We chose this tour as it appeared to offer a glimpse into the country far detached from the bustle of Marrakech, and we were by no means dissapointed!
Crossing the plain to the foothills was an uneventful half hour but then the road started to climb and the scenery took on a richness and magnifigance that was to remain with us for the duration of the day.
There was much to be seen and the serpentine roads afforded spectacular vistas as they wound up the mountain sides, yet the highlight of the trip was a trek through three of the villages that took us as close to the people of these lands as is possible without living amongst them.
We were in mid March at the time, and spring was only just beginning to stir, so the paths and tracks were not as green as they would no doubt become, but even so, one could sense a certain romance in the nooks and glades even when bereft of their leafy finery.
Yet we were also reminded of the power of nature, for in 2023 she had shaken these hills and in doing so had taken 3,000 lives, the ruins still stood as a reminder to those that cared to visit while the rest of the world moves on. Nature's restlessness and the resilience of mankind is the history of humanity, starkly presented to us here in these valleys.
If you take this trip, and you should, then take care to question Abdul of all that occurs to you as he has a remarkable knowlege and passion for his people, you will learn more of Morroco in this one day than than a million months in the throng of the Marrakech souks.