From Hostile Streets to Peaceful Peaks: Our Last Day in Africa

As we had an early tour this morning, we were quick to pack up and set off. Unfortunately we were unable to locate our gracious host to fully check out so we left our room key on the table outside our room, thinking this shouldn’t be an issue as we had already paid for our room. Leaving the hotel behind us, we walked down the street and stretched out on a corner; awaiting our tour bus.

Several minutes passed before we saw our hotel host storming in our direction down the street. I began to form a wave before I noticed the emotion behind his eyes. He set upon us and began to unleash a frantic tirade of insults and profanities at us for slipping out without telling him. He began to say we were all thieves as we had left without notifying him and not paying a city tax. This once complete gentleman had now transformed to evil incarnate and the wickedness in his eyes was truly something I will never forget. We began to plead our case about our upcoming tour, being unable to locate him, and having prepaid the room. Fortunately I still had a meager amount of cash on hand and tossed him a few bills before receiving some change back. He eventually stormed back off the way he came and we were left grasping for air.

A short few minutes later, our tour bus had arrived and we found ourselves just reeling over what had transpired. As sad as it sounds, this was the typical interaction we had encountered through this week. We had gone through the entire trip and through most of the country without a single positive encounter or interaction. As hard as it was to forget about this blood boiling encounter, we had to put it behind us as we were soon being cloaked in traditional garb.

Now looking the part of a wandering nomad, we were soon being led to a row of camels and were quickly trotting through a small desert. Now do not mistake me, this was one of the most touristy things I had ever partaken in but I couldn’t help shake the feeling that this was still a pretty interesting experience.

Once our camel ride had concluded, we found ourselves in a small tent, sipping tea and learning about what the day would consist of. Using this time to have our last bathroom break for the foreseeable future, we soon left this desolate plot of land and regrouped on the bus and set off into the horizon.

Before long, we had entered a large outdoor market consisting of a true maze of stalls and tents and began to worm our way forward. Though unable to stop and being herded by our tour guide, the atmosphere was electric and the sights and sounds attacked every senses.

After being led through the market, we were soon on the bus heading to our next stop. This next detour was arguably a tourist trap as we were settled in a small dirt room having tea and sampling some oil.

This was a woman’s compound that produced argon oil and they spent the next hour talking about the various benefits of their shampoos, lotions, and creams. Not really in the mood for their sales pitch, Austin and I slipped outside into the small trash filled lot outside.

We stood in the shade amongst the gnarled barren trees, looking out to the mountains beyond. It is within this moment in which we attempted to come to grasp on our location. We were in Africa, a continent so far from home and so uncomfortable to the amenities of back home. These trips are not easy and put us out of our comfort zone more often than you’d realize but moments of reflection like this make it worthwhile.

Before long, Matt and the rest of our tour group arrived and we were back on the bus speeding through sharp curves and mountainous terrain. The landscape became more beautiful with each passing mile and the mountains continued to grow and evolve.

Before long, we managed to catch our first glimpse of the snow capped peaks, signaling that we were finally within the Atlas Mountains.

Leaving our tour bus behind, we began a gradual climb through forests and over rivers, using every minute to pause and absorb our surroundings. Being able to find ourselves in this tranquil simplicity of nature really helped offset the memories of the bustling cities we had experienced earlier.

Climbing over fallen trees, listening to the sound of the rushing stream, and sidestepping the passing sheep just all seemed so surreal and such a welcome change.

Eventually we found ourselves in front of a small but nevertheless majestic waterfall.

This environment was breathtaking and we enjoyed every second. Believing this to be the end of our hike, we were pleasantly surprised when we continued onwards. With the elevation continuing to rise, we were greeted with the most insane views of towering peaks and deep valleys below us.

Off in the far distance, we would see the occasional small village pop up and we began to wonder about the lives of those people that make this extreme location their home and how different their lives must be from ours.

Continuing on our trek, we spent the next hour navigating through the rocky alpine terrain until coming across a small village nestled up amongst the cliffs. It is here in which we stopped for a large lunch with our group, uncomfortably squeezed together.

Slightly put off by the shared experience, we ate quickly and stood on the balcony overlooking the village below. We again took this moment to reflect on our journey here and much like the last day of our previous trip, while overlooking the view before us, we used this moment to think about all the adventures we had endured this week.

Once lunch had concluded, we made the slow descent down the mountain (with Austin and Matt even losing their footing several times). Eventually we were once again in the confines of the bus, having the mountains grow smaller and smaller with each passing mile.

Not wishing to be dropped off at our original pick up location to avoid the hotel host again, we silently slipped off the bus a few stops before. We made our way to our new and final hotel and began to navigate the maze of silent streets. A common theme reemerged and we again became lost trying to locate our lodging. It was now dark and our maps provided no resource and we had to resort to asking any passerby for assistance.

Unfortunately no one provided any use and we had to stumble our way through dim light alleys praying for any sort of sign or direction. In what felt like an eternity, we finally noticed a small nondescript sign and popped into our riad. After having a tea and checking in, we set back off into the night determined to have one last meal.

Unfortunately our cash supply was at an all time low and we reverted back to our familiar staple, KFC (again only place accepting cards). We had a rather somber meal, reflecting about the trip and having this being our last night. Though we were sad that another trip was over, we were all ready to be back home and out of Africa.

After the long trek back to our hotel, we managed to book a taxi to the airport for the following morning using the last few spare Euros I had managed to find in the back of my wallet and we settled in for the evening. Before retiring to our room, I managed to climb over the barricaded staircase to the roof to take in the distant sunset.

Our trip to Morocco had not gone as any of us would have expected. We experienced hostility, scams, and uncomfortable conditions at every turn. We experienced many difficulties from the lack of water, cash based society, to the pure dishonest schemes that seemed to plague each corner of the country. Yet this trip provided us with newfound experiences we could not have imagined and made us even more seasoned than before. We were able to explore a brand new continent, discover new cultures, and learn that Africa was not for the faint of heart.

To see the previous day’s adventure, click here.