Morocco: Merzouga to Todra Gorge, Tinehir

After a wonderful experience in Merzouga, we drove towards the west to a town called Tinehir. The intention was to spend a night at Todra Gorge, enroute to Marrakech, in time for my birthday celebration.

Todra Gorge is at the edge of the High Atlas mountains.

The drive from Merzouga's flat land of sand towards the gorge was quite easy. So even though we left Merzouga late in the day, we arrived at Tinehir by tea time.

Driving 30 minutes longer, we stopped at our hotel which was right in the middle of the narrowest point of the gorge. Hotel Yasmina was not a good hotel but it has the sole advantage of location. Due to its remote location, it is powered by a huge generator. In the afternoons, the generator needs to charge for 3 hours to prepare for night time. Hence, no electricity during the late afternoons. We managed to check-in just before this time.

Since the room was warm, we decided to take a walk around the area. This was clearly a tourist spot.

For an hour or so, we explored the place like two kids playing on an exotic playground. We climbed rocks and walked along the little green strips of green plants. We hops on rocks to cross the narrow rivers.

There were stalls selling accessories and berber products along the narrow road which slides through the gorges. We stopped by a stall where the owner, who claimed to be a berber man, offered us mint tea. Afterwards, we got into a friendly conversation. When we started to bid him farewell, he invited us to his home for dinner. Thinking this was Moroccan hospitality, we were tempted to accept. It was good we asked about transportation. He gave away his intention by telling us we can first go to his friend's carpet shop. We were briefly reminded of the horror of our day in Fés. So we declined and headed back to the hotel.

Our room at the hotel was extremely basic. There was a very dim lightbulb. The corridors are very dark. But whenever we could see outside, through a hole in a wall or a window, we saw the rough walls of the gorge. Our room was clean enough but given the location of the hotel, there was little privacy from the tourist and local crowds right outside.

Not very exciting but a nice little stop before Marrakech. We were preparing ourselves mentally thinking that Marrakech would be a big tiring challenge like Fés. I did not sleep well that night. The hotel's walls were so thin and the guests next door was a family with kids who ran around, laughed and cried the whole night.

We left right after breakfast the next morning, knowing that it's a long drive to Marrakech. When we started off, there was drizzle and heavy mist. The top of the palmeries were a blur.

The drive from the edge of the Atlas meant that we had to once again drive through it to the other side to get to Marrakech.

It took us a long time. I remember I have never seen such vast changes in weather and landscape on a driving journey before. The start of the journey was flat land with a lot of sand. It was hot that we could see heat rising from the tar road.

Then we started driving up the foot of the atlas mountains. He saw villages and people on donkeys. At one point, we drove under a big cloud and was covered in rain for 10 seconds. Then it was gone. An hour later, we arrived at a village where the wind blew so strongly, villagers were running home as if expecting a storm.

We stopped at one of the quiet villages and had lunch. It was a remote restaurant which was built like a big tent. The food was cheap and filling.

Still we charged upwards, higher and higher. Then we reached some peaks on the mountains where it was hailing. The road became slippery and the slopes around us were covered in snow. This went on for an hour or so. In that cool weather, hot mint tea was the best beverage there was. So we stopped at a roadside berber stall for tea. It was quiet and people were very friendly, waving at us. Prices were extremely low.

Afterwards, we descended and saw peaks of other mountains highlighted by the sunlight. Everything else around it was in the shades. We drove past palmeries and flooded roads. And there was a occasional herd of camels. We stopped and photographed them. They were shy but not afraid of us. Such beautiful animals they are!

As we left the magnificent mountains behind us, we knew we were close to Marrakech. This means that we'll be close to the west shores. This means no more Atlas, mountain Berber villages and amazing landscapes. I was seriously wishing Marrakech will not disappoint us.