Having done a bit of research we had worked out 2 things, 1) driving wasn’t supposed to be too bad if you were used to NZ roads and 2) the Moroccans had a reputation for awful driving. Number 1 proved to be completely true and number 2 partly true. Even though they weren’t model drivers they weren’t too bad. They do tend to ignore the centre line and drift wherever they want on the road, grande taxis do not have to obey the same rules as other drivers and if you see a bicycle it is guaranteed to swerve randomly in front of you at some stage.
Once out of Marrakech city limits we headed in the direction of Skoura 245km South-East, a drive of 5 and a half hours. In the middle was a pass across the High Atlas at an elevation of 2,260 m (7,415 ft).
Our destination for two nights was Skoura, 45 minutes out of the movie set town of Ouzazarte. Movies such as Star Wars, Sex in the City, Lawrence of Arabia and numerous others have taken advantage of the scenery, old Kashbahs and lower cost of labour. Our host in Fes said that last year US 120 million came into the country directly from film making, and that doesn’t include supplementary expenditure on accomodation, meals, etc.
Skoura is an oasis town and not a huge amount happens there. We were happy to relax by the pool, visit a local kasbah and generally just observe.
Growing everywhere in the oasis were dates, and on later trips we started seeing people selling dates by the roadside.
Being an Islamic country, alcohol is not commonly sold. You can buy from supermarkets and licenced stores, but didn’t see any of those outside the two main cities of Marrakech and Fes. Andrew stocked up on a few bottles of Morrocan wine, with varying degrees of drinkability. What would have been divine would have been a ice-cold beer at the end of the day. Instead we consumed a lot of water and sodas.
