Yasmina Hotel Tinerhir

... Fatima, was a hilarious woman who was always grabbing us and yelling "photo, photo!" and posing. She was pretty crazy.

Then we were able to rest a bit before visiting a hammam. This one wasn't nearly as nice or comfortable as the one in Turkey, but it was an experience, to be sure. And damn did a lot of dead skin ever come off of me! Yuck! But I felt amazing afterwards. Have to buy one of those exfoliating gloves.

All in all, a very busy day, but very good...

... AJ and English Mike) went in one side while Sharon, Sandra and I went in the other. And what a culture shock! We really felt like tourists and it was pretty uncomfortable, especially when we were asked (with hand gestures) to remove our bras. Poor Sharon was already hating the experience. We were led into the 1st room which is the hottest and the woman gestured for us to sit on the floor. She then brought out big buckets of water, loofahs and the funny smelling ...

... where they change animal skins into leather and colour them in huge pits filled with natural dye (we were given sprigs of mint to hold to our noses as we visited here, as the smell is overwhelmingly bad, but the sight really impressive. check out the photos), wandered the labrynth of souks (markets), visited a rug shop and a pharmacy where we got to sample natural products, perfumes and medicines. By the end of the day we were exhausted but we headed back into camp and ...

... now you need to get down. The descent is quicker than the climb, but infinitely more nervewracking. You've just spend twenty minutes clinging to the rocks for dear life, scrabbling for hand and fingerholds and skinning your knees in an effort not to fall. Now, descending, you have to pry your fingers individually from the rocks and let go, straightening your legs and leaning back into oblivion, trusting the harness ...

... Sagharo late afternoon. It was a good hotel WITH HEATING in a fantastic position overlooking Tinehir and the oasis below. We would stay here for 2 nights. My room was warm but there was no hot water until early evenings but it was worth waiting for to have a nice deep bath. Unfortunately only the rooms were heated, the other areas of the hotel -bar, dining room, reception area, were all freezing. There was time for us to have a stroll ...

... visit is to offer us some carpets his wife makes. So off we go again, this time back to Boumalne du Dades to see another marvel of nature - Dades Gorge. We're getting pretty short of time so we are forced to just drive through it. But nevertheless it's again a part of the Earth worth to remember. A rather open and very ragged valley is filled with old kasbahs, bare trees and unbelievable rock formations. Again, hard to describe and thus I let the ...

... part way up one side wall at a bend in the canyon about two miles up from the heavily touristed part of the gorge. The pleasant place was named Auberge L'Festival, which I called "Aubergine Festival" or remembered just as "The Eggplant House". In an earlier era Morocco was firmly on the so-called "Hippie Trail", the set of cheap, mellow destinations the flower children of the '60s and '70s trekked to in search of inner peace and self actualization (and marijuana ...

... and the sight was gorgeous. The gorge which rose up beside our hotel was blocking out the stars and some light was just making the rocks visible. I think it was far prettier at night but I don't have my tripod so I couldn't take a photo. (Ben here) But we are getting use to this and the trip is still fun. The people here go from warm and friendly one second to muderous rage in another! It's all part of the trip!!! Allah Ackbar bithes!

... over the past few years and the Berber language is making a resurgence, as is education for Berber children. Seventy percent of the population of Morocco are under the age of 30. Mint tea is a very important part of a Berber meal as well as an integral part of their culture. (I prefer it unsweetened with sugar on the side, but often it is served already sweetened - and with enough sugar to make you wince!) The tea is poured with great ceremony and from ...

... Ramadan opening hours you see). Splurge on a coke, as we hadn't drunk anything for about 6 hours and it is VERY hot. Now down to 40 dirham (£3). If we walk back to the medina, one of us can go into Bou Inania, take photos and share with the other. So... walk back through the new town, the "new" medina to the old medina. It's 4.30 and Bou Inania closes at 5. We have to walk through the food souk which is very busy with people buying food for the end of the Ramadan day fast ...