During my fourth day in Morocco, I woke up bright and early to have breakfast in the hotel dining room, prior to departure for a lengthy journey by bus. French bread with jams, local dates and figs, watermelon, stewed tomatoes, baked potatoes, and salad made for a tasty and filling start to the day! The excitement built up, as we traveled into the very heart of the country!
Our first stop of the day was a morning break in the French-built alpine town of Ifrane. This quiet, resort town offers chalet accomodations, shops, restaurants, gardens, and picturesque views.
Then we were off into the Middle Atlas Mountain Range!
The forests, volcanic mountains, and plains were a fantastic sight to behold! We made a stop in the cedarwood forest to see some Moroccan barbary monkeys. Adult monkeys and their babies were swinging in the trees and strolling along the forest floor, while seeking food.
For lunch, we stopped at a restaurant in a small mountain town. My appetizer was the harira tomato soup. I dined on couscous covered with huge chunks of veggies such as carrots, potatoes, and greens.It was filling and superb!
Along the mountainous valley, we encountered mile upon mile of fig trees, growing figs galore!
The Middle Atlas Mountain region is dotted with “mud and stick” houses. They make for quite a picturesque view with the mountain backdrop!
The region also boasts of a colorful blue reservoir.
The Ziz Gorges provide a spectacular view!
This region becomes more arid and we are presented with a stone-filled desert landscape. The Ziz Valley comes into sight and offers more gorgeous panoramas! The peaceful oasis is ours to behold now!
Our arrival in Erfoud came just before dinner time. The hotel meals were included in our tour package, so I ate there in the evening. Again, my tour director informed me that the meal would be vegan. Cosmos Tours are awesome as they check with hotel staff and restaurants to provide vegan meals for me!
My starter was a veggie soup.
My entree was a kebab of red peppers, zucchini, and eggplant. Side dishes included stewed tomatoes, string beans, carrots, and rice. The meal was splendid!
For dessert, sliced oranges fit the bill. I can’t say enough good things about the delicious oranges in Morocco! You need to drink some orange juice with every breakfast!
The next day I was thrilled to have some local Moroccan pancakes for breakfast! These mesemmen(pancakes) were topped with apricot fruit jam! They were absolutely delectable! The sides were oranges, olives, dates, and a small piece of Fench bread.
On the hotel grounds, many a fig tree were blooming!
Our tour group started day five of our holiday with a tour of a local fossil and mineral shop. The staff showed us how the slabs of marble were cut and made into various plates, tables, sinks, and statues. One of the crystalized minerals we saw was called “Desert Rose”.
We then proceeded to Rissani in eastern Morocco. It is the closest, populous town to the Erg Chebbi, the largest sand dunes in the Sahara Desert. It is a former caravan town and thriving commercial center with a decent-sized souk several days a week.
The group visited the market souks where vendors sold fruits and vegetables, clothing, medicinal herbs, and other items such as Berber pottery.
Our guide brought us to another rug-making shop where the staff told us about the various woven rugs and designs from the indigenous ethnic groups.
The next excursion on our agenda was to visit the mausoleum of Moulay Ali Sharif, the first ruler of the Alaouite Dynasty.
Our informative guide showed us a script of the recently, written language of the Berbers.
As we drove through the region, I appreciated the windswept, sandy landscape, dotted with palm trees.
Our morning tour was completed and we were dropped off back at the hotel in Erfoud. As a well-seasoned vegan traveler, I had done my research prior to my arrival in Morocco. I knew there was a vegan-friendly restaurant in this town. Restaurant Pizzeria Des Dunes (Pizzeria Des Dunes) was located on the main street in town. My lengthy walk to get there was definitely worth the trip! For lunch, I selected the medfouna. This is a Moroccan pizza, made with the dough on the outside and filled with diced veggies(peppers, onions, greens). As there was no cheese, it was completely vegan. It was absolutely superb and delectable!
After a healthy walk back to my accommodations, there was a bit of time for a brief rest prior to the evening’s planned activity. I must note here that the Moroccan people are very friendly! Many times throughout my vacation, the local people would smile, greet me, and initiate conversations on the street, in the accommodations, and in restaurants. I never felt unsafe, only respected and appreciated as a human being, regardless of my ethnicity.
When evening finally rolled around, it was time for THE MOST EXCITING and exotic part of the entire vacation: going to the top of the sand dunes in the Sahara Desert to watch the sun set!
After about a half hour to an hour drive from Erfoud to Merzouga in 4X4s, we arrived in the Sahara desert!
Our guide arrange for us to pay a visit inside a Berber family tent. We watched as the family members wove carpets and other household items. A separate straw hut provided an oven for baking.
I joined several members of my tour group for an invigorating walk up and down many a dune until we reached the top! Everyone sat there for an hour watching the sun set. It was spectacular!
I made it to the top! Hooray!
Upon arriving back at the hotel, we were famished. Fortunately, the hotel dining room was serving our dinner at that time. I dined on vegetable soup and a plate of potatoes, noodles, salads, French bread, and olives. My dessert was watermelon and orange slices. It was a good meal to end an exciting day!
I went to sleep with happy thoughts of the excursions we had accomplished and of the adventures we would encounter the following day!