Hotel Fint Ouarzazate

Sorry not to have updated the blog for a little while(really bad wifi !!!), We thought that we should go for a little trip inland as the boat is safe in Bouregreg marina, and of course it's very cheap. <br><br>So with our Swiss friends we took the train to Marakesh.The train takes about 4 hrs and was pretty comfortable as we went first class, which is fairly advisable if you would like to sit next to your ...

... whizzed south across the interiorior of Morocco - in a nice new Toyota 4x4. We sped though Todra Gorge, the Dades, Valley of the Roses et al, and landed for the night at a lovely little riad overlooking the city. Had a beer (along w/ my Muslim guide!) on the rooftop terrace, dinner, and then set off for Marrakech the next morning.

... are based around some (vaguely) nearby mountain streams and areas for the animals so that the length of treks do vary. We are of course in the 'middle of nowhere' so you have to relax in camp with the bed rolls &amp; some rocks to lounge around on.<br>One day the stream is full enough for the cold water hair wash and clean up, otherwise it's mainly wet wipes &amp; the bush for the toilet stop. Impromtu English/Berber lessons continue as do the stone ...

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.

... desert. Just to let you know, camels make the most god awful noise when they dont want to stand up. Imagine waterboarding chewbaca. Someone said its just like riding a big dog. I dont know about you but does that sound easy? We stopped to watch an amazing sunset then continued on our way. At the end of the camel trek into the desert we came upon some Berber nomad tents set up for us. There we made camp and had ...

... want to pay, vendor will offer a lower price, then offer half of what you want to spend, he will again offer lower, then we raise our price to what we wanted to spend and the deal should be done. We are looking forward to giving it a go next time. Because we broke the fast last night with the staff and some other travellers, a Brazilian- Spanish couple, we did not need to eat any dinner, it was on the house. The usual soup, egg, dates combination. We woke up on our rooftop ...

... was clear till lunchtime when the sand started marching. Can't do much justice to what followed by using mere words, but imagine you were dunked, eyes open, into a huge, muddy, raging torrent but stayed dry - there's your sandstorm. Magnificent wall of streaking sand rocketing skyward ten feet in front, air thick, sun all but a pale area above your right shoulder. Berbers just kept on plodding till we reached M'Hamid and relative calm. Most ...

... During the hike we came across the sheep pen of a nomadic family. The family was away, but their guard dogs remained. The dogs were familiar with Hamid so they didn't mind us playing with the newly born baby lambs. Mel made quick friends with an affectionate 2 day old lamb who smiled nicely for the camera. The hike ended back at the gîte after we enjoyed some nice views of the village below from the heights of the surrounding peaks. That ...

... all to myself. Down the hill on my side of the road comes a cute Moroccan kid running down the slopes. He says Bonjour. I tell him good day back in French and compliment him on his French. He smiles. Two more kids come running down the slope, both say Bonjour and I do the same. More and more kids come, one starts asking for money, but I tell him no. All the other kids depand money, and are now getting really aggressive, placing their hands in my pockets and I try ...

... arrived at the top, just to see the sun rising above the low lying clouds and flood the dunes with the clear yellow morning light. It was magical. After many photos, we made our way back down again to join Megan and her mother who stayed down the bottom chatting to the camel guide as he showed them how to rap their scarves around their heads to protect it from the sand. We made it back to base by 7:30am for breakfast outside. It was four ...