Road of Tajines_7

2008.10.11

In fact, this is the last full day of our Moroccan holiday. After the Sahara, the Dades and Todra, and the Atlantic, snow-capped mountains of the High Atlas were the next destination in our itinerary. It was no easy journey to reach the mountains without hiring a car or taxi. We started off the day with a 40 minutes walk from Djemma el Fna to a highway south of the city, to seek for a public bus that would perhaps bring us to Asni. We were instructed by a local to get onto a bus bounded southwards. The bus ran for over half an hour. We were half asleep throughout most of the way. By the time we were fully awakened, sunbreaks appeared in front of us and we could see the snow-capped mountain range of the High Atlas. Because of the thick clouds, most of the peaks were pretty much hidden.

The bus dropped us at a village, probably Tahnaout, at an intersection where a group of locals were waiting for mini-buses and shared taxis. We joined them at the roadside and ended up finding ourselves cramped like prisoners at the back of a mini goods van. I was the last to get on the van. Luckily two old men were kind enough to squeeze out 1/4 of a seat for me, while HC, MC and SH all cramped in one corner. It was an exciting half hour ride uphill zigzaging along narrow mountain roads. HC fell asleep almost as soon as he sat down. MC, a local old man and I exchanged smiles everytime HC's head fell onto the shoulders of the old man. Crowned as the biggest saturday market at this part of the High Atlas, saturdays in Asni have always been a gathering time among the locals. We strolled through the market from the end that sells tajine pots to the opposite that sells donkeys and horses (a). Nothing caught our eyes. At the exit, we hired a taxi for Imlil, a tiny village that serves as a popular base for trekking.

Jbel Toubkal soon fell in sight as our taxi left Asni. With 4167m, it is the highest peak in North Africa. The snow-capped peak was well hidden behind clouds. The taxi driver dropped us off at a cafe and agreed to pick us up in two hours of time. We followed a path into the Toubkal National Park. On our way to search for a good view of Jbel Toubkal, groups of children and locals waved at us as we passed by Berber settlements. On a dried stream bed, we ascended towards Toubkal for a short distance, climbed up a few terraced fields and reached a large rock in front of a stone retaining wall. We went no further but climbed on the rock one by one to take photos of the mountain, as well as ourselves (b)(c). This stone retaining wall and a semi-hidden Jbel Toubkal concluded our day excursion.

After we returned to Marrakech, we made a last effort to shop for souvenirs in the souk (d). As I used up my last Moroccan dirhams, I bought nothing but a box of mini-French/Moroccan pastries for my colleagues in London. That night, we skipped supper altogether. MC didn't fell well and went to bed early. SH, HC and I bought a box of mini-pastries and played some games of Big2 to determine who got to eat.