The Todra Valley leads to the Todra Gorge, the tallest and narrowest gorge in Morocco.  Given the shade and the water, it’s a refreshingly cool spot in an otherwise hot, dry region.  There were various platforms on the river where families sat napping and picnicking — Said told us that normally there would be more people, but […]

There was a time when I traveled in crowded chicken buses, slept (or attempted to sleep) in sweltering, mold-covered youth hostels, and ate nothing but a banana and a Twix all day long (the banana was breakfast, the Twix was lunch and dinner).  It was a mode of travel that allowed me to get by on practically nothing (which […]

The Valley of Roses resembles very other valley we passed through:  A verdant flood plain spreading between dry, rocky hills.  The name comes from the considerable cultivation of roses in the valley.  Most of the bushes were, in fact, rose bushes — which would be quite a sight when in bloom.  Each year in May […]

Ouarzazate is known as the “Hollywood of Morocco” — it’s got a couple of major studios located here, where movies that need a desert/mid-east setting can be made.  For example, the films Lawrence of Arabia, Gladiator, and Alexander were all filmed here. Moroccan movie studios American movie studios American studios from a distance Lawrence of Arabia […]

Having left the Atlas mountains behind us, the land flattened out and once again became arid and barren.  As we drew near to the city of Ourzazate, our driver suddenly abandoned the perfectly good paved road and struck out into the middle of nowhere over a pair of tracks in the rocky ground.  Said explained that […]

From the very earliest planning stages of this trip, I had a very clear vision of Amanda and me riding through the Sahara Desert on camelback — preferably dressed like Lawrence of Arabia — and camping under the stars in a Berber camp.  Despite all sorts of trepidation and anxiety from Amanda (who generally prefers to […]

So many stories!  So many pictures!  I haven’t the time to do them justice nor the connection to get them all uploaded (the power keeps cutting on and off), so suffice it to say that I’m sitting in a tiny auberge on the edge of the Sahara desert waiting for the camels that will take us […]

We leave tomorrow morning for a three-day trek through the Atlas mountains, stopping in the Sahara desert, and then finishing in the city of Fez.  There will be lots to tell (villages! camels! dune boarding!) and hopefully some great photos.  Unclear what the Internet situation will be en route, though, so you may not hear anything until we […]

Marrakesh is famous for its souqs — the warren-like covered markets that sprawl through the heart of the old city.  They’ve been there for centuries and are still going strong.  While many of the shops clearly cater to tourists, many also offered ordinary, every-day items — and most of the people we saw were not […]