Gorging on another gorge

We had a good rest in Boumalne Dadès last night. We’ve arranged most of our accommodations through Airbnb (the wonders of the interweb!), and last night was another hit. We stayed with a Berber family who made excellent hosts. It’s been a great experience staying in Moroccan homes, meeting the people and getting to learn a little bit about how they live.

Yesterday’s late lunch and stress allowed us to skip dinner and crash a little earlier, but we couldn’t skip breakfast, not when m’semin was on the menu.

There’s a good rule when driving a ship that you never berth anywhere without first having a plan for how to get back out to sea. We didn’t follow that wisdom when we parked last night, and this morning were challenged with the departure. The driveway was probably a novice challenge for the more seasoned rider, but after yesterday’s workout we were both a little sore and a little nervous. Well, I was a little nervous. Angela was pretty clear that I was to drive both bikes down the driveway. And I did. It wasn’t pretty, and I was soaked through with sweat, but both bikes remained upright, and we carried the luggage down to them afterward to load up for the road.

The road! After yesterday, we were pleased to be informed by our host that the route we had planned for today was paved, flat and in good condition. And it was.

We got as far as Tingher before our first decision of the day. You see, north of Tingher is the Todra Gorge, another well known ride. As we had departed reasonably early, and as the southern part of this route was reputed to be easier riding, we decided to detour and check it out.

What a sound decision. Lined on one side with palm trees and the other with a cliff wall, this was an incredible ride. At least the first 25 km. The road slowly began to deteriorate as it continued winding its way through the narrow gorge, and we decided to turn around and return to our primary mission for the day before the route became more work than pleasure.

The miles melted away as we rolled on toward Merzouga, a tourist hotspot on the edge of the Sahara Desert. The terrain flattened out, and at times the road and all that surrounded us extended to the horizon. Long straight paved stretches of highway were gobbled up underneath us, and we arrived at the desert’s edge before the afternoon was over.

Time for a little laundry and a nap before sunset.