Page WILL BE tested for compliance with INDUSTRY (not MS-only) standards, using the free, publicly accessible validator at validator.w3.org. Mostly passes. There were two "unknown attributes" in Google+ button code. Sigh.This is a subsidiary page. My Morocco pictures site has a main page which gives you the links you need for more.
There is a more general outline of the trip's itinerary at the bottom of the trip report's main page. Here, I will go into more detail. The information here is patchy, at the moment. I hope, in due course, to make it more comprehensive.
This page is incomplete in places, and there is a bit of confusion between Dades and Todra Gorge trips.... my Holux and my photo date-stamps don't seem to agree! (I'm probably just muddled... will try to get it sorted out soon.)
We DID visit BOTH, and they are near one another, and I think it was on consecutive days! There is only one logical order. Both were magnificent. I will try to polish the details in due course! (Dades: Where the ladies (with Ismail's assistance) "ambushed" Ross. Todra: Amazing promontory. Dades West, Todra East.)
If you feel an urge to write, help me out, don't worry... for the moment. I will email you if I can't solve my own confusion!
Other than that little matter, I believe that what is here is at least accurate, even if incomplete.
Three of us arrived in Morocco. Frank had been in the country for some time already, but had a long day getting to us from Marrakesh, after being let down by an airline. Ended day at The Golden Tulip, Casablanca.
Visited market area. Numerous fishmongers. Drove along coast to city of El Jadida, arrived about 11:35.
Visited Portuguese cistern, and strolled. Set off about 12:45.
Lunch at a nice highway-side rest area, "outdoor" picnic tables, under extensive awning. Arrived Marrakesh about 5pm. A quick first visit to Place Jemaa El Fna, then to our hotel by about six. Ended day at Adam Park Hotel, Marrakesh, first of two nights there. Most of us struggled to keep bearings when navigating from rooms to lobby! Started day at sea level, ended at about 1750 feet.
On road by 8:35, driving south, across plain, and into mountains... eventually reaching about 4000 feet.
From 9 to 9:30, enjoyed a stop at the crossroads town of Imouzzer-Ourika.
A little further on, turned off the main road to visit a town where the weekly market was in progress, and enjoyed the atmosphere there for a little over an hour. As you can see, I had mis-set my camera, but I wanted this image here despite the techincal issues. It is a view back over the bridge we (and many market participants) had crossed to reach the market. I had to hire a milk-crate to stand on, an adventure in itself!
From 11:40 to 12:15 we were at a pleasant area on a river deep in the hills, on the edge of Toubkal National Park. (After this, we retraced our steps, back to Marrakesh.)
From 12:45 to 2:10: Very hospitable berber family served us an excellent lunch in their home. This was in the mountains, just above the plain, not far south of where we had visited the market.
By 2:50, we were starting into the Marrakesh medina, carefully shepherded by Ismail, ending up in the justly famous Place Jemaa El Fna, which we enjoyed until 5:30. The following photo was on one assistants to one of the snake charming acts, though the cobras got more attention than this four foot beauty or his fellow vipers. Didn't see any in the wild, sadly.
Back at our hotel by 6. Ended day at Adam Park Hotel, Marrakesh, second of two nights there.
Up and out, in time to be at the Jardin Majorelle, the Yves St Laurent Gardens by about 9:10. Onward quite quickly (10) for there was a long drive ahead. At 11:40, nice stop for bathrooms, tea, views. 12:25-1:30 stopped to learn about the "Huile d'Argan", and have lunch in a nice roadside restaurant. At 2pm, turned off main road, onto road to Telouet. At Telouet from 2:40 to 4pm... seemed much shorter. "Properly" in the mountains by now. Ended day at Kasbah Benhaddou, Ait Ben Haddou, arriving about 6:20.
Up for "dawn's early light... out photographing the remarkable Ait Ben Haddou from 7am. Then, though at 17 November I confess I have no recollection of the fact!... from 9:25 to 11, we backtracked over the road to Telouet, which we had traveled after it was too dark for photos, the evening before. Stunning views, good light. At 11, we again passed Ait Ben Haddou, and continued onward towards Skoura. Passed through Ouarzazate, the "Hollywood" of Morocco at about 11:50. Passed huge reservoir.
Photography and lunch at Kasbah d'Amerhidil, just SW of Skoura from about 1 to 3... and some "laboring in the field" with mattock!... Full marks to the local ladies who saw the tourists as good for something beyond a dirham, sweetie, or "stylo" (ball point pen). Any good pics of their "ambush" much appreciated!) Thence through Skoura and out a short way to the north to the Kasbah Ben Damiette, Skoura, arriving about 3:20, for a nice, relaxed afternoon.
Dawn from rooftop
9:30 departure.
11:10-4:42: "Detour" off main Skoura/Tinghir (aka Tinerhir) road, to visit Dades Gorge, including "special" (arches) kasbah at 11:30-12:10
Around 2: Lunch on nice, simple, open air patio, 1-2:15, just before climbing from 5500 to nearly 6000 feet.
"Fingers and toes" rocks around 4pm (on way back), Ait Ben Ali.
Fatima's shop with figures also there.
6:15: Arrived Kasbah Lamrani, Tinerhir, first of two nights there.
Started day by going to local (Tinerhir/ Tinghir) livestock market, across road from hotel. ("Marché Hebdomadaire de Lundi", according to Google Maps!) Ross had stones thrown at him by an old lady who did, as was commonly the case, did not want her picture taken. Happily, stone throwing was less common. In the market, Ross avoided a repeat of a close encounter with the business end of a bull, which, last time, left him with bruises which impressed his roller derby photography subjects, a pretty macho bunch of folk.
9:40- 12:30: Went into the heart of the town. Rug merchant.
My beautiful carpets, not beautifully photographed! (Each about 3' x 5')
12:30-4:15... ? !.... chilling out at hotel?? The trip was very well structured. Good variety. Some inevitable long days... if you want "to do it all" (And we only scratched the surface of parts of the north half of the country!) in Morocco, you have to be prepared to "suffer"... but balanced by some "rest" days. But never a "wasted" day. For instance, after a long drive to relocate to a different region, we were often rewarded by two nights in the same hotel, with the days nicely filled, but with a break from long drives.
4:15-6:15: Trip out to north of town, along the road above the wadi (riverbed) which feeds the town, up into the hills where the river has it's source, in the magnificent Todra Gorge. ***THIS MAY BE CONFUSED*** (go to maps.google.com, search on Tinghir Morocco to fetch interactive map of area. And my apologies to Google for failing elsewhere to give them credit for maps presented!) "H" is our hotel, "T" is the town of Tinerhir/ Tinghir. Apogee of afternoon's excursion is at top of map. (A particularly worth-while drive, if you are looking at this while planning your own trip!) Went a little way past Ait Baha. About 6 miles as the raven flies... considerably further as the donkey plods. Town is at about 4300 feet, the pinnacle of our trip into the gorge was at the Kasbah Les Roches/ Hotel Yasmina on a stunning promontory at about 4950 feet.
Ended day at Kasbah Lamrani, Tinerhir, second of two nights there.
90 miles, as raven flies, to go from Tinerhir/ Tinghir east onto the edge of the Sahara. Well worth the effort. (Easy for me to say "effort"... it was our indefatigable driver who had the work... and work it was! But he got a slight break, from us, from driving. At Erfoud/ Arfoud we switched from our single luxury van into two very nice 4x4s. Our driver did a wonderful job for us of keeping the windows scrupulously clean, and that (plus the wonders of image stabilization) made taking pictures while driving possible.
MUCH MORE DETAIL OF 9th TO BE PAINTED IN
9 Nov 12:40GPS
(See also http://sheepdogguides.com/india07/MapsAerials.htm my pictures from 36,000 ft of similar chains of wells connected underground, in Afghanistan. The image you want is on the right, and brown, about 60% down the page.)
. Ended day at Café du sud Merzouga, outside Merzouga, SW of Erfoud, first of two nights there.
Up before hint of dawn... to some patiently waiting camels, just outside out tend compound!
Rode up onto the Erg Chebbi, in time to be settled, set up, by the time the sun rose.
MUCH MORE DETAIL OF 9th TO BE PAINTED IN. Today or yesterday: Fennecs, Khmlia Sudanese community/ music.
. Ended day at Café du sud Merzouga, outside Merzouga, SW of Erfoud, second of two nights there.
MUCH MORE DETAIL OF 11th TO BE PAINTED IN
Drove in 4x4s back to where we left our "usual" vehicle, continued on, long drive to Fez... worth it, though...
. Ended day at Riad Yacout, Fes, first of two nights there. AMAZING accommodation. SAY MORE.
MUCH MORE DETAIL OF 12th TO BE PAINTED IN
10:10- 10:30: Our ever thoughtful planners cleverly took us to a great spot for an overview of the old part of Fes first.
10:40- Noon: Visited ceramics workshops and showrooms of Art Naji, on eastern side of old Fes. (Lat 34.06084, Long -4.94983.) This name utterly fails to give it the respect it deserves, but I still find it fitting: Here we saw huge range of things being made from mud. Glorious artwork, for any pocketbook from trinket to treasure, and utterly utilitarian objects which (almost) the poorest peasant might own. All on one site. I suppose ceramics workshops is more fair, but I wanted to refer to it as the Mud Place. The link takes you to a sub-page devoted to it.
12:15- 12:30: Went into the medina, starting () with a viewpiont above the famous leather tanning/ dying pits. More photos for this, and further adventures in the medina to come!
. Ended day at Riad Yacout, Fes, second of two nights there.
MUCH MORE DETAIL OF 13th TO BE PAINTED IN
Fes-Rabat-Casablanca. Ended day at The Golden Tulip, Casablanca.
Sensible rising hour, for all but Frank. Transfer to airport. Departure. Ended day in aircraft.... or, for the one of us lucky enough to be coming from England: At home, snug in bed, not late. (Sorry folks, I couldn't resist that. I DID resist sending emails while you were still in the bellies of aircraft!)
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Page WILL BE tested for compliance with INDUSTRY (not MS-only) standards, using the free, publicly accessible validator at validator.w3.org. Mostly passes. There were two "unknown attributes" in Google+ button code. Sigh.
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