Tuesday 10 February 2015

The nights here at Tafraoute are cold – but with clear skies at 4000ft amsl in February we suppose it can be expected! However once the sun gets over the edge of the mountains, which completely surround us, the temperature rapidly rises.

This trip is turning out to be more laid back than last year, probably because we've now half an idea of what’s going on. As a result the blog is getting a bit laid back too, but each episode is probably the better for it.

Views around the site

Plenty of room for everyone

Surrounded by mountains

First day (Saturday) we walked into the town with memories of our brief stay here last year. It’s a bustling place and very typical Moroccan with friendly locals and a wide choice of shops – well stalls really – to get the few items we needed. There has been some new development, including a very grand and modern public toilet, the only one we've seen in Morocco except in the square at Marrakech. 

The new public toilets!

New building has taken place but they don’t seem to be able to complete the finishing touches, such as pavement and road edgings, clearing building rubbish away and landscaping. As a result it all looks a little, well, abandoned.

The new semi-Olympic swimming pool

Needs a bit of finishing off!

External wall of a new local government building

Tafraoute "High Street"

After a stop for coffee we returned and settled into what became our standard mode for the next few days i.e. relaxing in the sunshine until the late afternoon breeze chases us inside.

There are not as many traders calling around as at Taghazoute so Monday was a walk into town for fresh supplies, stopping off for chicken and chips, Moroccan style, at a very respectable establishment – well a pavement-side caff! 

Lunch

Le Menu

We bought some beautiful prime beef, both for tagines and as steaks, enough for four meals at a cost of 84Dh, about £7. Returning for more lazing about trying to attract the attention of the water bowser driver was fun; he eventually serviced us when it was full dark.

It seems the solar panel gremlins have returned as Terry spent all afternoon today trying to discover why Colin had lost half of his solar input – turned out his new regulator had stopped working, so that’s another thing to get sorted in due course. It’s not a problem, just inconvenient.

Tried the steak tonight - simply delicious, two huge steaks at a cost of £3.50

The sunsets here are pretty good too although we've yet to capture one perfectly.