OP
OP
Day 19 in Morocco.
Back on the road through the last part of the lovely Dades Gorge, then a pretty uninspiring drive to Carrefours supermarket in Ouarzazate to stock up on essentials. From there it's a short drive to Ait Ben Haddou where we are staying tonight. Ait Ben Haddou is part of "Ouarzawood", Morocco's film industry, and has been the setting for many a good film (Lawrence if Arabia, The Jewel of the Nile and Gladiator, to name but a few). It's a well preserved ksar (fortified village), frozen in time with the small narrow alley ways now full of souvenir and carpet shops, winding their way up to the ruined igherm.(granary) which affords stunning views over the surrounding countryside. Film makers were on site, preparing to shoot scenes for another movie, which I guessed had something to do with Trojans as we saw a bloody big wooden horse from our coffee taking vantage point. A sign we saw later in the village confirmed my thoughts. Luck was on our side as tomorrow the ksar is closed to everyone not associated with the film, including all the traders. We scored a few bargains thanks to Sharon's haggling skills and the fact that the traders were losing a days work.
Back on the road through the last part of the lovely Dades Gorge, then a pretty uninspiring drive to Carrefours supermarket in Ouarzazate to stock up on essentials. From there it's a short drive to Ait Ben Haddou where we are staying tonight. Ait Ben Haddou is part of "Ouarzawood", Morocco's film industry, and has been the setting for many a good film (Lawrence if Arabia, The Jewel of the Nile and Gladiator, to name but a few). It's a well preserved ksar (fortified village), frozen in time with the small narrow alley ways now full of souvenir and carpet shops, winding their way up to the ruined igherm.(granary) which affords stunning views over the surrounding countryside. Film makers were on site, preparing to shoot scenes for another movie, which I guessed had something to do with Trojans as we saw a bloody big wooden horse from our coffee taking vantage point. A sign we saw later in the village confirmed my thoughts. Luck was on our side as tomorrow the ksar is closed to everyone not associated with the film, including all the traders. We scored a few bargains thanks to Sharon's haggling skills and the fact that the traders were losing a days work.
