Travelling
I found driving in Morocco, outside the cities, was no problem. After being warned that driving through the Atlas mountains was a nightmare, I was apprehensive. However I was prepared for the hair-pin bends and was not phased at all.
I was stopped twice by traffic police on my first day of driving. Once by a policeman wanting to fine me 300 Dirhams (about £21) for crossing over a white line while overtaking a bus that was pulling in to the side. Luckily Ann remembered that Jurgen (the owner of the Fes Riad) had advised us to ask for a receipt if we were ever fined. It worked, if you insist on a receipt, it means that the policeman can’t pocket the money. So he didn’t bother to fine us & instead talked about football.
Thanks for the tip, Jurgen!
Morocco Photos:
The lush palmeries at Skoura stand out against the barren terrain, making for great photo opportunities from the surrounding hills.
Source Bleue at Meski. A popular oasis on our journey south to the Sahara.
A very peaceful atmosphere.
Todra Gorge
It is difficult to get a photo showing the narrowness and height of the gorge. According to Wikipedia “The last 600 metres (1,969 ft) of the Todgha gorge are the most spectacular. Here the canyon narrows to a flat stony track, in places as little as 10 metres (33 ft) wide, with sheer and smooth rock walls up to 160 metres (525 ft) high on each side.” Even though we were in the dry season, Ann managed to cool off in a stream in the gorge.
On leaving the gorge we met up with a Berber who invited us back to his home for mint tea. Needless to say his home was also where they made carpets.
Here Ann is trying her hand at combing the wool prior to spinning it.
We ate some great meals at the riads we stayed in. At this one in Skoura we dined in a Berber Tent. It was no surprise that all ordinary public restaurant were dry – no alcohol. But in the Riads, being run mostly by French ex-pats, they were much more relaxed.
A very varied and memorable holiday for us.