2 euro for a dip in the pool, beers and sunset.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Biking in the Desert:Tafraoute
Well... We did it, some of it, and it was HOT HOT HOT!
We biked about 5km..which isn't much considering how much there is to see. It was soooo hot.
We had a few minor incidents on the way to the actual trails, which were more sand pits then anything..but all in all.. pretty amazing to take in the scenery and the rock formations.
There is one place we wanted to see and we made it. The Painted Rocks. It was done in 1984 by a belgian artist. He painted the rocks with 18 tons of paint. To look at pictures of when it was done and how it has naturally eroded is fascinating, considering the extreme conditions in the area. We stopped for lunch and a photo shoot! Caroline travelled on..and Yvonne and I started our way back to town.. I am not cut out for hard core biking in that kind of heat.
Tafraoute:Morocco
We arrived in the afternoon and dropped our stuff at the hotel, which was a great 3 bedroom with our own private deck and bathroom. So we all took advantage and did some much needed laundry. The plan was to go mountain biking and see some of the sights the area is known for. In the book they mention a couple of people to talk to about such things. As soon as we started to explore there were two guys on bikes following us around..telling us they have bikes to rent. We kept thanking them and told them we would come visit later (which we did), but that we weren't sure of our plans.
Tafraoute is about the tiniest town you can imagine.. although it is considered fairly affluent for the region, there are only two roads and a few cafes..so you keep seeing the same people.. and as tourists they keep seeing you.
Needless to say our friend on the bike we saw a dozen more times that afternoon..once on foot, once on a motorbike, once on a bicycle and again at the shop. It was pretty funny. Every time he would ask us if we wanted to take a tour, or rent bikes... as if he was a new person.
We decided to rent bikes on our own from another guy who was fantastic. He works with the peace corps and is the main liaison for the entire region. He speaks perfect English and was a gentlemen.
He offered me, the blonde Fatima, a magic carpet, 75,000 camels and to be the Queen of the Berbers! Fantastic! Caroline and Yvonne almost sold me off considering what was to come.
Drive to Tafraoute
We got a grand taxi thanks to the guys at Legzira and it drove us all the way to Tafraoute.
Coming through the mountains was incredible. There were lots of twists and turns and close calls on the small roads with big trucks, but all in all the more we climbed the more spectacular the view.
There were villages everywhere nestled into the mountains and the valleys. It really makes you think of how hard life must be when you have to walk miles into another town for basic supplies. We arrived in Tafaroute....in a little bit of shock to find it such an extreme to where we had just come from.
We all agreed we should have stayed another day in Legzira...maybe more.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Second Night in Legzira
Great meal, played cards, drew pictures, drank rose and smoked apple tobacco.
Great end to an interesting day which involved a fist fight over us that we were not really aware of until after the fact.
First night in Legzira
Caroline and Yvonne decided they had to go to Legzira after seeing the picture of the beach and the famous arches on the inside cover of Lonely Planet Morocco. Thank you for letting me tag along!
Legzira
The trip to Legzira was long. A bus to Tiznit and then a grand taxi Direct to Legzira.
All in all it took about 6 hours to arrive and when we did it was absolutely worth it. It was the highlight of the trip for me for many reasons. I would never have gone by myself that far or to that remote of a location. I will now with no hesitation...now that I know how easy it was to get there and how special it is.
There are only three hotels all right next to each other and three cafes/restaurants. Since it was off season there were only 4 other people we saw on the entire beach. We could pretty much pick our price for our room..and ended up with a whole floor to ourselves and a huge patio overlooking the beach. The room was about $18 a night each.
We went for a brief walk around the beach and the rocks and then went to the cafe that had the lights on...and served alcohol. Rashid was our server and was very kind and funny.
We ordered fish tagine for 3 and it was by far one of the best meals I have ever had.
I saw the fish being prepared straight from the ocean!
Last night out...Essaouria
Our last night out...or so we thought... was spent at Casa Vera and then onto the lounge to listen to Gnawa music and danced and danced and danced until the sun came up.
We ended by running into the ocean fully clothed and getting yelled at by the police.
We had every intention of meeting mid-day to catch a bus and head south.
We didn't really pull it together until a little to late in the afternoon, missed the bus, couldn't catch a grand taxi because it was way to expensive. We considered spending the night in Agadir or Tiznit.. THANK GOODNESS we didn't! So we stayed one more night in Essaouria.
One more night.... it really was pretty funny at this point. We couldn't leave even when we wanted to.
Sunset I: Essaouira
Sunset in Essaouria. The colors were different every night. Every night I watched it from a different spot.
Moroccan Vodka and a Fish Bag
The first night I met Caroline and Yvonne... who knew that it would lead us to 10 amazing days traveling together and countless laughs. This night was the beginning. Yvonne walking down dark alleys looking for alcohol which was NOT safe, moroccan vodka which was water with a little anise flavor and a black bag that smelled like fish guts, Twilight, music, a half opened bottle of red wine and 4 beers and professing love after 1 hour.
This is also the Apartment I stayed at for the next week with people I met. It was a great place..the bathroom had a lot to be desired, but hot water and a toilet is enough to get by.
Boots & Shoes: Essaouira
The boots were beautiful! I didn't buy them thinking I would wait...and I am so sad I did because I could not find them again in assorted colors. Even though all the 'factories' are in Marrakech, they are not selling them there..
All the cool girls from Paris and Spain were picking them up in multiple colors. They are made from Kilmn rugs and I bought a few of the rugs with the hopes I can have some made. We will see. I have the names of the guy who owns the factory and he quoted me a great price for large quantities, so we will see.
The shoe shop is where I spent a lot of my time in Essaouria. A friend owned it and so we would listen to music, meet tourists and drink lots of tea. It was in a great spot in town so I could see everything that was going on.
The cat lived on the little stool. Everyday would hang out with me too.
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