Rainy Day Reads

After a nice relaxing time in Essaouira we went back to the hustle and bustle of the big city, specifically Marrakech. In the afternoon we had a guided tour through the city, where we apparently pretty much saw everything there was to see!   First we went to the Saadian Tombs. These are the tombs of the Saadi dynasti which ruled Marrakech in the past. The sultan Moulay Ismail, who gathered the country in 1672, encircled these tombs with high walls, and they were preserved until the French discovered them, when they took arial photographs of the streets. There are two main buildings surrounded by gardens with palm trees and herbs. The tombs are beautifully decorated as are the buildings some of them are in. There are more than 166 graves altogether, some of which are placed inside the buildings and some outside.  We also went to the Bahia Palace where the grand vezir Bou Ahmed lived with his 4 wives and 24 concubines. The entire palace is beautifully dec...

After visiting Aït Ben Haddou we headed to the mountains for a fix of nature. We drove to Imlil and here we hired donkeys to transport our day packs, while we trekked for about an hour uphill to the small village of Armed. In Imlil it is possible to rent hiking sticks if you need them. The track was not overly demanding, but there were still som tricky patches, where it was quite gravelly and you had to be careful not to slip. Anyone of average fitness would be able to handle this hike. Coming down the mountain the next day we went by a different route, which included a river crossing. I only had one pair of shoes, so I decided to go barefoot in the icy waters. This was fine, except I got a lot of sand in my shoes, when I put my semi-wet feet back in. As for the weather is was warm during the day, but it got a little chilly during the night and in the morning, so it is advisable to bring a thick sweater or a light jacket to keep warm.   Auberge Azizi We s...

The Todra Gorge is worth a short visit for the views of the cliffsides moving in around the river. You can go for a longer trek through the valley, but I opted for driving to the top of the gorge and only walking the last 300 m, as this is where the track narrows to as little as 10 m wide with steep cliffsides up to 160 m high on both sides. The river is a place for family picnics, and there is a nice quiet atmosphere along the track. The sellers don’t really hassle you, and you can enjoy the walk in peace.   Hotel Amazir We stayed in Hotel Amazir, which has a nice pool on a terrace overlooking the river. The terrace is overgrown with flowers, and you can sit on the couches and enjoy the lulling sounds of the river. The rooms are nice with en suite bathrooms and airconditioning. The AC in our room was a bit intense though, so we only had it on for a little while.   Next day we continued to Aït Ben Haddou. This is a small town, which is classif...