Despite the fact Christi and I agreed our itinerary with Hilali tours before we set out, for some reason we are scheduled to do a long drive to visit the oasis town of Arfoud (near the border with Algeria) today, before looping back to the Draa valley and improbably reaching Ait Benhaddou before sunset. This is clearly impractical and our driver, Mohamed, quickly agrees (no doubt because it is less work for him). Our overnight stay in the hotel Tamlalte was very peaceful, possibly because we were the only guests. This was a bit disconcerting at dinner last night because we were the only people in the restaurant as well – but at least the service was good.
We retrace our route of yesterday back through the Dades Gorge to the main town in the area, Boumalne du Dades. From there we head east to Tinehir and eventually north to another famous gorge (at least according to the Lonely Planet). And much like Dades gorge, Todra Gorge is a heavily populated area: Berber villages are nestled amid the palmeries and beneath pink granite cliffs that rise vertically, almost blocking out the light at one point as the sides of the gorge appear to converge. Unfortunately, the gorge is a building site here, which makes the whole experience rather disappointing. Apparently hiking in the mountains around the gorge is supposedly quite wonderful, but we do not have the time to do that.
Mohamed retraces our path back through Boumalne du Dades yet again and surprises us by stopping at a home on a quiet street in the town of El-kelaa M’Gouna (or Kalaat M’Gouna). Apparently its his family home and we’re invited in for lunch by his mother. The exterior of the house is quite simple and plain, but this does not prepare us for the beauty within. The kitchen would not look out of place in any fancy mansion in Beverly Hills (double sink, marble counter tops, designer cabinets), while the house (also much larger than it appeared from the outside) has several ornately decorated reception rooms. In one of these rooms there is a long wrap around sofa and plush carpet in a matching royal blue floral design. The blue is offset by walls splashed with pink paint and glitter, while the high ceilings are replete with ornate moldings and geometric patterns. It’s all quite amazing. And it is in this room that we are served tea, then fruit is brought in, and finally tajine (naturally). The mother appears to like us because, according to Mohamed at least, we have an open invitation to return. For some odd reason we are also given traditional Moroccan clothing to try on, which provokes much laughter from our hosts.
Finally reach Ait Benhaddou and our hotel for the night La Rose du Sable at 4 pm. Amazingly, despite being in the middle of the desert, there is a glittering swimming pool on site. Sadly we will have no time to enjoy the facilities. Indeed we have to dash off to Ait Benhaddou’s Kasbah (fortress) to explore before the sun sets. The Kasbah is located on the slopes of a hill facing the river Ounila. Beyond the river is a palmerie and beyond that the unforgiving Sahara. This Kasbah has provided the backdrop for many Hollywood blockbusters, including Lawrence of Arabia and Gladiator. And for this reason it is a major stop for all tour buses. This is not good for photography, but fortunately I possess the most important trait in a photographer: patience. Conversely, tours are all about speed and the tourists are rushed through the fortress lickety-split. As the tour groups finally leave and sun sinks low in the sky Ait Benhaddou is bathed in a beautiful warm light that almost brings the place back to life. Snap!
Blog post by Roderick Phillips, author of Weary Heart – a gut-wrenching tale of love and test tubes.
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