Tag: africa

Morocco – The Atlas Mountains – A walk in Imlil – A relief from the Heat –

It was interesting, I’d always heard about the Atlas Mountains, but when I actually went there I just didn’t realise just how big they are. They look like the Alps. They go over 14,000 feet, I think 4,200 metres, and are very impressive.

They literally rise from the desert. It seems to go straight from desert trees, desert brush, immediately to an alpine type of feel. We started at our hotel in Marrakech, and about two hours, two and a half hours later with a suicidal ride in a taxi; we were there in Imlil. Absolutely insane. And to think that our driver actually wasn’t that bad, compared to some of the motorcycles or the other taxis that I saw. You had to do it to believe it.

Absolutely crazy. When we finally did get up there, we had a lovely hotel / hostel. Very basic, very clean, very centralised, and at night it was actually quite cold.

But something that I enjoy, as I can sleep much better when it’s cold – maybe it’s living in Scotland? We had a very friendly host, who had actually been to Scotland, and had climbed up Ben Nevis. Very impressive, and very knowledgeable about Morocco, Marrakech, and in particular the Atlas Mountains.

The place also had a lovely veranda on top of the roof, where you could see it seemed like many new-ish types of flats and apartments.. When I asked him who the flats belonged to, he said basically other Moroccans and other people from Marrakech, who want to live in Imlil or to have a mountain flat to escape from the heat, particularly in the summer, from Marrakech. We went and had some tea and coffee, and went through the village. They love their tea here, and it’s always green!

And even then it wasn’t as if we had the place to ourselves, as it seemed like there were quite a few tourists, both foreign and from Morocco. Look at the photos and in particular, the photo of the coffee. I don’t drink coffee, but the other partner in crime absolutely loved it. It almost looked like a Guinness beer. There that night, we had dinner, and it was very basic, but actually with variety and a good amount of food.

It seemed like they generally cared about their guests, and at the same time, they seemed to want to showcase the best of Morocco. The meal above with the rice was utterly beautiful, very healthy. And the service was not only prompt, it was very friendly, as I said before.

At night-time, the roof terrace was beautiful, although it was getting cold, in the single-digit figures. Next morning, we were up, and again a fairly huge but basic breakfast.

Honey, dried fruits, bread, orange juice, yoghurts. It was something, again, similar to the night meal. Basic, very Moroccan, but at the same time, they wanted to showcase exactly what they do here in the country.

We then started the walk / tour. It lasted nearly four hours with our guide, Muhammad , and followed an old road & trail, whilst it slowly got higher and higher with many waterfalls and a lot of water that we had to cross.

We were always safe. In addition to that, one of the early parts of the trip was going on a new road that was being constructed, and I know that rather than desert sand, this was solid rock, again, similar to the Alps, that they intend to have in the future. Again, they seemed very proud of the culture and very proud that this is being developed. Muhammad kept telling us, that tourism is the future for this area.

He also told us, all the water was previously used for agriculture, which was the main occupation here in the past. You can still see the small rivers that go through here, the small mini canals, but at the same time, fewer people are earning their livelihood from rivers, from agriculture, so hence, it’s being developed more for the tourists or more for the staycations. But please don’t think that with the water and mountains, it’s cold. even then he told us that in parts of the summer, it can still be 45-50 degrees here!

People flock, not only to stay at their summer houses or they come to hike, but they also come here on day trips from Marrakech. It was quite impressive just how many buildings have been erected here recently. At the same time, we went through some villages, and still saw the old way of life; handcrafts, making blankets, making jackets, making hats, even using the horses for the tours. There was a gang of cyclists who were in our hotel, who were getting their bikes taken up by donkeys for a 5 day biking tour, and then riding their bikes down.

I get the feeling, that the future for this area and for Morocco seems to be on a positive arc.

CB

Morocco – A Water Museum in Marrakech –

Water has always fascinated me being raised largely in a desert. BTW, speaking about water, go and check out Chinatown (1975).

If you want to watch a movie about water, go watch it; it’s also one of the best movies ever made.

Meanwhile, we were in Marrakech, Morocco recently, and the question kept coming up: where does it all come from? The city sits just north-northwest of the Atlas Mountains, so the answer, of course, begins up there.

On one trip we headed into the High Atlas Mountains to Imlil. Everywhere you look there are small barriers, channels, and ancient irrigation systems guiding precious melted snow down to the valleys and to the dwindling number of farms in the area.

It made me wonder how Morocco manages water for a city like Marrakech. How do they capture enough? How do they plan for it? What role does the government play—dams, reservoirs, distribution? That curiosity led us to this water museum in the northwest part of Marrakech.

It was utterly fascinating. Morocco has around 130–140 dams, and this museum tells the long story of the country’s constant battle for water across the centuries. We visited on a weekday and practically had the place to ourselves—only a small group of four arrived later.

We’d taken the local bus back into town for about 40 pence. We were the only Europeans on board, but that’s another story. The museum itself is grand—three floors, designed so you start at the top and work your way down.

The exhibits, videos, and interactive displays did a wonderful job of showing just how difficult, and how ingenious, water sourcing and distribution have been in this land. From the top floor there’s a striking panoramic view (or large display) highlighting Morocco’s water systems, with Marrakech prominently featured.

What impressed me almost as much as the content was the museum itself. Despite the light foot traffic, it was immaculate. The finishes—marble, granite, and high-quality materials—show that no expense was spared. You could feel the city’s (and the country’s) genuine pride in the place. It was spotless, dignified, and beautifully maintained. My only gripe, was that due to the UK, in my opinion, having more cafes than anywhere in the world (!), there was only a very small display unit here that was serving drinks; with the coffee hall being closed.

Other than that, it’s a real hidden gem that gave us a much deeper appreciation for a resource we so easily take for granted; particularly in Scotland.

CB