17th March
Three things stand out today! Which is nice.
Firstly, just being here! We are in a palmerie, its ever so beautiful and we woke to watch the sunrise on the mountain tops and have our breakfast in the morning warmth. It's hard to know what to do with such loveliness other than be in it, so we do. Palm trees full of dates, birds singing, a river running right next to the van and good health. It feels like paradise. Well, it is but the world keeps spinning and the day slowly passes so after lunch we decide to drive the bike up the gorge to see what we can find.
Secondly, the drive is full of mystery and surprises. Straight away this fertile valley surrounded by ancient buildings and modern dwellings, hugging the gorge sides, creating an environment straight out of a dream. Women working the fields while children play, the men sitting around chatting, no doubt about important things! And the tourist buses bring up the visitors by the score to wander around in awe at this very traditional place. At the gorge entrance, a vertical opening of 1000ft high perhaps 50 ft wide, shops line the roadside selling the usual trinkets. Upon entering these dizzy heights, a hotel appears nestled in this huge crevasse bustling with life! Tour busses stop to let even more visitors off to admire the heady cliffs and even more stalls appear as we quickly come out into the more normal gorge, 1000ft high just not vertical. Groups of climbers are stuck to the cliffs like spiders and theres even an ambulance standing by just in case. This is a very popular destination. We soon leave this circus behind and follow the gorge for 10 beautiful miles before arriving at the village of Tamtattouchte, another world, high in the Atlas, where the women wear thick colourful blankets and are as strikingly beautiful as any on earth. We stop to take in the keen air and admire our surroundings. Soon we are surrounded by young people and children and manage to make reasonable communication with them. A land that time forgot? I think not, the communication aerials on the highest hill ensure excellent mobile phone coverage and no doubt internet access. Morocco has made sure all its population are not cut off from information and opportunity. There are trekking centres up here, campsites and auberges. They are happy for us to be here.
We slowly coast down the 10 miles, through the gorge and on to campsite, stopping for supplies at a small shop. This brings me to the 3rd lovely event of the day. Shopping!
The owner was outside and pleasantly opened up his small shop for us. Have you any bread we asked? yes, my wife bakes it in the oven and I'll go and get it for you. He leaves us in his shop unattended for 5 minutes and proudly returns with a large round loaf wrapped in cloth. His two beautiful young daughters accompany him to see these two odd bikers along with the local 'man of the mosque'. I ask, 'have you any corn flakes?' 'Corn Flakes? what are corn Flakes?' He askes. Now how do you explain what a corn flake is in french and Berber to someone who hasn't got the faintest idea whar you are talking about! Laugh, we were all in stitches. Like soup, like rice? with milk in a bowl for breakfast??? ' little bits of corn, like crisps but no salt' ! It turned into a guessing game for all and of course, they may eat ''corn flakes'' in other parts of Morocco but they have never heard of them here! Another delightful shopping experience with lessons and laughter and friends made. The very best of Morocco.
We cook a targine for supper over a charcoal burner while listening to the sound of the river and watching the moon rise.
Goodnight to all
Love
Ted and Krysia
No comments:
Post a Comment