This morning, Rodolphe and Alfred are repairing their wheel, Philippe finds few liters of gasoline, we visit the carpet shop (it had to happen one day) when the sun floods the arid hills, changing the cold night in fresh dawn, presaging a hot day.
A hot shower - Supreme compromising on comfort - and road. The trail begins in grand and austere decor. The hills alternately evoke images of the arid steppe of Mongolia, the sharp rocks and canyons to Sergio Leone. In the bottom of the valley the river is a green vein with every ounce of water is the source of a grain field or grove of palm trees.
The track gets more times. Gullies are deeper, the sharp rocks threaten underbody and tires. Cloc! Clang! Bing! Sheets resonate projected loose stones. Neutral, first, second, first, stop, first ... kof kof. I am the first caller in full ascent. Never mind, it grows. Engines bitch, blow, but spend smoking. The covers hot. Scree are crushed, rolled and projected by our steeds. Martine, my co-pilot, is found on foot and guide me on the finer points. Christine pulls out his camera to capture our exploits.
Many 4X4 cross our path. Passengers and drivers sometimes watching with wide eyes. "Never you spend with your cars. Even 4X4 have difficulties. "We say some. "It happens," say others. We envy the peaceful donkeys do not care about these considerations there. Our troops halted to examine our 4X4, which provides a universal weakness. But nothing stops us.
Badaboum. A protruding rock has run smack into our rocker. The severely wrinkled housing but no mechanical problems. The landscape is rugged lunar now. We come to a pass where souvenir vendors await 4X4 tourists. The track starts to slide down the steep now made of loose rocks, holes, bumps, and gullies. 4L take their breath and down. Martine guide me in this slow but chaotic ride. The impact sound on the sheet now punctuate each meter more. Dust everywhere, burnt oil smell, superheated gas, torn straps. 4L eventually overcome the descent without major damage. Martine replace me at the wheel because the track and the narrowness of the cockpit 4L eventually give me a cramp. The track becomes wise and slips between the villages where children run around legions of our cars (which run on it). Christine films crossing our spectacular lookouts and encourages drivers.
The trail leads to Aït Benadou, show village. The truckloads of tourists seem suddenly incongruous. Aït Benadou is a beautiful Berber village. The refined architecture, the river and its palm groves, historic buildings made it a prominent place in the film industry, which has come to turn forty films (Gladiator and Kingdom of Heaven for newer).
We camp at the foot of a marabout (mausoleum built in honor of a holy man) in the icy wind sweeping through the valley. A stray dog decides to stand guard over our camp and we sleep quietly.
Dreamers Africa
Aït Benadou - Zagora, Thursday, April 12
Our grade dog is always there when we wake up (the remains of our meal the day before are not abroad). Ouarzazate, where we send some travel books.
The landscape is now desert. Rocks and sand reveal that tufts of grass with the exception of a few water resurgences that form of planted palm oasis. At the snack break, Gilles is the baptism of our 4L getting bogged down into loose sand to the cheers of the audience (us).
We cross a pass and enter the Draa Valley. The Draa Valley seems a snub to the desert; language setting, where the wealth of cultures has created many villages. We follow the Draa via the track (quieter than the day before). Engines suffer from heat. Christine and Martine, our co-drivers, open the road by removing the children, many along the road and we could injure our passage. We drive away.
We cross the Draa to resume road to Zagora. Tonight, we opt for camping as we are caked with sand and we want to be presentable tomorrow at Ouled Driss.
Dreamers Africa
Zagora - Ouled Driss, Friday, April 13
At daybreak the birds singing and the braying donkeys wakes us up.
We reach the goal, the few kilometers that separate us from Ouled Driss quickly swallowed. The landscape is indeed desert, the heat becomes urgent, palms are now very rare. We meet some dunes and a few camels.
Finally, our 4L can claim victory: we are entering Ouled Driss, a small village before H'mamid.
The leaders of the Association there waiting for us. We unload 4L of about three cubic meter parcel due to them: school bags, shoes, books, supplies, computers. Everything arrived safely. We drink together the traditional mint tea.
We are surprised by Ouled Driss. The city is less isolated than we imagined. We are close to the desert and camp sites have flourished to offer tourists rides in the desert by camel. However, this activity benefits the owners of campsites and other tour operators who often do not live Ouled Driss. This village is a new left out of development. Our assistance will enable children to have access to an education they would not have had the means to access.
We enjoy an excellent olive tagine chicken before coming to our new challenge: the return. We sit here next program. I am looking for an internet cafe to send you these few lines as we have not stopped our choice. What is on is that tonight we camp in the dunes. The desert night will advice.
Dreamers Africa
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