In trepidation!!

We had only been there three nights, but the send off we received, from both staff and fellow campers, was as if we were everybody's best friend , and cats too. There must have been five of them waiting for Sue's milk and yoghurt pobs before we departed
Today, we left the security of the coastal towns and villages, and drove eastwards into the Ante Atlas, to our destination for tonight, Tafraout. But as you can see, a large hole in the road was our first hurdle.


The journey along the R104 was amazing, if not a little hair- raising, at times. We used words like awesome, spectacular, breath-taking over and over again. At times, we were even speechless, by the enormity of the sculpted landscape that engulfed us and at other times, when it rolled, fold upon fold into the distance, we wondered where the highland would end.

JWe climbed a steep mountain pass, although the signs were clear, the steep drops were totally devoid of safety barriers. Then we crossed an arid, barren plateau and bounced along a single- track strip of tarmac, with no sign of habitation for endless miles. It did however cross our minds as to what the escape plan might, be should we break down!!

 Suddenly a change in the landscape brought us into boulder country. Huge stones, smoothed by wind-blown sand, perched at dangerously, precarious angles all around us and threatening to topple with the slightest nudge from a passing goat!!

It was dull and 21*C when we left Tiznit and amazingly, forty kilometres later, it was 32* even though we had climbed over 2000metres and by lunch it had reached 36 at Camping Tazka.
We are parked in the middle of a huge granite cirque,and all around us there are jagged peaks, deep gulleys, knife edged ridges and the sillouettes of Palm trees. The dark skies of a storm are looming but the humidity remains high. Thunder begins to echo around this huge natural basin,bouncing off the sheer cliff faces and silencing the bird song.

Evening falls and campers are cooking, others share their days activities,and the ochre

 colours in the rock begin to turn a dark shade of pink with the dying rays of the sun.
Finally, the oppressive heat of the day becomes more acceptable and we stir into life.