Day 12 May 12th 5 miles Todra Gorge

'Luxury' accommodation and a long walk.

After a sumptuous night at the 'gorge' ous Yasmina we awoke to another full breakfast. The view up the gorge suggested more adventure.

And so it proved. We made plans for this 'rest' day. Some of us heading off into the mountains, some resting around the gorge. Here are most of about to do our thing.

The route was challenging but the views returned ample reward for our endeavours.

Near the top of the pass, Patrick and I scouted ahead for routes.

Looking out over the abyss, a beautiful haunting yet melodic voice came to our ears. We instantly glanced at each other to check whether we were dreaming or not. Carefully scanned the whole valley for signs of life, we eventually, far across the valley slopes on a similar height to us, saw movement. A shepherdess was singing to her goats. It is moments like these that defines a unique experience in this magical place.
We turned away to see sheep around us, seemingly emaciated, they resembled walking pipe cleaners.

Meeting up with our compatriots around the peak, we found John discussing the weather (or the like) with travelling mountain Berbers. Then a young girl headed warily towards us with three laden donkeys.

Desperately wary, possibly due to her age, even of our western smiles, she carried on her way.

Stopping for lunch gave us pause to admire the stark beauty and vastness of our surroundings.

A vastness such that, after our twenty minute break, the young Berber girl and her three donkeys could still clearly be seen, plodding into the distance.

Lance had made the decision to join us on the long trek upwards. He did so well on the walk apart from a little fall, unfortunately on a prickly bush, resulting in his big bro Paul removing numerous painful spines with a large needle and tweezers. A badge of honour for a brave hero to gladly bare!

On the way down Mike kept taking his usual batch of excellent pictures, and paying a few extra dirhams for this friendly chap to pose with us. We'd turned into tourists for a few minutes.

A steep ravine was navigated with care...

...and returned yet another stunning view.

Paul, Mick & Louise had a more relaxing day whilst William won all the hotel staffs' hearts and earned himself many forbidden cokes which he enhanced with a number of equally forbidden sugar cubes. He finally crashed out after dinner in the restaurant, all sugared out.

Dinner tonight was unusual as it was alcohol-free. Serves us right, if the kind reader will forgive the pun.

Tomorrow we were heading south into the desert again, so we needed to share out the forbidden booze. The cans of beer were obscenely expensive, so it was with dismay when one of our party rightly complained of a hissing noise in his bag. Less of a cobra, more of a wounded can. Upon examination, the metal was so thin as to be almost translucent. However, I can say with pride I still have one in our fridge here in Blighty at this time of editing yet again (26.8.11).

PS Someone in our party was the first to buy a carpet today. A book has been running here, but can you guess who succumbed first? Magic, in one.

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