After stocking up in Zagora, we continued
north along the beautiful Drâa Valley full of fertile palm oases - dates
are the main produce in this area. The valley is studded with impressive Kasbahs
and we visited the Taourirt Kasbah in Ouarzazate which is beautifully restored.
We were impressed by the ornate detail of the wooden ceilings and tiled walls
in some of the halls. The Dadès Valley is also called the Road of the
Kasbahs, a nickname given by the French colonialists, as several Berber clans
established their mansions here. A highlight for most Morocco visits are the
two gorges of the Dadès and the Todra which are partially paved and then
connect through two 4x4 trails. One makes for a longer loop over a mountain
pass; the other, a shortcut, had been completely washed out during the recent
thunderstorms and was impassible. For once, this didn't bother us much as we
had planned on taking the longer route anyway. The drive through this desert
mountainscape was absolutely spectacular, and except for a few shepherds and
small Berber villages we didn't meet a soul. We camped out at almost 3000 meters
altitude and temperatures at night dropped below freezing. While the mountains
seem barren and dry, the valleys are very lush and every inch is covered with
fields where the local Berbers grow corn, tea, potatoes, pomegranates and apples.
Once a week, they travel to the next village to sell their produce at the market.
As we followed the Todra gorge downstream, we were shocked by the sudden onset
of tourism. While the Dadès Valley had been very quiet, this gorge draws
busloads full of tourists as well as a myriad of local souvenir sellers.
Upon leaving the gorges area, we didn't stay on asphalt much and soon set out
for another adventure along the roads less traveled. Following a narrow dirt
trail across the high plateau of Timassinine, we headed west and discovered
a bizarre landscape colored by washed-out minerals.
Just as breathtaking was the scenery along another detour which took us past
several kasbahs including the well-known Aït Benhaddou which featured in
several Hollywood movies such as "Lawrence of Arabia". This turned
out to be a fairly challenging off-road track. The route was listed as a "secondary
road" in our map, implying at least grading if not partial pavement, but
two spots were pretty iffy due to severe washouts. Through some side gorges
rocks and dirt were washed over the trail and we got high centered. The mountain
dropped down almost vertically on the right and we didn't have much space to
play with. Thanks to our Hi-Lift jack and after stacking some rocks, we were
able to free the Jeep and continue along the scenic valley where red rocks contrasted
sharply with green vegetation. Eventually, we joined the main road connecting
the south with the north, and along a windy paved road we climbed another pass
until we finally reached Marrakech.
Marrakech is the third out of the four imperial cities we had visited so far.
We checked into a beautiful campground and took a taxi to town where we wandered
through the medina. Once again, the rain caught up with us and it started to
pour down. We ended up spending the rest of the day in several cafés
and restaurants before catching a ride back to the campground which was mostly
flooded. The next morning, however, greeted us with sunshine.
We left Marrakech behind and traveled south-west through the High Atlas. The
narrow and windy road led us through colorful high desert with lush green valleys
and barren mountains. On our descend after the pass, we were almost run over
by one of the many wild Moroccan drivers who consider the road their personal
property, which they don't like to share with others. Upon reaching the valley,
we hit straight south, covering some beautiful desert plains until we reached
the Atlantic coast. Our first glance over the cliffs revealed a large shipwreck
which must have been washed ashore ages ago.
We finally reached the mouth of the Chebeika River where fantastic sand dunes
have been formed by the wind and decided to spend the night at this beautiful
lagoon. We were lucky to explore the dunes just before the winds blew in thick
rain clouds. All night long, they kept blowing, rattling our Jeep and washing
off the sand and dirt we had collected since the last rainstorm.
In the morning, it was calmer but as we turned around to head back north, the
rain followed us all day. During the next days, we continued along the western
coast, enjoying the beautiful shoreline and taking a few walks along the sometimes
deserted beaches. The area just north of Agadir is known for the production
of Argan oil, which is manufactured in cooperatives of local women. Argan oil
is appreciated for its nutty flavor, but is also used for cosmetic purposes.
Not only humans like the fruits of the Argan tree - local goats also cherish
the leaves and are often seen perched on the branches as if they thought they
were birds.
Further north, we explored the scenic town of Essaouira which was long held
by the Portuguese and has thick and impressive fortress walls to show for it.
Its medina is unusual insofar as the alleys intersect mostly at right angles
which makes finding your way around much easier.
Casablanca was only a quick stop where we visited the Grand Mosque of Hassan
II, the highest religious building in the world, and the second largest mosque
after the one in Mecca. The mosque measures 100 x 200 meters and its minaret
is 200 meters high!
Further on El Jadida was buzzing with activity and excitement as the town was
getting ready to welcome the king for the opening of the yearly horse races.
All the streets were decorated with huge Moroccan flags and various giant-size
portraits of the king, and early in the morning people started to line up in
front of the hippodrome. As we left town, we noticed policemen and military
every 300 meters along the highway who were watching the road. We even found
them standing on some farm roofs.
After a relaxing day at Mehdiya Plage (beach), it was time for us to leave the
African continent. We closed our loop in Tanger and boarded the ferry which
carried us to Spain as the sun set. A wonderful trip to an exotic and impressive
country had come to an end.
On our long drive home, we stopped in our old stomping grounds Alicante for
a couple of days to visit friends and chill out. Then we got on the highway
and turned our Jeep north to Germany.