Sand dune camp to Todra Gorge and M’Goun Valley

We are up at 6:15 a.m. and return to Merzouga on the camels for breakfast, only a half-hour ride. We stop at the top of one lot of sand-dunes to watch the sun rise. The colours on the dunes are beautiful.

We drive, and drive, and drive today. Back through the town of Erfoud with the pretty pale green doors. The next town Algerf has them too: an oasis town with many date palms. The women here are wearing flowing black tunics which indicates that they are Arab. It is very strict Islam here, very conservative. Some women are wearing the hijab - some not: mostly the young ones but they still wear at least a head-scarf.

We stop near Tinejdad to see an old canal system. It is very dry and dusty everywhere.

We shadow the High Atlas heading west to the Todra Gorge through dramatic boulder-strewn valleys full of nomad camps into the Dadès Gorge; the high rock walls of the valley tower above us to 300 m. I am shocked by the crowds of people. It is very pretty with the stream bubbling along the valley floor but everywhere are stalls selling coloured this and that. 

It is a pleasant short walk to lunch where we turn off across the river to a pleasant kasbah where we have the most delicious tagine kalia. This is wonderful, the best tagine so far. It is a lovely spot and I will remember this one.

We drive back down through the valley to Tinerhir and across the river where women are doing the washing. The women here are dressed in white, not black.

We drive some more, with a brief stop to view the start of another oasis, the Valley of the Roses.

It has been a long day in the vehicle and we are all glad to arrive at Boumaine Dadès where we will stay 2 nights at a gite (Gite d'Etape Tamaloute). 

We have a short walk after a most welcome shower, and then dinner: another harira (rich soup of dried broad beans) and tagine - although I don’t feel like eating much; then bed! 

We manage somewhat miraculously to squeeze out a birthday call to Kathryn in Panama.