Skoura, Morocco - Day 1

Friday, February 2, 2024

This morning is was time to say good-bye to Marrakech, Morocco. After Andi and I packed our bags, the four of us headed down to the lobby of Riad Azoulay for breakfast before our 9:30am departure.

Breakfast this morning was traditional Moroccan bread, individual apple pie tarts, yogurt, and fresh fruit. The food quality at Riad Azoulay has been exceptional, and a big reason why we’ve fallen in love with the flavors of Moroccan food. After we ate breakfast, our family thanked the staff at Riad Azoulay for a wonderful stay. We very much enjoyed our room accommodations, the central location of this riad to all the action of the Medina, the amazing meals we ate here, and the helpfulness of the staff. 10/10 recommend.

As we wheeled our luggage through the cobblestone streets of the Mellah quarter in the Medina, we were surprised to find all of the alleyways empty and the shop doors closed for business. We later learned that Fridays are holy days in Islam, and most Muslims take this day off work to attend prayer services at the mosque. It is customary for Muslims to have a hammam cleaning on Fridays (bath house experience with a series of hot and cold rooms, and generous scrubbing and washing to cleanse and purify the body). We’ve noticed that Moroccans are very passionate about cleanliness and smelling good which is why walking the streets of the Medina is like an assault on the senses; so many scents of perfume, incense, and spices wafting through the air.

Andi arranged for a driver to pick us up at Tinsmiths Square, in the Mellah of the Medina, at 9:30am. From Marrakech, we drove four hours through the High Atlas Mountains to our next destination — the city of Skoura, Morocco.

Before we left Marrakech, Andi asked our driver to stop by the grocery store and the pharmacy so we could purchase some medicine for me and some snacks & waters for the car ride. I thought my sinuses might be acting up from all the intense smells and dirty air in Marrakech, but now it’s clear that I’ve come down with an actual cold.

Our driver dropped us off at a shopping complex. I was shocked to realize there’s real shopping and restaurants in Marrakech outside the walls of the old city. We passed by sporting goods and clothing shops, and a real grocery store with a big selection of fresh foods, packaged items, and toiletries.

No regrets staying inside the Medina (old city) where the maze of alleyways and souks felt like a magical Moroccan world from long ago, but it’s good to know there’s also a Starbucks and Adiddas store within a 10-minute taxi ride if you really need something.

Andi and I always enjoy visiting grocery stores when we’re traveling because it’s interesting to see what products are for sale, what’s the same as back home in the USA, and what things are completely different. This Marrakech grocery store had everything, including a wide selection of packaged cookies, crackers, chocolate, and candy. Sometimes those products don’t exist in other countries.

We bought a package of baby wipes (always good to have when traveling for quick showers/wipe-downs), some cookies and candy for the kids, and Kleenexes. Then, we visited the pharmacy to buy cough drops, Vitamin C tabs, and some sinus meds for me. Marrakech is the tourist center of Morocco, so most people speak English which has made traveling here very easy to do.

Back in the car with our driver, we drove from Marrakech to Skoura across the High Atlas Mountains. Within minutes of leaving the city limits, the landscape changed from bustling metropolis to rural, rolling hills with small Berber villages nestled in the mountainside. For thousands of years, this road has been the main caravan trade route from Marrakech through Northern Africa. The road is paved and in good condition now, but it does have a lot of switchbacks and hair-pin turns. Tory and Aden both felt car sick from the altitude change and the curvy road, so Andi gave them each a motion sickness pill to calm their tummies. Our driver stopped a couple of times at panoramic viewpoints along the way, too, which helped us all get some fresh air and take a break from being in the car.

This area reminded us of the Salta Region of northern Argentina or of the southwest USA. Ksars (or villages) dotted the highway with houses made of mud & straw. Our driver said this area outside Marrakech was hit hardest by the earthquake of September 2023. Rock slides cascading down the mountainside wiped out dozens of homes with people still inside them. In all, 3,000 people were killed during the natural disaster. Since then, the Moroccan government has provided families with blue tarp tents to live in until they can rebuilt their homes.

Tizi N Tichka Pass was the highest point of our drive from Marrakech to the city of Skoura on the other side of the mountain range. The pass is 2,212 meters high (7,257 feet) and sometimes closes during this time of year for snow & icy conditions. Our driver said there is no snow this year though, which brings worry for a hot summer ahead and drought conditions. The view was quite impressive, as well as the dramatic change in air temperature. The only colors we saw along our drive were green trees and crops growing in the valley near the Draa River, otherwise the mud & straw huts blended into the hillside’s orangey-red color.

There aren’t many places to stop for food or restrooms from Marrakech to Ourazate, so the owner of our hotel in Skoura arranged for us to eat lunch at the home of a local Berber man. Turning off Route 9, our driver followed a bumpy dirt road to the small village of Telouet. This isn’t a typical pit stop for the average Moroccan traveler, and we felt that as soon as we left the main highway. Life has a slower pace in this small village comprised of a few dozen mud houses, a handful of children kicking a soccer ball to each other, and a man wandering along with his donkey. The area was quiet except for the occasional he-haw call from a donkey.

Our driver introduced us to Yazid, the man’s house we would be dining in today. Yazid led our family upstairs to the rooftop of his home which had a sweeping view of the village. “Where are we?!” Tory muttered under her breath as she sat down at the table, wondering what unique experience her parents had signed her up for this time.

Yazid greeted us on the rooftop once again, and told us for lunch we’d be having Moroccan soup, a berber omelet, chicken tagine, and dessert. His English was pretty good, but I wasn’t able to catch everything he said. Every part of today’s dining experience was a bit of a mystery!

Soon, Yazid brought us each bowls of harira soup which is a tomato-based soup broth with lentils, chickpeas, and noodles. It’s a very warm and soothing soup which we all like to eat. Next, he brought a sizzling tagine to the table with a Berber omelet inside. This egg dish is unique to the people of the Atlas Mountains and includes eggs cooked with spices, peppers, and onions. Most Moroccans eat tagine with bread as their utensil which is how we ate this dish, too.

All four of us really enjoyed the Berber omelet and could have stopped eating at that point. But, no, there’s always more food to come in the Moroccan culture. So many courses! We eat here until we can’t possibly take another bite.

Our 3rd course was chicken tagine with vegetables and couscous. Andi and I were stuffed, but we kept eating as not to offend our host. The kids aren’t much help when it comes to eating these big meals. Tory likes the potatoes and carrots served in most tagine dishes so she will eat those, and Aden will eat the meat. Otherwise, it’s up to Andi and I to make a dent in the platters of food that could easily serve eight people. We both feel so bad not finishing all the food that is being prepared for us. I can only hope that someone is eating the leftovers.

For our final course, Yazid brought orange slices sprinkled with cinnamon and Moroccan mint tea. I love watching Moroccan men pour the tea in a long, graceful stream from tea pot to cup. It’s a cultural art form in and of itself.

After lunch, we thanked Yazid for his hospitality and then hopped into the car to continue our drive to Skoura. One thing Andi and I have noticed since we arrived in Morocco is how much affection the local people pay to Aden, and all but ignore Tory. We asked one of Andi’s friends about this, who is married to a Moroccan woman, and she said it’s a sign of respect to the parents not to address the daughter. I noticed later in this picture that we took with Yazid that he didn’t touch Tory. The people we’ve encountered are not rude to Tory, but by contrast, they are overly friendly to Aden.

From Telouet, we drove two hours to Skoura, purposefully deciding to skip past the popular tourist stop of Ait Benhaddou. Ait Benhaddou is an UNESCO World Heritage site designated for its preservation of earthen clay buildings in the High Atlas Mountains. Dozens of movies like Lawrence of Arabia, Gladiator, and The Mummy have been filmed there. Andi and I felt like we’d seen examples of those buildings along our drive today, and judging by the amount of tour buses parked outside, it just didn’t seem like a place we would enjoy.

Our driver pointed out a few other natural parts of the landscape along our drive, like rock salt formed in the High Atlas Mountains. Iron ore and coal are also mined from the mountains.

We arrived to our hotel called L’Ma Lodge around 3:00pm, and were warmly welcomed by the property manager named Safan. He showed us to our hotel room which had two bedrooms and one bathroom. This hotel, in particular, is very kid friendly. The owner has two children of her own around Tory and Aden’s ages, and also homeschools her children. Unfortunately, they were on vacation during our stay so we didn’t have the chance to meet them. Since they have kids, L’Ma Lodge had a trampoline for our kids to use, a playground, and an outdoor tent full of kids toys. The whole property is a desert oasis with lounging areas and an outdoor pool.

Once we settled into our room, the four of us walked around to check out the property grounds. Then, we sat at an outdoor table and called Andi’s dad, Jim, on FaceTime to wish him a happy birthday. One of the restaurant servers brought us Moroccan mint tea, fresh dates, and cookies to enjoy while we sat at the table. We visited with Andi’s parents for 30 minutes or so, and then spent the rest of the time until dinner lounging around the property. I wasn’t feeling the greatest, so I went back to our room to lay down for a bit while Andi, Tory, and Aden played badminton and checked out the animals that live on the property.

So many cats all over Morocco! There’s at least four of them living here at L’Ma Lodge.

L’Ma Lodge provides an optional dinner for guests at 7:00pm each night in the lobby area. There are food options in the city of Skoura, but that’s a bit of a drive from where we’re staying so I think most people choose to eat their meals at the hotel.

Tonight, our meal began with fresh olives, bread, and nuts. Then, we were served Moroccan harira soup and beef tagine with vegetables and couscous for our main entree. The kitchen also made a big bowl of spaghetti especially for Tory and Aden. There isn’t a wide variety to the meals served in Morocco — lots of tagine made with different meats and spices — but all the dishes are hearty and flavorful. There also a culture rooted in tradition, and on Fridays — Moroccans eat tagine and couscous.

One thing Andi and I noticed at this particular hotel is that there is more of a presence of alcohol. We think this might be because the owners of the lodge are originally from France, and also because most guests probably desire alcohol to drink with their meal. Generally, Muslims do not drink alcohol so we’ve seen very little mention of alcohol during our time in Morocco. Andi and I have been trying to curb our drinking habits, so we opted for traditional mint tea with our meal tonight.

Tomorrow, we don’t have much planned other than a day of relaxation in Skoura. Andi booked massages for us at the lodge, so that’s a nice treat to look forward to tomorrow.