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MAJESTIC
MOUNTAINS TO ROMANTIC KASBAHS AND
DESERTS
by
Habeeb Salloum
 Thanks
to the Africa Travel
Association's
6th Cultural and Ecotourism
Symposium
in Fez, Morocco during the
International Year
of Ecotourism, our ATA web site is receiving a
flood of e-mail requests for information on the
historic host city. The following article by Habeeb
Salloum captures the magic of Fez and its
surrounding area thanks to the writer's
professional style. The index in the left hand
column will lead you to more stories by Mr. Salloum
and other writers on Africa Travel Magazine's team,
plus information about ATA membership and
events. For two
days we had explored Fez, Morocco's historic city,
glorifying in its ancient section which remains
enclosed within its ancient ramparts. Inside no
auto is allowed. Only donkeys contest with humans
the few feet wide medieval streets. Seemingly, we
had traveled back a thousand years in time. It was
a fabulous beginning for the trip we intended to
take across the Atlas Mountains to the land of
kasbahs (mud castles)
and
deserts.
 Fez,
with its air of the Arabian Nights, was still on my
mind as our tour group of five, along with
Abdelatif, our guide, traveled through the
foothills of the Atlas Mountains towards the desert
frontier town of Erfoud, some 480 km ( 298 mi)
away. I was still dreaming of the city's enchanting
medieval palaces and skilled craftsmen when
suddenly, the voice of Abdelatif, magnified by our
small auto bus's microphone, boomed, "During this
journey, we will see some of the most magnificent
scenery in the world. It will be a journey of
make-believe".
A lady next to me snickered,
"He's like all the other guides, always
exaggerating." "We will see!", I thought to myself
as we drove through a green fertile valley, covered
with olive trees, many newly planted, set in the
midst of sprouting wheat fields.
 After
about a 40 km (24 mi) drive, we turned and began to
travel upward on a road edged by stately maple
trees, into the Middle Atlas Mountains. Further
away, small apple orchards and patches of pine
trees, increasing as we moved along, dotted the
slope of the hills. Past the 1,220 m (4,000 ft)
high red-roofed resort town of Imeuzzer der Kandar,
we passed through an oak forest, then barren land
until we entered the attractive 1,650 m (5,412 ft)
high skiing town of Ifrane with its red-sloped
roofs.
A modern and prosperous
resort town, it is labeled by travelers as the
'Switzerland of Morocco'. Located 60 km (37 mi)
from Fez, this European-looking town is snow-bound
in winter and ideal for skiing. It is the
playground of the rich - the place where affluent
Moroccans build their second home. Ifrane is also
noted for the privately built Al-Akhawayn
University , specializing in foreign language
training.
Downward, we drove through
oak forests until, on the outskirts of Azrou, we
turned upward. A short drive and the oak forests
were soon inter-mixed with the majestic cedar.
However, this all-encompassing greenery was
followed by a barren countryside - the home of
shepherds and their flocks. We drove through this
arid Middle Atlas landscape, in the shadows of the
snow-capped peaks of the High Atlas Mountains,
until we stopped at Midelt - a town of 70,000,
located at the entrance to the Berber region in
Morocco - 200 km (124 mi) southeast of
Fez.
Situated between the Middle
and High Atlas Mountains, 1,525 m (5,000 ft) above
sea level, this windswept town, an important center
for local carpets, defuses a calm and friendly
atmosphere. Besides being a rest stopover,
travelers come to this town to visit the nearby
convent of Kasbah Myriem - a nunnery staffed by a
handful of European nuns who make their living
selling carpets.
We
stopped to refresh ourselves at the Kasbah Hotel
Restaurant Asmaa - a traditional kasbah-style
building whose interior is beautified by fountains
and tiles in traditional Moroccan fashion. Soon
thereafter, we were driving in the barren High
Atlas until we passed a spot 1,907 m (6,255 ft)
above sea level - the highest point we were to
reach during our journey. From this high pass, the
road wound its way downward through an arid
landscape until we reached the Ziz River - a thin
line of greenery in an otherwise barren
countryside.
At places, the road wound
its way high above the river, then suddenly it
would descend to the water's edge where vegetables
thrive under olive, palm and many other type of
trees. The scene brought to mind the words of the
poet-astronomer Omar Khayam, "Between the desert
and the sown."
After passing a dam on the
Ziz River, which supplies the nearby city of
Errachida with drinking water, we entered that town
- some 400 km (248 mi) from Fez. Once known as Kasr
es Souk, its name was changed in 1979 to honor
Moulay Rachid, father of Morocco's ruling Alaouite
dynasty. Built at the crossroads of the main
caravan routes to the Dadés Valley and the
Tafilalet area, Errachida us by the beauty of its
kasbak-like structures, seemingly all newly built.
A city of some 200,000, with agriculture the main
source of revenue, it appeared attractive and had
an air of prosperity.
From Errachida, the highway
continued to hug the Ziz River, forming the largest
valley oasis in Morocco. The whole valley is
covered with aspin trees and date palm. This
shimmering field of green stayed with us until we
reached the desert town of Erfoud, saturated with
modern buildings, built in replicas of the ancient
kasbahs - huge fortress structures, once
castle-homes of emirs, tribal chiefs and government
officials.
Some 350 million years ago
the region around Erfoud was a huge ocean and sea
creatures from that era are found in abundance,
fossilized in the local rock formations. A thriving
tourist industry has been established by the
fashioning into works of art these fossilized
creatures of the sea and the manufacture of black
marble found in the area
The last town in Morocco to
be occupied by the French who thereafter made it
into a military outpost, Erfoud is a typical
tourist destination. A bustling place of some
40,000, its dusty streets, all year round, are
usually filled with travelers from the four corners
of the world, coming to examine its fossils and
exploring it's sand dunes. This is especially true
when the annual Date Festival is held in
October.
October had long gone when
we landed in Erfoud, but there was still much to do
in and around that desert town. After resting that
night in our kasbah-like hotel, the next day we set
out for nearby Rissani where the Ziz River
disappears into the desert.
Just before entering that
town, we stopped at the spot where the now almost
disappeared historic city of Sijilmassa once stood.
Erected in 757 A.D., it was the first true Muslim
city in North Africa. Subsequently, it became a
major staging post on the trans-Saharan caravan
route, especially in the trading of salt. It once
had a population of 100,000 and was the capital of
the Tafilalt region. Today, only the desert wind
and blowing sand swirl around the little of what
remains of Sijilmassa.
In a few minutes we passed
the town's gate and entered Rissani, a town of
30,000. Strangely, the setting of the town and its
environs along the Ziz River with heavily populated
villages, seemingly living in the past, its canals,
building styles and the nature of its inhabitants,
have often reminded travelers of the villages
edging the Nile in Egypt.
Just inside the city gates,
we stopped at a tiny museum where we examined
artifacts found in Sijilmassa. We then moved on to
visit the Mausoleum of Moulay Ali Chérif,
ancestor of Moulay el Rachid, the founder of the
present ruling Alaouite dynasty. A colorful
authentic Berber market was our next stop after
which we drove to the Kasbah of Moulay Ismail - a
tiny town inside the city walls. Here, we spent
some time examining beautiful rugs for sale in
converted old homes.
Back in Erfoud, while my
traveling companions left to view the spectacular
sunset over some of the highest sand dunes in the
world, I explored the town. Tired, I sat down on a
bench by a well-dressed young man and introduced
myself. Soon my new found companion, Muhammad, and
myself were talking together in a friendly
fashion.
When he found out that I
would be writing an article about the Erfoud
region, Muhammad asked, "Did you know that Hilary
Clinton is from here?" Taken aback, I looked at him
in astonishment, "Hilary Clinton from here! You
must be kidding!" He smiled, "Haven't you heard
about her Moroccan origin?'
Muhammad went on to explain
that Hilary's grandfather, a Moroccan Jew living in
Rissani, married an American woman, then immigrated
to the U.S.A. He went on, "You know that Hilary
visited her grandfather's home in Rissani and along
with our king's sister Lalla Myriem visited the
Mausoleum of Moulay Ali Chérif - forbidden
to non-Muslims." He continued, "At the same time,
she also visited her sister's daughter who is
married to a Berber tourist guide and lives in the
Atlas Mountains." I looked at Muhammad in
disbelief. Was he telling the truth? I had no idea!
But it was an interesting story which capped our
thrilling mountain journey to the land of kasbahs
and desert.
IF YOU GO
Facts About
Morocco:
1) Nationals of most
countries do not need visas to enter Morocco- only
valid passports.
2) If you know French, its
is easy to get around in Morocco. Everyone speaks
French, but many also know English.
3) Unit of currency in
Morocco is the dirham which fluctuates at around 10
to 12 to a dollar. Exchange money at banks or
hotels - rates are all the same with no
commission.
4) When traveling in
Morocco, trains are the most comfortable. Buses are
inexpensive - CTM the best. Small autos, with
unlimited mileage and fully insured, rent for about
$50. a day, fully insured.
5) The mass of hustlers
which once infested the tourist spots in Morocco
have been greatly diminished by the strong arm of
the law.
6) Tips are expected for
every service - always carry small
change.
7) Bargain for all tourist
items - never shop with a guide - his commission is
usually about 30%.
8) At night, avoid dark
alleyways. Morocco is safer than many other
countries, but muggers still stalk the lonely
streets.
9) When in Erfoud, for a
breath-taking taste of the desert, one should make
a trip to Merzouga, an oasis near the Algerian
border surrounded by sand dunes - some more than 50
m 164 ft) high. The oasis's lake is a favorite spot
for migrating birds, especially in February and
March, when the Dayet Srji flamingos appear. On the
other hand, if traveling the desert is on one's
mind, trips to the desert can be arranged by tour
companies in Erfoud.
10) Two good places to stay
in Erfoud: Hotel Salem - a 4 star abode - from $56.
To $80. A room; Hotel Ziz, an excellent 3 star
abode located in the heart of town - $34. a
room.
Note: All prices quoted are
in U.S. dollars.
For Further information,
Contact: Moroccan
National Tourist Office: Suite 1460, 2001 rue
Université, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3A
2A6. Tel: +1 514 842 8111/2. Fax: +1 514 842
5316.
or
Moroccan Tourist Office: 20
East 46th St., Suite 1201, New York, NY 10017,
U.S.A. Tel.: 212-557-2520. Fax: 212-949-8148. Web
Site: http://www.tourism-in-morocco.com/
Habeeb Salloum
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