Erfoud

“Erfoud, a quaint town in Morocco … Known for its date palms, Erfoud offers a charming respite from desert trekking and adventures“

~ unknown

Erfoud is on the edge of the Sahara dessert the drive from Fez was long the landscape dramatic as we trasvered our way through the Atlas Mountains. We stopped for coffee at the “Switzerland” of Morocco at Ifrane in the middle Atlas Mountains at another 1700 metres. The town is green but is surrounding by mountains barren mountains and in the winter snow covered the mountains

Back in the bus as we continued to climb to the high Atlas Mountains the landscape was amazing a tree every now and then then sand and more sand with the occasional oasis and olive groves

We arrived at the hotel in Erfoud it was relatively new with room spacious and clean we would stay here for two nights at before going to the desert camp

Next day we ventured a quarry where fossil fish and calamari are found in the local stones the area was covered in water 500 million years BC. They cut slabs of istome polish it making great coffee tables and other items I did ask about sending a piece back home but it was so expensive as the man said Australia a far away then moved to the Americans

Before going to the dessert a visit to the weekly market the entire town was full of berbers from the local area. No. Smells and relatively clean fruit, vegetables, meats and a livestock is also sold along with many spices.