Climbing in the Atlas

Climbing the mountain wasn't easy. No, we din't climb the Tupkal (highest summit in the chain) simply because we were not prepared (visiting the mountains was a last minute decision once there) but still what we have tasted was more than enough. The views rewarded us surely. And it turned out that it wasn't just us longing for some space, excitement and being close to nature.

We meet a group with donkeys that seemed to cope better than we did!

Mother and child

(still can't figure out what was the purpose

of their clim, maybe just wanted to be on their own)

Yes, nearly there! Hence the smile.

And of course some of the most confortable in this environment residents

And we are there!

Atlas mountains

This is probably the most emotional part of our trip. Atlas mountains are beautiful, but we were not quite prepared for the occasion. Thinking of our equipment stuck up in the attic (especially walking boots) we were hiking in trainers, and if you can imagine cheap version of Converse bough on the market for this surpose, you will get the idea. But we survived and had fun at times nearly rolling down.

Place was poor and there was no goods like running water or electricity outside the houses, so you can imagine just randomly dotted little lights across the hills of the mountain when the night came. Kids were running randomly, shouting to each other some better some worse dressed. I don't think it was due to the wealthiness of the parents, it was more of what was available to get. If I ever get a though that my house is too small or painting doesn't go with the rest of the colour theme in the room or that I don't have enough fashionable clothes or that my TV is too small (although 52inch is more than enough) I think the purity of this place. What little things make those people happy. They live long, no wonder, walking up and down in the freshest air you can get, friendly faces all around you, can't be what you need to feel happy in your life.

So the village. First picture can give you an idea.

Man in the blue cloak is our guide. Very respected person

in the village due to his occupation . He also did not eat

or drink during whole day climbing. Wow!

View onto the village

Children of the village...

This is the place where village temple used to be.

Now there is just a shelter

Fez and a bit of sightseeing and making new friends

Old ruins outside city walls

Views from outside the city

Making of traditional bread by the market gate

As we approached the market colours hit us from everywhere...

Street barber. They don't like to be photographed

(probably because it is not very legal to have such

mobile street business). They started to shout and

wave their hands, I though we will have to run away!

As we visited Morocco during the Ramandan, where as a religious rule,

you can't eat or drink during the day (only after the sunset)

for 40 days. So few owners of the shop in a very friendly manner

invited us for an after sunset feast! Amazing food, and amazing

quantities of it.

And after dinner, serious tourist duties. Buying a rug.

There were quite few of them, you can see that Dee had

simply enough of choosing. At the end we bough a blanket.

Essaouira

Rooftop terrace in our hotel.

Yes, that's right, us eating again! But food was so good, we couldn't resist :)

View from our lunch table

Sea front. You can see guys with fishing rods

looking for a good spot to fish.

After the sunset in the port

Marakesh

A water man. You pay him and he gives you

some water to drink from his container that

he carries on his back.Hanging bowls are the cups,

surely he doesn't wash them properly after

every person drinks it, does he?

My doubt put me off trying.

Browsing in the market

Trying some local cousine by day...

Henna

Always Coca Cola (and everywhere)!

We visited the royal palace, or rather it's remains

and this is what you can see from the palace walls.

Shock for me to see so many satellite dishes in the city

where sanitary higene is not a priority.

Clearly acces to good TV is.

and by night when the night market becomes alive there

is food cooking everywhere on the main square.