Highway through the Middle Atlas Mountains
For the second day of our trip, we drove from Fez, through the Middle Atlas Mountains to Midelt. The mountains were gorgeous. I loved seeing all the nomad shepherds and flocks of sheep, such a difference from the fenced-in farms around our part of Europe. What an interesting life it would be to roam the mountains with your flock – I guess that’s what cowboys used to do.
Nomadic Family's Home
We stopped in the middle of the day to see wild monkeys at a large cedar forest in the Ifrane National Park. The forest was gorgeous, but unfortunately the monkeys have become a tourist site and seem no more wild than raccoons at the beach parks in Florida.
Wild Monkey in Ifrane National Forest
The next day, we drove through Errachidia and the Ziz Valley to the Merzouga desert. This was a completely different terrain than the day before – very sandy and dry. There were a couple places where a river ran through the area and those parts were lush and green and packed with olive trees and date palms. We had lunch (tagines) at a palmery where we spotted some frogs and toads.
Toad at a Palmery in the Ziz Valley
That afternoon, our guide gave us a tour of the Rissani market. Rissani is a fairly big desert town, but the market still felt really run down. My favorite part was the donkey parking lot where people left their donkeys while they went shopping or trading.
Local Woman on her Donkey
I’ve posted more photos from these two days on Flickr:
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that last shot of you with sunrise (set?) is incredible. i love seeing what you saw and where you went. you must feel so victorious having been there and done that. lots of your shots look like they ought to be in National Geographic.
omg, I love the toad. I just want to take him home.
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I liked the pictures of the woman on a donkey and the sheep on the side of the mountain. The house with the stones in the yard was also interesting, with no coverings on the windows. Beautiful photos of a location most of us won’t ever see. I’m glad you shared them. It isn’t what I expected Morocco to look like.
I love the monkey! And the frog! How’s your foot?
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Your trip to Morocco looks so amazing – very jealous! (and what a great way to escape the dampness of Brussels :-)