3 hrs, 7.0 kms



Instead of heading north to Tafraoute, I decide to head south, and just soak in this area for a while, then loop around back to the town . I've lost absolute all concern for covering distance or getting from point A to B. This is truly a magical place and needs to be enjoyed as such.   I cross a dry valley to another cluster of rocks with a giant boulder perched on another like a giant head—Mr Rock Head deserves to be in the backdrop of another video clip. It almost feels like nature has a sense of humor, balancing rocks on top of each other like this in such a seemingly impossible way…

Then on along the side of the hill to another boulder perched on its side, like an arrow in the ground… and some other boulders neatly stacked like a giant table… further ahead is a HUGE oval boulder, maybe 20 meters high and 50 long, slices up like a loaf of bread. This place is quickly rising to the Number 2 slot of Amazing Geological Regions that I’ve explored, second only to Cappadoccia, Turkey. I know it’s not the only one. There are some pretty amazing rock formations in Southeast USA for example—but until I find something that amazes me more, Tafraoute is going to keep the Number 2 slot .

On past another butte which looks like a bunch of giant rocks squeezed together like an enormous sandwich, I ponder on the timelessness of this region. Here people have come and people will go, but these rocks remain, unchanged… untouched. It’s a humbling thought. But then I spot something unusual: unnatural pastel colors. Yep, sure enough, somebody’s painted some of these giant boulders. OK, so much for the "untouched" part. At first I think it must be some tourist wanting to leave his mark—surely know local would waste all that paint on a rock! Or could it be some misguided government project thinking that rocks painted blue will draw more tourists than rocks in their natural state?

I have mixed feelings. I must begrudgingly admit that it is kind of cool to see some extra color… but on the other hand, it seems pretty corny to think you can “improve” on the amazing artwork of nature. Oh well… at least in a hundred years the paint will all be washed off and this area will once again be what it’s always been, an canvass for the artwork of nature and nature alone .

There are a couple of tourists here, some young folks clambering around, and even a camping car parked in the middle of nowhere, with a temporary fence around it and a dude sitting out in a lawn chair as if this were his territory… No problem… seeing other foreigners completely at ease is a reminder of how safe this region is. No need to be looking over my shoulder here, or profiling every person who approaches me.

 

And then the geological wonders start to fade, and it starts to look like ordinary desert again. I figure I’ll just go a little farther—maybe around the next hill just so I can reach a good stopping point. But once I reach the other side, I find myself gazing out on a wide, arid plain, with 1, 2, 3… maybe 4 or 5 villages scattered about. Oh what the hell—might as well explore this area some more, since I’m not going to have time to hike north anyways—and then head back to Tafraoute for the night .

So I continue on across the flat, rocky terrain. Pretty much worthless for agriculture, and no sign of water anywhere… what’s the raison d’etre for these villages? Looks like this was a damn tough place to make a living back before folks here switched to commerce in the cities as their source of income.

I finally reach the first town, Tighrart where, as expected I find mainly nice new houses, and the old, traditional village which is nothing but ruins. I guess prosperity can have its downsides: no need to preserve the quaint traditional village house when you can afford to build a modern walled in villa. But this village has something else: a playground—and an honest to goodness ferris wheel! No, it’s not a government or charity sponsored project. It looks like this was a local project—with a unique design: the seats of the ferris wheel are actually recycled steel drums cut out in the front!

Not sure if this design would pass safety inspection—but it is heartwarming to see people make a special effort to make a place for their kids to have fun . Typically people here spend their extra money on 3 things: big houses and mosques… but here in Tighrart they built a ferris wheel—something you’ll be hard pressed to find even in the big cities!

A couple of respectable, middle aged fellows are chatting in front of a house, they greet me, asking if I need anything. My response “I’m just walking around, enjoying the nature.”  Brings a smile to their faces. It feels really good to be somewhere where people are used to seeing foreigners wandering around—but at the same time folks aren’t looking at you with dollar signs… they’re just glad your enjoying their region.