Spliff kiff in the Riff
It was very cold last night and we are still coming to terms with the Moroccan beds. They appear to be anti comfort as they seem to have decided that mattresses should not have any give in them. It's like sleeping on the ground only slightly warmer. So hardly any sleep last night but on the positive side my cold seems to be dissipating.
We took a walk in and around the town which gave us an opportunity to explore more.
That's the entrance to the hotel which is in the center of the souk. Again we are impressed by how laid back everyone is. Especially as we have inadvertently happened upon the largest area for growing and exporting of hashis in the world. It's an industry that is technically illegal but earns so much money and employs so many people that it's been allowed to flourish. For some reason I'm being targeted by every dealer in town.?
The offers of Kiff ( as it's called locally) are constant. We are also being offered tours of the growing and production facilities. Apparently if you accept it's not unusual for a welcoming committee of police who need financial insentives to turn a blind eye. The government are debating wether to legalise production and exports but strangely they are meeting opposition from the farmers who don't trust them and are loyal to the drug barrons.
The offers we are receiving are good natured and when declined taken in good spirits.
We walked up the hill that overlooks the town.
Through the alleyways that the town is built around.
It is a beautiful place and unlike anything that either of us have experienced previously. The reputation as a laid back place is well deserved and may have something to do with there main business.
We took a diversion through some of the poorer and less touristy areas.
Interacting with some of the children who seemed to enjoy the fact that strangers had turned up in there neighbourhood.
We eventually found our way back to town for lunch and were ably assisted In eating lunch by Raes insistent and persistent new friend!
The Riff mountains are beautiful out exploration of them are a little curtailed by the agricultural industry.
We've booked the next stage of the journey to Fes departing in 4 days. We may look to getting a guide if we venture into the hinterlands around here.