Day 33 - Hot French Quad Bike Rider

Our 4WD drivers

Wild donkeys

My favourite photo to date

Ready to go

Local village

Goats in trees eating argan fruit

We woke up at 6am to watch the sunrise but it was not spectacular. 

After breakfast and packing up camp we had another bone jarring 3 hours in the 4WD's.  We stopped a couple of times to take photos of wild donkeys and camels before then stopping for coffee at this remote drink and toilet stop.  The landscape now is incredibly flat, hard base with very light sand.  Whilst having cafe nous nous we heard a sound that indicated quad bikes were around.  Quad bike and dune buggy riding is very popular in the area.  A group of guys on quad bikes arrived at our stop so I asked if I could look at the bikes and before I knew it one of them asked me if I wanted a ride.  I said yes straight away and it was the most amazing experience!!!!  We were only out for about 5 minutes but he went fast.  It was brilliant, and to top it off the driver was incredibly good looking.  Our Moroccan 4WD drivers were laughing because I was jumping around like a kid afterwards - pumped full of adrenalin.

At the end of our 4WD trip we all had lunch in a small town then said goodbye to the drivers - they had limited english so communication was difficult but they were great and I think they enjoyed our company also.

The next stage was a mini-bus drive (5 hours) thorugh the Anti Atlas Mountains (runs parallel to the High Atlas but more south).  The journey was broken up with a visit to a saffron cooperative - I had no idea the actual flowers are purple in colour!!

We were then in Argan country - lush landscape again but with many argan trees that bear a fruit which is crushed to extract the oil that is used by Moroccans for cooking, cosmetics etc.  Goats love the fruit, and the big thing in this area is looking out for the goats who climb into the trees to get at it.  We stopped a couple of times to take photos of the goats (unfortunately best kodak moments where when we couldn't stop at the side of the road for safety reasons).

Tonight we stayed in a lovely quiet riad outside of town - we are in Taroudant (known as little Marrakesh).  The pool was heaven after 8 hours on dusty and rough roads, and I am still suffering frojm the camel ride.

Dinner was sedate - we went into the town square.  To be honest, I am a little over tagines, cous cous and moroccan salad, so really looking forward to fish soon.  The town was busy til about 10pm when shops were shut and people headed home.  We did the same.