Tinrhir

And on we go to beautiful Tinrhir, a true oasis in the desert. Well, it is fed by natural springs coming out of the Atlas mountains but it is a green and fertile jewel in the middle of a dry and barren land. There is moisture in the air! and cool breezes coming down from the mountains. Water running in the stream all the time! Green fields full of crops.

'So we're going to stop here for a while, aren't we Dad!

Do you like my new bracelet?'

Oh I do Jaimie, it's real nice.

And we do stay for a while, five days in fact. 

This is where the tent goes

And the van has a sweet spot with a veranda and light, overlooking the stream and Palmerie.

Pretty cool ! A fine place to take our time, to just be with each other and make the most of what we have.

 There is plenty to do here, walking into the past in the Palmerie or joining the tour groups at the Todra gorge. When walking boots are on, it's time to walk!!

So lets go on a walk and could you show us the way Jaimie?


You'll have to because on some walks you left us behind !!


'Yes Dad'


Fine pair of boots Jaimie.

So we cross the high tech bridge into the Palmerie

and are immediately transported into another world. Unfortunately, there is a world of dogs out here in the jungle! who have already cornered Jaimie and Storm once, as they came back from a short trek at dusk. So we are on full alert even though we have been assured that sunset is the only time one should take care. And we have no problems any other time while we are here.
So back to the walk.

We're heading up the valley the 5 kms or so walk to the Todra gorge. Soon we pass through an old and now decaying town. A once upon a time. Crumbling walls give way to the high valley side where the towns materials came from. A return to where you came from sort of thing. It happens a lot here in Morocco.

The high barren sides to the valley loom over this fertile, arable land. The contrast is stark. The line between green and brown is clear cut. Water is everything.

Getting it to where it is needed and making the most of this precious liquid is evident all through the valley. Irrigation is cleverly constructed, each field can be watered, or not, allowing all areas of land here to receive their fair share of life giving liquid.
 





The gorge cuts through the wall of dry rock, where natural springs feed the river all year round. This tranquil scene is deceptive. Tour buses have been bring groups of tourists here for many years. The tiny road that hugs the valley floor is being enlarged to accommodate the crowds that flock here to see one of Morocco's most popular destinations.
The Todra Gorge.

It is a fine sight. A deep cut into the High Atlas. A pass into the mountains behind. It is possible to drive through to the north from here but we are happy to keep to the more well trodden roads for our journey.

The road here is made to receive it's visitors.  Buses pull up at the entrance and allow their passengers to walk through to the other side. Not far but many a bargain to be had at the roadside from permanent vendors and opportunists alike. This is tourist territory.

We stroll through quietly trying to avoid touts and are for the most part left alone. A very sad individual attaches himself to us and seems to crave something. Sanity perhaps! He's harmless and we feel for him. He just wants a bit of it, he has seen the wealthy tourists pour in and out, most of his life. They leave little behind. We don't know how to help him. So we are just gentle with him.

  I take a rest next to the source of the river. Water bubbles up and fish are swimming. Water is life. The constant traffic blurs into the background as we take in our surroundings. There is even a hotel on my left, who's generator competes with the buses for noise. Vendors line the roadside waiting for another bus full and we are just happy to be here. It's a Moroccan tourist spot done in a way only the Moroccans know how. Disbelief and awe are side by side. This is a marvel and it is tainted by tourism.

 Storm keeps cool through it all and talks to whomever approaches him and leaves them with a smile.




He loses Jaimie briefly amongst the fluttering scarfs lining the gorge.

Here I am, thought you'd lost me? Lets shop Stormy boy.

                                                                     And they do

At the top end, stalls are waiting in case you have missed the opportunity to spend some cash. The tourist buses come through, then turn around and take their passengers back to where they came from.


We will catch a taxi back to the campsite as one way is enough for us. It's hot and the afternoon sun is demanding.

 so a few photos to reflect

We walked to the gorge amongst the fields of green ( that's the gorge behind the telephone mast !! )

We've delighted at being here with Jaimie n Storm, haven't we Krysia.

'Yes Ted'

 We resisted the temptation to drink the stream water!

 and while waiting for a taxi, some of us had a nap.

He'll fall asleep anywhere will my Dad, now why does he not do it at night??

I'll post this blog and when I wake up, I'll do the next walk.

Desert sunrise and Water

 So it's time to move on but not before the young ones have risen at 6 am and taken a camel ride out into the dunes to watch the sunrise. We wisely stay in bed and have coffee to start our day! The young ones bones can manage a good shaking and benefit from a beautiful experience to start their day. I wake in time to see the Camel caravans returning in the morning light, mmm Lawrence of Arabia comes to mind. Back to the sunrise and Jaimie sets the scene by being more beautiful than the rising sun!

Even so, it is a stunning sunrise, a desert delight for our two travelling young ones.They were determined to get up early and have been rewarded with a memory of a lifetime. Singing ' We've seen the sunrise in the Morning and we've seen the stars in the night, we want to know that the van will start, We have just seen the Morning Light ' An old tune altered to fit!

Morning Storm, you look happy to be here!  Sahara desert, sunrise with your Jaimie and more of the same to come. Well, it's not Bristol and work is it? Not that that's a bad thing, it's just been a very long, wet winter. Lovely to have some warm sunshine and wonderful experiences, helps dissolve the winter blues. So good to have you with us.

And that must be it! Sun risen, camel's waiting to take you back to the van and a day to get on with. After your breakfast we'll move back east in the direction of Tenrhir and no doubt have an adventure on the way!

But first it's time to mount that dromedary and walk with the shadows, hopefully well secured to that wobbly beast Mustapha? More than your job is worth to lose a tourist so he's sure to have done a good knot!

                       Come on lads, keep up, breakfast waiting.

In the distance is the campsite and hotels, all situated on the edge of the sand where the desert meets the hard black stones of the Hamada. Water, the essential ingredient, is brought via irrigation channels from wells which manage to be here. They are no doubt in the form of pipes now but as we find out later today, there was an older version of irrigation that goes back hundreds of years.

But first, we stop for a coffee at the desert oasis of Jorf. I call it an oasis because it is fed by waters from afar but is still a fertile jewel in the middle of a barren land.

Now stop chatting to the locals and buy those vegetables. We need to move on!

Mmmm, which skin is the best this fellow wonders. The flies are thick around him but he is not bothered. These fresh skins are lying on the floor next to the veg shop. Kilo of bananas and a goat skin please? 

How much are those bananas? 180 what? Oh yes, rials. That's divide by 2 and take nought off, which equals 9 Dirhams a kilo!!! Most people in Morocco seem to delight in talking in this currency of rials? I have no idea why but it makes for a lot of laughter when a bill for a veg shop comes to 1000, that's divide by 2 and take a 0 off = 50 dirhams.




And on we go, a couple of kilometers or so and find this strange picnic spot with welcoming hosts, who leave us to our dinner, well almost, it seems they have been let down and a prepared tajine for four has been cooked and would we like it!! Well no, not really, our own food is ready and although it's very kind of you, we'll carry on. No problem, they say, after your meal, we'll give you the guided tour! To what we wonder, bon appetite.

Our van is parked in front of these strange earth mounds which we assume are some strange form of water hole?

Except they go on in straight lines for miles into the distance, literally miles! Row upon row of them seem to come from the east and head west towards Jorf. These 'picnic' stations are a way of getting us visitors to stop and find out what's going on. They are irrigation canals dug in the 11th century, we are told and our guided tour takes us down into the incredible coolness of these man made wonders.

The Hassim family own this picnic spot and have done so for years. There is even a photo of the King shaking hands with Papa Hassim in a tea tent outside.  A great honour indeed. This is desert tourism in it's rawest form. It's very hot outside, very isolated and we hope they attract tourists to bring them income.

 It's so cool down here in the canals, it must be 35 outside and it feels like spring in Wales! brrr I hear you mutter. 
When the rains fell in distant mountains, these canals would fill up with water to feed the oasis at Jorf. They rarely run these days and Jorf must get it's water another way but this is how it was done for many centuries in this part of the dry world

Come on our two little miners, lets get back into the heat and move on to our next destination. As much as we would like to stay longer, there's a drive to do and it's melting up top.

Phew that's warm eh Storm? come on out of the sun and let's get on the road to...... The Todra Gorge!

A Day Out in Rissani

We are having a day out! Rissani is 30 kms north of the dunes and used to be the last place you could drive to before a 4x4 was needed. It's an old frontier town of moderate size which was used to having all the tourists staying there. It still has a bit of a hangover from that and the first half hour can be a bit taxing as tout after tout hassles for your attention and money. But once they get used to you, they leave you alone and a very vibrant covered market, becomes warm, friendly and full of all things interesting. We happened to arrive as several tour buses were unloading their fresh faced cargo of money laden day trippers, no doubt heightening the touts state into one of extreme excitement! A poor time to arrive!
Once we were settled, we ambled through real peoples stalls full of ordinary produce like food, tools, clothes, meat, carpenters, shoe makers, reed workers and on it goes. I bought a pair of very ordinary hand made shoes! nails still very visible and 'Michelin' for soles. 50 Dhm, bargain and genuine.

Hand made bowls, like the one Jaimie is holding can be picked up for too little money! They are very beautiful, Jaimie and bowl!!










And as so many locals must be up at 5 am to pray!!! ( like?? ), it's not uncommon to find a sleeping shopkeeper, possibly with one eye open! careful Storm photographer, he might be watching! Mmmmm lovely olives.




Rows and rows of fresh fruit and vegetables line alleyways, spoilt for choice the interaction between seller and buyer usually decides on which stall and how much you buy from them. Jaimie looks a real picture here taken by her beau.

Fill that bucket up!! It's such fun and so very cheap for us and with our Jaimie being a healthy vegetarian extraordinaire, she's like a kid in a sweet shop!

So time for some lunch and a charming chap says his home run restaurant is just what we need. And it is. We are hungry and sometimes you have to let your guard down and trust locals. Well worth it too as the views and food were perfect. Cooked there and then, no fast food here, we eat our lunch with a vista over the town and shade from the hot sun.

Shade is so important here in Morocco, especially in the Sahara. We find ourselves drying out in no time at all, as the sun and sand suck all moisture out of anything that, well, has moisture! 

But we love being here, eh Jaimie! Yeah Pop, it's amazing,so interesting and a million miles from home. 

Smile for the camera, no come on, not like that, a proper smile not an advert for dentures, now, how about it.

Smile

 Well ok, that looks pretty cool. You all look gorgeous and it's a holiday snap to treasure. Like so many of the images from these trips, memories, reminders, how lucky we are to have each other and these times together.

So we call it a day and head back to the van. Krysia is so taken with all things Moroccan that she's even carrying the rucksack on her head, normal in these parts.

It's very hot too, so we take to the pool as soon as we get back to our campsite, which is really a hotel with camping facilities, called Kanz Erremal.

and what camping facilities they are.

Welcome to the Hotel California that is Hotel Merzouga. It's a lovely place, it's a lovely place.

as the sun goes down, we know we'll be moving on tomorrow. it's been a lovely place!! 

whoops, there goes a 4x4 across the dunes, there's always a challenge in anywhere beautiful and here, it is quad bikes and occasional 4x4's but hey, a small price to pay for this magical place.


Goodnight Merzouga and your beautiful dunes.