Today was a rest day. The hotel was perfect for this. An oasis in the desert with a pool and all the amenities of a resort. We did laundry and hung everything out to dry and slept in. In the morning we had a leisurely breakfast and then decided to check out the road that runs north of the hotel. We were limited on fuel so we could only explore the first 30 km or so but it was worth it. The road follows the Ounila river valley. One of the best sections of road we have been on with a steep ascent with real hairpins and a number of ancient settlements with modern Riads sprinkled in among them. Expect tourism to be a major part of their economy in the future.
During a stop for photos we met a determined scooter driving salesman who was offering various local jewels derived from local gemstones. He even had his own weigh scale ( as I didn’t buy anything I didn’t discover what it’s purpose was). We also found people using the river for their laundry.
Before returning we stopped at a café along the road. We had our espressos and enjoyed a lengthy chat with Ishmael the proprietor. His English was very good, as he had spent six years in England before returning to Morocco in 2002. We shared observations and questions on Europe, Morocco, local economies and governance, and some topics best left alone. He was a bit surprised when we explained that our bikes were not rentals as it was cheaper that way. The economics of our trip seemed to intrigue him.
After returning to the hotel, Steve took advantage of the local spa that left him deliriously relaxed and a little disoriented (in a good way). I was tempted to partake of the local bar humidor’s offerings however the Cohiba’s looked like they had a touch of mold so I took a pass, and after a fine meal we called it a night.