It’s been an eventful day today.
- Got fined 150 dhiram for speeding. That’s £12 for going 4mph over the limit. Damnit.
- Broke my phone. It’s usable, but the screen is damaged at the sides – fortunately not on the display part, the bezel instead. That was a rock in the Sahara.
- Got harassed by Berber tribesmen.
But some good events too:
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- Drove through the Sahara.
- Walked on a sand dune.
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- Photographed a camel.
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- Saw six women gathered around a brazier.
- Found white people. They’re in the Todra Gorge.
- Stood in a wadi.
- Watched a sandstorm.
- Drove down a river bed.
- Found baby goats. Well, adult goats, but they’re only knee high. So cute!
Started the day in a gorge, finished it driving up (and down) one. The Ziz Gorge (where I stayed last night) proved a triumph of tourist board marketing over reality, so it’s a good job I was only there because it was between Fes and the Sahara. But the real tourist attraction in Morocco is apparently the Todra Gorge, which is advertised all over the place. I checked into tonight’s hotel and was immediately asked whether I’d seen it. I said no and was informed it’s 15km away.
I’ve now seen it. Twice – once in each direction.
It’s a proper gorge. It’s twisty and turny and sheer and deep and long and very gorgey. I have photographs.
It’s also where I found the gorgeous baby goats, they were eating the greenery by the road there.
It’s also not called the Todra Gorge. It’s the Toughda or Toghda Gorge on all the local signs, and one of my satnav apps. I entered ‘Todra Gorge’, started following directions then realised it was taking me to the Toghda Gorge. I figured one gorge is as good as another so kept going, and now I’m back at the hotel I can see that there are multiple names but one gorge.
Tonight’s dinner is a simple omelette followed by a meatball tagine. I nearly went for the pizza but decided to skip pizza in Morocco, as I can get that at home. The food here has generally been very good, and no issues with the digestion. Last night’s dinner was a surprise: I sat down and instead of asking what I wanted a plate of food arrived. It was described as a Moroccan salad but had green beans, carrots, potatoes, meatballs on rice and olives. All of them hot and cooked. I ate most of that then a chicken tagine arrived. So I ate that too. Then a plate with fruit and a small plastic supermarket style pot of mousse arrived, but by then I was full.
Everybody in the room was fed that way, and all the food was handed in through the restaurant window. The waiter stood there, with his coat on, walking over with a plate of food occasionally.
Last night’s hotel and tonight’s are cheap. Don’t go for cheap hotels in Morocco. Especially not the cold bits of Morocco. I have left a heater plugged in in tonight’s hotel room (while I come for dinner – waiting for that now) but can’t sleep with it on as it rattles horribly.
Dinner here seems even more confused than last night. I asked what time the restaurant opened and was told 7pm, then went gorge hunting. On my return I was asked if I’d like to eat, and when I expressed surprised was asked what I wanted to order so that they could prepare it. So I agreed to come for dinner earlier, but there’s no food in sight, no waiter, no hotel chap, just a bunch of people that keep saying hello to me.
There’s also no heating and my fingers are getting cold. So don’t go for cheap hotels in Morocco!
The whole day has been spent driving, almost all of it through deserts. Finally found stretches of land with no Moroccans on them. No life of any form, really. Lots of rocks though, vast plains covered in small rocks. The sand just blows over them, doesn’t settle. But that means nothing to share. Just desert, then mountains, a few villages and baby goats.
Oh well. It’s been a good day anyway (except for the phone).
Ooh, and a basket of bread just arrived, along with an offer of coffee. Hurrah!
Today’s Drive: