Our next leg of the journey took us up twisty mountain passes into the High Atlas mountains where we were treated to breathtaking views overlooking steep valleys and sun-kisses mountain tops.
These goats are incredible and climb trees! Their dung is used to make argan oil which is found everywhere in Morocco and can be eaten or used to make your hair super-duper shiny!
Rules of the road and safety should be obeyed at all times! Watching these little jokers was like watching a cartoon, every time the truck faced a sharp corner they all swayed to the side, clinging on to avoid falling out over the cliff face! Who needs seat belts anyways?
We knew we were heading to a simple little guesthouse just outside the village of Imlil and our instructions were to follow the road until the road came to an end. Well, I can tell you that the Moroccan definition of a road is drastically different to our definition of a road, as when we decided that bumpy, thin tracks had come to an impassable point, we found out that actually we still had a way to go to reaching our destination. We made it and as the donkeys carried our bags down what can only be describes as a small cliff face, I have to admit I was a little daunted as to where we were going to be staying. By this point of the trip we were tired, hungry, dusty and unashamedly in need of a little R and R.
We arrived, however, at a little piece of heaven. Nestled high up in the mountains, perched on a cliff-edge was every child's fantasy treehouse, with level upon level of wooden huts creating a network of dreamy rooms. As if this couldn't get any better there were hammocks, seats, hidden balconies and tucked away corners for exploring. I cannot explain how much of a contrast the guesthouse (the Douar Samra) was to what we imagined a basic lodge in the mountains would look like. There was no electricity which only made this little retreat more special and comfy, woven blankets were provided so you could wrap up warm in the evening's chill. I got a little bit carried away with photo taking, but this place is special, it deserves documenting!
I mean look at that terrace! Can you imagine a better place to enjoy a sunset with a glass of wine?
Whilst staying in the mountains we were able to do a bit more trekking, all day ventures for the adventurous amongst us and trips to the village for those in need of a gentle stroll. Although, this gentle stroll did involve an hour's hike back up the cliff afterwards. I also took the opportunity to have my hands painted with henna by a wonderful village lady who didn't speak a word of English or French. We managed to communicate with a serious of hand gestures and lots of smiles as she pronounced "beauty" "beauty" repeatedly as she viewed her finished artwork.
The pigment goes on orange and after an hour or two turns into a beautiful rich brown.
I was very reluctant to leave this little corner of paradise and head towards the coast and I can safely say that I will be back!
Mood - Peaceful
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Thanks for all your messages, I really appreciate each and every one! B x