Morocco Storybook Tour – Day 9 can be found here.
“Where did you come from – the Sahara?”
– Front desk staff at Villas des Orangers
Thanks to a minor miracle, our electronic devices somehow knew that Morocco had set their clocks back the previous night – and so we all woke up on time, for once.
Muhammad and Ayesha fixed us another delicious breakfast of flatbreads and omelettes, and then we were once more in the whirlwind. We packed up our 5 large and 2 small suitcases and assorted backpacks, and we were on our way shortly after 9 am.
Bidding farewell to beautiful Skoura…
First stop – the ancient village of Ait Ben Haddou.
If the picture seems familiar, it may be because Ait Ben Haddou has starred in a huge range of films and television shows, including Lawrence of Arabia, Gladiator and Game of Thrones, to name just a few.
Another UNESCO world heritage site, Ait Ben Haddou is considered a striking example of Moroccan construction techniques that is all the more noteworthy for the way it includes an entire sprawling village on a mountain, including modest houses, common areas, and defensive structures.
But we had more important matters to attend to, other than sightseeing – we were on the hunt for the magic lamp. Ali began with three challenging riddles:
“More precious than gold to a man that is hungry.”
“Like the blossom, but much more satisfying.”
“The sound of water falling from the sky.”
(Not sure what the answers are? Look for them at the end of this post.)
After a few small hints, we figured them out for ourselves and were directed to continue on to the top of the mountain.
Rather than diminish in the night, the wind had – if anything – picked up steam. But we persevered, and soon we were hunting for the remaining two keys amidst the rock cairns at the top.
Found them!
Then back down through the rest of the winding village.
Next, we went to have lunch with a local Berber family. Originally, this had been the one part of our tour that we had requested not be included, as we had some concerns about it objectifying the family in question. But it turned out to be a lovely visit and an even more delicious meal – lots of hot tea and perfectly spiced chicken tajin.
Typically we would eat in the garden, but that wasn’t an option due to the wind
And then once more back on the road, this time heading to the resting place of the magic lamp – the salt caves at Talouet.
We once more wound our way through the Atlas Mountains.
Until we reached the mines.
Ali – so certain up until this point – now seemed in doubt as to the lamp’s resting place. As we drove, he asked us to say, “Open Baba Hesh!” to which we added the Arabian Nights equivalent of, “Open sesame!”
It seemed to work. Ali found an offramp, and deposited us at the start of the mining road so that he could check the route for us.
We walked through the canyon, chanting the magic words…
… until we reached the cave.
We stepped inside, and began the search for the boxes that corresponded to each of our keys. Which would contain the magic lamp?
No, only a snake…
Eventually – deep in the mine – we found that for which we had searched: the magic lamp.
Ali unveiled a note from Uncle Edmund, expressing his congratulations and instructing us to deliver the lamp to the genie in Marrakech, where we would enjoy a delicious feast.
Once more back into the car, and back through the Atlas Mountains.
Though still flushed with victory, it was also turning into a long day – particularly given the long days we’d had on the road up until now.
Thankfully, Ali made good time on the way back and we pulled up outside Villas des Orangers at around 4:30 pm.
Villas des Orangers is a Relais & Chateaux property at the edge of the Medina – a sprawling, palatial riad with three pools, multiple gardens, and some truly stunning architecture. This post has enough photos already, so I’ll be saving most photos of the hotel until tomorrow. In the meantime, here’s a small taste of what’s to come.
We did not blend in – as noted at the start of this post, the front desk clerk goggled at us and wondered if we’d just come from the Sahara. Likely a combination of the fact that we all looked a bit worse-for-wear after our lengthy trip, Ali’s desert garb, and the thick layer of dust marring our suitcases.
Our room at the Villas des Orangers – or rooms, I should say – is a junior suite with two full bedrooms, two baths, and its own small open-air courtyard. The kids’ bed was set up as a double initially, but it was no trouble for them to split the beds. It was perfectly comfortable for a family of four, and easily the most luxurious of any of the places we’d stayed this trip.
We had a street food tour scheduled that night, but thankfully we’d gotten in early enough to shower away some of the travel grime and change into fresh clothes.
Then we were off on our tour.
Olive sellers ply their wares in the Medina
We visited the main square of the Medina this time, which was now full-to-bursting with people, vendors, street performers – you name it. It was fascinating to see, but it wasn’t long before we tired of the press of the crowd. (The final straw was when a snake charmer, unbidden, brought over a snake to my wife and daughter. They were not impressed.)
Thankfully, the first stop on our tour was a little hole-in-the-wall restaurant that had both lamb tajin and a kind of slow-roasted lamb that had been cooked in a pit since early that morning. It’s not photogenic, but it was certainly delicious.
They also had a tremendous view of the Medina – which, in my opinion, is the best way to experience the Medina.
There was a whole tour booked from there that included sardine burgers and seeing how couscous is made – instead, we opted for a savoury pancake with tomato sauce and onion:
And a plate of sweets at another nearby rooftop restaurant:
A tremendous view outside the restaurant…
…And inside the stairwell
This brought a three hour tour down to a much-more-manageable hour and half.
We then ordered room service to the garden of the hotel, and the kids each ordered plates of plain buttered pasta:
It’s great to be adventurous – and both of our kids have been amazing this trip, particularly where food has been concerned – but sometimes you just want some comfort food.
Then off to bed, so that we’re rested for our final tour tomorrow.
Continue reading Morocco Storybook Tour – Day 11.