Leaving the Dunes behind, we got to spend some time in a small village souk (market) where they were selling livestock, spices, dates and anything else you can think of.
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Spices that smelled so good |
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Date paste - they use this a lot during Ramadan |
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The donkey parking lot that didn't smell so good! |
We traveled the Road of 1000 Kasbahs, which was an ancient trade route from the Sahara into Marrakesh. The kasbahs are ancient fortified villages built from mud and straw, and some are still inhabited today.
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One of the many kasbahs |
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Travel companions |
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Snow-capped Atlas mountains in the background |
Our next night was spent in a hotel at the bottom of the Dades Gorge. We drove up 24 switch-backs and then got to walk down the road at sunset to get to our hotel. Evidently this road is famous - Cadillac filmed a commercial here.
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Dades Gorge |
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One of the hotels in the Dades Gorge |
After our serene night in the gorge, we drove through the City of Roses, through the Atlas mountains and on to Marrakesh.
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Making Rose Oil |
Marrakesh is the tourist capital of Morroco. The souks were laden with treasures - pottery, leather goods, spices, sweets, fruit, fabrics, lamps, rugs.... there was so much to take in! After dinner, we went out to the Jemma el-Fna Square to take in the nightlife. It was teaming with people and coursing with energy.... snake-charmers, trained monkeys, musicians, and juice vendors, along with henna tattoo artists and shoe-shiners.
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Souk |
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Pottery |
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Nuts, seeds and dried fruit |
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There were more than 20 juice vendors all in a row |
We stumbled upon a beautiful rose garden just a few steps away from all of the chaos of the souk. The peace in the garden was tangible after the noise of the souk and the asymmetrical nature of this bench caught my eye - a reminder that beauty isn't predictable or balanced, that life is imperfect and messy, but that's where the real living happens.
We had another 4-hour train ride from Marrakesh to Casablanca before we flew out to head home. With a couple delayed flights, I had tight connections and got to run through two airports, but thankfully made all of my connections, and made it home safe and sound. It was an amazing adventure filled with so many memorable experiences. I am grateful for the awesome friends I traveled with and the new friends I made along the way. I also discovered some new food I'll be trying to replicate in my own kitchen, so stay tuned for those recipes!