Ksar Kaissar Ouarzazate

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 verily whizzed south across ...

... contests - goat herding involves lots of stone throwing.
Some firewood gathering is involved & the Berbers are into bread making each evening. There are other nomads on the move (some with tourists) and we get the invite to tea at a random cave complete with smoky fire; pretty soon if it's not dusty it smells of smoke.
Quite a lot of the trek is on dry river beds & that is not the easiest - it's much more interesting on the ...

... been built by the owners but been done in an authentic way. The walls are mud and the ceiling lined with palm canes in lovely patterns. The area is a very desolate stony landscape but there are sudden patches of green wherever water is available. We get taken on a wild goose chase through extremely narrow bumpy lanes of a palmerie (lot of palm trees) and have an ...

... rumours go on as someone asked me about the film a few days later! Slight panic until Sam tuned up as no one else in the queue looked like they were doing the race. Sarah from Best of Morocco had said this flight was for Facing Africa runners, what she meant was those she couldn't fit on the other flight. 5 of us in total. I convinced Sam to jump the queue and check in with me so we could sit together. Her ticket had been canclled so ...

... at the Hotel Palmerie" We had been spotted by friends of the owner of the dessert agency, the guy we had spoken to on the phone. Being that we were stuck at this road block we didn't have any thing better to do so we decided to head to the Hotel Palmerie. Although we didn't know exactly where it was or what we were going to do there we hoped it would get us where we wanted. In'sh'Allah. We got more than we bargained for.

... handicapped association - this one does artificial limbs and works with people affected with polio. I loved the pottery and bought 3 pieces for only 105 dhs. Back on the bus again for another drive to our overnight stop - Ait Benhaddou. We stayed in a small hostel run by Hussein (nicknamed Action because he has been an extra in 10 movies filmed locally - including Jewel of the Nile, Babel, Gladiator) and his family (baby Action, sister ...

... later than expected (5.5 hour trip) and found the only way to get to Ait Be Haddou at night was to take a grand taxi and pay for all six passengers. The 33km journey cost more then our 5hour bus ride but the taxi driver drove all the way back to our hotel to give me my present-from-Don-vintage-carrera-aviato r sunglasses in case after they fell outof my bag in the backseat of the taxi. Faith in Moroccans restored and my sunglasses back. Truth be told i have left them behind ...

If northern Morocco has a definite Mediterranean or Near Eastern feel to it, once south of the High Atlas range you are unmistakably in Africa with clear dry air, blue skies, desert winds, intense colors, and a population with darker skin tones. The region directly south of the High Atlas Range is nicknamed The Valley of the Casbahs and is chick full of the ancient fortified cities called casbahs. Since the primary material used to construct casbahs is mud brick, they tend ...

... Nazareth. We visited a Kasbah in Ait Benhaddou. We were very tired... very difficult listening to a guided tour after so many hours of driving. But the hotel, Hotel le Kasbah is situated in a small village made up of several small fortresses, kasbahs etc. Many filmakers have been attracted to the beauty of this area such as Lawrence of Arabia. I feel honoured to have been able to visit this amazing spot.

... itself. It was lush green with pink wild flowers growing near beautiful willows with a stream flowing through sparkling from the sun setting over the rocks. It reminded me of a fairy tale setting. All I needed to see now was a damn unicorn taking its evening drink from the stream and a couple of trolls asking for gold. I got one of the best nights of sleep the entire trip that night. We were in for another long day of driving so it was much needed.