Thursday, May 14, 2015

Morocco Part 3...The Road to the Sahara


Saying goodbye to our new
friends..
we were on the road again.




Yannick, Malfoud and Collette..
hope to see you again someday!


It was another long day in
the car
but Simo made many 
stops
along the way.

We passed through the 
Valley of the Roses..
and lucky for us we were there
during high season.
 We saw women 
and children picking roses
in the fields..
and
we stopped and bought a 
few of these wreaths made
by the children.
Little pink shops lined
the road selling bottles
of rose water.
I can still smell the roses!





Men and women 
carrying food to feed
the sheep.


Simo told us that children
walk for MILES to 
school and back.
We saw so many children..
younger than Griffin,
walking to/from school.
Alone!













These boys were selling
little birds made out of
palm leaves.



Our last stop before reaching 
the desert.
Steve ran into a market
to grab some snacks
and these little boys were
just too cute.
Steve gave them a handful
of change..


...and they ran off so excited!


Almost there!


We said goodnight to Simo and
headed off into the Sahara with 
our guide.

Next..
our night in the Sahara!


























Wednesday, May 6, 2015

Morocco Part 2..The High Atlas Mountains and the Drive to the Sahara


The first leg of our trip
was spent at an all-inclusive resort.
We spent two nights here.
The kids 
and Steve
loved the water slide!


It was so nice to be in the hot sun!




On Friday morning our driver
for the next four days came to our
hotel to pick us up.
I researched different tour companies
and we ended up with
They were a fantastic company 
to work with.



We traveled over 1000 km
(over 600 miles)
in four days.
That may not seem like a lot..
but this is not highway driving.
We climbed up and over those
High Atlas mountains..
and it was beautiful
and nail biting at times!


Our driver Simo
was the best!
We got to know him well
over those four days.


I admit I was a bit nervous
about the long days in the car
with the kids.
But, they did great.
Simo made frequent stops..
made sure we had lunch at 
clean restaurants..
and the best part?
No wifi!
It was such a great way to
unplug for a few days.



One of the stops we made
was to see how Argan oil is made.
These Berber women are shelling,
sorting and then extracting the oils
from the kernels of the Argan tree
that is endemic to Morocco.
Argan oil is known for its health
and beauty benefits.
I'm kicking myself for not buying more!





No guard rails on these 
very windy,
narrow roads!


We sure missed Stephen.



Our lunch spot on Friday..







And then we did a little rug shopping
:)


We arrived at our Kasbah early evening..
we had the most amazing night here!
(this was all included in our tour package)


We stayed at 
located at the foot of the High
Atlas Mountains.
The owners,
Yannick and Collette are French
and the most lovely and attentive
hosts.



After settling in,
we sat by the pool
listening to jazz music
while the kids played ping-pong
and bocce in the garden.
Malfoud
(pronounced Ma-foot)
served us Moroccan tea.



I wandered around the property
and found this woman baking bread
for our dinner.










Soon we were being called for dinner..


and what an amazing dinner
it was!




Dinner was a French Moroccan 
infusion.
Delicious,
beautifully presented
and under the stars.






After a great nights sleep..
breakfast al fresco!
Homemade juices,
yogurts and jams.
Eggs, breads and delicious
coffee.




And soon we were off again...

A very memorable stay here..
we hope to return someday.

Tomorrow..
another day of driving..
beautiful country
and people!