 PEOPLE DON’T TAKE TRIPS, TRIPS TAKE PEOPLE (John Steinbeck)
By Sagra Garcia, Taking the Kids Correspondent On this trip in the Morrocan Desert, you go with your ideas and thoughts and you come back with a different perspective of life. It is one of the most “exotic” places in Africa. The night in the desert will touch you for sure. The emotivity of certain moments — the music, the fire, the stars — will transform your expectation on the trip in the magic of the moment. Last May, traveladventurekids.com faced a new adventure, that was to travel over the High Atlas Mountains to Tizi n Tichka pass at 2260m above sea level. We were a small family group with an 8 year-old girl and we were travelling for a whole week in Morocco. Our 4×4 transportation took us everywhere, a part from the night at the desert when we took a camel trek to top of the nearest dunes for watching the most amazing sunset, and once in our camp, settled in for a night of great Berber food and fireside drum music (that we all play together). We took a small telescope with us and could observe the beautiful constellations in the darkest night in the middle of Africa, it was a dream that kept us awake by the fire, sharing stories of our Moroccan adventure with the other travelers and making memories that will last a lifetime. The next morning, the nomads woke up us few minutes before the sunrise and we were practicing “sandboarding” while they were preparing a great Berber breakfast for all of us together before leaving the camp with the camels and continuo with more new adventures.
They say that life is about the journey and not the destination and this is certainly true when you are on the road crossing the High Atlas. Then we went nearby Todgha Gorge to walk through the narrow canyon before continuing on to Dades where we stop for two nights and enjoy the pool in one of the most cozy riads (hotel) in the area, we all love it, our room was like a treehouse and it was with candles all over plus you could find some toads by the beautiful gardens, it was almost like an “Oasis” and we were feeling like part of “Lawrence of Arabia type of movie”, unforgettable, specially the hospitality of all the people around us during the whole trip. Even when we visited the nomads in one of the caves, they were offering us their home and some tea as well, really touch it experience. After another spectacular breakfast, with all typical homemade products from their garden and the village, we went for a gorges hike through the unusual rock formation locally known as the Monkey Fingers, the colors, the contrast with the rocks and the sky and the palms in the distant makes that place really unique!
It has been one of the most beautiful and exotic trips we have taken with families and children where there were many magical moments and full of flavor, perfume and spectacular landscapes, surrounded by abrupt mountains, incredible oasis, amazing nature and gentle people all around. Definitely a trip to repeat and above all to remember for the rest of our lives. Contact Traveladventurekids.com for further information. |
On the way to Dades, we went to visit the ancient irrigations system that once brought water from the Saghro Mountains to the desert and we could actually walk all the way down and it was so amazing and interesting that we didn’t want to leave. After a nice cup of green tea (as part of their hospitality, always), we visit some of the ancient fossils around the area and learn a bit more about the Berber history.
We went back to Marrakech to enjoy our beautiful historical riad “hotel” in the medina just one minute from the famed square of Jemaa El F’na. This is the busiest square in all of Africa and it only comes alive after dark, a lot of things going on, like music, dancing snakes, all kind of food and very picturesque place. We could not leave Morocco without trying some of the popular henna tattoos by the cooperative women workshop “Art café” and of course without trying the amazing “hamman” which is one of the best part of been in Marrakech, we’ve got the best massage ever in the most ancient baths in town… the whole experience together with the green tea, cookies, soft towels, great argan oil and perfumes, amazing pools, gentle service, the architecture, in and out with all the perfumes from the whole town…. Indescribable. You might need to come and experience yourself, feels like heaven! Specially as we end our trip for our farewell dinner in one of the best restaurants in the medina “old palace” with very well-known musicians and bally dancers that show us how to do it with them, very special!