Backpacks and Flipflops

Robert Louis Stevenson writes...

....I travel not to go anywhere, but to go...I travel for travel's sake...The great affair is to move....

...........................

Morocco...part 6...

...to Sidi Infi and back to the realm of Obi Wan Kenobi...

Prologue.....

Leaving can be such sweet sorrow....however, as this is Agadir .... it's only a cool, wet and dreary morning.

.........................

With a break in the overnight deluge, we grab a cab and head to the bus station. ......Our plan is to grab the first bus heading south; either to Tiznit or Sidi Infi. Seems there are a lot of buses. Arriving at the station, we find that 2 buses have left already and the next goes late afternoon.

Hmmm? Why are we not surprised?

So....plan B goes into effect - taking the grand taxi.

At the bus station, a taxi driver wants $400 DM to take us to Sidi Infi. Yea, that's not happening! We talk with a station official and a military fellow and they point us to the grand taxi station. We flag a taxi and head to the grand taxi depot.

Where's our grand taxi?

The grand taxi depot operates much like a bus station. On the surface, it seems to be a beehive of chaotic-looking activity. Men yelling out destinations with usually a French or Arabic pronunciation..making it double hard to decipher. Cars coming and going, people scrambling with bags over curbs, between vehicles...

However, it all works quite well. The small vans or older Mercedes Benz are used to fill in the gaps of the bus schedule. They are cheap, don't go until full, and for that price you get to feel like sardines in a can; squished 4 across the back seat.

We use them from Agadir to Sidi Infi on this wet, rainy day... in the end the cost was pretty reasonable, while the time to get to Sidi Infi was not that much longer.

Plus, we had a ton of fun.

Cost Breakdown:

1. taxi to bus station = 20 DM

2. taxi to grand taxi depot = 6 DM

3. Grand taxi - Agadir to Inezgane = 26 DM

4. Grand taxi - Inezgane to Tiznit =18 DM

5. Grand taxi - Tiznit to Sidi Infi = 60 M

Total = 130 DM or abt $20 Can for both of us!

The drive from Tiznit to Sidi Infi was spectacular. Rugged cliffs, crashing waves and scrubbed grass hills. Traffic is non existent beyond Tiznit. Only vehicles on the road seem to be campers, the odd surfer and buses.

Sidi Infi is as far south as we plan to go. With mere days left in Morocco, we plan to slowly hop back north to Agadir before flying home.

......................

Sidi Infi

Sidi Infi is on the Surfin' Safari trail for those looking to 'catch a wave' along this section of Moroccan coastline.

It's an extremely quiet town, with good surfing mere steps to the beach from the Suerte Loca, where we have a room. While our room is fairly basic, it does come with an ocean view balcony, hot water and the use of the roof top terrace.

The owner runs it with all the genuine warmth and welcome we've come to expect in Morocco.

We are invited to sit with the family and their friends for tea one afternoon. The talk ranges from how we find Morocco, to the role of Moroccan women and the disparity between the rural life and city. Tea is poured, talk is shared, values and religion are explained. Open and casual.

Safe, clean, this family run operation provides an excellent base to explore the area, as well as its great meals.

Hopping on a local city bus gets us 10 km north to a great natural wonder at Legzira Plage. Here two dramatic stone arches reach over the sea. These golden red arches, were around waaay before the Big Mac variety.

Sadly now, only one still stands, as the other collapsed in September, 2016.

We are dismayed at the amount of ocean garbage that is strewn on the Moroccan beaches along this stretch of Atlantic coastline. While some originates from the cities, towns and dumps scattered near the ocean, a vast amount seems to have just washed ashore. It is just sad.

...........................

Mirleft

We move north about an hour to the quiet, dusty town of Mirleft. We find a room; more like a full apartment with 2 bedrooms, full kitchen, living room and private terrace/patio with a view of the ocean and sunset for $300 DM. And, there's no one else staying in this 10 room Riad.

Not bad for $32!!

Mirleft sits on the coast highway, about an easy 15 minute walk to stunning rocky, craggy cliffs. Small coves and beaches dot the shoreline. Looks like Canada's Newfoundland, or the wild Oregon shores. Beautiful!

We manage a quick dip in the pounding surf one afternoon. Yeah...a Moroccan swim!

The town has ONE main street. Here men drink tea and eateries line the dusty, wind blown sidewalks. Just need a few tumble weeds to roll on by down the street.

Ready for a High Noon stand-off?

Does have that Western feel to it.

Seems a large group of European's have discovered this tranquil backwater and have built villas etc.

Nothing much seems to happen here; esp in town. Boys wear flipflops, bikes are left on the road. Locals are easy going. Surfers stop for gas, before pushing on, while those 4WD expeditions coming from the desert to the east look to enjoy the ambiance, to rest up before exploring again.

We have actually loved doing nothing here. Apart from exploring several beaches and eating great meals; including camel kebabs.

Yep...camels don't end up in pasture after their trekking days are done....they end up done on a barbie...cooked on skewers! They actually tasted like beef with a hint of 'wild'.

We find it hard to settle into a place. When you travel, you want to keep pushing on. The 'pushing on' becomes our rhythm; we get restless hanging around in one place for more than 2-3 nights.

This is the struggle all travellers face when on the road; the tough days..weather, rooms, the sameness, little things grate, the 24/7 of being together...however...this is the 'hard' that makes the journey great... if it were easy.... everyone would do it...but, they don't.

In the end, this is what we share... the adventure....the next town....it tugs at us, calls out our names, whispers to our hearts....."Come, come..... explore this way!"

And, like the ancient mariners who succumbed to those voices, we too, fall under the magic of these Sirens of the road.

.......time to move on......

............................

Tiznit

We head to Tiznit in a shared taxi from Mirleft. The 6 passengers enjoy the coast road views during the 45 min drive. Development is happening along this portion of the coast. It's scenic and traffic free.

Dropped off outside the main gate of Tiznit's Medina, we grab a tea and enjoy the warmth of the late morning near the busy square. It's all hustle and bustle inside the walls. We find these scenes so common now...the language....the dress...the wraps....the noise....the color....

We reflect on these moments... finish our tea and head to find our Riad.

A short walk from the main Bab, our room is big and roomy, perfect for our stay in Tiznit.

We wander off into the labyrinth of the walled city. Eventually, we discover a silver, jewelry cooperative filled with Touareg and Berber crafted works of art.

Of course, certain pieces catch our eye, Moroccan tea appears, and we start the negotiations. A price is offered, then countered....we comment on the beauty of a piece....then more bargaining....we ask about the health of the shopkeeper's family...."You must be Berber", says the shopkeeper, a compliment to my strong tactics....as I stay firm to a price.

Finally, we strike a deal..the shopkeeper has come down nearly 2/3 from the original price. In the end, though...we probably, still paid too much... but, we have some unique pieces, and a story to tell! Such is our time here in Morocco.

..................

Heading to Tafraoute, the fabled Berber Heartland and inspiration for Obi Wan Kenobi?

With just a few days left in Morocco, we decide to visit the fabled village of Tafraoute...in the Berber Heartland....

Tafraoute...the village sits among the towering peaks and rocky crags of the Anti-Atlas Mtns.... it's the little visited sibling of the massive Atlas family that is spread across Morocco.

Forgoing the squishy shared taxi ride with an estimated 3 hr drive ahead through mountain passes and hairpin corners, we hop on the local 'green' bus that services these isolated villages.

These buses are like the pack mules of olden times. In addition to people, they carry all sorts of food, goods and materials. Bread, eggs make it on board, along with taps, brooms (no kitchen sink!) and clothing. Someone even manages to haul aboard 2 finished window frames, complete with hardware and security barriers. They are left at the back and delivered to someone else in Tafraoute.

We've used these busses all along this portion of the trip, around Sidi Ifni, Mirleft and now Tiznit. They run on time, run lots and have enough room.

Quickly leaving the plains around Tiznit behind us, we are soon in the foothills of the Anti-Atlas. The bus climbs the narrow mountain roads. The hills and landscape are studded with terraced surfaces.

Our road follows such a twisty, curvy route, you would think it was plotted straight from the lines of a contour map. Steadily we rise, the barren Mars-like terrain even more striking in the misty remains of the day's rain.

The closer we approach Tafraoute, the narrower our road becomes. Soon the paved portion is truly the width of the bus. We encounter switch backs so tight, it seems that one could easily reach out and hand someone in the other vehicle across from you a glass of Moroccan tea.

We make several longer stops in towns, not sure why, but it allows for some nice shots of regular street life with characters that every town has.