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2024: Morocco & Camino Torres2024: Morocco & Camino Torres
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A 79-day adventure by Tina Read more
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  • Traveler2024: Morocco & Camino Torres
    Day 14

    A night in the High Atlas mountains

    April 15 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 77 °F

    Last night, we said goodbye to 5 members of our group (Alana, Issy, Libby, Ruby and Qwinnetta) who were leaving after the first stage and welcomed 3 (Neville & Sandìa from Australia, & Tony from Scotland) who were joining us for the second stage, which is southern Morocco.
    This morning we embarked on a small bus for a trip into the High Atlas Mountains, going as far as the road would take us to the town of Imlil. We disembarked and put our overnight bags onto mules (our larger bags stayed behind) and began the 1 hour trek to the mountain Amazigh (the proper name for who have often been called Berber, meaning “free people”) village of Aroumd. On the way, Mohamad pointed out where his wife’s family lived.

    We arrived to a comfortable and scenic family-run guesthouse (or gite), and sat down to enjoy Moroccan mint tea (aka Berber whiskey).

    The larger part of the group went on a long walk to a pilgrimage site while Larry and Carolyn and Connie and Roel and I hung around the village; we found it was rather an arduous walk just to go from the top of the village to the bottom, where we found a café and enjoyed some coffee before finding our way back to the gite.

    It was a peaceful night on the mountain and in the morning we trekked back down by a slightly different route, this time Mohamad showed us where he plans to build his own bed-and-breakfast someday.    Read more

  • Traveler2024: Morocco & Camino Torres
    Day 15

    Ait Ben Haddou, Morocco

    April 16 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 75 °F

    After leaving our village in the High Atlas mountains, Mohamad surprised us with a drop in visit to his family so we got to meet his parents and his sister and his wife. I’m not including a picture of his wife because she was very shy and would only meet the women after the men had left the group.
    It was marvelous to meet his family and of course we enjoyed Moroccan mint tea with them, as well as some cookies.

    Then we drove quite a while longer through the mountains to the famous film location of Ait Ben Haddou. Many movies have been filmed in this area, including scenes from Game of Thrones.

    We walked across the bridge that separates the newer city from the old city and stopped to visit the women’s cooperative, a project started by a woman teacher to employ women from across the city to provide tea and cookies to the visitors, and therefore give them employment. Afterwards we walked up the hill to the top where the old granary had been damaged by the September 2023 earthquake. There we watched the sunset and then went back down to head over to the home of the woman who started the cooperative to have dinner made by the women in the city. It was delicious.    Read more

  • Traveler2024: Morocco & Camino Torres
    2
    Day 16

    April 17 in Morocco

    April 17 in Morocco ⋅ ☀️ 70 °F

    This was a very full day! We started just across the dry river bed from Ait Ben Haddou, and visited a well- established rug maker. Then we got back into the bus for a drive through the desert along an oasis river bed.

    Along the way, we stopped to view some movie studios where movies that are set in the desert (supposedly in various Middle Eastern and North African countries) are made. We ended up in Zamora, a beautiful oasis town, and we stayed in an astonishingly gorgeous palace Riad. From there, we took a walk with our Guide Ibrahim, to observe the agricultural methods of the area. Afterwards, we all ate dinner at the Riad restaurant which again was incredible!    Read more

  • Traveler2024: Morocco & Camino Torres
    2
    Day 17

    Tamegroute and Surroundings

    April 18 in Morocco ⋅ ☀️ 79 °F

    We traveled in a small bus from the beautiful oasis town of Zamora to this location where we visited an ancient library, full of academic and religious texts, a Koranic school, and what is called an underground kasbah. We didn’t really see an underground section, our tour was a little truncated there, but we did see women baking flatbread, and pottery being made. About 300 people still live in this old kasbahRead more

  • Traveler2024: Morocco & Camino Torres
    1212
    Day 17

    Riding camels in the Sahara

    April 18 in Morocco ⋅ ☁️ 84 °F

    Camel riding in the Sahara Sand dunes was not exactly something I’ve always dreamed of doing, but it was still was beyond my expectations. It was really cool to be able to ride on these majestic animals and experience a sunset in the Sahara desert.
    Then, when we returned to camp and had our dinner, before we retired to our tents, the drivers brought out their musical instruments and started playing and dancing, and before you know it, everyone was up dancing. It was a great evening!    Read more

  • Traveler2024: Morocco & Camino Torres
    42
    Day 25

    Salamanca +1st day on Camino Torres

    April 26 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 52 °F
  • Traveler2024: Morocco & Camino Torres
    Day 26

    Second day on Camino Torres

    April 27 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 45 °F

    Our second day of walking was pretty rough because the weather is very cold for this time of year and it rained and hailed most of the day. Also, there were blustery winds so we were pretty cold. (That makes us enjoy the Alberque more!)
    Since we stayed in La Rad last night, our days walk was only about 23 km. It would’ve been less, but we initially went most of the way to Cojos de Robliza instead of Robliza de Cojos.. It’s confusing because the first one is actually on the Camino Torres (but does not have the Albergue) and the town where the Albergue is, is not on the Torres at all, it’s over a kilometer away!
    Today’s walk was mostly going through a coupleof ranches, right alongside some cows with their calves and at least one bull, but they were all shy of us. We had to be careful crossing the cattle guards because they were wet and slippery.
    When we arrived into town, we ran into several very helpful people, one of whom brought us some amazing coffee to the Albergue!!
    My main take away from this day is that I would have died for a bench somewhere along the way to sit and change into dry socks or just rest my feet. It was not a good day for finding a place to sit mainly because of the rain and lack of walls or stumps or other places to take a rest. But the people in Robliza are amazing!!    Read more

  • Traveler2024: Morocco & Camino Torres
    2
    Day 27

    Day 3 Camino Torres to San Muñoz

    April 28 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 54 °F

    The day before had been very rainy, so we were warned to take the route for the wet season, which avoids walking through knee deep water for period of time. We were happy to do that!
    After walking from Robliza de Cojos to the local gas station for coffee, we headed on the highway route and then decided to go a bit further to try to a town with a bar AND to avoid a second water crossing and ended up turning back towards the Camino at Aldehuela de la Bóveda. We stopped there for a very welcome but small meal before we journeyed back toward the Camino, first on several kms of a small paved road, and then several more kms of a rocky, sandy track.
    We arrived late in San Muñoz and found Prudence, the hospitalera, who told us that the Ukrainian refugees would let us into the Albergue. She showed us around their local church & town & then stayed with us at the bar until almost 10 PM when we were finally able to get some delicious food.
    San Muñoz is a gorgeous little town, wanting for more residents and hoping the Camino will help them increase.    Read more

  • Traveler2024: Morocco & Camino Torres
    31
    Day 28

    Day 4 of Camino Torres to Alba de Yeltes

    April 29 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 57 °F

    Today was supposed to be a day of 24 km with zero population and the possibility of three water crossings, which we could have gotten very wet feet if we didn’t find the right ways to go around. Also, we didn’t have any possibility for breakfast this morning and we wouldn’t have an opportunity for food until tonight. Add to that scenario that Roel had a big blister under the sole of his foot and we decided to make alternate plans. We took off from San Muñoz and headed toward a town that was 12 km away, it had a bar where we could get food and drink and take a rest. From there we planned to take a taxi to a town that was ~6 km away from our final destination. it all worked as planned, we were able to start out the first several kilometers on the Camino and end the last little ways also on the Camino. And in between we got food and drink and kept our feet intact. Unfortunately, I developed a blister today, but we’ll see how that goes! in Alba de Yeltes, we met Aurora, the hospitalera, and we had a delightful dinner at the bar. This bar will also make us sandwiches for tomorrow, so that’s great, and the Albergue has coffee!Read more

  • Traveler2024: Morocco & Camino Torres
    111
    Day 29

    Camino Torres to Cuidad Rodrigo

    April 30 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 50 °F

    Today was a short day for me, but Roel and Connie walked the entire stage. I had to quit after the first 8 km when we got to the village of Bocacara. We stopped there for some café con Leche, and the blister on the ball of my left foot prevented me from going further - I’m hoping it will recover and I will be able to walk the entire distance tomorrow. I took a cab and also the backpacks of Roel and Connie to our hotel in Cuidad Rodrigo and they continued walking. So some of the pictures I’m posting today are pictures that Connie took along the route.
    Cuidad Rodrigo is quite a beautiful place! With a population of only about 12,000, it seems like a much bigger city. It has quite a history as a defensive fortification near the border with Portugal. In particular it has history with some Napoleonic battles.    Read more

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