The Atlas Mountains

Make no mistake about it, the drive through the Atlas mountains from Midelt to Merzouga, is a drive to be relished! The landscape and the views are simply, stunning. Anyone who has done it, will tell you the same.

Different world

We had the Sat-Nav set with co-ordinates for 'La Tradition' camping site, set at the base of the dunes, at Merzouga. We needn't have bothered. It's pretty much one road all the way, with just the occasional turn to make.

Peaceful

We hardly saw anyone else, apart from the people who live up there. If we saw one other vehicle every hour, that was rush hour. This allowed us, in places, to crawl along at 15 or 20 miles per hour, just so we could take it all in.

Lunch Break

It's hard for me to adequately describe what it's like to take that journey, in terms of what you see, and how it makes you feel. If you get the opportunity to do it. Take it with both hands!

Amazing sights

We had to keep pulling over to take pictures but, trust me on this, as good as it might look in a photo', it's impossible to do it justice with one.

Crop fields

It's fascinating to see how the people in the mountains live. Live near water, grow crops, feed your animals. As we all would have done in times gone by.

Washing

Seeing the women doing the washing in the freezing cold waters of the river, served to remind me, just how lucky we are, and how we take things for granted.

The two of us.

It felt as though we were driving through a history book, and I'm sure that it's a tough existence for the people living this way. It was also nice to see the children in the villages come running to the roadside as we drove through, mostly to wave, some hoping for sweets etc!

Mountain Village

It's a long drive through but, for the most part, worth every mile! It took us more than seven hours to complete our journey but, that included a couple of breaks and, driving ridiculously slowly through some of the more amazing areas.

Road Out

You do, however, reach a point where there's no turning back. There was only one road out, and this was it! A tad daunting but, soon put behind us.
A long day but, we could rest soon enough, once we reached our next stop before Merzouga, which was to be, Hotel-Camping Le Soleil.

Merzouga

We rested up for a couple of days after our drive through the Atlas Mountains, at Camping Le Soleil at Tinnerhir, just the other side of Todra Gorge, before setting off for Merzouga.

Camping Le Soleil at Tinnerhir

It seems that Merzouga is a 'must do' place and we've met a few people over here who are headed that way.

Welcome to La Tradition

Another epic drive and, as we get closer, we start to see more and more signs for camp sites, Riads and the occasional Auberge which, translates as 'hostel'. Doesn't have the same exotic ring to it as 'Auberge' does it?

As we get to the village of Merzouga, we are intercepted by some local men one of whom keeps on insisting that I open the window wider, or lower, depends how you look at it, even though it's low enough for me to stick my head out, if needed. This isn't doing anything for our jitters.

Electric Hook up at La Tradition. Don't knock it, it worked!

He tells me that the village is too small for the motorhome to drive in and asks where we are planning on staying. We check our book and when we tell him La Tradition, his helpfulness goes in to overdrive.

He asks us to wait a second, and disappears around the corner. He returns on his motorbike, well, scooter actually, and beckons for us to follow him, which we do.

'We know where the well is'

A couple of minutes of sandy road later, and we pull in to La Tradition, right at the foot of the dunes. You couldn't get closer, if you tried. Our escort has a quick exchange with someone at the site, then roars off, with a wave.

Our host shows us where to park, 'Go next to that van' then insists that we join him for mint tea. We are no sooner seated than the hard sell starts.

This is a tourist area after all and, there are only two other vans on site.

'Tagine anyone?'

He tells us about the package, which comprises, a trek through the dunes by camel, with a guide, followed by a trip in a four by four through the desert. 

The price? an eye watering 1,500 dirham! or, 150 euros! Total time spent pursuing this Saharan dream? 3 hours.

It's difficult to hide shock and surprise sometimes, this was one of those times.

He spots it and throws in, 'It includes 2 nights camping fees, with electric, and you get a chicken tagine in the Riad restaurant, when you get back'

Well....what would you have done?

150 euros though. That was nearly two weeks budget for us! We tell him that we'll think about it, as it's a lot of money. He tells us, predictably, not to think about it for too long, as other vans may turn up, and we'll lose the chance to go.

It's the day before Christmas eve. What would you have done? We don't have any presents to open and, if we don't do this, what exactly are we going to do, having driven all this way?

Half an hour later, we cave and tell him that we'll do it. I give Sue the money to pay him so I don't feel the pain too much.

'I can see the pub from here!'

'9am, he tells us, or when it's not so cold' Oh good.

Next morning we get ready to mount our steeds. I'm not big on riding camels, we did it in Egypt some years back, and it's a bit like riding the donkeys at the beach back home, once you've done it, well, you've done it haven't you?

Still, off we go. I have to admit, I enjoyed it. The sun was climbing slowly in the sky, warming our bodies, and the quiet of the desert was really quite soothing. It was an altogether pleasant experience. An hour and a half on a camel, was stretching it slightly though!

'No, I don't think you can.....'

At the end of the camel ride, the 4x4 was waiting, as promised, and he took us for a spin through the desert, not up and down dunes, as I'd feared, but across the flats. He pointed out a Bedouin camp, where the children waved at us, then sped away, climbing steadily as we went.

Abandoned Mining Village

At the top of the only hill for miles around, we stopped and he told us to take pictures. So we did. With that, we were back in the jeep and off again, passing through a long deserted village, that we were told used to house people who worked at the long since closed, mineral mine.

'I can hear the sea!'

We got back some 3 hours later and that night, had our promised chicken tagine in the, otherwise empty, restaurant. We slept well after our mini adventure in the desert. The next morning would be Christmas day and we agreed to get back on the road first thing. Primarily so we could take our minds off what has always been family time, since we could remember. 

Christmas Eve sunset at La Tradition

It was going to be strange being away from home at Christmas, we knew that, but, when the reality hits you on Christmas eve, it's harder than you could possibly imagine. We felt so far away from everyone and everything, and it hurt us both like hell.

Morocco

Atlas Mountains   Merzouga   

We had no intention of including Morocco in our plans, primarily because of Harry. Morocco has a reputation of being a rabies destination. Some of the countries outside of the E.U. are covered by the Pet Passport, Morocco is not one of them.

Ready when you are!

A chance encounter outside of a Lidl in Portugal changed things however. We parked next to a Dutch van and I got chatting with the driver, the usual ice breaker, 'Are you here for the winter?' He told me that they stay in Portugal every year until November, then head to Morocco for 6 months. He had two large dogs with him so I asked how he went on getting them in and out of Morocco.
He was quite blase about the whole thing saying that the authorities hardly paid any attention to the dogs, on either side. He did, however, mention the International Pet Certificate, which Spain required you to have when returning to Morocco.

To get one, you have to visit a vet in Spain and they require your pet to have blood tests to measure the antibodies in his system. Also, the Vet administers a heart and lungworm tablet at the same time as the bloods are taken.

The bloods were sent to a lab in Germany which involved a two week wait.
We holed up at Camping Parque Tropical near Estepona because by this time, we already had our tickets to Morocco!

Villages

We visited a number of villages in Morocco and, as you'd expect, they vary in size and also in condition. Some look very modern and some look positively medieval by comparison.

You rarely see one without a mosque though. Mosque aside, the level of existence, quite literally in some cases, varies greatly. 
I cycled from the camp site at Le Calme to the nearby village of, Ida Ougourd, and it was practically deserted. All the same, three 'shops' were open. 

Don't picture your local shop in this case, these were no more than a room measuring approx 10 feet x 7 or 8 feet, with a window at the front, through which you could both view the wares, and be served.

Village shops, felt a bit tragic.

There was hardly anything that I wanted to buy but, I desperately wanted to give the man some trade, he looked so sad. I asked him how it was going, in French, obviously, he just looked at me and shook his open hand from side to side in the international sign of, 'so,so'. I bought 4 packets of biscuits that I didn't need, nor really want and handed over about 2 euros. Hardly enough to put a smile on his face for the rest of the day was it? I cycled away and couldn't help but think how tragic it all looked.

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Another village, Moulay Idriss Zerhoun, which was about a 2km walk uphill from the Belle Vue site near Meknes was equally grim. All the shops were on a steep, narrow street, and they all appeared to be selling the same thing. Equally grim, equally distressing, for me anyway. 

Post Office. I got a telling off from the Police for taking this

I don't understand the people that visit these places and talk about the 'character' that they have. That kind of attitude just strikes me as arrogant, and superior. Any fool can see that they are struggling along, and in some very squalid conditions at that.

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One of the larger towns that we visited, Tamraght Ouzdar, before heading over to the market, had it all, by local standards anyway. A number of butchers shops showcasing sheep's heads and other such local delicacies. Stalls selling second hand clothes, live chickens, feet bound, under makeshift cages, it was both lively and crazy. 

They even had the local medicine men, maybe even miracle workers? selling cures for all, right there on the pavement. What's more, men of all ages were crowded round listening as the sellers pitched at them. 

'This new one, will make your toes curl...'

One guy was heating a length of metal which had a slight curve at one end. Local man, after local man, took their seat in front of him and exposed and aching leg or old wound. 

The 'practitioner' then took a coin, which he placed on the affected area, then tapped it, quite hard, with the heated, crooked poker. It was all I could do to not burst out laughing. 

Still, he generated some income for himself and the 'cured' seemed to leave happy enough. It was bizarre to watch something like that though, in this day and age.

I don't want to put anyone off from visiting villages to towns and, hopefully I won't. I figure that if you get as far as Morocco, you'll go to different places, large and small, and see for yourself, as indeed you should.