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Morocco: FROM ENCOUNTER TO ENCOUNTER
MARCH 29TH, 2007 – DAY 653 |
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In 4X4 in the Merzouga desert |
SaND AND SNOW
Last month, we have finished the southern part of our loop in
Morocco. We have given the first aids to a student in the
verdant Ziz Valley and we cruised in 4X4 in the dunes of
Merzouga. It is in the region of the Dades Gorges that we met
Olivier, a fellow Quebecois traveller, with who we passed two
weeks. |
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With him, we have explored the Dades Gorges, the city of
Marrakech and attempted to ascend Mount Toubkal, the highest
peak of North Africa (4167m). A snowstorm when at 2300m forced
us to renounce to reaching the top. OK... we also have to say
that we forgot to bring snowsuits... but isn’t it supposed to be
Africa here?
Olivier Lachapelle at the Dades Gorges |
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Storm in the Atlantic |
TRAVELLING… NOT ALWAYS A SMOOTH RIDE
In every family with whom we have passed some time, we were very
well greeted. Each member does what he/she can to make us feel
comfortable. They treat us like brothers and sisters. We are
slowly adapting ourselves to their hospitality. These precious
and passing moments with our host family let us rest and
recharge our batteries. They are becoming more and more
essential to make this trip a success. Without them, we
would feel exausted and have trouble appreciating good things
offered to us. |
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As weird as this may seem, the routine of a person in perpetual
movement is fatiguing. The more the trip advances, the more we
sense the need to stay a couple of days in the same place in
order to know better the people and nice places. |
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OUR PRIORITIES
Gradually, our priorities during this trip evolve. During the
first years, we were looking for beautiful landscapes
(mountains, beaches, lakes, dunes, sea...). It is certain that
each country has its must-see attractions and we don’t want to
miss them. However, we now give a lot more importance to the
acquaintances. We made some extra efforts to make detours to
meet people that had left us their address or to visit friends
of our friends. |
Majida and her son Mohamed |
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From left to right : Délie, Jolan, Enora, Alize, Frank and
Jonathan |
The Perez family
We have passed two very pleasant days in the company of a French
family in exile now living in Casablanca. We have met the Perezs
for the first time in the Merzouga desert. New friendships have
been established with Frank, Délie and their three lovely
children. We stayed the first evening with them and three other
couples, also exiled from France. The night was filled with
laughter, political discussions, delicious food and good wine.
Their kindness and hospitality were greatly comforting. This
relaxed moment allowed us to build up on energy, providing that
no one gets the gastroenteritis spreading from one child to
another. We keep our fingers crossed and wash our hands ! |
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CHANGE OF PLANS
As we have already mentioned, we have no set itinerary.
Everything is subject to change according to encounters
and desires of the moment. Only a couple of days ago, we
thought we’d fly to Senegal but received a very
interesting e-mail. Caroline’s aunt and her partner were
going to Burkina Faso at the end of the month for a
humanitarian project. |
Dromedaries in the Sahara |
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Caroline and Patrick in
the High Atlas mountains |
Humanitarian aid in burkina faso
We are now preparing to meet them. We will pass six weeks in the
south-western part of the country, more precisely in the village
of Beregadougou. We are working on our
DignImage project and on marketing
products derived from the sugar cane. We are only a few hours
away from take-off and have just received our visas. We hardly
know anything about this country. Nevertheless, visiting Burkina
Faso is the best way to discover it! |
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ADVERTISEMENTS |
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