Morocco Day 4

Day 04 - Friday, March 13, 2009 - Excursion to Cascades d'Ouzoud

The alarm went off at 6:30 and we were up on the terrace with Vilma and Barbara at 7:15 for our breakfast. It was a bit cooler today; the temperature was 66º and the humidity was 62%.

Jamal had arranged for us to leave at 8:00 am for our full-day excursion to the Cascades d'Ouzoud. There was a slight delay as he arranged to help Gennie and I have laundry done. There is not hotel service here so we had to get it to the local laundry a few blocks away.

On the way out of the city we were able to see children on their way to school and people beginning their work day. Traffic was very congested, a typical big city.

We traveled northeast past the beautiful palm groves, expensive villas, and modern shopping centers. Jamal gave us a brief history of the occupations of Spain and France and their affect on the culture and languages of Morocco.

We passed walled settlements with earthen partitions made of adobe. Most of the homes were primitive but most do have electricity and a few even have satellite dishes.

Transportation here in the country is predominately scooters and bicycles, but the produce is carried by horse or donkey drawn carts. The agriculture consists of olive trees, figs, oranges, a variety of nuts, and dates. Wheat and barley are also grown and sheep, goats and cows are raised for meat and milk products.

We made a discovery stop at a very small coop and watched the farmers brining in their fresh milk in small plastic barrels. The manager checked the density to insure that the milk was not watered down. He was having a conflict with one man who had been caught altering the content of the milk for the second time.

Also along this road there was an olive oil coop where olives were pressed and then the oil either bought by the coop or taken home for private consumption. Unfortunately, this is not the season for olives but we were still able to see the machines and how they are used.

There is an analogy that says, “Morocco is like a tree with its roots in Africa but its leaves breathe the air of Europe.” Jamal told us about the alliances Morocco has with the European Union and the other African Nations. The exception is Algeria and their dispute over the Western Sahara.

At 10:30 we made a technical stop at a very new and clean Highway Café and Service Station. Gennie saw some young men fueling their Ford tractor and asked if she could take their pictures.

They were extremely friendly when they found out we were Americans. In limited English and no Arabic for us, we were able to communicate. They smiled and said “Obama”!

We laughed and gave High-5’s all around. We took several photos and these young gentlemen were extremely pleased to see their pictures!

As we made our way further north we passed through green hillsides blooming with the small red poppies we had seen in Europe in previous travels. Jamal told us Morocco did not grow the big opium poppies, but they did have a problem with farmers growing cannabis in the mountains.

The closer we got to the mountains, the more rocky and unproductive the land became. Goat and sheep herders tended their flocks that were grazing in the sparse grass.

We reached the Cascades d'Ouzoud, beautiful water falls, in this foothills region. Ouzoud literally means “the act of grinding grain” in Berber. There is a community grinding stone and water wheel used by the people for hundreds of years.

After exploring the top of the cascades, we followed the steps to the base of the falls (which drop over 300 feet) on a path lined with vendors eager to give us a good deal.

We stopped about halfway at a terrace restaurant called Café des Amis for lunch. We were greeted by several very hungry and curious Barbary apes that make this moist environment their home.

Our lunch began with a cucumber and tomato salad and bread baked over a wood fire. We were served beef on skewers followed by two tajines, or cone shaped earthen ware baking dishes. One dish contained vegetables with chicken and the other with lamb. Oranges for dessert.

We finished our lunch and took a few more photos of the apes and then walked down to the bottom of the falls. The sky had clouded over and we were covered by the heavy mist from the falls as well as a few raindrops.

By the time we walked back up the path and stairs to the van, it was pouring harder so we were cooled before starting our trip back to the city.

The rush hour traffic after 5:00 was heavy again and we arrived at the hotel at 5:30. Jamal told us of our plan for tomorrow and we went up to our room to prepare for dinner and check the status of the internet which has been sporadic at best.

We were scheduled to eat dinner in the hotel tonight but decided we have been eating toooo much! We walked to the large super market and then stopped off at a small sidewalk café for a kebab and small pizza. Just enough for the end of another fun day in Morocco!

Accommodations: Moroccan House Hotel - - - Meal: B, L, D

Please see our Trip Evaluation -- Click Here -- A Complete Review of Overseas Adventure Travel Pre-Trip to Marrakech, Morocco.

If you are traveling individually may we recommend:

Jamal Boularhbar, Tour Leader

recommended by National Geographic Adventure Magazine

j_boularhbar@hotmail.com

+212 611 320 874