Après les fabuleuses gorges de Dades et de Todgha, nous prenons à partir de Imilchil la route pour Merzouga en passant par Rich via une petite route pas toujours en très bon état (3 heures pour faire 130 kms) et ensuite les gorges de Ziz, un passage presque obligatoire puisque c'est aussi la route principale. Au total, près de 310 kilomètres et une température allant en crescendo, le tout accompagné d'un vent chaud et sec.
After the fabulous Dades and Todgha Canyons, from Imilchil, we take the road to Merzouga. We ride to Rich through a small road which is not always in a good state (3 hours for 130 kms). Then, the Ziz Canyon on the main road. 310 kilometers in total and a rising temperature as we ride south with a hot and dry wind as a companion.
After the fabulous Dades and Todgha Canyons, from Imilchil, we take the road to Merzouga. We ride to Rich through a small road which is not always in a good state (3 hours for 130 kms). Then, the Ziz Canyon on the main road. 310 kilometers in total and a rising temperature as we ride south with a hot and dry wind as a companion.
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| Loin d'être en bon état, cette route ! This road is far from being well maintained ! |
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| On se demande d'ou elle sort et ou elle va ! Wondering where she is coming from and where she is going ! |
Notre arrivée se fit en même temps qu'un événement connu sous "rallye de la rose des sables", un rallye composé exclusivement de femmes dont la difficulté réside dans l'orientation et autres subtilités, la vitesse n'étant pas une composante.
When we arrived in Merzouga, the ''rallye de la rose des sables'' was taking place. It's a rallye for women only whose main challenge is to be able to orient oneself, but where speed is not an important element.
When we arrived in Merzouga, the ''rallye de la rose des sables'' was taking place. It's a rallye for women only whose main challenge is to be able to orient oneself, but where speed is not an important element.
Merzouga, quelques ruelles de terre, des habitations éparses sans charme, et l'immense dune de l'Erg Chebbi. Une dune qui s'étend sur plus de 30 kilomètres de long sur 5 kilomètres de large.
Merzouga, a few streets not paved, houses here and there with no charm and the huge dune of Erg Chebbi. This dune spreads over 30 kilometers long over 5 kilometers wide.
Merzouga, a few streets not paved, houses here and there with no charm and the huge dune of Erg Chebbi. This dune spreads over 30 kilometers long over 5 kilometers wide.
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| La dune au loin - the Dune in the back |
On vient à Merzouga pour le désert , pour goûter à l'immensité saharienne, pour la couleur changeante du sable, et l'opportunité de faire un bivouac en plein désert dans une tente berbère après presque 2 heures de dromadaire. La nuit, le ciel constellé d'étoiles offre un spectacle grandiose, pas un bruit, pas de lumière juste la rencontre de soi avec l'univers. Une chance aussi d'apercevoir la Voie lactée.
You go to Merzouga to experience the desert and taste the immense Sahara with its everchanging colours of sand. We also wanted to experience a bivouac in the desert in a Berber tent which we did after almost 2 hours on a camel. The night, with its constellations of stars offers a humbling spectacle, not a noise, not a light, just a meeting with yourself and the universe. A chance to see the Milky Way as well.
You go to Merzouga to experience the desert and taste the immense Sahara with its everchanging colours of sand. We also wanted to experience a bivouac in the desert in a Berber tent which we did after almost 2 hours on a camel. The night, with its constellations of stars offers a humbling spectacle, not a noise, not a light, just a meeting with yourself and the universe. A chance to see the Milky Way as well.
La ballade en dromadaire est toute une expérience et moi qui ne suis pas un fan de cheval, j'ai aimé cette randonnée même si monter et descendre du dromadaire relève parfois de l'acrobatie. Et quand le lendemain, il faut faire le chemin à l'envers, ça devient carrément douloureux. Quand on est là-dessus, on se prend le temps d'un instant pour Lawrence D'Arabie.
The ride on the camel is quite an experience and although I am not a fan of riding on a horse, I have enjoyed this ride although climbing and getting off the camel is quite acrobatic. When the following day, we have to go back with the camel, it just becomes painful. When you are on the camel, for one instant, you feel like Lawrence of Arabia.
The ride on the camel is quite an experience and although I am not a fan of riding on a horse, I have enjoyed this ride although climbing and getting off the camel is quite acrobatic. When the following day, we have to go back with the camel, it just becomes painful. When you are on the camel, for one instant, you feel like Lawrence of Arabia.
Le vent chaud soulève un sable, un sable si fin que rien ne l'arrête et qui s'invite partout . L'appareil photo en a presque rendu l'âme . De voir la cime des dunes telles des vagues sur la mer se mouvoir à l'infini est en soi une expérience.
The hot wind raises the sand, such a fine sand that nothing stops it and which invites itself everywhere. Our camera almost died with it. To see the top of the dunes move like waves on the sea is an incredible experience.
The hot wind raises the sand, such a fine sand that nothing stops it and which invites itself everywhere. Our camera almost died with it. To see the top of the dunes move like waves on the sea is an incredible experience.
Notre bivouac, loin des lumières de Merzouga, loin du bruit, nous offrit une chance unique de partager ce moment avec notre chamelier, le propriétaire du bivouac , un berbère et un cuisinier. Nous étions 4 invités et eux. Le thé marocain fut servi suivi un peu plus tard d'un délicieux repas aux saveurs exquises. Comme c'est la tradition, après le repas, musique au bruit des tam-tams et des castagnettes.
Comme on dit en France, que du bonheur.
Comme on dit en France, que du bonheur.
Our bivouac, far away from the lights of Merzouga, far from the noise was the opportunity to share the life of Berbers, the camel owner, the owner of the bivouac, a couple of other berbers, one being the cook. We were only 4 guests. The Moroccan tea was followed by an excellent meal with exquisite savours. After the meal as a tradition, music with drums and castanets.
As we say in France, only happiness !
Sur le chemin du retour:
On our way back:
As we say in France, only happiness !
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| Notre bivouac - our bivouac |
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| Devant notre chambre - In front of our bedroom |
Sur le chemin du retour:
On our way back:
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| Sans les mains, le signe du motard - Without the hands, the bikers' sign ! |
Après Merzouga, on reprend le chemin à l'envers jusqu'à Er-Rich et ensuite direction Meknes. On s'arrêtera à Zaida le temps d'une nuit et Meknes le lendemain. Il a plu toute la nuit, la température a baissé considérablement. Il fait froid !
After Merzouga, we have to turn around up to Er-Rich then we head towards Meknes. We will stop in Zaïda for one night before reaching Meknes the following day. It rained all night, the temperature has dropped considerably. It's cold !
After Merzouga, we have to turn around up to Er-Rich then we head towards Meknes. We will stop in Zaïda for one night before reaching Meknes the following day. It rained all night, the temperature has dropped considerably. It's cold !
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| 2 degrés ! 2 degrees ! |
Nous passerons par le col de Zad, un col à 2200 mètres . Il fait au plus froid 1,5 degré. La neige est tombée pendant la nuit et pourtant ça n'empêche pas les berbères de vivre dans des "abris de fortune" . Le long de la route, nous les verrons tantôt gardant leur troupeau de chèvres ou de moutons, tantôt vendant des pommes . C'est une vie dure qu'ils n'échangeraient peut être pas pour rien au monde. Je n'ose même pas m'imaginer à quoi leur vie peut bien ressembler en hiver.
We will ride through the Zad path at 2200 meters. At the coldest, the temperature is at 1.5 degrees. It snowed during the night but despite this, the Berbers still live their in their ''tents''. Along the road, we see them either tending to their goat or sheep cattles, and sometimes selling apples. It's a tough life and maybe they would not exchange it. I cannot fathom what their life is like in winter.
We will ride through the Zad path at 2200 meters. At the coldest, the temperature is at 1.5 degrees. It snowed during the night but despite this, the Berbers still live their in their ''tents''. Along the road, we see them either tending to their goat or sheep cattles, and sometimes selling apples. It's a tough life and maybe they would not exchange it. I cannot fathom what their life is like in winter.
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| Berber dwellings - Habitations berbères |
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| Snow on the mountains - de la neige sur les sommets |
Juste après le col de Zad, des panneaux nous invitent à ralentir pour présence de singes. Sortis de nulle part, des dizaines de singes ont élu domicile dans cette forêt dont la cime des arbres disparaît dans les nuages . Ils vivent là, ne quémandent pas, sont prudents avant de traverser la route. Bref, ce fut aussi inattendu que distrayant.
Just after the Zad Path, some road signs invite us to slow down because of monkeys. Coming from nowhere, dozens of monkeys have decided to live here where the top of the trees are hidden in the clouds. They live here and don't beg for food, they are careful before crossing the road. In short, it was unexpected and just fun !
Just after the Zad Path, some road signs invite us to slow down because of monkeys. Coming from nowhere, dozens of monkeys have decided to live here where the top of the trees are hidden in the clouds. They live here and don't beg for food, they are careful before crossing the road. In short, it was unexpected and just fun !
Meknes, 5ieme ville du Maroc, a ses quartiers historiques inscrits au Patrimoine Mondial de l'UNESCO . Elle fut une des 4 villes impériales au Maroc. De plus, la ville permet d'aller en une journée voir la petite ville de Moulay-Idriss. Parmi les visites à faire, la médina bien sur, les souks, la place El-Hedim avec son animation qui n'est pas sans rappeler la place Jemaa-el-Fna....en beaucoup plus petit certes avec ses charmeurs de serpents. Dans la medina, on y pratique un art ancestral, la Damasquinure, décoration d'objets en métal (plats, vases, bijoux) avec des incrustations de fil d'argent. Malheureusement, nous n'avons pas pris de photos car nous aurions été sollicités pour acheter quelque chose... A Meknes, aussi de nombreuses échoppes ou sont vendues des bobines de fil.
Meknes, 5th largest city of Morocco, also has its historical neighborhoods as part of the UNESCO world heritage. It used to be one of the 4th imperial city of Morocco. From there, you can go check out the small city of Moulay-Idriss. You can visit the medina (of course), the souks, the El-Hedim square and its animation which reminds us of Jemaa-el-Fna... although quite smaller but with its snakes charmers. In the medina, you can see how to maque damascene, which consists in decorating metal objects (dishes, vases, jewelry) with incrustations of silver thread. This time, unfortunately, we did not take any pictures as we did not feel like being talked into buying something... In Meknes, many shops where you can buy spools of thread.
Meknes, 5th largest city of Morocco, also has its historical neighborhoods as part of the UNESCO world heritage. It used to be one of the 4th imperial city of Morocco. From there, you can go check out the small city of Moulay-Idriss. You can visit the medina (of course), the souks, the El-Hedim square and its animation which reminds us of Jemaa-el-Fna... although quite smaller but with its snakes charmers. In the medina, you can see how to maque damascene, which consists in decorating metal objects (dishes, vases, jewelry) with incrustations of silver thread. This time, unfortunately, we did not take any pictures as we did not feel like being talked into buying something... In Meknes, many shops where you can buy spools of thread.
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| Pas de parking privé, alors la moto a trouvé sa place pour la nuit ! No private parking, therefore our bike found its spot for the night ! |
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| Il fabrique les bobines de fil - He makes the spools of thread. |
On the Road Again 3...
Ecrit par Alain - Written by Alain
