MOROCCO XXXPEDITION
Part 2

by Magdalena and Sven Schlögl

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.