We again got up to see the sunrise. Dan came with us this time.
Also the desert is REALLY cold at night...and at 6am.
Henna in the sunrise!
Camp again.
Sun coming up over Algeria.
Camel caravan at sunrise.
Ta-DA!
And.....back on the camels.
Good morning camel!
And we're off. It's an hour back across the desert.
Unfortunately we didn't get to surf the sand dunes.
Did you know the Sahara covers about the same amount of landmass as the total USA?
Sahara means "desert" in Arabic.
So it's just the Sahara, not the Sahara desert. Then you're just saying Desert desert.
Still no sand worms.
In case you ever wondered what the underside of a camel's foot looked like.
They're leathery, not hard.
This was another group at our camp. They sang a lot. It was fun.
Bye desert!
A camel watering hole.
We left the camels and returned to a guesthouse (not Hassan's) to shower and get breakfast. After breakfast we piled into the car and started to drive through the south east side of Morocco.
Morocco is celebrating their Independence Day (November 18th) - independence from France, and...possibly Spain... anyway, that's why there's so many flags.
More flags and the gate to the city.
Said took us to the area where all the fossils are found.
I think it also looks like a Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote locale.
This has no sense of scale, but this was rather steep and at the top is says "Fossils" in rocks.
If you get the rock wet it is easier to see the fossils.
The ground is basically fossils glued together by bits of rock and dirt.
I brought some small pieces home.
This weird donut is apparently used in a lot of films.
It's really more of a "C" shape, with one way in and out.
Striated hillsides and acacia trees.
This is near where they mine silica and quartz.
The white bits are actually the sun reflecting off all the shininess that was around.
Acacia trees are very thorny, but this doesn't bother camels who like to eat them.
They also are the base for the best honey. I'm partial to clover or sunflower, but whatever.
This plant right here, Calotropis procera or Apple of Sodom, is also all over the desert, but it's nobody's friend. That white milky stuff coming out of it causes horrible itching/rashes on the skin for people and can blind animals. It can also mess with your heart if ingested, so....just leave it alone.
So many colors on this hillside!
This is a nomad well. They are around randomly.
The bucket is made from an old tire. There is a trough area to get water for your livestock.
Hey, there's green again!
Another kasbah...maybe....
I think the road we're on is referred to the Road of 1,000 Kasbahs.
I learned to tilt-shift! Woo!
Mine is done digitally.
Here's the original photo for comparison. I think this is Tinghir, but I'm not 100% sure.
We took a detour up to Todgha Gorge. More surprise greenery along the way.
The Todgha river runs through the gorge. On the side is an irrigation line.
The gorge walls go up 160 meters (525 feet) in places.
It was chilly in the shade. That's my camera strap under my scarf. I didn't grow a weird hump.
There used to be a hotel complex here.
But recently there was a rock slide and the hotel had to be abandon since it isn't safe.
Woo! We're in a gorge!
We would have stayed longer, but with all the running water, I REALLY had to use the restroom, so we got back on the road. Sorry family.
In these hills near Imiter, is the biggest silver mine in Morocco.
It causes some problems locally though as they only hire Arabs and will not hire local Berbers.
They also are using more than their fair share of the water.
More little towns in the green valleys.
We got lunch some where and I got to use the restroom. Don't worry.
Tilt-shift experiment the second.
Original photo for comparison.
This is... I don't remember. But we got out and walked a bit for a break.
There wasn't much street art in Morocco. There were occasionally simple initials/names spray painted on things, but I never saw anything like I have in other cities.
This looks more official though.
Long ago I told you that in Arab families the first son is named Mohammed. The first daughter is usually named Fatima after the Prophet's daughter.
Now we're on our way to the Dades gorge, where we will stay the night.
Ait Ibriren.
The rock formations here are weird. They look like toes.
We went up to the near top of the road running through the gorge.
Yes, we came up, and went back down this crazy road.
There's a hotel up here. It's hard to see but on the bottom of the left-most tower thing it says "Hotel." Some poor employee had to go stand on that ledge and paint that sign. Better them than me.
Purple wildflower.
That's my henna tattoo by the by.
And an Orange wildflower.
Proof my Mom (Aicha Cous Cous) and Dad (Alibaba Mustache) were here.
Chez Pierre, where we stayed had an impressive numbers of levels to it.
It is built up the side of the gorge.
Hello bedroom.
There were lots of little gardens/garden walks between the levels.
This is the view across from our hotel. There is a little stone house in there and a small stream runs down that crevice. I didn't see either of them at first.
Besseha! Which is "Cheers" in Moroccan Arabic.
This concludes our adventures for today.
