Todra Gorge

Since we were spending two nights at Todra Gorge, I decided to have a rest day where I can relax for most of the day, catch up on the blog and generally chill out. When you travel your mind can become overloaded and it helps to give your mind a chance to recuperate.

Our guide offered three alternatives. The first was to take a four hour hiking climb up the Gorge atarting at 8 am.. The second was a two hour walk along the gorge floor starting at 10 am. The third was ta half hour walk at 11:30 am in the narrowest part of the gorge. Half the group took option1 and all but me took option 2. Lazy bones took option 3.

Well I was not entirely lazy. I finished three blog entries and then took a stroll around the Kasbah. Incidentally other members of the group have mentioned a song called Rocking the Casbah which I doesn't ring any bells for me, so I have decided to listen to it. Once was enough, it's too wimpy.

So I walked around the Kasbah without rocking it.

It's quite an impressive building.

Then I walked down into the oasis part beside the creek.

Almond tree blossoms.

The bridge across the creek to the road.

The creek which is fed by springs a few miles away.

It was very relaxing watching the water stream by.

The name of the Kasbah.

Another almond tree in full bloom.

I strolled along the path that group 2 would have taken. 

Bamboo is a popular building material.

It was a delightful walk and group 2 said it was great.

I think this is a cell phone tower beside the hotel which explains the good reception.

Mustapha turned up at 11:30 and he got an orange from the bloke selling vegies.

The oranges in Morocco are superb.

Sign inside our van. And yes, I do love Morocco.

We commenced our walk along the narrow part of the gorge. Group 1 came in the van to this point and eventually climbed to the top of the gorge. They said the view was magnificent and the climb was not too hard but there were a lot of loose rocks.

A large rock fall occurred that crushed a restaurant at one of these hotels. All of them are now closed even though nobody was hurt because the restaurant was empty. Apparently Intrepid used to stay at one of these hotels.

We arrived back at a meeting point and group 2 had arrived. They then continued on with our other guide Mohammed to the narrow part of the gorge.

Notice the climber about half way up.

I relaxed in the cafe with a glass of mint tea and life was good.

Groups 1 and 2 turned up in the van and we went to a restaurant that also is a Cooperative for Berber women to weave rugs.

Our first course was soup but notice the wooden spoon behind the bowl.

The soup was bean with cumin and we all loved it.

Then a Moroccan salad as well as a calzone type pizza with beef inside. No cheese however.

The combo.

Finally some banana pieces and orange slices splattered with cinnamon. We reckoned the cinnamon would not work with lesser oranges but with these local oranges, it is superb.

We all toddled down to the demo of weaving where Rike got a lesson.

Bree was cold and had a carpet draped about her. Lou plotted her buying strategy.

Out came the carpets and this was the first and the one I liked most. It cost about $800 and no, I did not purchase it.

More carpets appeared and a couple were purchased by women in the group. The husbands quaked in fear. 

The carpets can roll up into a very small package.

Some of the coloured wool.

A large basket of lavender to the left.

Another room that can be used for selling carpets to another group in peak season.

I went for a stroll around the building.

 And there was a friendly donkey.

He let me pat his head and below you can see him waggle his ears if you are desperate.

I bet Marianne was desperate.

Door photo for the day.

We then went back to the Kasbah where I had a nap. It was exactly the relaxing day I needed.