Hotel Palmeraie 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.

... Jewel of the Nile) and Ali Benhaddou with its famous Kasbah. We also drove through the rose growing area which was quite a surprise.<br>Ahmed shopped for some initial provisions - so that will be the meat from the hanging sheep carcasses then, plus fruit and vegetables. The snow looms on the mountain tops and a local shop is delighted that we want 36 bottles of water between the 4 of us.<br>A jolly first evening as we manage some sort of interaction ...

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.

... dropped them and lost them about six times now and they always come back. Don has definitely put a curse on them. I fumbled around pretending that i couldnt see without them so the driver would think he has done a really good deed as all good Ramadan Moroccans are supposed to and gave him no tip because all i had was a 100 dirham note. I did put him on my gratitude list that night because the sun is crazy bright here and i fear i would either burn my eyeballs or risk eye ...

... the call to prayer as we raced around the roads. Fun! Lu and I also rode donkeys around the village, which was cool. I got to ride on my own . On the way, Sali, one of the guys in the village, invited us to visit his house to see his animals. He had turkeys, ducks, chickens, rabbits, dogs, and a tiny baby kitten. His house was amazing - he built it himself and it was two stories, like a mini-kasbah, with four towers on each corner and all made of adobe. We saw some real ...

... and there are no tourists there! Inside of the half-ruined building there is a surprise, very nicely decorated rooms similar to Bahia Palace. The building is quite self-containted, it even has camel caravans parking lots. Moreover, our guide is actually educated (french-speaking) and is a real guide, not just a "here, go this way"-person. The way back to the main road is Karolina's possibility to show her good driving skills;). Btw, as we've gradually found out ...

... was so kind to help me get out of the city, by taking his car and driving in front of me until reaching the highway so that I wouldn't get lost, and taught me a few tricks of the trade, like that you should give some coins to the guy putting petrol in your car.<br><br>Then I was on my own. Driving up to 2.100 m altitude in the Atlas Mountains was a piece of cake for my little Fiat, even though some hills were quite steep, but it was a reasonably powerful car.<br ...

... t remember how this was determined) had the most elaborate room. Photos of that room will be titled as "# Favoured Wife". Another great experience was having a French, gourmet feast for lunch ... a nice break from tajines. This restaurant run by a French chef, who is a retired Foreign Legion pilot, is in the middle of no where - and so worth the trip. Every course was mouth ...

... me of what the American southwest might look like. It is almost frustrating writing about this now because I can't convey the image correctly. I wish I wasn't under the weather. When I return I plan on posting as many pictures as possible. I took a lot during this 3 day trek. At the end of the day we stopped in the Dades Gorge in the Dades Valley. It was a pleasant hotel right inside the gorge itself. Outside was a terrace and you could walk down to the ...