We got the car refueled but soon about 5 liters leaked. We gone back to the rent a car to show him this, but claimed that it's nothing, it was only once. So we accepted, hoping that it was just a coincidence. But the car began smell fuel so we went to the company again. They promised to look at that and at 7 PM it would be repaired. We came at 7 PM and the car not smelled gasoline any more.
At morning when we would start our trip it was the same leaking fuel again as the day before. We decided to return the car, found one another rent a car and rented the car there, also a Fiat, but Palio. They said the car is good to go with to Zagora, just need to check it time to time, especially water and oil. But otherwise the car it is fine. We loaded on our things and finally at 4 o'clock in the afternoon we drove towards the Essauira,approx 170 km from Agadir along the coast. It took about 3 hrs, it was impossible to go fast, winding roads and not very good. To Essauira we arrived at 7 pm, found good hotel, close to the sea and just at the entrance to Medina.
We went to Medina, tiny, but beautiful town. We were tired, so we just went for the dinner and found a restaurant that looked pretty good. Next morning after breakfast, we even went back to Medina so we saw it in daylight. It was pretty nice even in daylight. We went through almost all the streets, there was not much, but enough for to see almost the all. On one square we sat down, it was near the sea with nice view. Although we still wanted to go and see the former Portuguese fortress, but there we could only go to foot, and we would not have enough time. So we decided that we give up. We saw before many other Portuguese fortress in Portugal and even in Kenya and all seems to be almost the same.
After a while we went back to the hotel, packed and continued to Marrakech, which was our second destination and where we planned to stay 3 nights. Before to go Bosse checked both water and oil, and everything was fine. We drove and drove and about 40 km suddenly I heard a strange sound from motor and saw that temperature climbed up to the top, the car began hiccup and stopped. We thought that it is probably overheated so we we waited a little, then Bosse tried to start again. But it was completely dead.
Bosse immediately called the rent a car. Fortunately we were not so very far from Agadir. They promised to arrive as soon as possible and after about three hours they arrived with a new car, to Renault Clio.
So such was our adventurous start this time.
Then we not had any problem with the car, only once, also in middle of nothing, but the car after a short relaxed started and then it was really no problem the rest of journey.
To Marrakech we arrived quite late, it was almost dark and it was very difficult to find Riad in Medina which I booked in advance. After a while of driving like idiots here and there we stopped by police near Djemaa el-Fna and asked about to help us. We got permission to drive over the square to Café de Paris where would wait for us one man who would show us to Riad.
We would go then look for a restaurant for us because we were obviously hungry and so have popped up a "student" he said he is and that he would take us to one good cheap restaurant. But he took us to a really expensive so finally we waved him away and went to we were at the last time in year 2000. Before the student left us he wanted have money but he not got something for his bad advises about good restaurant so he was a bit sour.
Most of the next day we were in the souk, the Arabic bazaar. Souk was great and we spent there almost all day. Sellers was just annoying, trying to get us all the time to buy something. It was a shame because we could not walk slowly and enjoy, but just glancing slightly to the stands and just go.
Square in the evening was interesting, smelled a meal here and there, everywhere were street kitchen and around tables with benches where people sat and ate. We not ate there because we were afraid to be bad in stomach, everywhere warned that Europeans would not eat because our stomachs are different, not used for their food. But there were a handful of tourists who ate so maybe it would be OK anyway, but ...
During the day, the square was a almost blank, there were stalls with oranges and different jugglers and others with cobras, monkeys and so, but most there was confusion and a lot of people overall.
During the day, the square was a almost blank, there were stalls with oranges and different jugglers and others with cobras, monkeys and so, but most there was confusion and a lot of people overall.
It was most interesting anyway on other side streets far from the square where there were many small shops and workshops, hairdressers and we could see how is the life there in one normal day for a Moroccan people. It was more nice than to see many tourists around and sellers to try sell anything.
Then it was time to continue to Ouarzazate over Tizi n'Tichka which was nothing new for us because we already drove there last time 5 years ago. Scenery was wonderful, up and down and Bosse managed it splendidly even if he is a little afraid of heights.
it is only to not look down, only up,
as in the life self
So slowly we were arrived to Ouarzazate.
Old Ouarzazate lay a short distance from the modern, divided by the river, in which was nothing much for watching and we saw it the last time we spent the night there. At that time we were looking at an old palace Glaoui, where once lived family Glaoui. Besides the Kasbah Taourirt, like Medina, where we also had it passed, so this year we were not there anymore. It was interesting inside, but for the people who lived there probably pretty terrible.Although they are used to it, but I would not want to live there. At first sight the whole was really nice, picturesque.
The pretty landscape around the town with the flowed river, where was the water now, which was not there last time because we were there in the fall. I like Ouarzazate very much, it is clean and calm city.
Not far from the town was a large dam. One wouldn't say that there is so much water from the river Draa, when around is only sand and dry ground. We drove towards Erfoud and it went well, the road was not too sinuous, no mountains. I thought that the road will go through oasis with lots of palm trees, but there was perhaps only one and other. Some trees here and there, but rather a drought and stone. In Ourzazate begins the desert, desolate, nothing but sand and rocks and Hamada. It was sad that we had a normal car, otherwise we could go to Dades or Todra Gorge, which was in the mountains. It must be an experience too, because apart from nature there was plenty of Kasbah, which are nice to look at. But there just is possible only with a 4×4. Later I got to know that we could anyway go there by our car, but ...
To Erfoud we arrived in the evening, found the hotel, supposed to be decent, but it was not not so much. Except that water flowed from the bathroom to the room, it was more colder rather than heater, but it did not matter. We did not go there for the hotel, but the sand dunes and a bit of Sahara. Erfoud city was nothing specially.
What was bad enough was that at the hotel it was musicians and belly dancers every night (we were there two nights). That would work if they not played very loud music we did not liked and at dancers were not so nice to look at because they were a little too thick. Although it is said that in Arab countries the more thicker, the more attractive. But not for us.
Next morning we went to the dunes that lay about 50 km from Erfoud. At that time there were not many hotel close sand dunes, in addition, I didn't know that there was one and other accommodation there, we had no real guidebook at that time either. We arrived to one small village, Hassilabaid and saw something like restaurant or so, so we went there to take a cup of nus nus before to wander around in sand dunes.
Incidentally, the temperature was about 30 to 35 degrees and around. But inside it was nice, though it was no ventilation. We ate there and drank coffee, then went and sat on the heap of sand. We walked around the low max 2 m high hut. It belonged to the lodge and it was basically a dormitory for those who wanted to sleep there. They had also rooms, quite simple, with just a bed, where it would be possible to spend the night.
If I knew it, I would not stay in Erfoud, but drove up here and slept here. We would have seen sunset and sunrise maybe also if we managed to go up so early LOL, maybe it was hope to go to the top or just a bit. Well, maybe next time, if I go there once again sometime.
We went not
too far, it was too much sun for my porphyrias which does not like it
and there was nowhere to hide in shadow. Although the trees, but they
did not give much shade as well. So we stood there and watched, and I
just wanted to go on and climb up to see into the distance. Maybe there
were other high dunes, I'd probably only seen those, but still. I looked
through binoculars and saw that the top of the highest were few people.
They went right down and it probably will be fun for them who began to
roll barrels down. It went quite quickly.
We went to look inward into the oasis, there grew vegetables, grains, too.
We were there already about two hours and began be hungry. W saw one other small hotel where they made a Berber tagine for us, basically scrambled eggs with tomatoes and it was very good.
After we went once again to the sand to admire it. Then we went back to the village, where I saw feeding camels, so we stopped to take some photos and then back to Rissani and Erfoud.
In Rissani we had lucky to see souk, very genuine, no touristy but for people living there. And even souk with donkeys and cheeps and goats, so it was really nice and interesting.
We drove there also through the Touristic route where we should see 350 kasbah and 5000 palms. It was nice and interesting and luckily there were no tourists there so it looked more real. If there were 350 kasbah I don't know, many it was, but so many as 350?
Next day we continued our way again between "nothing", just rocks and sand, from Rissani via Alnif and I supposed to take then N12 from Tazzarine via Taghbalt to Zagora, where we were 5 years ago. From crossroad before Tazzarine it was only 76 km to Zagora. We drove for about 30 km when asphalt ended and it began just a gravel. Somehow we didn't like it but we thought still we could continue until Zagora. We traveled about 10 km and came to Taghbalt were locals told that our car couldn't go there and that's where basically the end of the road.
We had to return back to the crossroad and go the long way. Between the village and the crossroad there was nothing, just a palm tree and small oasis, very beautiful. At the same time my friend has slowed down, so I asked what he was doing. He did nothing, but the car don't want to go, and stopped. It would be "nice" if the car want not continue and we were in middle of nothing again. But then the car suddenly started and finally we arrived to Zagora in any case, even if later than we thought.
I was surprised over Zagora how much it has changed since last time, it was a big city now and not deserted as it was before. Not so nice either, it became a provincial town I was told. Even M'Hamid was changed, bigger and on the square there was not only sand but with tiles which was not suitable and quite strange to see it in the desert. Outside the town where last time was only a couple of Beduin tents it was one big hotel instead.
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| so it was in year 2000 |
|
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| and now, year 2005 |
Back to Agadir we drove via Tazenakht. Nice and good road it was so we arrived quite early to Taliouine where we stayed over night. We had also quite much time to look around the town and between other explore one ruined Kasbah, no one cared about. There lived a couple of families. It was pretty awful and I thought that a man would actually deserved something better than that.
P.S. A some year later the Kasbah was repaired and someone opened there a hotel. What happened with the people living there before I will never know.
