Day 161
2 hrs, 3 .0 kms

Normally after my “big summer trip” I feel worn out and ready to forget about travel for a while. Not this time. After returning from Turkey and the Caucuses, I’ve still got plenty of energy and desire to stay in “Adventure Mode”. A month later I have 3 days off work and quickly jump at the opportunity. I know just where to go: Out to the desert, now the weather is cooler to see if I can finish another Superhike here in Morocco.

One of the candidate areas for doing another Superhike is around Ouarzazate the “Hollywood of Morocco” where many blockbuster films are shot. The city of Ouarzazate itself isn’t all that impressive (other than the kasbah, which is nice), but I did a cool hike along a riverbed from Amerzane to Tikirt 20 kms west of the city a few years ago… then there’s the famous Kasbah of Ait Ben Haddou that I need to get back to to parkbench properly… then, according to Google maps, there’s a string of villages upstream from Ait Ben Haddou that look interesting . If I were to string all these together, it should make a pretty decent Superhike.

And so, once again, you know the routine… overnight bus from Marrakech to Ouarzazate… but this time I get off 20 kilometers short of the city, at the turn off to Ait Ben Haddou. Here at the junction I stock up on snacks and water, and head on up the quiet road through the desert.

It’s a refreshing way to start the day, on a quiet road through the desert, knowing that up ahead there are many villages to discover. Turkey and the Caucuses were fun—but it feels good to be back heading towards my 447th Moroccan village. This “Every town in Morocco” project just doesn’t seem to want to end. A couple years ago I didn’t even know this river civilization existed… now I’m doing a Superhike up this way.

It’s not long before I reach the quiet roadside village of Tissargate… some traditional architecture, but no old castle feel here.