Day 12 Crossing the Atlas Mountains

Dinner at the hotel last night was a shock. When we checked in the hotel was empty but when we came for dinner there were hoards. Tour busses had arrived. Breakfast the next morning was with the same hoards and soon after, we started our drive to the mountains. The scenery was stark and beautiful. We could see mountains covered with snow. We stopped and Bo bought a tagine for 1/14th the price they were asking at the factory in Fez that our tour guide took us to. We stopped in the town of Ourzazate, where movies such as Lawrence of Arabia, the Gladiator, the Mummy, Jesus of Nazareth and many others were filmed. We stopped for lunch and when we ordered 2 chicken pastilles they said they were out so we selected something else. Then they came back a few minutes later and said they had them. We think they got them from the restaurant next door. Then we started toward Marrakech. We took a quick detour to take a look at a very picturesque Ksar Ait Ben Haddou, a fortified village that is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Unfortunately, Bo was the only one who wanted to walk through the village but she was outvoted so we just looked at this amazing place and went on. The drive on very steep and narrow road through the High Atlas mountains was treacherous but we reached the peak at Tichka Pass (7,000 feet). The drive down was even more scary. We finally arrived in Marrakech and after fighting the traffic got to our hotel. It is a converted mansion (riad) and unbelievable. It looks like a dump from the outside but inside it is beautiful.If you ever travel to Marrakech, Riad Moucharabieh is the place to stay.