Bad Decisions Make Good Stories

Day 67
Wednesday 2nd September 2009

A stunning then quite strange start to the day today. Layla was up for sunrise on the roof terrace and came back to the room very excited. Before I knew it we were up to our eyeballs in gorge. An extremely narrow, rugged gorge used by climbers and base jumpers as well as mere mortals like us. Layla befriended two dogs en route and we the appeared to befriend an old chap on the stroll back who invited us to his place for a brew. Although a bit sceptical we thought what the hell and he led us, quite literally, down a garden path into the grounds of a kasbah and up into a large, old homestay where we were led up into a small room...wait for it...was full of carpets. We got the tea but also got a long speil on the making of the carpets from hand from a man who got angry whe Layla interupted with questions and even angrier when he learned that we didn't have a home or jobs and certainly didn't want his carpets. Things could have got a hell of a lot worse when Layla elbowed over her tea onto one of the carpets but fortunately he didn't flinch. We did however think it was time to leave when he shouted 'you not want to help nomadic people'. Before you could say Allied we were out of their.

We thought it best to leave the gorge where we hadn't made too many friends and tried hitching at the side of the road. It was a quiet stretch but we eventually got a bite when a Moroccon rasta pulled over and said we could hop in to Tinerhir. His name was Simo and although driving to the desert today said he was going through Dades Gorge, where we were headed tomorrow onwards to Marrakesh tomorrow if we wanted to go with him. He also gave us a good tip for accomodation in Dades. 

For the second day in a row a taxi boss with no teeth rubbed us up the wrong way so we made the local bus west to Balmagne De Gorge by the skin of our teeth. All the locals were extremely friendly chatting and smiling to us the alien race on this 46km journey. 

In Balmagne we had a bite to eat and were latched onto by a bloke with a weather beaten face and dark brown teeth who showed us to a minivan to the gorge. He tipped the minivan driver off as to where to drop us which wad his mate's accomodation but we stood firm and stayed where Simo had recommend which turned out to be gold. 

An absolute delight of a family made up of three brothers, their father, one of the brother, wife and son welcomed us openarmed into their amazing guesthouse with views over the spectacular gorge.