By 8 am we were on our way back to Erfoud to meet our big bus for the long trip to Ourzazzate. It will be another long day driving through the mountains down to the city. We stopped around 9:30 to see an area that had many huge mounds of cone shaped dirt in parallel rows with openings on top. Abdou tells us these dirt mounts were made from digging underground aqueducts that brought water from the mountains down to fields. We descended a staircase to see one of the tunnels which is not in use. The work was impressive. Apparently each family dug its own tunnel. It looked like a field of giant ant hills minus the ants.
We moved on to a cafe for nuss nuss and a bathroom stop. Abdou always knows places that are clean and functioning and with toilet paper available.
We were traveling in a plateau between the high Atlas and Anti-Atlas mountains. We took a small detour to visit an old casbah that had a museum and then lunch was served on a sunny patio just behind the walls of the fort. Most of us started with Moroccan bread soup with garlic. It was delicious and very garlicky. I chose goat stew with prunes for my main dish. It was also tasty. Dessert was fruit salad or flan. No meal ever seems to have less than 3 courses. This restaurant served small portions which were manageable.
We continued on to Ourzazzate through winding mountain roads. We reached our hotel which was a 17 century private home that belonged to a judge. We left the bus and our suitcases as we walked the narrow streets to Dar Kamar. We got our room assignments and bags were quickly delivered.
After two days in dust and desert sand it was good to have a hot shower and wash the dust away. Our hotel has a rooftop area that is available for drinks and dining. I climbed up to see the view and ordered a bottle of wine which quickly attracted others to help share. We ate dinner in the indoor part of the restaurant since it’s too cold and windy to eat outside. Access to the restaurant is easiest from the roof with stairs going down. These very old houses are quirky in their access to different places but also quite charming.
After dinner we returned to my room for another women’s night of wine and conversation. It is quite interesting to exchange views on the culture we are seeing and our trip experiences.
Tomorrow we meet another family.
The Adventures of Anne 