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.

The Cities of Morocco

         'I thought Morocco only had rugs' was a remark made by one of my photographer friends when they saw my photograph of the Dades river gorge.  This was an example  of the cocoon we often live in, not knowing enough about other lands.  I found out on my visit to Morocco that it had rugs and a lot more.  In fact I did not even buy a rug.
        Marrakesh is a city with a good blend of the old(the medina) and the new.  The famous square with performers, fortune tellers, crafts and food stalls has something for everybody.  Having grown up in Delhi, India, bustling and chaotic markets which one had to go to, to find that very special thing at a great price, were a familiar sight.  Still it was amazing to see the variety of people, trade and transport which moved in harmony with each other!  Cars seem to travel in all directions with pedestrians and cyclists deftly able to dodge them.  Performers eagerly approached tourists to have their photographs taken.  And of course negotiating the best price for an item in the souks(marketplaces) was a necessity of being in this place!
         But perhaps the high point of our trip to Marrakesh was watching the sunset over the Koutibia mosque while the muezzin made a call for prayer with 'Allahu Akbar'.  Rush hour traffic roared in front of the mosque, yet this was one of the most peaceful and beautiful moments of the evening.  We would be experiencing several of these peaceful moments of  'call to prayer' during our visit in the days to come.
         When we visited the oldest city Fez with its medina, we felt we had been transported to the fourteenth century.  People bustled though narrow alleys carrying on their trade.  Products being sold included live chickens, leather, crafts, food items, clothing, all displayed attractively for easy purchase.  Amidst the world of commerce, their was also the world of worship with various mosques.  As the call for prayer rang out,  people rushed through the alleys to get to the mosque on time.  A peaceful, spiritual atmosphere pervaded the mosque areas.  It was amazing to see so many different worlds co-exist in harmony.  The architecture of the most famous  Kairouyine Mosque and Senegalese Mosque was grand with intricate carvings and artwork.
More images of the Moroccan cities can be seen in this  preview of my DVD - Morrocco - The Magical Journey.

The Serenity of the Sahara Desert

         Growing up I remember learning about the Sahara desert being the largest desert in the world.  It sounded enormous, remote and unreachable. I feel lucky to have been able to see a part of it during a recent visit to Morocco.
        Today, the Sahara can be visited by staying in one of the hotels along the dunes.  It is easy to walk to the dunes close by at sunset or sunrise.
        We took a more adventurous route, riding on a camel five kilometers into the depths of the desert.  We were charmed and impressed by our guide who led the camel on foot and spoke five languages.  He laughed at our GPS device by telling us that he had a GPS in his head and knew exactly where to go.  He certainly did!
         On arriving in the heart of the desert, we were left awestruck by the vastness of the landscape and the serenity of the atmosphere.  We could picture travelers struggling through the barren terrain taking days to reach their destination on a camel.   Dunes were visible as far as the eye could see and we knew they stretched well beyond that .
        Coming on camel to the desert seemed to be in harmony with the environment that surrounded us.  But also disturbing to see was the polluting effects of modernization - dune buggies racing through the dunes. Clearly, allowing these buggies to ride though the desert provide economic benefits to Morocco.  But they will have to evaluate if the  destruction to their treasured landscape as a result of it, is worth it.  This is another example of trying to achieve economic growth without damaging the environment in the process.
         Words cannot really describe the awesome scenes at sunset and sunrise and I am not sure my photographs can.  But I kept photographing till the light had died with the hope that I was recording at least some of what I saw, for the future.  As we reluctantly had to leave after sunrise, I still tried to keep capturing the scenes holding on to the camel with one hand and using my camera with the other!  I found that it is possible to get some steady shots with the camera if the lens is not too long and a fast shutter speed is used!  Enjoy my slide show of some of my Morocco images.
        This panoramic view of the desert was taken at sunrise.  Our lone host was walking through telling us it was going to be time to leave soon, looking like an inconsequential  speck in the grandiose landscape.  I feel by capturing a panorama of a scene I am doing more justice to conveying the expansive beauty of the landscape.