There was a miracle last night in the desert! When our French-speaking driver had the jeep ready to drive us to town to meet our driver in town, I said 'Good Morning!" he replied "Good Morning!" when I thanked him for opening the side door for me he replied "You are welcome." Either he spent all night learning English or he was working on his top, you be the judge!
**. **. **
Today we left the tented camp and connected with our regular team. We drove out of the desert, that took maybe 1/2 hour in silence with our driver. Our regulars were waiting at the RV point and we loaded up and headed for the destination for the night, a town or city called Quarazazate. [Sounds like a semi precious stone to me.] We had numerous stops through the day, all were pleasant and appropriate.
- We stopped at an ancient 11th century underground water system dug by the ancients to transport water from the mountains for use in irrigation, obviously built over the centuries.
- Down the road a bit was a communal dug well that is still used by locals as a source of fresh and potable water. Jim hauled the bucket up and dumped it in an animal trough. The well had to be 50 or 60 feet deep and about 6 feet wide.
- We stopped for a toilet break at a shop that our driver knew that had exceptionally clean toilets, no hassle there. Within 8 minutes two Berber girls that spoke great English had Gail and Fellette dressed in about 5 layers of Berber attire and outside for a photo. Good fun. We did buy one pair of slippers for Fellette.
- It would appear that many towns are investing large sums, [or somebody is] to enhance the towns with landscaping. It would also appear that the Federal government has an ongoing programme of putting in very large water lines in towns and then paving a very wide, safe and attractive road through the town. It has to be an effort to build a proper highway system and bring the countryside into the 21st century. Some of the rural practices seem not to have changed since Jesus was a young man! [Or, as we used to say in the Army: "Jesus was a Lance Corporal!]
- Many or most towns seem to have a sizeable Cell Phone or communication towers in the vicinity.
- We had to stop for lunch unfortunately when none of us were hungry. We are just faced with too much darn food. At breakfast We have full control the food. At lunch and dinner there is a menu, printed or verbal. We have no control what comes with a dinner, other than say chicken, which we may choose. Soon, out comes the olives, two or three kinds, the basket of bread, lentils, rice, and some stuff that looks like cat throw-up. I told the guide I did not want to eat as my stomach was queasy. I guess it is an insult, to sit and not eat. They suggested a small plate of very nice special spaghetti. It came, with cinnamon and icing sugar on top. [The last thing I need now is sweet stuff!]
I think the group never touched the olives nor the bread, some rice was eaten as well as some of the French Fries and the majority of the chicken skewers. Yup, a light lunch. We all detest waste, yet here????
- We had a pit stop at a Rose-Water making place, [clean toilets], it was interesting to see how they make Rose Water. I thought that Rose Water Soap would be a nice little easy-to-pack gift for any young ladies in our life, however the price tag of $10.00 a bar silenced that nice thought!
- The landscape today: It ran from the Western Sahara Desert to a lunar landscape that is good for absolutely nothing unless they find a cure for cancer there!
- We are all a bit weary but happy. The closer we get to the Casablanca Airport in a few days the happier we will become. [I feel reasonably confident in speaking for the group]. Methinks Jim and Gail are better travellers than we are, or maybe it is just the overland portion that has made us weary!
We depart at 9:30 AM tomorrow, edging closer to the Atlantic and then north to Casablanca where we are hopeful of uniting with some luggage we left at the hotel!
- We stopped at an ancient 11th century underground water system dug by the ancients to transport water from the mountains for use in irrigation, obviously built over the centuries.
- Down the road a bit was a communal dug well that is still used by locals as a source of fresh and potable water. Jim hauled the bucket up and dumped it in an animal trough. The well had to be 50 or 60 feet deep and about 6 feet wide.
- We stopped for a toilet break at a shop that our driver knew that had exceptionally clean toilets, no hassle there. Within 8 minutes two Berber girls that spoke great English had Gail and Fellette dressed in about 5 layers of Berber attire and outside for a photo. Good fun. We did buy one pair of slippers for Fellette.
- It would appear that many towns are investing large sums, [or somebody is] to enhance the towns with landscaping. It would also appear that the Federal government has an ongoing programme of putting in very large water lines in towns and then paving a very wide, safe and attractive road through the town. It has to be an effort to build a proper highway system and bring the countryside into the 21st century. Some of the rural practices seem not to have changed since Jesus was a young man! [Or, as we used to say in the Army: "Jesus was a Lance Corporal!]
- Many or most towns seem to have a sizeable Cell Phone or communication towers in the vicinity.
- We had to stop for lunch unfortunately when none of us were hungry. We are just faced with too much darn food. At breakfast We have full control the food. At lunch and dinner there is a menu, printed or verbal. We have no control what comes with a dinner, other than say chicken, which we may choose. Soon, out comes the olives, two or three kinds, the basket of bread, lentils, rice, and some stuff that looks like cat throw-up. I told the guide I did not want to eat as my stomach was queasy. I guess it is an insult, to sit and not eat. They suggested a small plate of very nice special spaghetti. It came, with cinnamon and icing sugar on top. [The last thing I need now is sweet stuff!]
I think the group never touched the olives nor the bread, some rice was eaten as well as some of the French Fries and the majority of the chicken skewers. Yup, a light lunch. We all detest waste, yet here????
- We had a pit stop at a Rose-Water making place, [clean toilets], it was interesting to see how they make Rose Water. I thought that Rose Water Soap would be a nice little easy-to-pack gift for any young ladies in our life, however the price tag of $10.00 a bar silenced that nice thought!
- The landscape today: It ran from the Western Sahara Desert to a lunar landscape that is good for absolutely nothing unless they find a cure for cancer there!
- We are all a bit weary but happy. The closer we get to the Casablanca Airport in a few days the happier we will become. [I feel reasonably confident in speaking for the group]. Methinks Jim and Gail are better travellers than we are, or maybe it is just the overland portion that has made us weary!
We depart at 9:30 AM tomorrow, edging closer to the Atlantic and then north to Casablanca where we are hopeful of uniting with some luggage we left at the hotel!
Sunrise at the tented camp. I Face-Timed Craig there as he was at sister Moe's for dinner. Nice to see and talk to them Jim said hello too. Amazing world.!
Early coffee is the best coffee.
Berber and friend at the camp.
Early morning camel ride for some on the way out.
Yup, that is the way to the main road from the camp, maybe 15 minutes of this and then decent roads. Taken from the jeep, the foreground is the dash.
Ancient underground aqueduct diggings from centuries ago, every 20 meters apart a hole was dug down to water in the tunnel that they dug.
Modern well and our driver Hamiel.
Some stuff!
Two super Burber sales girls girls dressing Fellette and Gail, just for fun.
Gail.
Fellette.
Shawls, for sale on an overlook on a very ancient Moroccan town. I often find it hard to believe that we are here, experiencing this at our age!
Our Guide Mohammed, [Moe] at a source of water at a gorge today, a Sunday. Many families out just having a relaxing day in a cool canyon.
Another darn door. The handle, like a crawling bug, is the Burber symbol.
Darn tourists!
Typical scenery.
Driving down a town road.
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