Ait Benhaddou

On our way to Ait Benhaddou we had a couple of stops for photos of fertile valleys.  Crops are irrigated with water taken from the river.  Women were in the fields harvesting alfalfa, which is used to feed sheep and cows.

             

Typical view of cultivated plots.

We stopped at a weekly market, bigger and much busier than the one we visited a few days ago.  Even outside the market area it was jammed with people, vehicles, motorbikes and cycles.  Taxis were coming and going, no organisation just find a space then pick up or put down your passengers.  A grand taxi can take 6 passengers while a petit taxi takes only three.  The same taxis have been in all the towns we have visited the only difference from town to town is the colour of the fleet.

Grand taxis, always the same model of Mercedes.  You can get 4 passengers in the back and 2 in the front, thats 7 onboard with the driver.

The market before the crowd got there

We passed through the Dades valley known for dates, figs and roses.  Roses are not native to the area and were introduced by the French.   Here many of the small plots of land were separated by rose bushes, it must be pretty when they are in flower.

Next we travelled along what is known as the 1000 kasbah road.  A kasbah is a fort and always has 4 towers.  More than one kasbah can be within a village.  I doubt there were 1000 kasbah but for 24 km there were a lot of them, villages side by side, the inhabitants all from the same Berber tribe.  Neighbours are not related but their doors are always open to each other.

 Ksar (fortified village) 

It was obviously a major time for washing rugs and blankets. This is an annual task and when crossing rivers and streams we saw women out with their colourful washing by the banks drying.

Wash day

Our accommodation at Ait Benhaddou was close to the Ksar Ait Benhaddou.  A ksar is a fortified village and this one was built in the 12th century.  It flourished in the 16th century as it was on a trade route from Timbuktu to Europe.  It has been the location for many movies including Lawrence of Arabia, The Glaxdiator, Jewel of the Nile & Prince of Persia.  We went for a walk through the ksar, beautiful buildings and a great backdrop for a movie.

Kasbah (with the 4 towers) in the Ksar (fortified village) at Ait Benhaddou.

Looking down on a Kasbah 

And another view 

Making our way along a street inside

     

 Looking out the window 

This man is playing a single stringed instrument.  It wasn't a particularity tuneful sound.

The next day we carried on to the High Atlas mountains, passing green valleys and small towns.  As the houses are adobe and being made from the surrounding ground they merge into the landscape.  

 

 Village hiding on the hillside

As the land became steeper we saw more terraced plots of cultivation.  We went over the Tichka pass at 2260 metres and had a winding descent to the valley below.  Near the top of the pass we came across goat herders, they travel to some amazing places to graze their stock.  The land here is greener and the area gets snow in the winter.

At the top

Goat herders walking up to the road

 Not the best place to have your goats.

The way down