Breaking with Berbers, Part 2

Hisham buys us tea on the way.  Note the
 meat hanging behind me. Yeah. 

Abesha getting her turban on with Hisham.

On Monday we were off to the second part of our adventure, Ouarzazate.  We had to take a bus back to Marrakech and then again to Ouarzazate.  The amount of the country we saw was boggling.  On the second bus we met a very nice young man named Hisham.  He bought us tea on a bus break and then our driver made everyone get off the first bus and on to a new one.  The second one didn't have a seat for me or for Hisham.  We, therefore, ended up sitting awkwardly with our friends and on the floor, respectively.  This part of the trip was actually amusing because of Anna, Macarena, and my game of "My Grandpa owns a grocery store and in it he sells something that starts with the letter__...."

When we got to Ouarzazate Hisham helped us walk to our hotel, which was not a nice hotel though it was cheap.  Don't stay at the Bab Sahara.  Unless you want to save money and sleep on a rock.  After we settled in we ate tajine at Hisham's friend's apartment.  In the morning we went back to their shop to go on a trip around the city.  Ouarzazate is famous for being convenient.  There is actually nothing sight-worthy inside the city, however it is surrounded by film studios and sets and beautiful old kasbahs and oasis.  The city is actually situated on a wind swept plateau in the mountains so all sides seem to be bordered with snow capped mountains.  As we were driven around the city in an SUV we encountered hail and dirt trails.  Hisham 1 and 2, our friends and drivers, played Maliese music and hopped out of the car randomly while it was still moving.

Momo's apartment for dinner.

Abesha killing people in Hisham's shop

Momo teaching Anna how to tie a turban.

Hisham's four wives.

Dinner. Note Mac's excitement.

First time smoking shisha in Morocco. (Don't worry, Mom.  It is tobacco. No drugs.)

Kasbah magic.  It is incredible how the color
 just doesn't translate to pictures.

Movie studio where Cleopatra was filmed.

A Kasbah

We saw beautiful sights all afternoon for only 100 dirham a person, and finally we ended up at a small nature reserve in a Berber village where we drank tea while playing drums and watching the sun set on a terrace.  We sat on the hood of the SUV while Hisham drove us through creeks and in figure 8s.  I imagine this part of the trip as a movie montage that somehow correlates high school shenanigans with an African safari.  Afterward we had more food and dancing with our new friends and head back to the hotel for a deep sleep and prep for the long trek to Merzouga.

I'm probably dancing.