Of squirrels, tortoises and camels.
So another day off driving this time we headed up country for a little over 40 minutes drive to what was touted as a surf/ kite surfing Mecca. I know it was off season but the picture above was the best bit of the town. However the beach itself spread out in front of us in both directions.
We headed the opposite direction along the cliff edge.
With its accompanying wildlife initially thought it may have been a mongoose but consulted with Tony our very own David Attenborough who enlightened me to the fact that it was probably a Barbary Ground Squirrel
Still very exciting and glad we bumped into each other.
We decided to walk to the sand dunes that ran alongside another glorious beach untroubled by other people.
The dunes are either quite solid underfoot or very sandy so it can make walking over them unpredictable. It's like walking across freshly fallen snow and looking back at the footprints you have left behind.
I love the beaches here and having the car means we can access the more remote parts it's an extraordinary privilege to have these vast stretches to ourselves.
On the flip side these places struggle to support communities and the covid years have devastated the local them. The unfinished and abandoned projects are everywhere along the coast.
We headed back taking the circular route home . The roads are really good and we have them practically to ourselves. Having said that I swerved to miss what I thought was a rock in the road to realise as we passed it was a tortoise. More goats more trees but no goats in trees . However we did see non tourist camels with a baby.
The towns we passed through were nothing like where we are staying. Taxis are horse drawn and donkeys replace motorcycles.
Animal welfare is not the highest priority out in these subsistent communities, unsurprisingly. It is however an adjustment on our behalf.
Tomorrow is our last day here and we have enjoyed our stay and downtime immensely. Out of all the places we have been ion Morocco it's been the most chilled. But the other Morocco is never far away. Just as when we traveled in South America the gulf between the haves and have nots is wide. There is however a growing middle class that offers stability for the country in the future. I will say I have not one bad word or thought about the Moroccan people they have been overwhelmingly generous and welcoming .
Rain forecast tomorrow. Rae is off to a Hamman baths and massage. I've taken a swerve and will find other things to occupy my time.