Crowded with Arabs, Africans and Berbers, the old city of Marrakech had a mystical air to it. At night we congregated in the famous square of Djemaa El Fina with the snake charmers, story tellers, acrobats and street sellers. It was a magical experience to sip mint tea and enjoy people watching at its best! The ancient souks and the Djemaa El Fina square were intense and exhausting, so Paula and I decided to spend the day at the world famous Mamounia Hotel. The hotel is regarded as one of the best in the world and certainly the finest in North Africa. Winston Churchill apparently spent months in this opulent hotel. Paula and I passed a long, peaceful afternoon around the pool enjoying a sumptuous seafood buffet. The refinement of the Mamounia seemed a universe away from the truck and crew.
Next we had a very scenic drive over the High Atlas mountains down to the spectacular Todra Gorge. On the journey we passed several picturesque oasis towns built from mud bricks - one such town was Tinerhir. At Todra we camped at the base of the gorge which was about 80m wide and a good 300m high. Paula and I did a demanding 30km day trek up the gorge to the small village of Tamtatouchte. At the village we were invited to drink tea with a friendly local family. On the trek we passed herds of donkeys and camels.
(to be continued)
