Col Du Zad in the Atlas Mountains
Col Du Zad, Atlas Mountains
As we drove through and over the Atlas Mountains in Morocco we went through some amazing gorges and also over some very high passes. One of them was theCol Du Zad shown in today’s photos. At 2178 metres (over 7000 feet) it is reasonably high and accounts for the snow lying around. The air was also very cold.
Col Du Zad, Atlas Mountains
Col Du Zad, Atlas Mountains
Atlas Mountains in Morocco
Atlas Mountains, Morocco
On our tour of Morocco we passed through and over the Atlas Mountains on several occasions. They are truly spectacular and the passage through these mountains is a memorable experience.
Most people who don’t know about Morocco probably think that the country is just hot desert and drifting desert sands. Possibly the last thing that they think about is snow! Yes – that is snow in the photo above.
However, we didn’t see all that much snow on our trip. Despite it being the middle of winter, our guide told us that the snow season was late and the falls had to that point been very poor (it was mid December) .
Atlas Mountains, Morocco
Atlas Mountains, Morocco
Life can be hard in Morocco
Rural scene in eastern Morocco
While the cities and many of the towns of Morocco are modern and vibrant like we’d expect, rural Morocco in some parts has little in the way of modern facilities and infrastructure. While most of the country has a good supply of water and power, not everyone enjoys these amenities.
As we were travelling along south east of Fes I photographed this women heading off across a desolate landscape to collect water. Her two donkeys are festooned with water bottles for her to collect her daily supply. I have no idea how far she had to ride to get her water, but I did notice public wells or bores at intervals along the highway on which we travelled.
Rural scene in eastern Morocco
Rural scenes in Morocco
Rural scene in mid-eastern Morocco
As we journeyed through mid-eastern Morocco I took what photographic opportunities I could manage through the window of our mini-bus. Sometimes this was not successful and occasionally I managed to get reflections from the glass, but most of the time I took reasonable shots of the rural landscape.
As we travelled in a generally south easterly direction from Fes we went through some mountainous areas as well as flat plateau farming areas. The further east we travelled the less that the land was actually cultivated. Instead we saw numerous examples of people living a semi-nomadic lifestyle, tending to their large flocks of goats and sheep.
Sometimes we saw farmhouses and shedding like those shown in the photo above. On other occasions we saw extensive dwellings which looked like tents. Frequently we saw people tending their animals like shepherds in centuries gone by. They seemed to wander far from their dwellings and certainly in some quite remote localities. Like shepherds have done for millennia, they have to wander from one food source to the next.
Rural scene in mid-eastern Morocco
Country scenes in Morocco
Rural scene in Morocco near Ifrane
As we travelled through the country regions of eastern Morocco we couldn’t help but be astounded how it is like parts of South Australia near where we live.
Apart from the housing being somewhat different many things were very familiar. We don’t have as many donkeys here, and fewer goats. The sheep are also a different breed.
Rural scene in Morocco near Ifrane
Rural scene in Morocco near Ifrane