Dades
and the road to Marrakesh
~ Journey to Marrakesh ~
The drive to Marrakesh is a long one — more than nine hours — so you'll have to rest for the night roughly midway around Ouarzazate near the Atlas Mountains, especially if you want to take your time at the stops along the way.
After an 8:00am breakfast back at the desert camp, we packed our things, searched for the antimony bracelet I had bought the day before and promptly lost, gave up the search when it failed to appear, and hit the road.
We made a number of stops along the way, including a visit to some abandoned irrigation tunnels, a fossil museum where Aidan bought a chess set, and a popular lunch spot where we tried camel tajine for the first time.
We also stopped at a Berber village to learn more about rug-making over mint tea (the picture above), where we once again found ourselves at the mercy of a master rug salesman displaying his craft. Fortunately, this time I captured some of it on video to help give an idea of what the experience is like — not unpleasant, but you begin to notice the common tricks and tools of the trade employed by these seasoned veterans, which we must have witnessed in practice at least seven times in total over the course of our trip.
A taste of Berber salesmanship
Granted, the rugs we were shown here were beautiful — more so than anywhere else in the country, I believed — and I had to exercise restraint not to purchase yet another one as I had three already. I actually felt a bit guilty, as they also pressed us quite a bit less than the other places we visited and purchased from, but in the end it just came down to unfortunate timing. All that to say: if you intend to purchase a rug, this is the place I would recommend doing it. The rugs here appeared genuine and hand-made with unique designs, and it was clear that the proceeds were going straight to the women who made them, or were otherwise being used to support them.
Pool and patio of the Hotel Xaluca Dades
Following a 7:00am wake-up call, we enjoyed the hotel's included breakfast before hitting the road with Jamal. On the way, we stopped for a tour of Atlas Studios, Morocco's largest movie studio where a number of notable films and shows were shot, including Gladiator, Game of Thrones, The Mummy, and the Prince of Persia. After lunch, we made our final stop at the Glaoui Kasbah — a castle dating back to 1860 — and admired its ornate tile fixtures and gorgeous views of the surrounding countryside.
We finally arrived to Marrakesh at about 6:00pm after two long days of driving. After parting ways with Jamal, our trusted guide for the last three days, we checked in to our riad and prepared for our final few days in Morocco.
After leaving the Berber village and driving a few more hours, we stopped at the Dades Gorge to stretch our legs and admire the rock formations before reaching our hotel for the night. Because our accommodation that evening was included with the desert tour, we stayed at a nicer place than we probably would have otherwise — the Hotel Xaluca Dades — and made sure to take advantage of its amenities. After a lovely buffet dinner, I went for an evening swim in the outdoor pool offering views of the distant Atlas Mountains before visiting the spa for a 30 minute massage (for only 250 dirhams, I might add).
Tour of Atlas Film Studios
