ROLL ON NEXT YEAR!

You know how I started that last bit of blog? The bit about needing some rain? Well, guess what. The gentle drops are pattering on Doris’s roof as I write. And it’s the second time in a week. Is it because we is from Wales? No matter. It’s good to see the thirsty plants getting a drink; and the dried up riverbeds flowing again. More of that later.

So much to see; so much we are not going to see; this time. Since Tafroute we have discovered the joys of desert wild camping. The South East of Morocco is still wild and wonderful. Gone are the strings of half finished hotels and apartment blocks, portending the tourist ribbon development that has already ruined the costas. And we seem to have, finally, escaped the lines of European camper vans in the crowded campsites.

Campsites are just a means to an end for us; having no intrinsic value other than a refuelling stop for water and electricity, shower and clothes washing facilities. I can’t imagine wanting to sit on a campsite for days on end, doing all the tasks you would do at home, the only added bonus being the ability to sprawl on the lounger all afternoon and brown up the wrinkles!

Each to their own. We have enjoyed the last week immensely; despite another scare related to Doris’s innards. We left Tafroute on the 12^{th, for Igherm, and climbed up and up; the landscape getting steadily bleaker. Hardly any vegetation to be seen on the pink quartz and granite rocks that towered above us; while the road we had travelled twisted away many feet below.We had reached 5,000 feet (in old money) when we noticed Doris’s temperature gauge rising. We found a pull off with difficulty; a very windy little plateau overlooking a huge vista of barren rock, folded into layers of pink, grey and green. Upon investigation we discovered a leak in the water hose. Breathing a sigh of relief that it wasn’t the pump or the head gasket, we bodged it up with the invaluable gaffer tape and continued cautiously to Igherm. However with no obvious camp up, we topped up Doris’s water and carried on to try and make Tata before nightfall.}

^{The road between Igherm and Tata is just mindblowingly amazing. Excuse the over the top description but I assure you it’s accurate. It winds steadily downwards through the most incredible stony landscape. Either side of the road the rock is twisted and crumpled into striated layers, weaving from horizontal to vertical and finishing in jagged points, like rotten teeth, on the summits.}

^{But the most unusual feature was the predominant colour. From a distance you could swear there was a green sheen of vegetation on the scree. But, as we got closer we realised it was actually green rock; quite a vivid turquoisy green which almost seemed to be compensating for the near complete lack of vegetation.}

^{20 K from Tata and with dusk rapidly approaching we found a drivable and accessible piste. A short distance up the track was a flat area in front of what turned out to be a water pumping station; not long built if the pristine and modern machinery in the pump house was anything to go by. It tuned out to be a great stopover. Absolute silence and almost nil light pollution. Pete walked by starlight and said it was magical.}

^{On to Tata in the morning, through more of the same scenery and onto the campsite to effect the running repairs. Pete departed, with the offending hose, to try and get a replacement. He returned with a Moroccan solution. Two bits of our, unperished, hose jubilee clipped to a piece of steel piping. It is now fitted and will, probably, last the rest of the trip.}

^{Tata was a friendly town and worthy of more exploration; but we left to indulge our new passion for desert isolation and found another wild camping place, about 10 K. out of Tata. Another stony flat area with one single Argane tree that gave some shade. We stayed here two nights and saw no one except a friendly shepherd with a small flock of sheep and goats; who turned round and followed him when he came over to say hello and have a drink of water. Not the Welsh variety of sheep then!}

^{Pete did some walking over the nearest hill and I finally, got round to doing some drawing and painting; something I have not indulged in for many many years. I wouldn’t say the results were particularly proficient, but I enjoyed myself hugely.}

^{Wednesday the 13th saw us back on the road; to Foum Zguid this time. The flat desert plain was almost devoid of vegetation, except for a few Argane. To the North we could see a line of palmeries in the far distance. Very dry and very hot. We drove over several bridges of dry river beds, preceded by what we took to be optimistic warning signs of danger of flooding!}

^{The campsite at Foum Zguid was still in the making. Situated in a palmery, it was a sandy site with a couple of toilets, a shower and a Berber tent for a restaurant. Under the palms were little green gardens and, planted in all the ditches around the perimeter, were flowering broad bean plants. All was peace and tranquillity.}

^{Except, in the middle of the night, we were rudely awoken by torrential rain accompanied by an awesome thunder and lightning storm. Brilliant flashes lit up the palms as the thunder rumbled almost directly overhead. Sleep was impossible so we got up, made a cup of tea and watched the show; wondering uneasily if we would be bogged in the morning.}

^{But the sun dried up all the rain and off we went to another wild camping; this time five and a half thousand feet up on the road to Ouarzazate, after driving through more beautiful country; sandy plain with palmeries and settlements, then up and up through more green rock hills. And some of those dried up river beds had water in them! The desert plants already showing signs of greenery, with purple and yellow flowers.}

^{From the little flat plateau, just off the road, we could see the distant snowy peaks of the High Atlas to the North. It was quite a busy road and nearly every Moroccan vehicle that passed hooted and waved; while nearly every camper van didn’t.}

^{More walking by Pete and more drawing and painting by me. On the second night Pete located the Southern cross ( the Nomad’s navigational aid ) in the starry sky. With the aid of my walking stick he drew a lovely compass in the gravelly ground ( see photo on this blog ) and, in the morning, was able to pinpoint the peak of Toubkal, the highest mountain in North Africa.}

^{And that’s about it. After two nights on our rocky plateau, where we saw two large green lizards sunning themselves on the rocks, we departed for Ouarzazate. Another stunning drive, through flowering desert and settlements with palmeries and almond trees in blossom; all with the backdrop of the High Atlas. We are so glad we have discovered this bit of Morocco. We can’t wait to come back next year and explore it properly.}

^{And here at Ouarzazate it has rained continuously since early yesterday evening. Pete has been dodging the showers to tighten up Doris’s fan belt, but I don’t think we will find any ‘mechaniques’ open today to locate our spare hose. So another night on the campsite and then on to the Dades valley; for a quick look before making for Azrou; a mountain town in the middle Atlas that we last saw nearly forty years ago.}

^{It occurs to me that I haven’t mentioned on this blog that this trip is a long awaited return to Morocco, which we last visited nearly forty years ago, when we were young and foolish. Now we are old and foolish, but enjoying the experience just as much as then. For those who may be interested there should be a link, on this blog, to an account of that first journey (ed: coming soon). So, if you have the stamina, happy reading! Until next time, Au revoir.}