Driving up through the mountains we reached the centre of Moroccan apple growing, whether green or red! I must admit I wasn’t sure if any of these apples made it to the UK but it was a big activity although, as the guide pointed out, it wasn’t an indigenous fruit.

The landscape continued to be dramatic as we headed east toward to the Algerian border.

Apparently Morocco and Algeria have their issues and don’t enjoy cordial relations but we wouldn’t be wouldn’t be causing any increase in tensions during our brief visit to Merzouga. Before that we drove through some valleys that were irrigated from underground wells to grow dates. The contrast between the valley floor and the rest of the landscape was eye catching.

We were soon in a flat arid landscape where nomads and kasbahs (fortresses) abounded along with camels, motorbikes and dune buggies. The latter transportation was common as this was a tourist area which attracted the adventurous foreign tourists to ride the dunes.

Our hotel was idyllic. The construction was classic with large mud and straw external walls built around stones. Inevitably this meant a lifetime of wall maintenance after hard weather as mud doesn’t like rain especially! Despite its construction the Reception opened onto a sensational view.

Before dinner we all walked out in the dunes to watch the sun set. Getting up and down the dunes required a special technique. Dig your toes in on the way up and heels in on the way down. I had never been in such a setting and it was like something from a movie.

Dinner was served on the patio. Quite a perfect setting.

The following morning we were put in 4×4 Toyota Land Cruisers and driven in to the dunes, now that was fun! Our journey ended at a Berber camp where we were served mint or green tea and some of their nomadic lifestyle explained.

Back toward Merzouga we were shephered into a building to hear some music. I wasn’t tempted to dance!

In fact as the day before Redouane had explained some of the musical tradition and I surprised him with my knowledge of a band that’s had some exposure and popularity in the west – Tinawaren. I had a CD from way back then. At this point the bus music system was commandeered to play their songs. I enjoyed it if the rest of the bus didn’t!

From here we were back in the bus heading toward Tinghir. Our hotel for the night was a former kasbah and the external wall were a very fragile mud and straw. Up at the top of the fortress on the terrace the walls were quite fragile. However the dinner was downstairs in a courtyard where Anna was surprised and delighted when a birthday cake was produced. A group of motorcyclists followed our ‘Happy Birthday’ with their serenade in Portuguese.

Tinghir was quite an urban spread with developments on the outskirts. In the centre, where we stayed it was older, and housing was close to the street. On a post dinner constitutional walk we found the shops open and young and old alike were sat outside shooting the breeze.