Thursday, April 8, 2010

Morocco - Mountains and Oasis

        "We will drive to the top of the Atlas mountains and then see the expanse of the Sahara stretched below us". That is how my husband had imagined it would be, having heard a lot about the varied scenery in Morocco. Well, we did have a truly breathtaking drive up the Atlas mountains. However we did not see the desert from the top, but oasis-like scenery. Of course that would make sense geologically, as the Atlas mountains act as a barrier between the Atlantic and Mediterranean coastlines, and the Sahara desert.
       The drive from Marrakesh to Ouarzazate through the Atlas mountains was one of the most scenic drives of Morocco. Along the way we saw sheep dogs, cattle, and charming villages decorating the mountainside.We drove right to the top of the 1600m-high pass at Tizi n'Tinififft and got the most
spectacular view. It was worth braving the cold winds of a December morning.  From this point we could see the oasis region of Draa Valley in the distance. On the way down to Ouarzazate,  one of most famous Kasbahs of Morocco, Ait Benhaddou gave us a rich tapestry of history. Kasbahs or fortresses, were built as protection from invaders from the south.
         Ouarzazate to Draa Valley gave a rare, untouched view of the oasis landscape with palm trees and cactus.  At Draa Valley we were welcomed by school children who were very curious to know more about us, even though we did not have a common language. Dates, fruits and vegetables could be seen in the farms. The doors of the homes were artistically decorated  made to welcome visitors.
         As our Moroccan driver proudly told us, every village has a school and a mosque. We learned to look for these distinctive signs as we drove through different parts of the Moroccan countryside.
          Our drive to Dades Valley, another oasis area, took us along the route of a thousand Kasbahs.
  A young woman gave us an intimate description of  the Kasbah Ameridihl.  Though she told us she spoke only a little English, the language that was second nature to her was that of the internet.  She promised to stay in touch with Hotmail and MSN.  One again we were reminded of how flat the world was, and how easily boundaries could be crossed with today's technologies!

       Parts of the Dades Valley landscape reminded me of the American Southwest driving through Arizona or Utah.  What made this different were the numerous villages that dotted the countryside.  Our drive ended with a memorable Sunset over the  Dades Gorge.
      Watch a preview of various Morocco scenes or get the complete movie.

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