18. Camels and Cats.

Before we drove over the Atlas Mountains and into the desert, we spent a couple of days at Fès, a city with the world’s largest and oldest Medina.  

Apparently there are over 9000 named streets in the walled enclosure, some of the walkways no wider than a metre.  

Over 120,000 people live within and there was the noisy hum of craftsmen and traders, from men loudly bashing copper into jewellery to others stamping on the leather inside small round concrete pools filled with coloured dye.  

We were given sprigs of mint to help diffuse the pungent odour of the tannery, and I held it real close to my nose because it was particularly foul.

Some of the scenes within the Medina were confronting, including a couple of camel heads at eye level.

Beware, Camels Ahead.  

As the city guide took us through the labyrinth of  streets, I finally found a store that was selling locally made nougat.

I had developed an eye-wateringly sharp headache during the day and despite taking something for it, only pressing up at the base of my skull with two fingers relieved the pressure.

I later plowed through the yummy honey almond nougat and it brought me about two hours relief before the headache came back.  Once I was back at the hotel, I took a sleeping pill and slept for over 15 hours, and fortunately by then the headache was gone.

The following morning we travelled up through an alpine city called Ifrane and felt the temperature cool.  We didn’t stop for long and continued until we were in the midst of a forest at a place called Ben Smim. 

As the van slowed to a stop, monkeys came running from behind the trees and up to us as we stepped out into the forest.  

They were obviously very used to tourists and as I knelt down and a hand appeared with a nut.  I took the nut and gave it to an adorable monkey, only to realise it was a local man who would now expect money.  

Monkeying Around. 

I decided to make the most of it and gave the man my phone to take photos of me feeding the monkey.  Later I handed him a 20 DRM tip, about $4.  

I’ve only used my card once to buy a pretty scarf, apparently hand spun at a weaving factory… but who really knows. Cash is King in Morocco!

We continued on past Aoufous and the date plantations, until we reached Erg Chebbi, Mouzarai, and our hotel for the next two nights. 

We were in the midst of a desert landscape, surrounded by sand dunes.  As we got out of the van, the dry air sucked the moisture from me and I was glad I had bought that 5 litre bottle of water at one of our stops.  I’d end up drinking it all while there.

The hotel was large with its many guest rooms surrounding a central courtyard or rhiyad.  There were date palms overlooking a pool.   

The buildings were made out of adobe, mud and straw.  The rooms were dark with their small windows designed to keep the intense heat out.  

Sahara Sunset. 

The group enjoyed some time swimming and chatting around the pool until it became too hot for that.  We retired to our rooms for a sleep until the cooler evening.  

On the second night we had a camel ride up into the sand dunes to watch the sunset.  Once up there, the camels were made to sit down so we could get off and run up and down the hot sand dunes.  

A Desert Highlight. 

The shadows across the  dunes was impressive and once the sun started sinking below the clouds just above the horizon, we all sat down in silence to watch.

Sandy and Ho

Once back, late into the evening I took the advantage of the ultra dry climate and hand washed some of my clothes, including the very strong camel-smelling pants I was wearing earlier. 

After breakfast the following day, the group got into the van and drove from Mezouga to the incredible Todra Gorge.  

Our hotel there was a personal favourite, nestled just under a towering red rocky cliff.  The pool water was clean and warm too!  It really felt like we were in a small oasis. 

This setting was a little more intimate than the last, and with a less extreme temperature, we stayed out there until the tour leader took us for a late afternoon stroll.

We began a walk through a community garden where locals had their lots of vegetables and fruit trees.  On one side of us was a sheer cliff and on the other side were houses almost built into the other rock face.  All homes were earth-coloured, the same colour as the rusty red cliffs surrounding the village.  

Suddenly the gorge narrowed and we walked alongside a river at the base of two tall cliffs either side.  It was magnificent.  Towards the end there were some motels, built out of the rock and earth that surrounded them.  

Todra Gorge.

Apparently there was a recent earthquake where a rock came down and squished one of the motels.  Looking up, it looked like any of them could come down and squish us all like ants.  

The following day we were back on the road and visited the Ben Haddou Kasbah, a UNESCO World Heritage site and there we witnessed yet another amazing sunset.  

Sweet Tea means I Do!

Once back at the hotel that backed up onto the sheerest of cliffs, the tour guide recommended to me the owner’s brother as a potential husband and it became the joke of the evening.  

Egyptian Beauty.

The tour leader got a little carried away after that, hoping he could score with our youngest on the group - and she wasn’t having a bar of it.  

From there we continued up the High Atlas Mountains until we reached the Aroumd Village.  We were dropped off some 150m below our guest house for the night and had to hike up to it on a relatively easy trail.

The mountain village was at 1900m2 and our cosy wee place will be remembered for using curtain-like material for sheets and very friendly locals.  

The following morning we hiked back down and once again were in the van driving to our next destination.  

 Ben Haddou Kasbah. 

We arrived in the coastal town of Essaouira.  Our accommodation was inside the Medina and for the two days we were there, the streets were quiet and mostly empty because it was a public holiday.  

Over the past week we had been seeing small herds of sheep at markets, then people dragging their very reluctant sheep with them.  

I watched as sheep got shoved into back seats of cars, ride belly over seat on the back of motorbikes, and even get carried on the back of men as they all prepared for the upcoming important religious festival of sheep sacrifice.  

Yes, every Muslim family around the world had to sacrifice a sheep and give away a third of the meat to the poor, a third to a neighbour, and the final third for the family to enjoy.  

Without the crowd of people in the Medina, I was able to take lots of photos of the many, many street cats there.  Honestly I would have taken a few home if I could, especially the wee kittens.  They were all so friendly!  

I earned the title of Cat Whisperer as many followed me after I spent time with them.  They all loved a little attention, a scratch behind the ear. 

Essaouira has a beautiful sandy beach with two or three story buildings set back from the wide promenade.  We walked along it for five or more kilometres until we came to the camels and kite surfers who were taking advantage of the windy day.  

The Essaouira Beach. 

The following day when I wasn’t taking photos of cats, I sunbathed on the beach.  I would have gone for a swim but the very flat sea was so shallow I only got to my knees some 50m out.  Despite looking like the safest beach on the planet, anytime someone went too far from the shore, the lifeguards would whistle and call them back in.  

I have never seen so many cats as in Essaouira. They were absolutely everywhere!  There were containers of water left for them dotted around the place and they were mostly well cared for.

Fishing Boats. 

The hotel owner told us it was normally bedlam here within the Medina but we experienced a more quiet and comfortable time here, unlike in Marrakech apparently, which would be our final stop the following day.  

Because I didn’t spend much time in Casablanca, I planned to take a train from Marrakech and stay an extra night so I could explore the city for myself.  

This G-Adventures tour was over 15 days and involved a lot of travel in a minivan but was well worth it.  Our group had a mix of people ranging from 25 to 70, were Canadian, American, Australian, British and one Kiwi.  We all got on and had a lot of fun.  

I had a few sick days and for the third time since travelling abroad I had another sore throat.  I was wondering what infection the body was fighting and hoped it wasn’t serious. If I was back home, I’d have gone to the Doctors by now.  

Well, two weeks in Morocco is enough to see the main sights and experience a bit of everything.  It has been an amazing experience!  

I’m not quite done here yet… Marrakech is apparently crazy and full on - situation normal for Morocco.

Hide your cellphone when you walk inside the Medina, the guide warned.  It’s not like the other places you’ve been to.  

Okay, I replied to him, not wanting to create any more stress for myself.  I need my phone! 

Back home, my tenants have all but moved out and rental income isn’t covering costs, let alone any travel expenses.  I’ll be on an even tighter budget from here on in.   

Situation normal for Kris!