We started the day by reluctantly saying goodbye to the Todra Gorge hotel, which had come to feel like home after only two days, and driving back into the nearby town of Tinghir. Monday is Market Day in Tinghir, where all of the locals from the town and the nearby villages, and the nomadic families from the surrounding mountains, come to buy, sell and trade everything from food to clothing to jewelry to carpets. We spent some time browsing around the local market, shopping and people-watching. Not many photos, though, since most people don’t want to have their photos taken. I bought some bananas and then I saw a stall selling the really good cookies like we had with tea yesterday, so I went to buy one. Instead, I somehow ended up with a full kilo of them. They only cost about the equivalent of a dollar altogether, but now I have to figure out what to do with a kilo of cookies.
After the market, we stopped off at the Ighir Association for children and young adults with disabilities. The program is fairly new and staffed by volunteers – we met one girl from Kansas who was there as part of her stint with the Peace Corps. They have classes for kids in as well as in crafts such as candle-making, welding, jewelry-making, weaving and more, as well as regular school, physical therapy, and sessions to support the parents. The project is supported by the foundation of the tour company I’m traveling with. We had a tour of the place, met some of the kids and volunteers, and I bought a necklace that caught my eye.
Then, a drive across the mountains. We stopped off for a coffee break in a spot known as Rose Valley, because of the roses that are grown there. There, the touted items include rose water, rose oil, and necklaces of rose petals. Every place in Morocco has a local specialty that is sold by absolutely everyone.
We made our way as far as Ouarzazate before stopping for lunch. Ouarzazate is otherwise known as Morocco’s Hollywood because of the number of big-budget films that were shot here. Some of the better-known titles include Gladiator, Babel, Kingdom of Heaven, Black Hawk Down, the Mummy, and Lawrence of Arabia. There are film studios visible from the road, and we had lunch in a restaurant overlooking one of the main Casbahs that shows up in films. All of the locals here like to boast about having met Brad Pitt or Russell Crowe – whether it’s true or not doesn’t seem to matter much. But it’s certainly the main industry and source of economic prosperity in these parts.
After lunch, we had a short drive to our accommodations for this evening – a local guesthouse in a converted traditional house overlooking the famous Ait Benhaddou Casbah, where dozens of Hollywood movies were shot. The guesthouse is owned by a man nicknamed “Action” for having been an extra in a couple dozen movies. After the traditional welcome glass of mint tea, we headed out for a walk inside the Casbah, which was full of winding paths and interesting architecture. It was also extremely windy, especially at the top.
Before dinner, we got a cooking lesson from our hosts on how to prepare couscous and tagine the traditional way. Three and a half hours to cook a meal? Hmmm, not in this lifetime. I think I’ll stick to my instant food. The dinner was delicious, though. After dinner, we put some music on and a few of us started impromptu dancing. The owner’s kids wandered in at one point to join the party. His nine-year-old daughter sort of adopted me, and I spent at least an hour trying to keep up with her. Where do kids get all that energy? It was cute, though. Finally, we headed off to sleep in preparation for another big day.