Diterbitkeun: 16.05.2019
At the last station in Foum Zguid, the thermometer rose to over 40 degrees, which bothered us during the day. Driving through the landscape in the car was not a problem as we have air conditioning, but we don't want to sit behind the wheel for 8 hours every day. There was also another problem that we underestimated: in Morocco, Ramadan is until June 7th. There are no restaurants open from sunrise to sunset. Drinking tea on the way - something we really enjoyed - is hardly possible anymore. In addition, simple hotels, even in the '4 star' category, are often closed. The shops and stores are open from 10am, but the owners usually sleep somewhere inside and don't like to be disturbed. The same applies partially to gas stations as well. Apparently, fasting during the day is very exhausting.
Originally, we wanted to drive to Icht and continue further south, but the weather forecast predicted rising temperatures of 45+ degrees in the south. That's not the ideal heat for us to set up the tent and visit the towns. So we quickly decided to drive further west - where we hoped for cool Atlantic wind. Guelmim was the next stop with a small inn on the outskirts. On the way there, there were huge watermelon fields and beautifully washed out oueds.
Besides the heat and Ramadan, it doesn't matter where we stay, whether it's at the campsite or in a hotel, we are usually the only guests everywhere. All the campervans that apparently overcrowd the south of Morocco in winter have disappeared without a trace. In Marrakesh, we saw the last tourists.
The next day, it was Saturday, there was a big market in Guelmim. In addition to vegetables and fruits, there were also shoes, clothes, toys, baskets, tools, etc. In an enclosed area next to it, there were sheep, goats, cows, and camels waiting. We are in the middle of it and are amazed: sheep are lifted by one leg and locked up on top of the truck. Goats are lying on the ground because all four legs have been tied together with a rope and they can no longer stand. Roaring camels are captured and squeezed four at a time onto a pickup truck. Our Swiss animal protection would not be very happy with this live market. Animal feed can also be purchased; on the way from the market, we encountered this truck loaded with hay. Overtake and quickly continue towards the Atlantic!