To Ouarzazate
17/09/07 17:07 Filed in: Morocco
First up we had to organise a car for our trip south. For no other reason other than that we walked past we chose Location Vehicule Widad and arranged for what we were told was a new Honda.
We were to collect the car later in the afternoon.
Then we had breakfast round the corner. When the bill seemed high we discovered that the waiter had not done the maths correctly.
In the interim we did the tourist thing and took a bus tour of the city "monuments".
Central Mosque and gardens not far from our hotel.
Eyes left! A view from the top deck as our bus passed a group of camels in the Palmerie just north of the city. The Palmerie, a large Palm plantation, was the only "monument" worth seeing from the tour bus.
What we had in fact done was to go on a tour of most of the large Hotels (otherwise called get on get off stops) in Marrakech. There are a lot with many new ones being built. A complete waste of time and money.
Before getting the car we had a walk through the Medina where I bought another belt. The one I got last time wore out after about 20 years.
Location Vehicule Widad insisted on payment in advance. Cash! We soon found out why.
Our new Honda turned out to be a Hyundai Atos with 85,000km on the clock. I gave up trying to write down all the dents and scratches. They didn't have a damage sheet anyway. I remembered a Canadian company in Toronto called Rent-a-Wreck. An apt name for Location Vehicule Widad but we decided to keep the car. The engine ran.
With Tomas driving we made our way out of the city delayed only by a corrupt policeman who pulled us over claiming we had run a red light and demanding a "coffee" to let us go. A "coffee" actually meant 50 Dhm cash. He got his "coffee" and we went on our way to Ouarzazate about 200k SE of Marrakech.
A first the countryside was similar to what we had seen yesterday from the train but as we approached the High Atlas the scenery began to change.
Foothills of the High Atlas with fertile river valley.
As we started to climb into the mountains we started to see roadside stalls selling fossilised rocks. Traffic was light.
Much higher up in the High Atlas. These mountains are snow covered in winter and the roads often impassable. Now they were dry and barren. A very harsh landscape.
The road was very windy and often very slow. Some sections were without fencing and it was a long way down. Here we were stuck behind a petrol tanker and a Grand Taxi. Our speed at this point was about 15-20 km/h. The red and yelow pole is a snow mark.
Over the top and we saw the first of many villages. Most rivers were dry or with minimal flow but the trees survived.
We got to Ouarzazate at 19:00 by which time it was completely dark. After looking at three no star hotels we chose one. It cost 120 Dhm( about £7.50). All the restaurants seemed to have pretty much the same menu. Later, after eating we walked for a bit.
Thisis the main square in Ouarzazate.
On the way back to the hotel at around 23:00 we were walking past a little shop selling artefacts from the Sahara. The owner, Hassan, wanted to chat. Then he invited us to sit down. Then he said it was getting cold and invited us inside for tea. Then he started to sell.
It had been a slow day and we were his last chance for a sale.
It was quite fun. An hour later Tomas had bought something which I am forbidden to discuss in case anyone from Extramadura is reading. (Hola Senorita C).
I was shown some silver Touareg crosses which Hassan said were used by travellers in the desert to navigate. I was sceptical but after much haggling eventually bought this. He started at 800 Dhm and we ended up at 200 Dhm.
Back at the hotel we realised there were no towels. They seemed surprised when we asked.
We were to collect the car later in the afternoon.
Then we had breakfast round the corner. When the bill seemed high we discovered that the waiter had not done the maths correctly.
In the interim we did the tourist thing and took a bus tour of the city "monuments".
Central Mosque and gardens not far from our hotel.
Eyes left! A view from the top deck as our bus passed a group of camels in the Palmerie just north of the city. The Palmerie, a large Palm plantation, was the only "monument" worth seeing from the tour bus.
What we had in fact done was to go on a tour of most of the large Hotels (otherwise called get on get off stops) in Marrakech. There are a lot with many new ones being built. A complete waste of time and money.
Before getting the car we had a walk through the Medina where I bought another belt. The one I got last time wore out after about 20 years.
Location Vehicule Widad insisted on payment in advance. Cash! We soon found out why.
Our new Honda turned out to be a Hyundai Atos with 85,000km on the clock. I gave up trying to write down all the dents and scratches. They didn't have a damage sheet anyway. I remembered a Canadian company in Toronto called Rent-a-Wreck. An apt name for Location Vehicule Widad but we decided to keep the car. The engine ran.
With Tomas driving we made our way out of the city delayed only by a corrupt policeman who pulled us over claiming we had run a red light and demanding a "coffee" to let us go. A "coffee" actually meant 50 Dhm cash. He got his "coffee" and we went on our way to Ouarzazate about 200k SE of Marrakech.
A first the countryside was similar to what we had seen yesterday from the train but as we approached the High Atlas the scenery began to change.
Foothills of the High Atlas with fertile river valley.
As we started to climb into the mountains we started to see roadside stalls selling fossilised rocks. Traffic was light.
Much higher up in the High Atlas. These mountains are snow covered in winter and the roads often impassable. Now they were dry and barren. A very harsh landscape.
The road was very windy and often very slow. Some sections were without fencing and it was a long way down. Here we were stuck behind a petrol tanker and a Grand Taxi. Our speed at this point was about 15-20 km/h. The red and yelow pole is a snow mark.
Over the top and we saw the first of many villages. Most rivers were dry or with minimal flow but the trees survived.
We got to Ouarzazate at 19:00 by which time it was completely dark. After looking at three no star hotels we chose one. It cost 120 Dhm( about £7.50). All the restaurants seemed to have pretty much the same menu. Later, after eating we walked for a bit.
Thisis the main square in Ouarzazate.
On the way back to the hotel at around 23:00 we were walking past a little shop selling artefacts from the Sahara. The owner, Hassan, wanted to chat. Then he invited us to sit down. Then he said it was getting cold and invited us inside for tea. Then he started to sell.
It had been a slow day and we were his last chance for a sale.
It was quite fun. An hour later Tomas had bought something which I am forbidden to discuss in case anyone from Extramadura is reading. (Hola Senorita C).
I was shown some silver Touareg crosses which Hassan said were used by travellers in the desert to navigate. I was sceptical but after much haggling eventually bought this. He started at 800 Dhm and we ended up at 200 Dhm.
Back at the hotel we realised there were no towels. They seemed surprised when we asked.