May 15, 2014
MARRAKECH to AÏT BENHADDOU by car, 197 km 
40C /105F (Marrakech) to 25C/77F (at elevation)
Maison D'Hote Chez Brahim 300TL, double with breakfast

Dave had booked a rental car for a week online through arguscarhire.com with Marrakesh Airport pickup which turned out the most economical. The Argus channeled our car order to a local company, locationauto.ma, for 200TL ($24.67) per day. We expected to have to negotiate hard for taxi out to the airport. Lauren had told us they would charge around 100 dirham, and we had read online that 60 was typical. We made our way on foot to the outskirts of the medina. The heat at 10 am was already oppressive. It was easy to flag down one of many shared taxis. He said 150, we said 50, we settled for 60 and off we went. Dave called the car rental company, and just like in Istanbul, they met us 10 minutes later at the prearranged spot, the 'Information Desk' in this case. 

We followed the guy out to the end of the long-term parking lot and, after lengthy paperwork, we were on our way in small Suzuki. It had 84000 kilometers on the odo, more than a few scratches on all corners and damage to all hubcaps. It has been a hard 84k for this poor car. I prefer it that way. Cars without dings and scratches are a rare sight in Marrakech. 
 
At noon, we were on our way. It was a bit of a nail biter, getting out of town but soon we left the mad traffic, the gates and small lanes behind. We found ourselves on a two lane road with room to breath. We stopped at a roadside fruit and vegetable stall and picked up some sweet peas to nibble on and a watermelon. Our spirits were high and even got higher once we started ascending up into the High Atlas Mountains and left the oppressing heat behind us. 
 
The drive was spectacular, passing through cedar forests, beautiful valleys and quaint villages where the donkey is still the preferred mode of travel and beast of burden. Before the pass, we took a break in Tadfart and enjoyed a tajine on an outside table at a popular little restaurant. A wholesome meal, heavy on the veggies. 

We continued up and over the pass and made it to Aït Benhaddou by 4pm. We had read a blog from woman traveling solo in rented car and she recommended the hotel where she stayed; Maison D'Hote Chez Brahim.

We pulled up and were immediately met by the owner. Brahim told us Hillary Clinton had eaten at his restaurant and showed us a framed thank you letter to prove it. He gave us room 2, a simple but lovely room with great view of the Unesco site across the valley, the Old Town of Aïd Benhaddou, with its kasbah and mud houses clinging to the hillside and crowning the hilltop is a citadel with at its center a granary. 
 
We relaxed on the rooftop terrace at this lovely place and enjoyed taking in the view and atmosphere. A large wall and gate was erected in front of the old kasbah village and used in the movie Laurence of Arabia. 

 
Morning of May 16, 2014
Exploring the Kasbahs at Aït Benhaddou

We got a brief slice of sunlight when we woke in the early morning. Soon after, the cloudy overcast closed in. making the mud brick houses in Aït Benhaddou across from us blend onto the hillside. Not ideal for pictures but great for me (cool). Intense sun zaps all my energy. We had breakfast of pancakes, yoghurt, jam and almond butter on the rooftop terrace upstairs. In the distance, we could see the High Atlas mountains and the barren dessert. 

Afterwards we set out to explore the magical old village. Go to http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/444 for a interesting summary of its historical background.
 
According to Wikipedia: Aït Benhaddou has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987 and films shot here, include:

Sodom And Gomorrah (1963)
Oedipus Rex (1967)
The Man Who Would Be King (film) (1975)
The Message (1976)
Jesus of Nazareth (1977)
Time Bandits (1981)
Marco Polo (1982)
The Jewel of the Nile (1985)
The Living Daylights (1987)
The Last Temptation of Christ (1988)
The Sheltering Sky (1990)
Kundun (1997)
The Mummy (1999)
Gladiator (2000)
Alexander (2004)
Kingdom of Heaven (2005)
Babel (2006)
Prince of Persia (2010)
Son of God (film) (2014)
Also used in parts of the TV series Game of Thrones.
 
Tourist shop vendors and guides vied for our attention as we made our way across the riverbed and entered through one of the gates into the historic old town Aït Benhaddou. We paid 10 dh ($1.20) for entry at the gate and made our way up steps and down narrow alleys. 

We entered one of the 6 Kasbahs (family homes) where one lady, who lives there, gave us an informal tour. Her family has lived there for generations. UNESCO has given this place a substantial face-lift since we were here 17 years ago. Ten families live in the kasbah and only 11 years ago did the people get water and plumbing. Water is piped in for 10 km and originates in the Atlas mountains making life a lot easier for the people living here. She showed us the stone wheel her mother, and many women before her, used to grind wheat. Very heavy work, those stones are heavy. Small stairways lead to different levels of the building. From a higher floor, we could see the sheep and few goats in pin on lower floor. She showed me three small windowless bedrooms and she said that the family often sleeps on terrace under the stars. 

We wandered around some more. A photo op at every turn. The place has atmosphere of what I envision biblical times encompassed. Loaded donkeys and long robed men and women still make their way up the maze of passages and lanes. The pace of life is slow and relaxed. Nothing moves by the clock. For us, it adds to the romantic and exotic. We are fortunate. We have time too.