On the Road to Merzouga

From Fes we headed out on the long trip south to the Sahara.  Thus far our trip had been confined to the larger cities and we were excited to get out and see more of the Moroccan country side.

Our first stop was Ifrane, a small village in the mountains.  What is neat about this town is for a minute you forget you're in Morocco.  The town looks like a miniature representation of a Swiss country side complete with pointy roofs and in the winter snow.  Here Josh grabbed a quick cup of coffee and stretched our legs.

A little Swiss village in the heart of Morocco

Continuing up into the mountains we stopped briefly to try to spot some Barbary Apes in Azrou.  We didn't see any apes but we did take a few pictures with the snow on the ground.  I think its been two years since I've seen the white stuff.

No apes but some snow!

From there it was off to Midelt for lunch.  Midelt is known for its apples and a festival honoring the fruit is held during harvest season every year. It was surprising to me how well these trees do in the seemingly rocky soil.  The center of town sports an apple statue just in case visitors missed the millions of trees dotting the sides of the roads.  For lunch I decided it was time to forgo the tangine but Josh was adventurous and tried camel!  I have to admit I had a bite and it was pretty good, really tender.

Stopping for a delicious lunch in Midelt

After Midelt it was off into the Middle Atlas.  We were treated with spectacular cliffs and green luscious oasises.  A few high peaks loomed in the distance covered in snow.  Coming down out of the mountains we started to see the landscape change drastically.  What once was cliffs became barren, flat ground.

We quickly entered desert-like conditions

At Erfoud we stopped again to stretch our legs and explore a local fossil factory.  A large quarry was found in the area and the people have been mining the fossils ever since.  They make these fossils into sinks and tables.  We picked up a small sand crystal and a mortar and pestle set.

Ksars in Rissani on our way to Merzouga

More crumbling ksars

As the sun started to set we could make out sand dunes in the distance.  Our hotel for the night was on the edge of the desert.  Sand dunes littered the landscape and camels could be heard grunting in the dark.  Josh was even able to take the camera outside and capture the starry night.

Just making out the dunes in the background

was a long day of traveling but luckily we were able to enjoy it all from the comfort of our tour vehicle.  Not to mention the breathtaking scenery we got to experience along the way.  I feel like we saw every landscape in the country in on day from the high forests to the sand dunes in the desert.