Day 18: Rest Day in Ouarzazate

March 5, 2023

Changing route plans

After our hotel breakfast we mostly rest, Patrick’s GI system is out of whack and Rachel has a runny nose and sore throat. We do make a quick trip to see the Taourirt Kasbah a citadel set against the backdrop of the Atlas Mountains,"Originally built in the 19th century, the Taourirt Kasbah was owned by the el Glaoui clan, a family that had a powerful stronghold of one of Morocco’s most significant southern caravan routes to West Africa. This power and wealth made the clan one of the country’s most influential families. Its most notable member was Thami El Glaoui, also known as the Lord of the Atlas, who was the Pasha of Marakesh between 1912 and 1956."

It is a beautifully restored building with a maze of rooms that are quite purposely very badly connected to each other. We get lost and wander around the building.

Attempt at making cell towers look like palm trees

For dinner we make another taxi ride to downtown, first a stop at the Carrefour supermarket for some supplies, then an ATM, then back to the restaurant we ate last night since they had good food. As we sit there we notice a bikepacker guy, he joins us at our table. Xander is from the States and flew over for a seven day, crazy mileage bikepack trip through the desert to Agadir.

We have changed our plans and instead of going toward Dades Gorge, we are taking a more southern route to Mergouza. It is still up in the air whether we have a cycleblaze meet up with Susan Carpenter, potentially now in N’kob if we are a day slower than planned. We look forward to seeing her pictures of the route she is riding as we are on asphalt and her group will be taking backroads.

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