Marrakesh and Mountains

Hello all,

One thing I forgot to mention about exploring the kasbah at Ait Benadou is yet another near death attempt in avoiding would be guides/followers/sellers. I have become quite adept at noticing when someone is planning on intercepting me. This guide saw me and then followed me to say that the route up the hill was back past him. I insisited on going my way (now closed) and I'd only scrambled halfway up the rock when I realised it was very crumbly and not at all reliable. Luckily I made it without mishap but for a fze moments my heart was in my mouth! Damm those guides!! : )

So I travelled on to the blood red buildings of Marrakesh. It is believed that when the mosque was built in the heart of Marrakesh; the outpouring of blood dyed all the walls an everlasting red. What a lovely tale. I found on ok room and wasn't it great to have a proper bed and a matress for a change! My initial explorations were marred by hassle from men especially as it got dark; despite the mass of people. Whilst in Marrakesh, I decided to do a clothes experiment which I'd been tempted to do for a while to see how muich of a difference it really made. It did. My best outfit is loose flowing trousers and a shirt WITH collar which consistenly results in no dirty comments and more bonjour madames (as opposed to mamoiselle). Covering hair makes no difference with men but when you're out in the sticks seems to make locals more comfortable with your presence in unsual places.

The main square is full of entertainers - snake charmers, acrobats, musicians, men dressed up as belly dancers (at least I think they were men) and story tellers who I could not understand sadly. It is a perpetual show but you have to wait ages whilst they go round gathering money until they feel they have enough to start.

Marrakesh certainly has a vibe and musuems, palaces, masoleums and huge markets but I found it rather hectic and uninteresting compared to the countryside, although a man in the spice souk did show me what many of the herbs and spices were for. Cities are more fun when you have someone else for company and in many ways it is not so different from the other cities I'd been in. I spent 3 days here and then set off for the mountains.

On arriving in Imlil my first thought was how cool it was and at night it was positively cold; particularly higher up in the mountains which was freezing. After checking in at the refuge with a kind but slightly mad French woman, erecting my tent and meeting the only other guests, a Moroccan family, I checked out the route up the mountain. My plan was to climb the mountian without guide as apparently the route was clearly marked. After a couple of wrong turns I discovered the route out of town (the only confusing part) and then checked out the local waterfall. I, of course, did not take the normal path and ended up clinging to the side of a cliff face as I gingerly edged my wary round and down to the main pool area; which I am sure was quite amusing to those watching!

Later as the sun went down, I went for a gentle hike through a valley on the other side, amazed at the beauty of the mountains especially as the colours changed and the moon started to rise. I havent really been in mountain ranges much. Spending so much time on the sea which I love and will always love, its great to have a change and Morocco is fantastic for its diverse scenery.
The trek up the mountain was a long one taking me 6 hours although it passes me through a quaint tiny village and there are lots of mules carrying gear to dodge. I was taking a quick snooze after lunch when I hear a shuffle in the path and looking up under my hat I see two men. Americans it turned out and one of them had been conversing with me on Thorn Tree. I had been looking for someone to go South with to Mauritania (no-one really thought I could just go to Morocco and then come back again did they??!). Mental that we should meet halfway up the highest mountain in North Africa.

Even more amazing was that the other American had been living in Mauritania for 2 years and in the refuge that evening over dinner, we were to meet Marc, who has a land cruiser and is looking for petrol sharers/sand shovellers to go to Mauritania. I think in all Morocco there are no other people who want to go to Mauritania. Co-incidence, I think not and all being well, we leave in a week. Am a bit fed up of Morocco by now but this opportunity is too good to pass up. Whilst on the camino I said that what I really wanted was to meet someone with a car going South but its the wrong time of year for overland cars - they dont usually start to come until October. Twists of fate don't come much more obvious than this.

The Americans and I climbed up the mountain together which was a grulling and not enjoyable slog. Coming down wasn't much fun either. At just over 4,000m, it is the highest I've been and I felt altidue dizziness for the first time. I have since come to the conclusion that it is more fun to hike around and through mountains than up them. I would say I'm quite fit at the moment and have done a fair chunk of hiking but this battered me around like a paper bag in the wind. I woke up in my tent in Imlil practically unable to move and I did little that day, apart from hobble to the toilet or bread shop, than sleep. I even got less Bonjours than usual probably because of the look on my face! the mad French woman was very sweet and gave me extra blankets. In the refuge on the mountain, I'd brought my usual bread and salad for dinner, but the manager (a local man) insisted on giving me soup and tea as well (for free) which was greatly appreciated in the cold.

It was good to climb the mountain with others; think it might have been quite scary on my own and it was great to swap stories with Brian & Jeremy especially after so much time on my own.
Once I got my strength back I decided to hit the beach and see what beach holidays are like for strict Muslim women (also I'd heard wine was available in agadir which certainly wouldn't go amiss).

Hope you are all well and good,
lots love
kx

P.S. My photos (Morocco, Spain, Gibraltar - but not yet all of the Camino)are now available on Facebook, if you havent joined Facebook yet, you should be able to access them through these links, but it would be much better if you just joined!!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=20371&l=e6d39&id=622201258
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=20355&l=510c8&id=622201258
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=20356&l=bc4a0&id=622201258