Ait Benhaddou

Slow start

The plan for the day was to visit another kasbah, Ait Benhaddou.  I walked into town after breakfast to find the taxi station (for shared out-of-town taxis).  Bad luck, I found that the out-of-town taxi station was out of the town centre.  Arrgggh!  That required me to take a petit taxi there.  And once at the taxi station, I couldn’t find anyone to share a ride to my destination.  After about half hour waiting, I conceded defeat and paid the asking price for the entire vehicle.

Morocco isn’t particularly cheap.  But in a strange way, it doesn’t feel expensive.  A common note is equivalent to about NZD40 whereas the coin is equivalent to NZD2.  You could be forgiven for thinking you’re spending half or a quarter of the amount.

Stunning Ait Benhaddou

Ait Benhaddou was stunning.  It is surely a place not to be missed if visiting the area.  I spent over an hour walking around, up and down the largely mud-brick village.

The fortified village is believed to have origins as far back as the 11th Century.  While the existing buildings are from around the 17th Century, they are likely to be of a similar layout and construction technique as their predecessors.

I taxied back to town for lunch and took it easy for the rest of the day.