Moroccan Mid Atlas 5

No one cherished the thought of wrestling the road bikes through more sand this morning, so we took the road to Foum Zguid. I've been before as part a rally, the town forms a natural end to a 180mile off road section that passes Erg Chegga (dunes) and a National Park and lake.

The land formed a natural barrier on each side, with stark cliffs soaring hundreds of meters into the air, funnelling the traffic (of which we all of it - see first photo) in a single, unwavering direction.

Taking the road gave us time for luxuries, such as lunch, which was served at the Bab Rimal Hotel. Possibly the nicest meal we’ve had to date, though it’s a shame they charged us the expensive tourist rate.

Above, a hand written road sign

From Bab Rimal, we had a distance of 160km to cover over the Mid-Atlas. We wound our way up until reaching a plateau in the mountains. The air was much cooler, which forced us to don extra layers.

The pictures don’t do justice to the wide expanse of the mountain vista, but it was certainly a pleasing change from the baking hot Saharan sand.

We ended up in a mountain region known for its saffron production, in the town of Taliouine. Many businesses referenced “safran” in their names, including our auberge, Auberge Safran.

It was clearly once a rich and powerful town as an ancient castle, a relic of more prosperous times, dominated the valley. Those days, however, are long gone.

Below, the town today. A long road of shops that selling almost identical wares. We mused about the lo also choose which one to frequent. The Baker was doing a roaring trade.

Walking back to the hotel, after dinner at a local place, a young girl, possibly around 9 or 10 years old, said “Bonjour,” and when I replied, she followed up with: “Are you Muslim?” Like I said—we stood out here.