Remembering a Little Perspective (Part 3 of 3)

The final leg of our four-day journey took two days of continual driving from Merzouga in the country's southeast province to central Marrakesh.  Covering about six hours of road-work on the third day and another five on the final day, there was more than enough scenes to fill the eyes.  Gorges, valleys and mountain passes provided nature; the villages of Ourzazate and Aitbenhaddou added culture.  

Days 3 & 4: Merzouga to Marrakesh

(see route map here)

The Gate to the Desert in Rissani: I couldn't tell if by going through this gate I was entering or leaving the desert.  Regardless, this ancient city just north of the Merzouga dunes was used for centuries as a Saharan trade hub and military base able to move 20,000-camel caravans to Mali to swap salt for gold.

Jorf Village: After about two hours on the road, we pass our second demonstration of the trip.  The first was in the Middle Atlas on the first day.  A little smaller today, the issue remained the same: unemployment.

Tinerhir: Settled to the south of touristic Tordra Gorge, this picturesque village was bustling with kids going to / from school and construction workers preparing for the King's visit in the next couple of days.  The white paint around the bottom of the trees is an attempt at "area beautification."

Tinerhir: The lush valley fed by the Gorge.

Todra Gorge: Windy, chilly and full of French, German and Japanese tourists

The Dades Valley: The village of Bouman du Dades overlooks one of the more lush valleys south of the High Atlas.

The Rose Valley: Named for the roses that are cultivated every May in the Rose Festival, this valley lies to the west of the Dades, is less fertile but produces more than its share of the country's rose and almond totals.

Ourzazate (war-za-zat): The country's ultra-modern film capital houses a cinema university, museum, two production companies and a kasbah used as a backdrop for Star Wars

Taourirt Kasbah: Used in Star Wars as well as other lesser-known Arabic and American Films.  

Ourzazate: Ramparts and Street Lights

Ouarzazate: Atlas (above) and Cla Cinema Productions

Ait Benhaddou: Another UNESCO World Heritage site, this 11th century kasbah has been renovated and re-used in the past century as a popular movie (and photo) backdrop.  Gladiator and Alexander (and Bessey) most recently...

The views to the north and south of the kasbah in Ait Benhaddou.  Again, a strategic location for Sultans centuries ago.

Tizi n' Tichka: Weaving through the High Atlas Mountains between Marrakesh and Ourzazate, this is the highest pass in the country at nearly 2500m (~7500').  Scenic doesn't describe the effects that the different layers of rock, vegetation and structures give viewers.  

One of my favorites.

This is the second shot that reminded me of Afghanistan in the pass, but the entire thing could play a suitable double for the country's northeastern provinces.

My second-favorite shot, stretching some 40 km to the furthest peak.

After 4 days, Zayed and I parted ways at the Marrakesh Train Station.  I'd recommend him and his company to anyone!

After four long days, I saw a lot and came away meeting most of my goals.  Wanting to see the majority of the population, they obliged my eyes with a couple demonstrations, streets lined with endless shops and always an opportunity to purchase something at every stop.

Unemployment (in our sense of the word) is bad in most of the villages, and it's easy to see it along their roads (even at highway speeds).  Both demonstrations demanded better employment opportunities and most people I ran into overtly wanted something from me.  It was refreshing, however, to see that the unemployed had the freedom to demonstrate.

Most of them spoke in Berber, lived in villages named after Berbers and flew Berber flags.  A majority in this country, their language doesn't enjoy "official" status.  Before today, I didn't see how much of an issue that is.

Saw some regional and national agricultural and resource centers for apples, dates, watermelons, honey, Kohl, fossils, roses and tourism.  The latter arguably being the most important of all of them in economical terms.

Probably most importantly, I was reminded that plans differ from execution and things aren't always as simple as they appear.  Looking at the map before my trip, I saw green fade to brown to yellow and back to green over lines and around dots.  Four days to see all of them: easy.  Not so, of course.  The lines and dots have meaning and complicate or sweeten the journey.

None of this was more prevalent than when we arrived to the dunes of Merzouga.  My first impression was, "This is it?"  Measuring ten by fifteen kilometers, we drove around them and I could visualize getting in them and easily following the sun to their other side on foot.  These were not the endless Saharan dunes that filled my head since childhood.

Getting inside of them though showed how difficult it was to actually make that "small" trip.  The temperature dropped and the sand gave way at every step, expanding each dune in both length and height.  At the risk of exaggeration, meters became miles.  Not helping was the wooden and burlap stirrup-less saddle cutting into my inner thighs.

Coming out of the desert the next day on one of the longest one-hour trips I've taken in recent memory provided a little more perspective and - again - my mind drifted to jobs past.  In this case, however, I couldn't help but wonder if our policy makers thought the same things I did the day before as they looked at their maps of Afghanistan and Iraq in 2002 and 2003.

Perhaps unlike Bush's Vulcans, I'd happily take my journey again though.