Saadian tombs. They were only discovered recently and are in the process of repair and maintenance but within the walls lie the remains of an elite man, his mother and wife. There is beautiful mosaic work on the tombs complete with a resident tortoise. With the heat of the day building, we said our goodbyes to Michael and left him to enjoy his beautiful new home. We headed off sad to say goodbye to another lovely friend we'd met travelling.
The next few days Tony and I pottered around in Marrakech, catching up on the sights and mooching around in the air con of the hotel readying ourselves for our return to England. We visited the Koranic library which was full of intricate mosaics, carved wood and hundreds of tiny rooms where the students would've stayed. Climbing up and down the stairs and looking down on the visitors below gave a unique perspective on the architecture and the devotion of the scholars to their precious text. We continued exploring through the souqs, finding the areas at the very edge which were courtyard structures. With a small entrance opening up into a larger complex, these areas housed small scale factories as well as shops

and walking past and catching a glimpse of what was inside was a great way to spend the afternoon. We found the beautiful museum, housed in an ancient royal building full of sumptuous paintings, period costumes and artefacts. Everything was displayed with the utmost of care and detail, even down to the piped music and ambient lighting. Continuing on with our explorations, we managed to find the tiny photographic museum housed with some of the earliest known photography of Morocco but also the earliest usage of colouring photos and cameras. The images were predominantly portraits and candid snaps of the caravans through Morocco and the gatherings of sub Saharan Africans meeting together at markets. It's a shame Nelson couldn't have been with us, he'd have loved the prints and the beauty of the art.
Our time in Morocco slowly drew to an end and we were very sad to leave. We had come with very few expectations of what the country might be like and fell in love with its diversity, colour, tastes and charismatic locals. We had been fortunate to see a large amount of the countryside and its landscapes were outstanding. Dense cities, sleepy villages, desert sands and towering mountains were mixed up with breezy coastal towns and mountainous country sides. All were unique and we had found a country that inspired us through its welcoming and tolerance, it's ancient stories, stunning beauty and mystery.