Westward Ho!

Our first stop after leaving the Kasbah was at Erfoud, a small town well known for its unique fossils. These marvelous geological formations of segmentation rock go back 600 million years and reflect the marine life at that time. We continued on our way alongside the Todra River to the Todra Gorge and stopped for coffee at an oasis there, surrounded by a sea of date palm trees. We then left the desert area and started to climb once again into the High Atlas Mountains, where the air was noticeably cooler. We passed through the town of Boumalne Dades, which is famous throughout Morocco for its fragrant rose oil, and then descended into the Dades Gorge. This picturesque area, with its numerous Berber kasbahs, fig and almond orchards and unusual rock formations, is particularly striking. Our hotel for the night was in the former French garrison town of Ouarzate. Tomorrow we head for Marrakech.