I have been waiting for this moment to come ever since we started to plan the trip over a month ago - we are travelling nearly 300 miles, traversing the High Atlas mountains en route - our destination...the Sahara Desert!
The 4x4 we've hired especially for the trip is a white Toyota Land Cruiser Prado which is delivered promptly to our house this morning...all clean and shiny...I reckon it won't stay that way for long!
And we're off! The first part of our journey is very familiar as we head across the plains from Tahannaout towards the Tizi n'Tichka pass. En route we pass through many villages where the hustle and bustle of daily life continues; women carry bundles of wood on their backs to make fires, donkeys carry grain, old men drink strong coffee outside small derelict-looking cafes, mopeds weave in and out of the scene driven by jedi-looking young Moroccan men wearing hooded djellabas. The view is now so familiar, it is engrained in indelible ink in our minds and hearts.
We gradually start to make our way up to the col. The Tizi n'Tichka is one of only two passes through the High Atlas, the other being the Tizi n'Test. It is a well-constructed road, built by the French in 1936 as a link to the pre-Sahara oases, and at the highest point stands at 2260 metres (7415 feet), more than twice the height of Mount Snowdon!! As we wind our way up the mountainside we pass through verdant foothills, walnut groves and streams and see villages perched precariously over vast chasms. The scenery becomes more and more spectacular the higher we go...until finally we reach the snow line and find ourselves looking down on patches of ice and snow that are slowly melting. At one point we come to a standstill as a coach and a lorry face off at a tight hairpin bend. We watch as the two drivers and companions shout instructions to each other to move a fraction forward or back, having observed the lay of the land...we stay well back...it is hard to see how this situation is going to work itself out, but Moroccans always find a way. Finally, the combat is over and the faces of the coach passengers, etched with relief, come into view. I'd hate to have been on that coach, looking down over the steep mountainside from an already elevated position!
We stop at a cafe for a well-earned rest after travelling about 2½ hours along winding mountain roads, and are surprised to be approached by two wild dogs who have the semblance of huskies. Hardly surprising - it's freezing up here! A few bits of bread for them and a cold coffee for us and we're on our way again. Fortunately the snow barrier is not down today, so we pass through the col without any difficulty...apparently it was down only a week ago and people had to wait hours for the snow ploughs to dig a route through! We are in luck.
Immediately we cross over the mountain, the scenery begins to change. Before us stretches barren rocky land, standing in sharp contrast to the lush greenery of the Atlas foothills and the snow-capped mountains.
Villages still cling to the hillsides, but now they are camouflaged against the reddy brown rock.
The next day we continue our journey, heading nearer and nearer to the desert. We are now on desert land referred to as hammada. This is a type of desert landscape consisting of largely barren hard, rocky plateaus with very little sand. It feels like it is never ending as we drive along straight roads which disappear into the distance only to reveal more stony barren land thereafter.
This area is also famous for its kasbahs which are to be seen all along the route, most now being derelict, although some have more recently been renovated (see this article for further info on what a kasbah is).
As we pass through village after village, life here continues as normal....the Imam calls the men to prayer, children line the route making their way to school, women walk along the roads in groups...who knows where they are going to?!
To be continued...
The 4x4 we've hired especially for the trip is a white Toyota Land Cruiser Prado which is delivered promptly to our house this morning...all clean and shiny...I reckon it won't stay that way for long!
And we're off! The first part of our journey is very familiar as we head across the plains from Tahannaout towards the Tizi n'Tichka pass. En route we pass through many villages where the hustle and bustle of daily life continues; women carry bundles of wood on their backs to make fires, donkeys carry grain, old men drink strong coffee outside small derelict-looking cafes, mopeds weave in and out of the scene driven by jedi-looking young Moroccan men wearing hooded djellabas. The view is now so familiar, it is engrained in indelible ink in our minds and hearts.
We gradually start to make our way up to the col. The Tizi n'Tichka is one of only two passes through the High Atlas, the other being the Tizi n'Test. It is a well-constructed road, built by the French in 1936 as a link to the pre-Sahara oases, and at the highest point stands at 2260 metres (7415 feet), more than twice the height of Mount Snowdon!! As we wind our way up the mountainside we pass through verdant foothills, walnut groves and streams and see villages perched precariously over vast chasms. The scenery becomes more and more spectacular the higher we go...until finally we reach the snow line and find ourselves looking down on patches of ice and snow that are slowly melting. At one point we come to a standstill as a coach and a lorry face off at a tight hairpin bend. We watch as the two drivers and companions shout instructions to each other to move a fraction forward or back, having observed the lay of the land...we stay well back...it is hard to see how this situation is going to work itself out, but Moroccans always find a way. Finally, the combat is over and the faces of the coach passengers, etched with relief, come into view. I'd hate to have been on that coach, looking down over the steep mountainside from an already elevated position!
We stop at a cafe for a well-earned rest after travelling about 2½ hours along winding mountain roads, and are surprised to be approached by two wild dogs who have the semblance of huskies. Hardly surprising - it's freezing up here! A few bits of bread for them and a cold coffee for us and we're on our way again. Fortunately the snow barrier is not down today, so we pass through the col without any difficulty...apparently it was down only a week ago and people had to wait hours for the snow ploughs to dig a route through! We are in luck.
Immediately we cross over the mountain, the scenery begins to change. Before us stretches barren rocky land, standing in sharp contrast to the lush greenery of the Atlas foothills and the snow-capped mountains.
Villages still cling to the hillsides, but now they are camouflaged against the reddy brown rock.
Our accommodation for the night is at the architecturally-stunning Kasbah Ellouze (our overnight stay on the return journey also...more on this later).
The next day we continue our journey, heading nearer and nearer to the desert. We are now on desert land referred to as hammada. This is a type of desert landscape consisting of largely barren hard, rocky plateaus with very little sand. It feels like it is never ending as we drive along straight roads which disappear into the distance only to reveal more stony barren land thereafter.
Finally we reach the town of Agdz which signals the beginning of the Draâ Valley. The name 'Agdz' means 'resting place' and it lies on the old caravan route linking Marrakech to Timbuktu. The river Draâ is the longest river in Morocco and serves to irrigate the many palm groves which have developed alongside it. It is good to see some greenery again after crossing such barren land.
This area is also famous for its kasbahs which are to be seen all along the route, most now being derelict, although some have more recently been renovated (see this article for further info on what a kasbah is).
As we pass through village after village, life here continues as normal....the Imam calls the men to prayer, children line the route making their way to school, women walk along the roads in groups...who knows where they are going to?!
Once again, the land starts to become barren and all we can see for miles around is rocky terrain in shades of brown and red...surely it can't be far now to M'Hamid, the last town before the desert takes over - this is where we will meet our driver for the last part of the journey.
We spot a signpost....Distances seem so far when written in kilometres!
Eventually we reach the main town of Zagora. This town was many years ago an important trading post with traders carrying goods such as goatskins, salt and dates to Timbuktu. There is a famous sign in the town which in a tongue-in-cheek manner tells of its importance - It says '52 days by camel'.
Before we know it, we come across a series of signs telling us we are nearing the desert...now we are really excited! This is where the adventure really begins!
Wow sounds amazing.xxxx
ReplyDeleteThe actual desert experience was even more amazing...can't wait to write about our adventures x
ReplyDelete