I have decided that the next time I come to Morocco I will go directly to Tan Tan and from here explore the area south of here. It is a disputed area. The world calls it Western Sahara and the Moroccans call it Morocco. U.N. forces keep the peace. Yes, I know that travel sites say it is dangerous and that there are land mines, but on well travelled roads and in cities it is safe. There are buses everyday from Tan Tan to various places there. Western Sahara is the area between Morocco and Mauritania. Actually, even driving here on the road just north of Tan Tan, one undergoes extensive checks of passports etc. as it is the last stop before Western Sahara.
I became so interested about this area from seeing all the 4x4's coming in from there. They are mostly khaki coloured and have real desert men at the wheel. I so wish I had some photos of them, but I don't except in my mind.
Tan Tan reminds me of the wild wild west in the old movies. In the movies, the cowboys rode into town to get supplies and get drunk at the saloon. Here, the desert men ride in on 4x4's, get supplies, and drink tea!!!! But, it has left me with a thrist to see the area south of here.
I am sad to leave here because it has a raw charm all its own. It is hard to explain and if I had been just passing through I would have said, "What a dump". The people are gentle and kind. The women wear brightly a coloured cloth called a mlafa or some such spelling (can't open yahoo to check)which they wind around their bodies and up over their head. It is so nice to see all the colour. I do have photos. This style of dress comes from Mauritania and is worn by all the women here as opposed to the Moroccan style of dress.
I will definitely miss the weather. Here it is 25C during the day and 15 at night. In Ouarzazate it is 18C / 1C.
I hear that I am missing a lot of snow there!!!! So sorry.
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