Into the Atlas!

 We were picked up by Anwar and Assim to begin the journey into the mountains. It was an incredible drive.Most towns are clustered around water but some have run dry and life seems super hard there. It's much more conservative in the hills and the calls to prayer echo against the jutting stones and structures. It's ethereal.

Assim and Chris

We stopped at a few lookouts and then the town if Ait Ben Haddou, founded about a thousand years ago. It was incredible and humbling but so enraging to see the rivers that have all run dry in the last 10 years only. They speak sadly of climate change and my heart broke a little more each dry town we passed.

The river never reaches the banks anymore.

The town was still standing and still populated.

Please note that I did buy a hat. Chris did not. Exhibit A.

Our guides family has lived there for many generations. He still maintains a residence there but has kids and there's no school so splits his time.

We did witness a pack of wild dogs get very aggressive with a man and a toddler but he got away. Gonna pay a lot of attention to the dogs now.

Back to the car and on to Assims mothers for lunch.. wow. His aunt is the best cook. And there are no small portions here. I've tried. It's impossible.

salad and fruit salad and zaalouk

2 chickens. Stuffed with rice. for 4 of us.

such a welcoming and gorgeous home.

a little dessert lol. Everything grown here.

Assim stayed with his family and Anwar took us on to the High Atlas mountains. 

This is just a normal town in the middle of nowhere.

We arrived 6 hours outside Marrakesh to Boumalen Dades at the prettiest hotel.. Across is an oasis of chirping crickets and frogs and bats and lush green and we saw a traffic jam caused by a baby donkey wandering down the road. Dinner was awesome but again so much food. And here we are, about to get a good nights sleep for tomorrows trek to the Sahara.

Last day in Marrakech and onwards

 We had a day with no plans. We woke at the riyad and had another excellent breakfast and wandered off to museums. We went to the Museum of Intangible Cultural Heritage, because what an interesting name! 

It was well named, dedicated to capturing the history of the feeling that Jemaael-Fnaa square provides.

Founded in 1070 as a military muster point, it developed into the hub of Marrakech over time and ... well you can wiki it. That's a lot of ground to cover. But I learned a ton

Looovvvveeee

I liked these judgy cows.

From there I learned of the Perfume Museum which was.. well, meh.

Then off to Museum Mondes des Arts... dude. jewellry and clothing from all reaches of the middle and far east from times long ago.. it was really cook seeing how trade routes influenced design style. Here's some bling photos. Also, it was air conditioned and that became important as the day hit 40 degrees.

so much bling and detailed explanations in the QR codes.

that's a necklace...

jewelled gun stock because.. fabulous.

Dinner was street food.. the "sandwiches" were incredible.

Burnt my face in this but it was worth it!

tried for the royal lamb that's cooked in coals in the basement of this ,any story building but they were out of it already.

Shawarma.

Harira soup.

Watched Argentina kick ass at the only place we could find that served alcohol and went home to bed. Sadly said goodbye to the absolutely flawless Riad Ilayka and began the next adventure.

 Casablanca to Marrakech

We started the morning with a jaunt to the Pasteur Institute to get our yellow cards so we can go to Uganda. Success! It was crazy easy to get the vaccine and really cheap. Doc gave us malaria pill prescription as well. They have a very busy and active Covid swab center there as well.

Afterwards we loaded up our things and headed for the train station. It's about 3 hours to Marrekech. I was excited to see the landscape but the train was very lulling and I missed a bunch. It was also fragrant.... I will never complain about the surrey busses in the summer again.

We arrived and were picked up by Anwar who was lovely, thanks for sharing your friend, Sonya!

We got dropped near our place and had to slog through the old Medina to our riyad in the heart of it. It's a gorgeous tiny hotel in traditional style with 7 suites... to get there you weave through ancient mazes and passages full of hawkers and scooters and tourists and locals and food and cats and... there's just so much going on. And then you go through this huge front door and inside is a courtyard paradise.

We were greeted with cookies and juice ( all the fruits grow here

and the juice is really something else) and shown around. Our suite is insane... feels like a different world. 

A floor above is a cool pool and chill area looking down on the courtyard, and above that is a little gazebo with views of the whole Medina.

We napped through the midday swelter (it's high 30s here) then headed into the fray.. the characters are so outgoing. If you even think of food someone is pulling you toward a table. Kebabs and sweets and bread clothes and plants and knickknacks and electronics... It's what the richmond night market wishes it could be. 

a huge assortment of kebabs with the most delicious couscous and harrissa for dipping. 

The gentleman below taught me to barter.. he was hilarious. He got my money.The sweet man above decided to not pressure me and he also got money. He was so kind.

We ended high above a jazz bar sipping drinks from teapots and sneaking food to the adorable litter of kittens behind the hostess desk. I'll finish this one tomorrow as the internet is exactly what you'd expect for an area developed about 800 years ago.

If a kitty happens to come home with me it will be this guy. I've named him Felix.