Sunday, May 11, 2014

Onward and Upwards

Our protracted stay at Camping Calme was short lived because we get a bit twitchy to be on the road again. I hear a song there.
So, having stowed our gear in an orderly fashion, in the rear ( it's the only way to survive in our restricted living space), we were on our way further south, towards Agadir. Never having journeyed this far down the coast, we didn't  know what to expect.
Being Sunday, it was market day in the larger towns, and the streets and dusty pavements  were full of activity. People wandered in the road pushing hand carts and ignoring the traffic, smoke rose from the kebab stands, the smell of spices filled the air and a solitary woman could be seen buying fresh fruit and veg. Yes, in this male dominated landscape, Sue was out there boosting the Moroccan economy.
The argon trees were bare, but we saw donkeys with double panniers taking the nuts for oil extraction. Then the trees became thinner on the ground as the aridity increased and the landscape became steeper. We began to climb up our first mountain pass with its many twists and turns, and were thankful for a decent surface on the N1 which hugs the rugged coastline.
Once we were back on the lowland plain, running next to the sea, the colour of the water was a vivid turquoise, capped by the brilliance of the white - topped breakers.
We stopped for lunch at the roadside and paid a "Guardian" for the privilege.
Watching the families having their day on the beach, made you realise that the world over, kids make sandcastles and have donkey rides, mums look after the food and dads lie under the brollies!
Our campsite for tonight is half way up a hillside at Terre d' Ocean, near the village of Taghazout. The panorama is spectacular but at one point a sea fret washed over us, cooling the air and totally obliterating the view. Then a short while later, we were above this fog, looking down onto a grey cushion, tinged pink by the setting sun.

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