On The Off-Road to the Atlas Mountains
/Our final day touring Morocco as a group took us literally off the road! We had a caravan of 4x4s, driving through the foothills of the Atlas Mountains.
There are many villages along the way; we see farmers, sheep herders and camels…lots and lots of camels (mostly for tourists)!
We had an opportunity to see local women demonstrating how Argan seeds are used for both cooking and cosmetics.
We continued our drive through the winding dirt roads - reaching altitudes of 4,000 feet+ it was hard not to look down at the spectacular view, even though we came close to the edge of the bumpy road, with no guard rail in site!
The beauty of the snow-capped Atlas Mountains never ceased to amaze, presenting a multitude of photo ops.
I took extensive notes at our next stop, as our guide explained the process of making the Moroccan mint tea that I’ve come to love! It only uses 3 ingredients - green tea, fresh mint leaves, and locally grown sugar, but it’s not as easy as it seems. In fact, young girls learn to perfect tea making at an early age, as it is an important part of Moroccan culture and hospitality.
Ready for lunch, we started back down the winding roads. We followed the jeep caravan into what seemed to be a desolate area. What appeared through the trees was like an oasis in the desert.
Le Relais Du Lac is a charming French-Moroccan outdoor restaurant with stunning scenery overlooking Lake Takerkoust.
The owners greet all the guests and present a detailed explanation of the traditional Moroccan menu, made fresh daily. It was heavenly.
Our last stop before returning to the hotel was the Agafay Desert “glamping” grounds . This campsite is reminiscent of the 19th century explorers, but with modern comforts!
The tents have air-conditioning during the day and heat for the cold desert nights. We are served refreshments from staff dressed in period Moroccan clothing, surrounded by mountain views and dry rivers of stone dunes. Pictures don’t do it justice.
A heartfelt thanks to Chuck Berman for capturing me, trying my best to get the perfect pic!
Courtesy Chuck Berman
My selfie
Courtesy Chuck Berman
My resulting picture
Our farewell dinner was at Malak Emeralde Restaurant-Lounge. It was an interesting combination of Moroccan food, music and dance, along with a Las Vegas-style revue featuring American, French and Italian pop songs, including a little Dirty Dancing!
We had “the time our lives” and the experiences of a lifetime during this Moroccan adventure. I met new people from our congregation, and got to know others in a more meaningful way. A multitude of thanks to Rabbi Max Weiss for all the work that went into organizing our trip, and to our guides Mukhtar and Heman for their knowledge, patience and kindness in showing us the wonder of this marvelous country.
Sara and I have one more day to explore Marrakesh on our own, as the rest of the group head home.