So this trip had a lot of driving. It was not meant to be a relaxing trip, no all-inclusive, sit on your butt and enjoy some sun trip. In fact, all our trips are like that, rarely staying in the same location for more than a few nights, get up at 7-8 am and go go go. It is the way we like it. Not to say I don’t enjoy a good book now and then, but one day of that and the urge passes.
So here you have our tour. I hadn’t done the math beforehand and now looking at the driving time I’d say what was I thinking? but hey, when we do it we want to do it right. I was conflicted on this tour because we originally wanted to go and stay in Essouria and see the tree goats, but on the other hand, Chefchauoen, the blue city, was also up there and we do live on the ocean here in Halifax. We made the right call for sure but at the time how knows right? and surprisingly the driving here in Morocco didn’t seem to take as long as it does at home. The vast changing landscapes during 1 three hour drive is so immense we just never got bored. Oh, and of course the company helped.
So this is Amed, our rockin’, amazing new best friend. He was born and raised as a nomad in the desert and he is a wealth of knowledge for his 26/27 years of age. He is a 
full-on Berber who speaks many languages (incl. French, Spanish, Arabic, Berber, and maybe more?). His philosophy is to be respectful to everyone and everything and live and let be. He works for Linda at So Morocco as the on-the-ground manager but his background is as a guide and when he isn’t sitting behind a computer he is off helping tourists get certified in whatever crazy sport they’re into. And lucky us (I mean this so very much!) our guide was sick and he was filling in.
A great tour guide makes or breaks the experience. And being a tour guide must be exhausting. It is an all-day job with I am sure, many little issues along the way. And if your clients aren’t happy or you cant make them happy, well that tour is going to suck for everyone. Lucky for us we got Amed, or he got us. Happy go lucky guy with lots to talk and debate about and he really made this experience complete.
So off we go headed up through the High Atlas Mountains and Tizi n’Tichka Pass on our
way to Ait Benhaddou. At an altitude of 7,415 feet, this is the highest mountain pass in North Africa. This is the ancient caravan route taken through the mountains and the French used it back in the 20’s. Now had I thought of it earlier, I would have taken Gravol back at the riad, but I wasn’t that smart to think about it. We get underway and leave Marrakesh and the views are unbelievable. Before we started the mountainous trek we stopped for tea. And a bathroom break. As we start into the mountains we are thinking omg, someone is going to get sick. The twisty, windy roads are on the edge of a cliff and I quickly upgrade myself to the front, down some Gravol and hope for the best!
The one thing we quickly get attuned to is stopping for the “panoramic view”. It is written on road signs, hotels, restaurants, and said over and over again by Amed. I don’t know what other word we could have replaced it on but it quickly became the running joke. How often do you say panoramic? Well on this trip it might have been said over a hundred times.
We stop at a little co-operative that specializes in Argan oil. Not usually into such touristy things Amed said we would really like it for the experience alone. The girls inside were working away and we got a demonstration on how they produce the oil which is used for eating or for beauty products. We sampled some, and then some more, and knew we wanted to bring a bottle or two home. We purchased a bottle of oil and a jar of argan/honey butter. Yum! I think we are lucky we got it at the beginning of the trip as we forgot about it until we got home. We probably would have eaten it all for midnight snacks along the way!
Out of the hills and snow, we opt to do a little back roading. It feels a little cold and desolate out here. The white mountains in the distance of where we came from, just dusty rock where we are headed.
Apparently, Amed knows where we are going. We go around a turn and we can see Ait Benhaddou in the distance. That rock, you are going to hike it, he says. I’m thinking good luck with that….
We stop at our next overnight stay Riad Caravane
In Morocco you must use local guides for all touristy places. I believe this is to ensure work for everyone as tourism is a large money maker for the country. Here our local guide Jamal took us to Ait Benhaddou. We left Riad Caravane and navigated the fields trying not to get our feet wet. We weaved back and forth and I really wondered if this was a good idea. There had to be a better route. Turns out there was but the road was longer as we learnt on the way home. My feet still got wet.
Anyways we weaved up to the bridge and the Ksar came into view. We navigated through the slender streets to the very top. Ait Benhaddou is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is a striking example of Southern Morocco earthen structures and Ksar (fortified village). Like all fortified places, the people there were well positioned to see for miles. This was a common stop for caravans trading salt and wares. As we walked through the Ksar, Jamala told us that only 4 families reside in Ait Benhaddou today as there is no electricity and everyone else has slowly moved over the years to the new town across the river.
The view from the top was breathtaking and we arrived just in time for sunset.
We wandered some more through the streets meeting different sellers of paintings, souvenirs, scarves etc. Everyone in Morocco that we met was nice and welcoming. They wanted to tell you about their history and how they make things. This area has been used in some famous movies like Gladiator, The Mummy, Prince of Persia. Jamal even pointed out which ones he was an extra in!
Then we walked back over the river the way the locals did up until the recent bridge was constructed. Up more stairs to New Town and walked home.
We had a big breakfast and missed lunch with the intention of eating a snack that never happened so we were starving by the time we got back to the Riad.
Riad Caravane was a nice riad on the outskirts of town but within walking distance to Ait Benhaddou (obviously). We had a generous room with a view looking towards the Ksar. A heatpump and extra blanket kept us toasty. The dog next door kept us up a bit but nothing earplugs didn’t fix (Always travel prepared!). I really liked their rugs which looked like pieces of mismatched material woven together.
Dinner here was wonderful, and the common room was pretty warm from the heater I sat beside (cannot help myself). Chicken tagines, bread, olives, and more were super tasty. I love how the meat in the tagines just melts in your mouth. Perfection! A nice hot shower to boot and bedtime. All these riads had beautiful pools but they were cold. In the summer it can be upwards of 45C and really who wants to swim in 12-18C? They always looked ready to go just in case. The next morning we finished up with a nice breakfast spread of the usuals (we miss the orange juice) and off we went on another adventure.
Here We Go Again! 