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.