Day 5: Sahara here we come.

6am Call of prayer, early alarm. Not the usual Monday morning feeling! Today we are going to the dessert, three day trip booked with safaridream 140 euros each. Luxury option
6.50am All checked out and time for breakfast. Shame we had no hot water to shower.
7.09am  All Luggage & breakfast packed into mini bus, choice of seats as first pick up and we are off.
7.23am Back seat of bus chosen now waiting in Centre of Marrakech for other travellers. It's not dissimilar to waiting for the big brother house to fill up.
7.56am First stop for fuel and more team mates. 14 in total now, seemingly quite a few nationalities.
As we leave Marakech it is surprising to see at least 4 golf resorts that from the signage look prestigious. With the surrounding landscape becoming more barren I'm not sure how grass grows.
9.11am Coffee time, getting used to small black coffee's 
9.30am Not sure if these rosd works are due to the earthquake or general improvements 
Major roadworks but no traffic jams.
Panoramic view passing through High Atlas.
12.20pm Met by guide who shows us through the new town to the ancient town of Ait Ben Haddou, which doubles as Yunkai in Game of thrones, other films including Gladiators have been filmed here. 
We cross the river bed that floods in winter and follow our guide up into the town, climbing many steep steps through narrow alleys.

occasionally stopping to see the panoramic views. 
We decided not to take the last few steps to the very top
As we desended we could see the vendors we had passed on the way up.

 The demonstration of the local paintings that used tea and saffron. Originally these were used to write on skin, but would fade and disappear if not headed 



Heading for lunch we passed over the bridge before having a lesson in protection of our head on the dessert. The model was Muhammad Boots.


Lunch was served in a restaurant, with a choice of Tagine, cous cous, pizza or sandwich served with salad or soup and fruit. 130mdr. If you are not hungry it is quite OK and sufficient to share. We choose to sit with our group and not find a cheaper options. The time spent sharing travel stories was good. 
The cost of the tour and a tip for the guide was not included in the trip 60Mdr + 40Mdr tip

2.30 pm back on the road.
We stopped for a short break about 30 mins up the road but there was no signal to see where we were. Maybe Ouarzazate





another short stop near the Rose Valley.  Moroccan Magnum afternoon treat.


arrived Luxery hotel for over night stop. Disappointed that only the Spanish couple from the group are in the same Kasbah. 
8pm 
Soup served in an urn! Other tables had a vessel that resembled a bed pan!. More Tagine and Fruit in an unset type custard. Excited by beer but not at the price. Live local bongo style band, no wine, no partying for us. A little jealous of the coach party of Germans who had a secret source 

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