May 23, 2014 
OUED BEHRIL to MARRAKECH 181Km in the morning

Our motel on the edge of Oued Behril turned out to be a lucky find. After breakfast of fresh orange juice, Laughing Cow cheese on fresh bread, a few olives and marmalade, we were on our way at 8 am. 
 
 
Soon we were climbing high in the Atlas mountains on a narrow potholed road with constant slowdowns for construction as they loaded dump trucks. Regular traffic was light, occasionally we'd get stuck in clouds of dust behind a truck for a while. But they were good about signaling us when it was safe to pass. 

It was a beautiful treeless route but frightening at times without guard rails and sheer drop next to us. It is well known as a dangerous road and we'd concur. It is smart to drive it in the daylight and take it slow. One false move would be your last.

Once over the Tizi n'Test (2092m) awe-inspiring pass, there was little road work and the drop-offs not as sheer. The road straighened out quite a bit and we could begin to make time the rest of the way to Marrakech.

 
 
 
Cut Rate Rental Company Nicked Us for an Extra $7

We had gone with a cut-rate car rent company who's airport office is the back of a van in the long-term parking lot. We pulled into the lot and over to Location Auto's designated parking spots. The guys were busy with another customer and didn't comment when we arrived a few minutes after our noon cut off time. 
 
Eventually, they looked over the car and did not notice the dings from the hail storm under the dirt. (We did not point that out either because it was insured.) Then they asked for an extra 250dr for the extra rental day, 50dr for low gas and 100dr to wash the car. Dave had already re-negotiated the extra day from 300 back to 200, the original rate, over the phone and had to re-renegotiate it back to 200dr. We arrived with the 2-stripes (quarter tank) on the fuel gauge as required. But as the car rested, it slipped to 1 stripe. (ah shoot). The car wash fee is in the contract, they said and pointed to small print written in French. They should have pointed that out when we picked up the car. We got huffy but eventually gave them 60dr for the short gas and the wash. Overall they asked for $20 in unfair charges, settled on $7. And we did leave the car dirty and the gas a little short.

Car Rental Stats
locationauto.ma (through www.arguscarhire.com)
Suzuki Celerio, manual shift with A/C (under powered)
200 dr ($22.12) Per Day to Location Auto + $12.86 One-time Commission to Argus = $24.37/total day for the car. Included unlimited mileage and insurance
2026 kilometers (1259 miles) over 8 days
 
$180 on unleaded gasoline at $6.17 per gallon (13.43 dirham per liter)
43 mpg
Paid almost as much on gasoline per day as for the rental ($190 for the car, $180 for gas over eight days)
 
Overnight Stops 
 ...from Marrakesh Airport to

1) Aït Benhaddou
2) M'Goun, Ouarzazate Province, Souss-Massa-Draa, Morocco
3) Gorges du Dadès (Boumaine)
4) Nkob, Souss-Massa-Draa, Morocco
5) Tata, Guelmim-Es Semara, Morocco
6) Tafraoute, Souss-Massa-Draa, Morocco
7) Sidi Ifni, Souss-Massa-Draa, Morocco
8) Oued Behril, Souss-Massa-Draa, Morocco 

 ...then back to Marrakesh Airport