An interesting evening stroll in N’Kob took us down to the site of the original village and through the small agricultural plots that are still in use. Our local guide was out to impress Elizabeth – he climbed up and down the old stone watch-tower for her.
This morning we set off to begin our long journey to the west and back to the Atlantic Ocean. The scenery in the lush Draa Valley was stunning; high mountains forming the backdrop to the rugged plains, with dramatic mineral outcrops providing a stark contrast to the oases of date palms and villages. John was encouraged to provide a complete rendition of “Oh What Beautiful Morning”, to thunderous applause. We visited a ksar (fortified village) and a Kasbah; the ksar at Tamnougalt is believed to date back to the sixteenth century and, as with the other ksour we have visited, is crisscrossed with narrow, dark alleys, however it was fascinating to visit a home within the ksar and again see how people have lived – and still live – for centuries. On further to the Kasbah of Caid Ali at Aslim. This Kasbah is owned by a French woman and her Moroccan husband and they have spent many years restoring it to its former glory. We had a delicious lunch there of chilled cucumber soup, Moroccan pizza and Moroccan salad.
Then another drive through the Lower Atlas Mountains to the town of Ouarzazate, where we stopped for a Cornetto before visiting the nearby Atlas Film Studios to inspect the sets where parts, if not all, of films such as Gladiator, Jewel of the Nile, Kingdom of Heaven and Babel were produced. Then on to our home for the next two nights, a small family-run kasbah in the small village of Ait-Benhaddou with a very inviting pool.
Tomorrow: A short drive to nearby Telouet to see the crumbling remains of a once-magnificent Kasbah, then return for a relaxing afternoon – perhaps by the pool, or exploring this quaint village (or both).
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