Day 4 -Zagora to Tata across the edge of the Sahara desert

We set off early again today to drive across the wilderness to Tata. It was a very strange and interestings experience being such a small part of a very large landscape.

This day really showed off the enormous skill of our 3 drivers. There is no road as such - only a selection of wheel tracks where other vehicles have gone before. Knowing which one has the firmest surface, and knowing what to do if the vehicle hits a patch of very loose sand, is an area where it helps to have a lot of experience!

We were surprised by how many different kinds of desert there were, some with lots of losse stones and very little vegetation, other parts with fewer stones and some tussocks of vegetation, and sometimes full-blown sand dunes. It became easier to see how the edge of the desert is not a fixed line, but a gradual change, which can change according to the recent past climatic history. At the time we did our trip, many parts of Morocco had not had any significant rain for 3 years!

You can imagine what a relief it was to get back on to a tarmac road in the afternoon, and the enormous surprise to discover a waterfall soon afterwards. This was quite a long day, and we were very glad to find a comfortable hotel with a very substantial evening meal at the end of it .

Loading up at Zagora 7.30 am	We only went to buy postcards
. …and we ended up with Berber scarves	Starting off across the desert road
	Distant Berbers
Thorn bush - life is tough in the desert	We had a 20- had minute walk
to get a better appreciation of the desert

The road is often ill-defined	though there are occasional buildings
2nd rest stop at 10.30 am	The road ahead
Ladies comfort station - desert style	Katie and the big map
	Scheduled bus services even in the desert
A different kind of emptiness	with distant views of the Anti-Atlas
Pipes for a bridge across a flood-water river
2nd rest stop at 11.30	by these magnificaent dunes
Our distant vehicles	Demonstration of sand flow from the crest of the dune
A flower in the desert	Group photo
	We are here (in the middle of nowhere!)
The grand arbre!" - the biggest tree for miles
and time for our lunch stop at 1.45	A market garden irrigated from ground water
Saharan ants make interesting patterns	Water tank in the desert
	Palmery suffering from the 3-year drought
Cloudscape - we were glad it wasn't any hotter
Back on a tarmac road after 7 hours	and a stop for tea
Formal phtograph of cafe owner	On to the waterfalls (!) at Tissint - with plenty of goats
Two gourds clinging to life on the rocks	Panorama with 3 following pictures
with the old village	on the other side of the river
Gathering dush	Sunset - and still on the road
	Briefing in the lobby at Tata 6 pm
Spacious corridor	leading to rather small (though quite adequate) rooms
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