Tea with the Nomads

We have been having a lovely stay In Todra Gorge. The hiking here is great and varied. Yesterday Gord and I hiked down through the lush palmeries of the Gorge to Tinerhir. It took us 3.5 hours zigzagging through the oasis between the steep cliff walls and mud villages. It was the first time in months I could walk that distance without difficulty.

Today Matthew, Gord and I climbed up about 2000 feet through the desolate rocky mountains above the gorge. On our way down we encountered a camp of a nomadic Berber family. We had met their goats earlier on the trail. The mother unfurled blankets and invited us to join her for some tea, dates and camp fire bread. All of this was done without any common language. She gracefully accepted my fleece and a bit of money for the lunch and then through gestures she invited us to stay the night. We declined, but it was a very special experience spending some time with her. After lunch we made our slow decent back to the lush gorge floor; such a great contrast to the barren mountains. We were walking for almost five hours and for the first time in a long time I felt strong.