A Nation of Used Car Salesmen

Day 248 - 257

After a couple of days on the coast surfing, we decided to head inland again for a bit of sightseeing. 

From Taghazoute we headed east towards the town of Taroudant and then on to some amazing scenery in Ait Benhaddou and the Todra Gorge. Our final stop inland was the spectacular Sahara desert at Erg Chebbi, which has been one of the trips highlights and something that everyone should try to visit in their lifetime.

As this is our last blog post on Morocco, we thought we would share some of the more interesting things that we noticed on our five weeks in this amazing country.

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   1. Roads - For Cars or People?

With the state of the footpaths being pretty dyer, the locals will often use the road to walk on with very little regard for trucks, cars & buses. You will often be glared at in your car as you weave around pedestrians, as if you're in the wrong place.

2. Fresh Chicken

The Moroccans really put a new meaning to fresh chicken, as the birds are kept alive right up until you put your order in. On many streets you will often see a shop full of live chickens waiting to meet their maker.

Ordering red meat is also interesting, as you're confronted with carcasses of cow, goat and sheep, whereby you select the cut you want and the butcher goes to work.

3. The Moroccan Ute - Donkey's

The old 3 seat tray truck is not really an option in Morocco and nor is the terrain suitable for these mechanical workhorses. Instead, Moroccans employ the services of the mule to get their work done. In some towns, donkey's seem to outnumber people and are used to carry extremely heavy loads or just as a means of transport between villages. Watching a fully grown man ride a donkey at full tilt down a busy motorway is also one of the funnier things in life.

4. Licensed to Carry 7 Passengers - Moroccan Taxis

As many bus routes just travel between major cities and towns, there is a large gap in public transport that is covered by taxis. To make it most economical for the taxi owner, they will not leave until the car is completely full. These taxis are generally old 5 seat mercedes, however, it will not leave until there are 2 passengers in the front and four in the back making a total of 7 in the car including the driver.

Worst seat in the house would have to be for the person that has to perch one cheek on the front passenger seat while straddling the gear stick.

5. Woman's Work is Never Done

It seems to be a common theme in many Islamic countries we've visited so this didn't come as a huge surprise, but it's quite common to see many of the woman out in the fields doing the back breaking work while young fit men loiter around cafes and play football.

Age doesn't seem to save these woman from early retirement either as we would often pass woman in their 70's and 80's still toiling the fields or herding a pack of donkey's laden with produce.

6. Salaam, Bonjour or Hello?

Moroccan's are very versatile with their languages and many are quite fluent in French, English and obviously Moroccan Arabic. However, this big toolbox of languages can often become confusing and it's not uncommon to have a conversation with a Moroccan that starts in Arabic, moves to French and then finishes in English or even something else.

We've had conversations with many Moroccans in the little French we know only to find at the end that they speak fluent English!

7. There's Always a Catch

With a burgeoning tourist economy and a raft of cashed up retirees heading to Morocco, the locals have found a lucrative income in offering unofficial tours of major cities & attractions, giving directions or just parking your car. When someone appears friendly and helpful in Morocco, the conversation will often end up in some sort of request for money or a trade (often beer and wine) as nothing comes free.

In Marrakech they have taken this to a new level, whereby the local teenagers will pretend that they are just on a stroll and strike up casual conversation with you and also reassuring you that they are not a guide after your money. The next thing you know you're bailed up in his uncles shop being pestered to buy a carpet or slippers.

Wandering outside the ancient medina walls of Taroudant. There wasn't a great deal to see in this town, although we did have the best tagine and cous-cous (and cheapest) to date.

From Taroudant, we took a half and hour ride out on the motorbike to visit an old kasbah in Titoute, which featured in the 1950's movie Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves.

 It didn't look as though they had spent any money on it since then either.

A little oasis on our drive out to the town of Ait Benhaddou. The snow capped High Atlas mountains can just be seen far off in the distance.

Some Wattle Trees found in the town of Ait Benhaddou.

Although mostly native to Australia, we've been through half a dozen countries now that have eucalyptus trees growing in abundance.

Some classic paving work in Ait Benhaddou. It's no wonder most Morrocans walk on the road rather than the footpath.

Crossing the Ounila River to the Ait Benhaddou kasbah. This Kasbah was probably the best we visited in Morocco and has featured in a number of movies, including; Gladiator, The Mummy and Prince of Persia.

It's also right about this point that you're accosted by Moroccans to take you on a tour of the kasbah. Given only a handful of people still live in the kasbah, I'm not really sure what they give you a tour of and you can pretty much work it out for yourself.

The top of the Ait Benhaddou Kasbah.

Walking down the steps of the Ait Benhaddou Kasbah with the town in the background. 

They sell a lot of fossils in Morocco and we picked this one up as a souvenir for about $3.50 Euro. These little things lived about 400 to 65 million years ago - some seriously slow depreciation in value!

CLA Studios just outside the town of Ouarzazate, where a lot of the movies requiring desert scenes have been made.

Local Berber wandering the fields just outside the town of Tamtattouchte.

Some amazing rock formations within the mountain side near Tamtattouchte and the Todra Gorge.

This local Berber wandered up the road and over to us while we were taking a rest from the bike to warm up. He strolled over, said hello and shook our hands, had a bit of a chuckle to himself and then wandered off.

Thinking back he was probably the only Moroccan we had met during our trip that didn't want anything in return and was just happy to see us.

Luke scaling one of the boulders in the Todra Gorge.

Taking a breather on one side of the Todra Gorge. We continued riding the bike about 20kms further up through the valley to the town of Tamtattouchte.

View from inside the Todra Gorge.

Walking through the oasis that follows the river coming out of the gorge.

Off the camels and straight up into the dunes to catch the sunset.

Aboard our two noble steeds that would take us into the Sahara Desert. We called Claire's 'Shitsy' as that is about all he did for the hour an a half ride, with Luke about 3 feet from the action.

Climbing up some very large dunes to reach the summit for sunrise. Claire almost didn't make it as she was concerned about falling off the side of the ridge into the steep valleys below. I convinced her it was far safer than walking on snow and we carried on.

Yep, pretty excited about being in the Sahara.

Our accommodation for the evening - a traditional berber tent. A lot cleaner than it looks from the outside and very, very comfortable inside although the insulation isn't crash hot.

Awaiting dinner inside the berber tent. Our guide for the day (Omr) came in and had mint tea with us. His English wasn't that great so there was a few moments of uncomfortable silence until I introduced him to some western music on the iPhone.

Taking a morning walk up the sand dunes to catch the sun rising. Claire was a little slow out of bed so I managed to get on top of the dune and take this shot of her coming up.

The moon still bright and high in the sky as the sun comes up over the Sahara.

Sun rising and hitting the dunes.

Our guide Omr about to lead us back through the desert. He walked and led the camels the entire way, trudging through the sand. Although, after an hour and a half on a camel walking is probably the smarter move.

The camels dont have any bridle - just a piece of rope that ties into a nose ring.

One of the older berber guides who hung around camp giggling to himself. After we ate breakfast, he came up and sat next to Luke asking for a photo.

I can only assume he didn't smile because he didn't have any teeth.

We didn't pass a great deal of wildlife in the desert, however, came across a few of these beetles scurrying from dune to dune.

Having been up the biggest dune in the area the night before, we went up the second biggest dune the following evening.

We lost the shoes and bolted down this one.

On our last day in the desert we took a snowboard that was lying around the campsite to see if it would be any good riding down the dunes.

Trying to get up some momentum down the dunes. 

We bumped into a local who said it is much better for sand boarding just after it rains. Given the Sahara is one of the driest places on Earth, we weren't going to hold our breath.

Luke putting some divots in the Sahara.

Within 5 hours of leaving the Sahara we entered the High Atlas and discovered snow!

Riding up some rather large mountains just outside of Azrou. It was a huge change from the day before in the desert, as we were now riding through snow covered roads.

One of the attractions of Azrou is the wild Barbary Apes that can be seen in the cedar forests surrounding the area. The monkeys appear to be quite used to humans and you can get up pretty close and observe them.

Claire managed to capture this family of Barbary apes before a bunch of Moroccans scared them off.