Tinehir - Todra Gorge - Tinjdad

The Hotel Timboctou is a Kasbah (palaces and castles built in the Old Quarters of an Arabic city in North Africa) built in 1944 by a rich landlord in the area of Tinehir. Although it conforms to shape and size it is still seen as a new type Kasbah. It was converted into a hotel and today you can experience Kasbah style living - not what I was looking for. For 160dhs (1 Moroccan Dirham is approx. equal to 1 ZAR). I was also getting breakfast. The meals are hellishly over priced. My pizza offered me far more than I bargained for - the shits. I have it under control now.

My morning is a bit rushed with breakfast and all. At the first intersection I take a short left. Ha!ha!ha, on second thoughts I should have gone right. Too late and I'm quickening my breath as I start to climb the hill that Lonely Planet (LP) did not tell me about. I have 15km to go (to the Gorge) and I hope it's not going to be all uphill. The valley below is amazing, palms and cultivated areas in between. My journey continues like a roller coaster ride then down and I cross the river and head back up cursing the gorge appearing closer and closer. The side walls of the valley getting closer and closer together as the valley floor drops. The sides get higher and higher and the houses closer and closer to the road.There are lots of places to stay and the tourist boom comes into full at every corner you take.

There is no sign up ahead to tell you where you are. One is dwarfed by this huge rock face which rises up to 300m high on either side of the valley . As a result of flash flooding, the road was washed away. I'm in awe of such beauty. I cannot stay longer than required and I leave. On my return route I meet a fellow cyclist and we have a short conversation before we are on our way. I head for my next destination Tinjdad.

I have 50km to go and once again the plains open. Head down and off I go. Nothing much to report. I stop and take pics of camels. Yes camels and of course it attracts the hearders shouting in the distance about money..... any oportunity for a quick buck when it suits them.

Tinjdad appears and the town is just that, a boring little town. Unfortunately I have to bunk here for the night.