Morocco III - Meknes to Merzouga Desert Camp. Egg Chebbi - October 2024.

It was a long day culminating in a dromedary (Arabian camel) ride at sunset. We were on the road early from Fez to Volubilus & then on to Meknes. This blog is of our all day road trip from Meknes to the Sahara Desert during which we spotted roadside monkeys, experienced rainbows, rain, snow, stops for lunch, toilets (of course Youssef knew where the clean ones were that we could use without purchasing anything) & views. Then in Efroud, we switched to a 4 wheel drive for the final stretch to the desert to the encampment.

Many photos were taken thru the window as I sat in the “shotgun” seat. Despite the changing weather, Farid tried to keep the windows spotlessly clean for my photo taking.

Photos were taken with the FujiFilm X30 & the iPhone 12Pro. The time stamps were different on the photos from the cameras. As a result, I could not keep track of the correct sequence of our travel. Using Google to find where the sites were I managed to get some semblance of the correct order. I’ll need feedback, please, from Youssef &/or Farid to make corrections. Shokrun Farid & Youssef.

As we began our road trip south we were greeted by rain & a rainbow.

-

El Hajeb in following photos?

-

Ubiquitous Coca Cola.

Unusual iron work on a light signal.

-

Restaurant Al A Khawayne, Ifrane. A large wooden pallet was used to flip over the corn based bread. That’s ever so delicious bean soup simmering in the pot.

She warmed up the squares of bread that the staff from the Karawan Riad in Fes gave us with the take-away breakfast. Those are eggs cooking for us.

We were the only ones up here. Naomi & I had no idea what was going on. Youssef ordered &…

...we ate.

Much needed & reasonably good coffee too.

The only drawback were the toilets. They were clean but stand up style replete with a bucket. Fortunately we knew what to do based on Elliot’s experiences in Senegal.

Use of rock piles vs. cones as warnings, channeling Andy Goldsworthy. …an English sculptor, photographer, and environmentalist who produces site-specific sculptures and land art situated in natural and urban settings.

-

Nomads. Brrrrrr.

-

Fencing to control snow drifts.

We saw many road signs warning of cattle or long horned bison. We encountered neither. The cattle were down near the water & grass. Why would a lone bison cross a roadway? Anyhow, they’re protected. They’re no longer allowed to be hunted but there are plenty of feral pigs to be gotten. Hunters come here from far & wide.

“Found in the Saharan Desert and along its borders, Barbary sheep (Ammotragus lervia) are hardy animals perfectly adapted to thrive in arid and harsh conditions. These interesting mammals take advantage of food sources that other animals cannot reach and have been seen on the steep cliffs of the Moroccan High Atlas. They are easily identified by their thick spiraled horns, russet brown bristly coats and heavy fringes hanging from their throats…In the past, Barbary sheep were a common sight in North African counties, but now they are considered to be ‘vulnerable’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)….Their ability to speedily scale rocky crags and steep cliffs offers some protection from predators for Barbary sheep. Unfortunately, humans are their biggest threat, with hunters setting traps and using weapons against which Barbary sheep have no defenses.”

Yousseff had gotten us all laughing.

SNOW!! as we crossed the MIddle Atlas Mountains.

We later found out that...

...the road was closed not too long after we went through. Phew! We were aiming to arrive before sunset.

Brrrr.

-

Note the red & white pole to denote the road edge when it snows.

-

We finally got to eat the cheese that we had from breakast in Infrane. The bridges all seemed to have the red & white guard rails.

It was a long road trip but Youssef kept the conversation going. He was a master story teller, reminding us of Scheherazade & One Thousand and One Nights. In Arab culture adding the “and one (1)” means there’s more.

"Motel Meteorites" Boulaajoul, 8 Km Route De Meknès, Zaida.

Later on in the trip in Tinghir we saw another hotel/motel with a car in front. It seems to be the owners’s trademark.

-

Apples seem to be a thing in Midelt.

-

Café Restaurant Lune de Desert, Errachidia.

Ziz Oasis I assume.

-

Ziz Oasis.

-

I assume the Ziz River (Qued Ziz).

-

The only tunnel that we encountered during our visit in Morocco.

-

Andy Goldsworthy style rock piles leading to camel rides.

Another oasis near the Qued Ziz.

An expresso, toilet & bookmark buying stop in Commune D'Arfoud.

I'm glad that I took this photo as the back of the worker's vest told me that we were in Commune D'Arfoud.

A coffee, toilet, bookmark buying stop in Commune D'Arfoud. The decals reminded me of my garage.

Fresh dates. Youssef knew the fellow &...

...offered us a taste. Delicious.

-

A village along the Qued Ziz. If I lived in that village I'd be worried about an earthquake & subsequent landslide.

-

"For Sale"

In the distance, the Erg Chebbi. it’s ”one of Morocco's several ergs – large seas of dunes formed by wind-blown sand…on the far western edge of the Sahara Desert.”

There had been recent heavy rainfalls as a long period of drought. This green vegetation hasn’t been seen for years. The camels are happy.