We had a very enjoyable trip from Chefchaouen to Fez driving a less busy and more scenic road which followed the ridge of the Rif Mountains. As it was a smaller road it allowed us to be able to stop many times to take in the beautiful views. The Rif Mountains have for centuries been known as a centre of cannabis farming and, since 2021 (like so many places in the world) it has become legal there to grow it for medicinal purposes. We thought that as we drove we might see some growing in the fields, but we didn’t. We were pretty sure, however, that the many men who were enticing us to stop were likely selling it though we were not sure about this.
Read MorePortugal and Morocco Through Our Eyes
Our Sahara time has been a plan in the making for the past few years. It was amazing to us that this plan was actually becoming reality, and we both felt eager anticipation to meet Brahim, our guide, Mohamed, our driver, and M’barek, our cook. When we met, we immediately connected with everyone. We parked our rental car where it would be safe while we were away and headed out in a 4x4 toward the desert. Our first stop was just as we were leaving Zagora to see the marker for the iconic start of the old camel trade route between Zagora and Timbuktu.