La Kasbah de Victor Ouarzazate

... exciting stuff. Tomorrow, am off to Erfoud and will then hopefully be able to get a shared taxi to Merzouga, which is getting right into the Sahara and so will hopefuly organise a camel ride into the dunes where I wil spend the night - something I've always wanted to do but have heard that it can be quite hassley there so will make sure I eat enough before arriving as it is always so much more difficult on an empty stomach - and yes dad, thanks for your text, I do now that it is important ...

... br>We drove out of Marakech on the road to the High Atlas in the direction of Ouarzazate (pronounced "who said zat") We stopped on route for mint tea, and at lunch time had delicious Moroccan Tajine and Brocheta , we bought an ammonite at one of the en-route little shops, also available were the lovely crystals in rocks and onyx eggs that the place is famous for, but Sharkita has enough junk onboard to ...

Just quick entry to set the map pin. Suffice I lucked out and nabbed a guide in Merzouga who just happened to be headed to Marrakech to pick up 3 Spanish clients to guide them on a 10 day tour of Morocco.

Thus, instead of struggling w/ mind-boggling taxi negotiations to navigate to Quarzazate (about 8 hrs. from Merzouga), I ...

Ait Ben Haddou is one of the oldest Kasbahs in Morocco. Onthe way to the hotel we saw goats on the side of a maountain. And from the roof of the hotel I took pictures of the kasbah and the neighbors garden. We met 2 German girls the next morning and gave them a ride to Casablanca. They were lots of fun.

Hiked back to the hotel this morning just after sunrise - nothing like a 3 hour hike to start the morning :) Long day of travel - took a local bus to Ouarzzate, and picked up a minibus that took us to Ait Benhaddou - site of a world heritage protected kasbah. How many people fit on a local minibus with 4 benches? You'd think 14 (4 x 3 in the back plus 2 in the front). You'd be wrong.. I believe ...

... required to live. Camel herders touch the sides of the hump to assess whether a camel is ready for a long journey. 5. Camels are called "vessels of the desert" by the people of the Sahara. 6. Camel caravans always started out two hours before sunset, to avoid the heat of the day and to navigate by the stars. 7. All parts of a camel are used. Camels are used first for transportation. In the desert, they are more reliable than a 4x4 ...

Currently in Ait Benhaddou on the south eastern fringe of the Atlas Mountains, about 30 clicks out of Ouarzazate - both places made famous for the use of their scenery in blockbuster movies (Gladiator, Lawrence of Arabia to name a couple). Although Ouarzazate is more obvious in it's monetary gain from this, Ait Benhaddou has remained a quiet little sanctuary, once a stronghold to control the caravan routes through this region in the 11th century, the kasbah and the village is ...

... world from the Holy Land to the American Wild West and have done so in such movies as Sheltering Sky, The Man Who Would Be King, The Last Temptation of Christ, Living Daylights, Kundun, Jewel of the Nile, The Mummy, Alexander the Great, and Lawrence of Arabia. I am not a major movie buff per se but was somewhat disappointed when the majority vote in the group (I think it was 11 to my 1) nixed Dave's suggestion that we stop for a visit at Atlas Studios outside of Ouarzazate.

... explained the imagery used in Berber carpetweaving. After a while, we got the distinct impression that the bus wasn't going to let us leave until somebody had bought a carpet. In the end, we did buy a carpet, along with 2 other couples. For the night, we stopped in at a hotel in the middle of nowhere, I can only assume they cater solely to the bus tours, albeit in an idyllic gorge. Onto the desert....

... back to sleep. But apparently Issam overslept, because later he got up and went to work, I laid there and relaxed for a little bit and then got up when I noticed Ibrahim watching me "sleep". Creepy. At that point I realized what time it was, and was in deed NOT happy. I literally jumped into my clothes, grabbed my bag and left - but Ibrahim ran in front of the exit door, and asked me to stay. I told him no, but he insisted. I put on my angry face and pulled the door ...