October 19 – 23
The day after skiing the dunes we hopped onto a bus to travel to the Atlas Mountains. We saw some women hanging out with some sheep by the baggage compartment. We wondered if the sheep were riding with us. Sure enough, just before departure, they loaded the sheep into the luggage compartment next to our gear and off we went.
The territory we traveled through is very much like Nevada or parts of Utah except for the palm trees lining the river. As the bus climbed higher we saw pine and cedar trees. We were the only tourists on the bus and as the time drew near for midday prayer a man began singing the prayers that would normally be sung in the mosque. Because only Muslims are allowed to go into a mosque, it was a wonderful chance to get a glimpse of the Moroccan culture. Many people joined in as they sang and chanted prayers for about 15 minutes.
The view from the bus
We ended up in the beautiful little mountain town of Azrou after a day in Midelt. We decided to hike with a guide we met in town. He knew many of the birds and local plants and knew the surrounding hills “like my pocket”. There are no established trails, just sheep and donkey tracks that wind and intersect. Our guide led us confidently up into the cedar forest where we found barbary apes. We spent a long time watching and feeding them bits of bread.
Here as in much of Morocco the familiar mixes with the exotic. We see landscape that reminds us of home and yet encounter the new and unexpected everyday.
-Margit
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