Safe Return Doubtful

I’m spending a week on Laurent’s permaculture farm in the gentle mountains of the Zaër region in the province of Benslimane roughly between Casablanca and Rabat.

It’s very much my sort of place. It has a rough and muddy track that crosses rivers to get in an out, 5 kilometres to a sealed road to the west, and also 5 to the east. The steep hills and narrow curves put off vehicles any longer than mine. About two vehicles pass each day. 

There have been just three other visitors in the five days I’ve been here so far. An older French couple in their van who were arrived just before me, and stayed just one night. Then a young Dutch couple, both psychologists on a six month sabbatical, in an old T4 campervan, though new to them, who stayed two nights. They were good company, but two days was plenty for them, and they were off to explore the city life of Casablanca. They were encouraged by meeting a young woman who was also here at the weekend, from Casablanca and just having a couple of days break, some peace and quite away from the hectic city noise and its pace of life. 

The hiking around here is the best I’ve found at this time of year in the country. The maps don’t have any trails marked on them. The only tracks that exist are old roads that have become disused or trails used by local people walking to and from their neighbours, or with their cattle. It makes for some exciting adventures, not quite knowing where you’re headed.. though I have managed to find several good options, a few based on a ridge heading north south from where I am, at about 500 metres above sea level, and a few others based on an old washed out road.

Higher ground nearer to the Atlas Mountains is much more affected by sliding mud and rock after rain, and it rains about once a week, then much of the next week is taken tidying the essential roads up, the less essential roads and tracks will need to wait until spring. Spring, March and April, is high season here, whereas it was now nearer to the coast. 

I brought with me enough supplies to see me through despite not having a fridge; it helps that temperatures are not that high, 16C in the height of the afternoon, dropping to around 7C at night. 

The owner, Laurent, is a single guy in his forties who has studied agriculture around the world before settling here seven years ago. He had a Labrador Retriever that he brought with him that died a year ago, and after a break, he took in a badly treated wild dog that has settled incredibly well into life on the farm. 

It’s been a refreshingly quiet week while just over a few hills the usual frantic nature of town life here continues. 

I’ll leave on Friday morning and head south to the Rif mountains for my last week in Morocco.