Safe Return Doubtful

I’m settled in at campsite in the southwest of the Anti-Atlas mountains, where the mountains meet the desert, and will stay a while.

There’s a pleasant atmosphere; with about ten other vans and motorhomes staying it’s almost full, but tranquil and civilised with a mixture of older people in retirement and away from a long time, to middle aged people on holiday from Europe, particularly France, and even some families. It’s a good temperature also, a little cooler than it would be on the coast, but there it is very busy with surfers and beach goers, and much more noisy. Nights drop down to 7 or 8C, days high at around 18C, although there’s some rain and cooler weather coming in over Christmas and the weekend taking temperatures down to just a few degrees in the mountains, where I was headed. 

After some exploration, there is some good options for hiking and cycling around also. Just the other side of the village nearby, Ouijjane, there are tracks up through the stony desert landscape to a ridge, and from that viewpoint those options can be seen more easily. I’ll explore more in the next few days. 

I intentionally stocked up with fresh vegetables and what I had already to get me through ten days, and if I decide to stay a bit longer, into next week, the town of Tiznit is 20 minutes away, to stock up some more. 

An older French lady in her seventies runs the site and has done for many years, it seems by herself, although she employs a couple of local Moroccan guys to help around the place. On Sunday she ran a Christmas party for local families, many of whom don’t have a lot of money. They are Moroccan Muslims of course, so know nothing of Christmas, and were just attracted by some cake and presents from a fat Frenchman in a red suit, who just happened to be staying in a motorhome and was co-opted. Most of the people here are trying to get away from Christmas, so I feel a bit sorry for her. She invited all the van people, but few turned up. It was the same time as the rugby for me, so I had to let her down. She, Valerie, is offering a sort of Christmas dinner in her restaurant tomorrow night, Christmas Eve, which I think a few will attend. Most people here have their own alcohol which they’ve brought with them, though none of that can be taken to the dinner. Alcohol at public events is strictly against the law. 

My direction is back into the mountains next, eventually across to the northern side of the Atlas. This is a good place to stay for now, for a week or so, maybe more, and hopefully when I continue the weather has settled a bit into a more usual pattern. 

There’s some decent sport on over the next week, not to mention the cricket from Melbourne and Sydney, and also my own private Film Festival (see the separate post for details).