Morocco - Sahara, Taraoudant

We woke up at 6am for the 4 hour drive in the 4x4's out of the Sahara to the town where we met the van.

It was dark when we started and the drivers somehow managed to navigate the featureless dark landscape. We stopped for a break to watch the sunrise.

We were also entertained for a while by a little desert mouse.

The way out of the Sahara passed over a very flat, prehistoric lake bed, where the drivers pulled out all the stops and started racing. Pretty fun.

We also stopped at a place that was covered with fossils: seashells, parts of plants, etc. You'd think with all the tourists over the years it would be picked over, but there were fossils on the ground all over. 

The town at the edge of the Sahara, Oulad Dress, had a bustling market. We walked around, had a coffee, and loaded back into the van.

On the highway we had to stop for a sandstorm.

We continued driving toward the city of Taraoudant. On the way we saw the famous goats in the trees -  the goats climb up the branches to eat the Aragorn nuts.

After the long day we arrived at Oulad Berhil, just outside Taraoudant. The hotel was actually a former palace of a regional governor, with a beautiful garden, and a large ornately decorated dining hall.

The next morning we started on the long drive to Essaouira. We stopped at Taraoudant for a coffee, which has the remains of a old fortress wall.