Cirque de Jaffa

In Midelt everyone seemed pleased to see us. Especially the shopkeepers. We restocked on food, fuel and phone cards before setting off for the Cirque de Jaffa. The Cirque is a rocky amphitheatre in the mountains with a thin track passing below it. We were not sure if we could get through this in Baloo but the approach seemed promising. The track wound along some precipitous mountainsides but it was wide and had been recently graded. Quite safe with a bit of care. Then it stopped. Just as if the gang improving the road had got so far and then, in the middle of nowhere, got bored and gone home. Onwards the track was thin and rough. This in itself was not enough to stop us but it was also off-camber and on the side of a long slope. The wider axles of a truck means that sometimes we have to straddle the track. If the route is already on a side slope then putting one wheel off the side of the track exaggerates the lean of the vehicle. At a certain point, this gets a bit scary. I am not sure how much sideways lean Baloo can safely maintain but I know where my terror limit is and this slope slightly exceeded it.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

We parked at the end of the improved track and enjoyed a night in the mountains. In the evening, some local children came to ask us for sweets. We also chatted with a shepherd bringing his sheep and goats back down into the valley for the night. In the morning we back-tracked a little and then found our way round some tracks to the north. Then it was west following the line of the Atlas range along wide rich and fertile valleys. We also drove around a reservoir that did not exist, well, not according to any of my maps. Eventually we arrived at the town of Imilchil. Just north of there is a delightful lake and camping area. At 2,300m it is beautifully cool at night. 

We met Mark, again. His ferry arrangements had gone completely awry. After several days of running around and pulling in a few favours, he had eventually managed to book a ship but in a few days’ time. So he had come back to the mountains to hang out. This being much more pleasant than the stinky hot and fraught atmosphere around Tangier. We also met Chris and Melisa. They had spent the lock down in Merzouga in just the sort of conditions that we had worked so hard to avoid. Merzouga is on the edge of the desert. Temperatures were regularly over 40°C and at night, it was still above 30°C. To compound their misery there was nowhere to buy alcohol. Fortunately, they are very resourceful and started brewing their own ‘desert wine’ using sugar, yeast and tomato paste. We tried some with lemon, ice and tonic water. It was really quite acceptable. Diane and I were incredibly impressed. Proper survival skills.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

A couple of days drifted by while we enjoyed the lake views, watched the locals taking running dives off a makeshift pier and had some pleasant walks. On the second afternoon, the sky turned black and there was thunder. A storm seemed imminent. The first drops of rain fell. Then a magnificent rainbow appeared and shortly after the sky cleared. At night, the stars were terrific. Altitude, a new moon and an almost complete absence of light pollution made for some great stargazing.

Mark left, again, to get his ferry. This time he actually made it and several days later got back to the UK where he promptly started to regret leaving Morocco. Chris and Melisa left to go and see a waterfall. We left to search out a rock tower called La Cathédrale. Our route wound up some skinny mountain roads and we squeezed through a couple of small villages. Eventually we pulled off the road on the high shoulder of hill. A shepherd taking his flock down came to ask politely for cigarettes. We could not help him. Sometimes I think we should maybe buy a few for just such occasions. I am sure it would really cheer up some of the nomads and shepherds we meet. Later, just as it was getting dark, a solitary pickup truck drove past. The guys sat in the back gave us a friendly wave. After that, we had the place to ourselves until morning.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

•