| Málaga – the beginning | |||||
| Day 1 - Leaving Spain | Day 2 - Chefchaouen | Day 3 - Fes | Day 4 - Er Rachidia | Day 5 - Merzouga | Day 6 - Tinghir |
| Day 7 - Aït Benhaddou | Day 8 - Marrakesh | Day 9 - More Marrakesh | Day 10 - Cascades (Ouzoud) | Day 11 - Ifrane | Day 12 - Tarifa |
| Day 13 - Málaga | Day 14 - Torremolinos | Day 15 - Torremolinos-1 | Day 16 - Torremolinos-2 | Day 17 - Caminito del Rei |
May 14th – Tuesday
Map Link – 255 kms
Marrakech – Cascades d´Ouzoud
This was easily the most comfortable bed I had been in since leaving home. The mattress, pillows, even the linens were excellent. It made me reconsider the IKEA bedding we had at home – maybe I should go shopping when I returned?
Not surprising, I slept very well, listening to the clip-clop of the horse taxis carting around late-night revellers. We weren’t to depart until 9 am, so I had time to go down to the breakfast buffet and have another sfenj. I considered getting “one for the road”, but honestly, I think just having one fresh one was the best option. Besides, I didn’t have a good way of transporting it (a lame excuse, I know).
We negotiated the early morning traffic of Marrakesh, which was blessedly calm. Once we were out of the city but not quite to the desolation of the open countryside we stopped for fuel. While there was no consistent rule about who operated the pump, it was usually the locals who took charge. Paying for the fuel with cash was also the standard, which meant that we had to have a good amount of Dirhams on us. Not that the fuel was expensive, or we used much each day. It was a good way to travel!
A great old Ford van at the gas station
Snacks were bought – in fun flavors!
The roads outside of Marrakech were relatively flat and straight, passing though towns and villages that were active, but not crazy or chaotic. The temperature was comfortable, the sun shining, and the roads were fast.
Horse taxis in the countryside
I saw a few of these fountains along the road, but couldn’t tell if they were operational
Wind blown trash outside of some towns
Turkey truck
Grazing on invisible grass
Planting – and harvesting – crops wherever possible
There had been signs of road works and infrastructure improvements throughout this trip. Anything from complex re-routing, to bridge building, to the laying of what looked to be water pipes alongside the road – there was usually evidence that the government was investing for the future.
Surveying for future roadworks?
The riding was pleasant and eventually the villages we passed through were quiet, sometimes desolate. The kids were still there to cheer us on (or flip us off, depending on their mood). One particular situation stands out in my memory though: I was just coming around a bend in a settlement tucked into a green and narrow valley when I saw the kid: he was side-stepping his way slowly across my lane, enthusiastically waving his arms. Fortunately there was no oncoming traffic and I was able to swerve into the oncoming lane to avoid him. I quickly told Dan to watch out, as he was right behind me and would also need to avoid him, considering the boy didn’t seem to recognize the danger he was causing.
Quarry in the distance
A very well-packed truck
There were always kids around: walking to or from school, walking to the store, walking to meet friends: there they were. It was interesting to see how many of them held hands as they walked; it is a culture where it is socially acceptable for best friends to hold hands, regardless of gender. While this was usually embraced by the older generations, it was nice to see it among the kids as well.
There was a quick stop in Demnate for coffee, then more fast roads through sparsely planted orchards. It was amazing to me that anything could grow here, especially seeing the effects of the years-long drought.
I was fascinated by these little mounds of green!
Another potential water source
Wrapping up the trees (goat protection, I assume)
Our lunch stop was in Bzou, a blip on the map, but a great stop for lunch. We took seats in an outdoor covered area and waited while David popped over to the butcher shop next door to buy a couple of fresh chickens. These were then brought to the restaurant where we were sitting, to be cooked for us at their outside grill. Talk about fresh and tasty!
Lunch stop in Bzou
Preparing to cook our birds!
David makes use of the functioning water fountain
“Morocco: A Still Life”
The butcher shop next door to our lunch – the red/white pattern is the same as I saw on Marrakech
Lunch was done and it was time to finish our riding. We wouldn’t be riding much this afternoon, as our destination had a “destination” that we could visit once we arrived. Exciting stuff! We walked back to our motorcycles, smiling at the guys who were walking slowly by them. Big bikes like this weren’t very common in Morocco, and even less so in an out-of-the-way place like Bzou.
Cow transport
Passing by another colorful school
A typical scene along the raod
Before we reached our destination of Cascades d´Ouzoud we had to cross through the beautiful and winding Gorge de l’oued el Abid. The countryside was open but not flat, giving me something to look at as we crossed wide valleys and snaked through soft, rounded mountains. The colors were muted for the most part, but occasionally there would be a splash of red to complement the splotches of green.
I found that the towns were most interesting to see, since they offered a great insight into “life” here
Ooooh – I hadn’t seen these for sale in a while!
Colorful hills
I spy, with my little eye, the road ahead
A particularly clean and well-maintained village
We had arrived at the “Pont de Tissakht”, reportedly to be 150 years old. I have no idea of the actual history of this bridge, other than reading that the wooden planking had been replaced by metal plates some time in the last few decades. At it was, it was a narrow but sturdy structure and I had no concern in crossing it on the motorcycle.
Stopping for the view mid-way up the other side
Hana is an incredibly skilled motorcyclist. She will lead a group as fast as it wants to go, but she will hold back if no one wants to go as fast as her. Ron – despite having Sue as pillion – was fast. Really fast. Gary, despite his total lack of gear, was also a fast rider. He admittedly didn’t always want to go “as fast as possible” since as he put it, he is here to see things. You can’t very well see the country if all you’re looking at is the next corner! And then you have Dan and I. I am not as fast as the others in the group, but nor do I want to be that fast. I am also here to see the country, and I would rather not being going full tilt in a corner and run into some crazy, waving, child halfway in my lane. But I still like to push it a little when the roads aren’t too tight. Dan, on the other hand, has severe anxiety issues when it comes to riding. He is always worried about what is around the next corner, how sharp the corner is, what is the road surface like in the corner. All this, even with me in front of him to give him all of this information and warnings.
Add that to the frustration of the rest of the group taking off and being out of sight for most of the time, and he could be pretty darn miserable. And I heard all about it, as he complained via the communicators directly into my helmet. I tried to be patient, but I do confess that one of the best few minutes of riding I had today was when I stopped to adjust something and told Dan that “I’d catch up”. And I did: no one was in front of me, no one was behind me. It was just me and a wonderfully perfect stretch of road. I love riding with Dan, but sometimes I just need to stretch my legs!
The group reformed as we rolled into the outskirts of Ouzoud. It was a pleasant town perched on the side of steep cliffs, very clean and tidy. It had a look about it that stated “tourist spot!” – which would make sense, considering that the town was centered around a large waterfall: the Cascades d’Ouzoud. We passed the parking lot for the waterfall, the center of town, and almost out the other side – where was our hotel? But then we turned down a narrow lane, parked the bikes under a canopy, and crossed the lane to our hotel. It made quite a first impression!
Inner courtyard
The architecture of the building was beautiful to see. Even though it was built only 20 years ago, the style that was used made it easy to believe that it was 100 years old. I loved the little details throughout, and especially the rooftop terrace. The main building was tall with rooms set around a central courtyard. Outbuildings included private bungalows, a restaurant and a bar next to the pool. Ah, today would be a good day for the pool!
The restaurant
The pool
Our bungalow
After relaxing for a little bit by (and in) the pool, Hana offered to take us down to the waterfall. As usual, not everyone went (Gary, Ron, and David were enjoying the pool) but the rest of us walked down the road back to the town center, and then the path and stairs that went down, down, down. How far down did we want to go? Well, all the way would be fine, but I had to keep in mind that “what goes down, must come up!”
A backyard garden in a hilly town
It was late in the day, on a weekday, so no crowds
Our first view of the waterfalls
Hana had mentioned that there were some monkeys to see part way down the path. I assumed that it was some guy with his monkey on a lead who would charge you money to get your picture taken with it. Nope, not even close to correct. There was a permanent resident troop of macaque monkeys who knew to come to this ledge and people would eventually come by and hand out food. While the monkeys were obviously used to humans, they were also very wary and kept their distance. I was impressed.
We had the option to just enjoy the waterfall from here, or walk down to a lower viewing platform, or walk all of the way down to the natural pools at the bottom. We chose to keep going as far as the viewing platform and then see if we needed to go any further.
The path was easy and well made, with wide, shallow stairs making the descent at a comfortable rate. There were shops along some of the way, but I saw very few vendors out front looking for a sale. It was a nice and relaxed walk, which was appreciated. Everything I had read about this area warned how it was THE most popular day trip from Marrakech, and the crowds were often thick and the paths clogged with visitors. Not today!
Some people got a ride back up
Looking up from the middle platform
The pool at the bottom of the falls – we didn’t go there
We satisfied ourselves with the view and then made the trek back up the steps. It was easier than I expected and glad that I didn’t need a donkey to carry me!
Walking by a new mosque
There were some cool cars in Morocco
We found the rest of the group on the roof terrace when we returned and it was nice to join them. The view was good, and it was pleasant to sit back and enjoy it for a little bit. Another guest of the hotel came up to see the view and we invited her to join us. She was German, and it was fun to be able to use my feeble German with her, learning about where she’d been and telling her about some of our travels. She was the first person we’d really spoken to while on our tour and it was a nice distraction.
Rooftop terrace
Playing football (soccer) on the local field
Dinner was in the restaurant on the grounds and it was typically delicious. My only complaint was the addition of coriander to some of the dishes. I am one of those people who can’t stand the taste of it and will pick every visible piece out before eating it. Otherwise, the food, service and presentation was all great, and the restaurant room was a comfortable space.
There were many vegetable-based dishes
The evening ended after our meal and Dan and I retired to our little bungalow. I was really enjoying the construction touches of Moroccan buildings. The creative use of concrete and smooth mud plasters (?) was interesting and made for a cozy and inviting living space. This hotel was the first one where I really fell in love and thought “yeah, I could live here.”
The inner courtyard at night
Day 11