Apple valley

Sunday, April 13, 2025

Auberge la vallée de pomme, Drâa-Tafilalet, Morocco

Sunday, April 13, 2025

A glorious sunrise greets us through the open balcony door. The sky is perfectly blue, and clouds are a thing of the past.

Today will be a day of much driving, so after breakfast we pack our luggage, withdraw some cash (the last gas station had no internet so we had to pay cash) and start our trip.

Our first destination is Ouarzazate where we want to visit the Kasbah, and also, it’s where our friend Nourdine came from. So in his honor I also want to put my feet on the ground there.

The Ouarzazate kasbah

Then follows a trip of several hours to the Dades Gorge.

In Ouarzazate the kasbah is being restored. It’s very large and now that the walls and ceilings have been restaured to a large extend, I can see how large it used to (and will) be. And also how attractive it can be.

By the way, we also pass by the Atlas Studio that’s involved in all the major movie productions here.

Local lunch

As we get on our way to Dades Gorge, we receive information that the road has been flooded. We’ll have to take a detour that takes an extra 2.5 hours.

It brings us to a spectacular mountain landscape with folded layers of colorful rock. The slopes become very steep and suddenly it seems that the road stops against a vertical rock wall.

However, a chasm opens up, as wide as the road plus a river next to it. And 100 meter (300 ft) high walls rise sheer up on both sides.

The Dades Gorge

It is so impressive that people stop and walk around on the road to stare and take pictures. We do the same. I have seen many gorges in my life but ranks at the top. Comparable to Petra (Jordan) perhaps.

As we continue we are warned for falling stones the next 16 km (10 miles) and indeed there are many stones on the road. Progress is slow because the road is under water several times. Apparently the rain also covered this area and small rivers flow over the pavement.

The flooded road

Finally we come through a small village and climb over high mountain passes. There are hardly any vehicles and the temperature decreases to 6C. I do see Berber wrapped in his long garb on a donkey facing the rain that now begins falling.

Once over the cold and inhospitable high mountains, the road begins a long descend. And when - according to our calculations - our destination is less than one hour away, we enter a small village.

We drive slowly around the buildings when the road is blocked. Several cars and motorcycles are standing still. Police.

I assume a regular police check - we have passed five today - but no. A policeman informs us politely that the road is washed away later on.

Police turn us back because of an innundation

With our map he checks the location of our hotel, and indicates another route to get there. Only six hours extra.

It is already past five in the afternoon so we decide to pick the first inn we pass.

We are lucky. There is one in this village. In front we find the motorcycle gang, busily talking in dutch. They are Belgian Morocans, also looking for rooms. Very friendly they ask the owner for help and miraculously there is a room for three available. And they can cook chicken tajine for dinner. And serve breakfast tomorrow morning.

The only thing is that there is a shower, but it doesn’t seem to get warm. But hey, adventure comes with discomfort sometimes.

Now sitting in bed fully dressed, covered with blankets and writing these lines. From the open window comes the sound of the flood water rushing through the innundated apple orchards. The water is red brown and flows fast.

Our room reminds me of the Ouarzazate kasbah: the wals are a bit rough and I can see the fibers of grass or whatever. The ceiling has wooden beams, bend by the natural shape of the branches they are made of. On top of that are layers of bamboo or very thick and shiny reed. And above that…? I just hope the room stays dry.

The tajine with chicken should be ready soon.

Oh, the muezzin is calling. Time for the maghrib, the muslem evening prayer.