Sahara Tour Day Two: Todgha and Dades Gorges
- beachmontabroad
- Jul 29, 2017
- 2 min read
Winding our way through the Dades Gorges region.
The second day of our Sahara trek led us through desert villages, rural landscapes and rocky gorges as we drove further into the Atlas mountains. It was another long day in the car, but full of exciting stops along the way.
One memorable experience was visiting a rural well, where local people can bring their camels to drink water or to fill up containers for themselves.
Camels crossing the road to visit the rural well.
Locals stopping by the well to refresh themselves with some cool water.
Our guide, Aly, demonstrating how water is brought up from the deep well in rubber buckets and dumped into a long basin for the camels to drink.
We also made a stop in the small town of Rissani. People from the surrounding area travel to Rissani to shop and sell goods at the popular marketplace. We were not there on a big shopping day, when the marketplace is over-flowing with local produce, crafts and other wares from around the region. However, we were able to see some of the permanent shops.
The central street in Rissani, which becomes very crowded on marketplace days.
Ms. Cassidy and one of our guides, Hassan, walking through the Rissani market, passing a shop selling beautiful, long scarves in the traditional style of southern Morocco.
Date products for sale at the Rissani marketplace, including whole dates, mashed dates and date juices. Delicious!
After several more hours of driving, we made it to the Todgha Gorge. This large, narrow gap between tall, rocky cliffs is a favorite spot for Moroccans (tourists and locals) to spend a relaxing day. The spot provided an oasis from the hot temperatures of the desert summer.
Cars parked along the road running through the Todgha Gorge.
Ms. Cassidy and Ms. Pollock in the Todgha Gorge.
Families and groups of friends relaxing along the stream that runs through the Todgha Gorge. Many people brought their own small stoves to prepare a hot picnic lunch.
We continued on from the Todgha Gorge, encountering breathtaking views with each turn of the road. No matter where we went, we saw local people who had adapted to the range of landscapes and established a way of life. We have been so impressed by the creativity, ingenuity and determined spirit of the Moroccan people.
A local settlement along a river bed oasis.
We ended our day in the Dades Gorges region, another river-side oasis filled with dramatic rocky cliffs.
Ms. Pollock, our guide, Hassan, and Ms. Cassidy in front of Monkey's Fingers, a rock formation in the Dades Gorges region.
A view from atop of the windy road rising out of the Dades Gorge.
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