Ourika

I’m starting to figure my way around a bit. We took the bus home yesterday, and then today I went into the city on my own by bus-I’m looking for a phone since my ancient nokia (4 years old!) won’t roam here. Later Abderrahim took the three of us students and his son Amine to Ourika, a mountain village about an hour out of Marrakech.  The drive was lovely- through scrubby desert, similar looking to Nevada, passing lots of cacti, tree nurseries, kasbahs and little villages. The entire time we were driving toward huge, snow covered peaks, the Atlas I imagine, it was gorgeous and the air was really clear.  We arrived in a little town of Ourika, green foothills with a river running through.  There were ‘restaurants’ (I use the term loosely) with tables set up along the river for meals or drinks.  We sat right on the rocky bank and had mint tea, inches from the roiling water. Then wandered up the village and back, admiring the views and architecture. Ourika is very popular in July & Aug with Marrakechites (??) and folk from Casablanca when it is brutally hot (can get to 120+). There are lots of little restaurants with terraces overlooking the river and mountain villages. We were the only non-Moroccans there, which I enjoyed.