Day 11 - Merzouga to the Todra Gorge

Got a lot of traveling done today, Morocco-style.

We were up at the God-awful time of 5 am in order to be back at the auberge for the 7 am transport out.  Trekking on camel through the dues as the sun came up was almost worth it, but I think it will be a long time before I choose to travel by camel again.

We left the hotel in what I will generously call a mini-bus.  It appeared designed to hold 11 at a squeeze, but the it had 19 crammed into it by the time it had done the rounds of the auberges.

We got out at Rissani to replenish cash supplies at a local bank branch, and then took a grande taxi with a couple of Germans to Erfoud with the intention of catching a bus heading west.  We found the bus station and spent a pleasant while sipping mint tea and eating fresh sweetened bread with the abovementioned Germans a handful of other backpackers.

As pleasant as it was, it eventually became apparent that the small bus station was somewhat lacking in buses.  Due to a delay somewhere up the line our bus now wasn't expected arrive for another four hours.

After some discussion it was decided to hire a couple of grand taxis to take us to Tenerhir, a town just south of the Todra Gorge.  So in we squeezed with one other Aussie, one Pole, two Japanese and the Germans, together with a Moroccan or two.  For our driver we had what must have been Morocco's most sedate taxi driver.  He drove as though he actually wanted his passengers to survive the journey.

On our way to Tenerhir we passed through a number of small towns, including one which was having its market day.  It was utter chaos as our taxi inched its way through the mass of humanity (and donkeys).

Eventually we arrived at our destination.  After bidding farewell to the Japanese girls we set about proving that you could fit six sizeable passengers into a sedan with bucket seats.  This taxi was to take us up into the Todra Gorge, where we were hoping to find accommodation. Fate obviously wanting to even things out, for this leg of the journey we scored a taxi driver who seemed intent on playing chicken with whatever vehicles were silly enough to be coming in the other direction.  I heard a number of horrified gasps and muttered oaths coming from the front seat passengers, but as I was busy trying not to be folded in half in the back seat, I was for the most part oblivious to our near misses.

We managed to score pretty well hotel-wise.  Business seemed a bit slow, and we scored a good rate in a reasonable hotel.  It even had warmish water in the shower.  Before dinner Tim F and I had a quick walk up a rocky slope before cutting back down to our hotel through a Berber village, which seemed like a nice place.

For dinner we had my preferred Tangine option - Kefta (meatball).  Over dinner there was a somewhat misguided attempt to explain some Aussie slang to the Germans.  Tim F told the tall and very solidly built German that he was "built like a brick shithouse", but I think something was lost in the translation.  With a crinkle in his brow he replied "I am like shit?".  "Um, no...".  "Then I am like toilet?".