Agadir, Morocco (day 4)

Up before the sun, we were down for breakfast at seven thirty. The dining room was in darkness. It appears that breakfast now begins at eight. Shame nobody bothered to amend the details on the hotel website. So at eight we returned, hastily ate and drank to be ready for our pick up at eight thirty. Message from driver, pick-up now eight forty. We were exhausted before even leaving the building. Our driver liked to be called Simba, yes, after the lion king. Already in his slightly battered Mitsubishi 4 x 4 were an Indian family. Mum and three daughters. As we set off on our journey into the unknown we all chatted with ease. First stop, the river where at least twenty other similar vehicles joined us.

The day continued. Stopping and starting at various random destinations.

A silversmiths, honey/argan oil shop, viewpoints, by a beach with troglodytes dwellings where fisherman lived, and of course a stop in the Sahara desert.

Not a great big expanse of the Sahara, but an area known as Little Sahara.

Awaiting us were camels to ride, traditional heads scarfs to buy and a photo opportunity with reptiles. Not for Angela. After a while though, she thought why not. Not like her at all. Eighty pence well spent. Time had passed by quickly, and we moved across to the village opposite for lunch. Yet more chicken tangine, cous cous and mint tea. Then a stop at a nearby dam followed, where the water level could be seen to be much lower than it should. There has been no rain in the region for six years. The water supply for all the hotels in Agadir is sourced from the sea. Desalinated first of course. The day had been a strange one. But enjoyable. We'd met lots of nice people from other countries. Seen more of the real Morocco, including some campsites. Now know the Moroccans are crazy drivers who are happy to take your life in their hands. But the day though belonged to our Indian ladies seven year old daughter. At lunch we talked of our plans over the next ten years and the fact there is still so much world to see before perhaps our health dictated otherwise. The little girl said she thought we looked O.K. to her, and she didn't think we were going to die yet. Good to know. Could we have that in writing please!