They seem to survive on very little really. They dont have the same consumerist mentality as we have and seem satisfied to just survive.
An entirely different set of values I guess...
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The Road to Morocco (2022)
- Thread starter mikeau
- Start date
An entirely different set of values I guess...
I guess when you think about it if you have never been any different you know no difference ..
Not a bad thing .i bet half these people are happy to not have all the troubles the rest of the world has .are they run by a government ?
I dont know what the government structure is to be honest. They have a king as head of state but I believe he is more 'hands-on' than our monarchy...
Outside of the cities and larger towns, you see police fairly regularly (frequent check points on the roads) and there are schools everywhere so I assume the standard (and availability) of education is good. Even the more remote communities seem to have schools (easily identified as they are often the only building painted externally, usually in a variety of pastel colours, and with pictures painted on the outside).
There are certainly a lot of people who have very little (in terms of possessions at least) but they probably dont have our sense of entitlement, so dont get angry about it...
One thing that is incongruous though, is that many of them have mobile phones. We've driven across areas where there is no sign of human habitation for many miles, only to spot someone sitting at the top of a big sand dune in order to get a mobile signal.
Outside of the cities and larger towns, you see police fairly regularly (frequent check points on the roads) and there are schools everywhere so I assume the standard (and availability) of education is good. Even the more remote communities seem to have schools (easily identified as they are often the only building painted externally, usually in a variety of pastel colours, and with pictures painted on the outside).
There are certainly a lot of people who have very little (in terms of possessions at least) but they probably dont have our sense of entitlement, so dont get angry about it...
One thing that is incongruous though, is that many of them have mobile phones. We've driven across areas where there is no sign of human habitation for many miles, only to spot someone sitting at the top of a big sand dune in order to get a mobile signal.
Those pictures are amazing , love the little oasis , great commentary 
, stay safe
, stay safe
Atlas studios...
(A list of films/tv shot here)
Open to touroids like us while there is nothing being shot there... and many of the sets used in the list (above) are still in place, in case another production wants to use them..
Some of the vehicles from various films, and the fighter from Jewel of the Nile
The inside
The outside of the same set
Prison break set
Full size Egyptian temple
The 'souk' set, used for several productions
Which then blends into ancient Rome
'Ancient' Egyptian temple built for
Rear view of the same set
Tibetan temple for Kundun(?)
The largest set isnt inside the studio but about a Kilometer away. The giant castle made for Kingdom of Heaven, but more recently used in Game of Thrones and some other productions.
Yes, that is a set, and yes, its mainly made from wooden scaffolding covered in hessian and plaster.
The outside
The inside
Unbefuckinglievable...
(A list of films/tv shot here)
Open to touroids like us while there is nothing being shot there... and many of the sets used in the list (above) are still in place, in case another production wants to use them..
Some of the vehicles from various films, and the fighter from Jewel of the Nile
The inside
The outside of the same set
Prison break set
Full size Egyptian temple
The 'souk' set, used for several productions
Which then blends into ancient Rome
'Ancient' Egyptian temple built for
Rear view of the same set
Tibetan temple for Kundun(?)
The largest set isnt inside the studio but about a Kilometer away. The giant castle made for Kingdom of Heaven, but more recently used in Game of Thrones and some other productions.
Yes, that is a set, and yes, its mainly made from wooden scaffolding covered in hessian and plaster.
The outside
The inside
Unbefuckinglievable...
Last edited:
So, after that it was a return to Ouarzazate, but to a campsite away from any drummers or footballers...
This is the municipal campsite, still very quiet. Just us, a couple of campervans and this guy
nice...
and of course, cats. Everywhere cats...
Anyway... time to move on. Next stop Ait Ben-Haddou
This is the municipal campsite, still very quiet. Just us, a couple of campervans and this guy
nice...
and of course, cats. Everywhere cats...
Anyway... time to move on. Next stop Ait Ben-Haddou
Robbing unsuspecting tourists passing through in their Overlanders I imagine
Before leaving Ouarzazate we drove out to have a look at the solar power plant ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ouarzazate_Solar_Power_Station ). Its not as interesting from the ground level perimeter road as it looks from above, but we left the Cessna at home this trip...
Still impressive though...
There is a 'cinema museum'
that we have seen before and not visited so we thought we would take a look. Wish we hadnt bothered really.. Some very tired old sets and a room with some ancient cameras and editing equipment etc.
I guess a real cinegeek would have been in heaven looking at some of the old tech, but after youve seen the third 'throne room' you lose interest...
well, some of us do...
So a quick visit to the 'Berber Souk', cleverly disguised as a tourist trap
and then out of town heading for Ait BenHaddou.
We arrived a bit late so found a place to camp
and since it looked like it was going to piss it down we bravely decided to take a room by the poolside
we settled in and went out for a stroll...
Its an odd place really, its one of the prime tourist destinations, but not very commercialised.
Perhaps thats because its not a place to stay so much as one to visit for the day, have a spot of lunch, and get driven back to your posh hotel again.
Had a look at the kasbah from across the river
Its an ancient city, still lived in and has been used many times as a movie/tv set, primarily in later years Gladiator and Game of Thrones, and worth a visit.
Then back to the hotel/campsite to find some new arrivals
Its an ex-mountain rescue apparently, now fitted with a 300Tdi.
The (English) couple are recently arrived and are living in it for a few months exploring and working their way South.
Had a nice dinner and a beer and retired for the night...
Next morning there was a rolling thunderstorm passing slowly through, with flashes and deep booms and occasional heavy showers. 'Interesting' weather.
We made friends with the obligatory cat
and a smily dog who followed us around for a bit
walked across the bridge
just as the heavens opened
and ducked into a doorway of a womens co-operative to shelter
and found two ladies making bread
and very tasty it was...
Once the rain stopped and most of the bedraggled soggy tourists were out the way we climbed up the rather slippery pathway, which passes up, around and through some of the mud brick buildings
past the obligatory djellaba and rug shops
stopping to shelter from showers and admire the views
and finding alternative use for the bread
Then back to the Landy and heading South.
We're becoming aware that time is running short and we need to start heading back again, but I want to visit Zagora again on the edge of the Sahara.
So back through Ouarzazat, up the mountains and down through Agdz again on the road South...
Now do you recall the broken down coach by the side of the road from a page or two back and me being asked to deliver a message..?
About a kilometer or two from where that was, we were flagged down by two guys in a car by the side of the road who asked for a lift and then asked us to deliver a note to the SAME PLACE IN AGDZ... How suspicious is that..?
I took the note and delivered it on the way through, handing it through the window and driving off before we got into conversation and I was invited for tea again.
Im still unsure if it was a weird coincidence or what the angle was...
Then down the Draa valley and on to Zagora...
Still impressive though...
There is a 'cinema museum'
that we have seen before and not visited so we thought we would take a look. Wish we hadnt bothered really.. Some very tired old sets and a room with some ancient cameras and editing equipment etc.
I guess a real cinegeek would have been in heaven looking at some of the old tech, but after youve seen the third 'throne room' you lose interest...
well, some of us do...
So a quick visit to the 'Berber Souk', cleverly disguised as a tourist trap
and then out of town heading for Ait BenHaddou.
We arrived a bit late so found a place to camp
and since it looked like it was going to piss it down we bravely decided to take a room by the poolside
we settled in and went out for a stroll...
Its an odd place really, its one of the prime tourist destinations, but not very commercialised.
Perhaps thats because its not a place to stay so much as one to visit for the day, have a spot of lunch, and get driven back to your posh hotel again.
Had a look at the kasbah from across the river
Its an ancient city, still lived in and has been used many times as a movie/tv set, primarily in later years Gladiator and Game of Thrones, and worth a visit.
Then back to the hotel/campsite to find some new arrivals
Its an ex-mountain rescue apparently, now fitted with a 300Tdi.
The (English) couple are recently arrived and are living in it for a few months exploring and working their way South.
Had a nice dinner and a beer and retired for the night...
Next morning there was a rolling thunderstorm passing slowly through, with flashes and deep booms and occasional heavy showers. 'Interesting' weather.
We made friends with the obligatory cat
and a smily dog who followed us around for a bit
walked across the bridge
just as the heavens opened
and ducked into a doorway of a womens co-operative to shelter
and found two ladies making bread
and very tasty it was...
Once the rain stopped and most of the bedraggled soggy tourists were out the way we climbed up the rather slippery pathway, which passes up, around and through some of the mud brick buildings
past the obligatory djellaba and rug shops
stopping to shelter from showers and admire the views
and finding alternative use for the bread
Then back to the Landy and heading South.
We're becoming aware that time is running short and we need to start heading back again, but I want to visit Zagora again on the edge of the Sahara.
So back through Ouarzazat, up the mountains and down through Agdz again on the road South...
Now do you recall the broken down coach by the side of the road from a page or two back and me being asked to deliver a message..?
About a kilometer or two from where that was, we were flagged down by two guys in a car by the side of the road who asked for a lift and then asked us to deliver a note to the SAME PLACE IN AGDZ... How suspicious is that..?
I took the note and delivered it on the way through, handing it through the window and driving off before we got into conversation and I was invited for tea again.
Im still unsure if it was a weird coincidence or what the angle was...
Then down the Draa valley and on to Zagora...
Great write up . Thank you @mikeau . The Wiki write up on that solar farm is interesting, especially the amount of water it uses a year 2.5 to 3 million m3 (cubed?? ) .
Love the bread making , Ive has similar baked bread in Nepal and it was scrummy when really fresh.
I had no idea Morocco was such a goto area for film sets .
Love the bread making , Ive has similar baked bread in Nepal and it was scrummy when really fresh.
I had no idea Morocco was such a goto area for film sets .
Everything worked more or less... the only issues were the wheel falling off ('only') and the overheating caused by a dodgy fuse connector, combined with the temperature gauge backlight failing so I had no warning, and the subsequent oil leak (Im not sure how the overheating caused the oil line to leak, but it happened at exactly the same time so has to be linked).
There was lots of kit I took and never used, like the shovel, winch, towing strops, air jack etc etc, but then we may have needed them at any point and Id rather have stuff and not use it than be stuck in the sand somewhere digging it out with a teaspoon...
My 10T bottle jack let me down when I needed it, so that got binned and Im looking for a smaller one (2-3T) that will fit under the axle when at least one of the tyres is flat (or the wheel is missing!). In hindsight it would have been nice to have had a small trolley jack, but that is space and weight.
Things to do;
Some flashing amber warning lights mounted on the vehicle that can be turned on at the flick of a switch, because when you break down somewhere, you REALLY want to be seen by traffic... ( https://amzn.to/3SFpBwE )
Replace the crappy thermostatic fan switch with a quality one (https://www.merlinmotorsport.co.uk/p/setrab-usa-thermal-switch-with-1-8npt-thread-ts)
Im going to remove the extra fan I fitted in front of the intercooler as on reflection Im not sure it does anything useful, and if its not assisting the airflow then it may be impeding it...
I have some better driving lights that I have (still attached to an A frame that I removed) so Im going to fit those, as driving up a mountain in the rain, on crappy roads with multiple roadworks and traffic coming from all directions wasnt in the least bit fun with the existing headlights, and some longer range muck-piercers would be nice...
I still need to fiddle with the fuelling a bit as I would still like a bit more power when climbing, but without the EGT climbing to 700 degrees too often.
More fuel will generate more power, which also means more heat, but then also generates more boost to carry the heat away... theres some fiddling to be done and Ive not got my head around it yet...
I took a camping gas 2-burner stove (again) and never used it. We either ate out or we just cooked using the single burner that fits on the camping gaz bottle or the Lotus Grill. Id probably leave that behind next time.
We always take too much food (pasta, rice a few tins etc etc), but then its not taking up a lot of space or weight and its better to be prepared...
I may fit another ladder to the roof tent so one can be fitted either side, as either of us getting up for a pee in the night and having to clamber over is less fun than it sounds...
Im still pondering on whether to get an awning. We wouldnt use it all the time, but when the weather is either very hot/sunny or cold/rainy and you have nowhere to sit inside it would be nice to at least have some shelter.
I have a 2x3M 'sail' that I can rig up, but having one that is quick to erect and put away would be very nice...
Ive not done the fuel calculation yet. Its on my to-do list...
Its a 'friendly' country, close to Europe with good air links, without the extremes of temperatures that you could experience further South, and it looks exotic with plenty of open spaces, sand dunes, camels etc etc. Plus cheap extras and inexpensive workmen to construct sets etc who arent unionised...
Whats not to like..?
Oh, and I need a better navigation system.
The old Garmin is struggling and I cant get OSMand to run properly on the old ipad, so I need to find something reliable that can navigate me through cities and complex road junctions without throwing an epi...
Bloody amazing place , thanks for taking time to update
Geobloke
Posting Guru
Really Not that much then.
Some thoughts...
The standard LR bottle jack is excellent as well as being small, robust and extends high enough to lift Miffy off the ground. I do have a jack pad too as Miffy's a heavy lass.
These flashing lights are excellent in an emergency. Super bright, you can not miss them... Plus small enough to fit in the cubby box. I have 2 in the cubby, 2 magnetised to the dog guard and 2 magnetised to the rear door guard.
Didn't X-Eng do a good fan thermostat? Ah yes here it is, had good reviews when it came out, plus it is simple.
You have a TDI right? Do you have a full sized intercooler as well? Really good that you have an EGT gauge. Wouldn't leave home without one these days.
Awnings are great when you need them. A faff when it is windy. But utilise un-used space on a roof rack so can be ignored most of the time. I have one on Miffy and have used it 5 or 6 times in as many years. It is actually a bit of a pain to set up with only one person. I used to have a Hannibal free standing awning which was brilliant and I really wish I had never sold it. Hey-ho...
Super you didn't leave anything behind that you found out you needed
Some terrific pictures there again .Before leaving Ouarzazate we drove out to have a look at the solar power plant ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ouarzazate_Solar_Power_Station ). Its not as interesting from the ground level perimeter road as it looks from above, but we left the Cessna at home this trip...
View attachment 299908
Still impressive though...
There is a 'cinema museum'
View attachment 299914
that we have seen before and not visited so we thought we would take a look. Wish we hadnt bothered really.. Some very tired old sets and a room with some ancient cameras and editing equipment etc.
View attachment 299911
I guess a real cinegeek would have been in heaven looking at some of the old tech, but after youve seen the third 'throne room' you lose interest...
View attachment 299910
View attachment 299909
well, some of us do...
So a quick visit to the 'Berber Souk', cleverly disguised as a tourist trap
View attachment 299912
and then out of town heading for Ait BenHaddou.
We arrived a bit late so found a place to camp
View attachment 299915
and since it looked like it was going to piss it down we bravely decided to take a room by the poolside
View attachment 299916
we settled in and went out for a stroll...
Its an odd place really, its one of the prime tourist destinations, but not very commercialised.
Perhaps thats because its not a place to stay so much as one to visit for the day, have a spot of lunch, and get driven back to your posh hotel again.
View attachment 299917
View attachment 299918
View attachment 299919
View attachment 299922
Had a look at the kasbah from across the river
View attachment 299913
Its an ancient city, still lived in and has been used many times as a movie/tv set, primarily in later years Gladiator and Game of Thrones, and worth a visit.
Then back to the hotel/campsite to find some new arrivals
View attachment 299925
Its an ex-mountain rescue apparently, now fitted with a 300Tdi.
The (English) couple are recently arrived and are living in it for a few months exploring and working their way South.
Had a nice dinner and a beer and retired for the night...
Next morning there was a rolling thunderstorm passing slowly through, with flashes and deep booms and occasional heavy showers. 'Interesting' weather.
We made friends with the obligatory cat
View attachment 299926
and a smily dog who followed us around for a bit
View attachment 299927
walked across the bridge
View attachment 299928
just as the heavens opened
and ducked into a doorway of a womens co-operative to shelter
View attachment 299930
and found two ladies making bread
View attachment 299929
and very tasty it was...
Once the rain stopped and most of the bedraggled soggy tourists were out the way we climbed up the rather slippery pathway, which passes up, around and through some of the mud brick buildings
View attachment 299933
View attachment 299935
View attachment 299934
past the obligatory djellaba and rug shops
View attachment 299936
stopping to shelter from showers and admire the views
View attachment 299931
View attachment 299932
and finding alternative use for the bread
View attachment 299937
Then back to the Landy and heading South.
We're becoming aware that time is running short and we need to start heading back again, but I want to visit Zagora again on the edge of the Sahara.
So back through Ouarzazat, up the mountains and down through Agdz again on the road South...
View attachment 299938
Now do you recall the broken down coach by the side of the road from a page or two back and me being asked to deliver a message..?
About a kilometer or two from where that was, we were flagged down by two guys in a car by the side of the road who asked for a lift and then asked us to deliver a note to the SAME PLACE IN AGDZ... How suspicious is that..?
I took the note and delivered it on the way through, handing it through the window and driving off before we got into conversation and I was invited for tea again.
Im still unsure if it was a weird coincidence or what the angle was...
Then down the Draa valley and on to Zagora...
Spratn
In Fourth Gear
Great write up Mike.. Will have to catch up and chat about it. Would like to do something similar.
Nothing complicated to doing it.
Prep the vehicle, throw some spares, tools and camping gear in the back and point it South!
Do you ever get over to Jersey these days? We should have a beer and a chat if you do...
So, where was I..? Oh yeah, Draa valley to Zagora... Draa valley is a nice drive. Good roads through interesting towns and villages, and palms. Thousands, maybe millions of palms... It appears to be the Date palm capital of the World. Lots of the palms have been cropped already (seemed to start early October) but there are still thick bunches of yellow/brown fruit hanging from many of them.
And dates for sale by the side of the roads everywhere... Some still attached to huge bunches and some in boxes, about £4 a kilo...
After 5 years of drought though, its obvious that some of the palm trees are not at their best, straggly and a bit brown, like Mrs Havisham's house plants...
On approaching Zagora in a landy or other overland vehicle you usually get ambushed by one or more moped-riding touts who try to get you to visit one of the garages that specialise in looking after these vehicles. There are two main ones, Garage Iriki (http://www.garageiriki.com/) and Alli Nassir (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100054611731785) .
I've visited Alli before and the place has a nice vibe, although last time I was there and wanting a simple fix to a loose speaker box, Alli was out on a rescue mission and his grease monkeys took two hours, drilled the holes too big for the screws they had, and then asked me to come back next day (to fit a speaker!).
Needless to say I fixed it myself at the campsite and didnt go back, but Alli himself drives a Defender so I like him;
and he has a stack of spares (See below) and experience of prepping vehicles for desert travel.
Hes also been involved in supporting Paris Dakar and various other Rally Raid operations, so he probably knows almost as much as I do...
More ina min on Alli...
We arrived quite late so headed for the Camping Oasis Palmier;
like most of the campsites, not very busy so relatively quiet apart from the irrigation pump chugging away about 30 feet from where we stopped
but they brought us a tray of mint tea to our own little table on arrival and shut off the pump after a bit.
Made friends with the campsite cats
Nowhere to eat in the camp (they didnt open the restaurant as there wasnt enough people) so we ventured out and right next door is a nice looking hotel so we asked if they had a restaurant. Yes!
That will do very nicely thank you very much. A quick look around to see if it was up to our standard...
and we were told that the tables surrounding the pool were all booked, but that we could eat in the garden.. Oh OK then...
Lovely meal, nice bottle of wine, water, etc about £40 for two... add another zero if it was in an equivalent place in the UK...
Back to a nice quiet campsite, brew and bed... very happy.
Next day, paid a visit to Alli. I didnt need anything doing but its rude not to and I need another sticker!
A selection of vehicles (and dutch people) outside
Alli took me up a backstreet (fnar) and showed me his parts store... Bloody Aladdins cave more like (thats Alli in the pic)
Sadly we couldnt stay and pillage his parts store or venture further South, so we headed back up towards Marakesh and found another souk on the way so stopped for a look
Pair of 2nd hand skis..? anyone..?
Got any buckets mate..?
Some arrive by car, some by moped, some by donkey...
Back into the Atlas mountains
Then towards the top of one of the colls we did a quick detour to a 'view point'.
And found a big beardy Belgian guy who was chatting to three Berber people selling trinkets, fossils and jewellery etc... He likes defenders and speaks very good English so we got along fine
Nice people, so we bought a few bits from them and moved on, stopping on the way down the mountain to buy some honey from these guys
They are very happy because they have my money. I am very happy because the honey is lovely!
Coming out of the mountains, you hit Marrakesh before you realise. Its a bit of a shock to the system as the traffic, smells etc inflict all your senses at once. Dont get me wrong, its a great place and has a character all of its own that is different from anywhere else Ive been (Fes might be similar I believe, but we've only passed through).
We eventually found the Campsite, which is a literal oasis in the middle of nowhere.. If you follow the satnav, you honestly think its gone insane, but driving up narrow roads with overhanging cables that look like they go nowhere, then a track and across a wasteland eventually gets you there.
If Id not been before I probably would have given up, but eventually rolled into Le Relais at dusk
....
And dates for sale by the side of the roads everywhere... Some still attached to huge bunches and some in boxes, about £4 a kilo...
After 5 years of drought though, its obvious that some of the palm trees are not at their best, straggly and a bit brown, like Mrs Havisham's house plants...
On approaching Zagora in a landy or other overland vehicle you usually get ambushed by one or more moped-riding touts who try to get you to visit one of the garages that specialise in looking after these vehicles. There are two main ones, Garage Iriki (http://www.garageiriki.com/) and Alli Nassir (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100054611731785) .
I've visited Alli before and the place has a nice vibe, although last time I was there and wanting a simple fix to a loose speaker box, Alli was out on a rescue mission and his grease monkeys took two hours, drilled the holes too big for the screws they had, and then asked me to come back next day (to fit a speaker!).
Needless to say I fixed it myself at the campsite and didnt go back, but Alli himself drives a Defender so I like him;
and he has a stack of spares (See below) and experience of prepping vehicles for desert travel.
Hes also been involved in supporting Paris Dakar and various other Rally Raid operations, so he probably knows almost as much as I do...
More ina min on Alli...
We arrived quite late so headed for the Camping Oasis Palmier;
like most of the campsites, not very busy so relatively quiet apart from the irrigation pump chugging away about 30 feet from where we stopped
but they brought us a tray of mint tea to our own little table on arrival and shut off the pump after a bit.
Made friends with the campsite cats
Nowhere to eat in the camp (they didnt open the restaurant as there wasnt enough people) so we ventured out and right next door is a nice looking hotel so we asked if they had a restaurant. Yes!
That will do very nicely thank you very much. A quick look around to see if it was up to our standard...
and we were told that the tables surrounding the pool were all booked, but that we could eat in the garden.. Oh OK then...
Lovely meal, nice bottle of wine, water, etc about £40 for two... add another zero if it was in an equivalent place in the UK...
Back to a nice quiet campsite, brew and bed... very happy.
Next day, paid a visit to Alli. I didnt need anything doing but its rude not to and I need another sticker!
A selection of vehicles (and dutch people) outside
Alli took me up a backstreet (fnar) and showed me his parts store... Bloody Aladdins cave more like (thats Alli in the pic)
Sadly we couldnt stay and pillage his parts store or venture further South, so we headed back up towards Marakesh and found another souk on the way so stopped for a look
Pair of 2nd hand skis..? anyone..?
Got any buckets mate..?
Some arrive by car, some by moped, some by donkey...
Back into the Atlas mountains
Then towards the top of one of the colls we did a quick detour to a 'view point'.
And found a big beardy Belgian guy who was chatting to three Berber people selling trinkets, fossils and jewellery etc... He likes defenders and speaks very good English so we got along fine
Nice people, so we bought a few bits from them and moved on, stopping on the way down the mountain to buy some honey from these guys
They are very happy because they have my money. I am very happy because the honey is lovely!
Coming out of the mountains, you hit Marrakesh before you realise. Its a bit of a shock to the system as the traffic, smells etc inflict all your senses at once. Dont get me wrong, its a great place and has a character all of its own that is different from anywhere else Ive been (Fes might be similar I believe, but we've only passed through).
We eventually found the Campsite, which is a literal oasis in the middle of nowhere.. If you follow the satnav, you honestly think its gone insane, but driving up narrow roads with overhanging cables that look like they go nowhere, then a track and across a wasteland eventually gets you there.
If Id not been before I probably would have given up, but eventually rolled into Le Relais at dusk
....