Picnic near Kasbah du Toubkal

The last post left hubby and me up on the mountainside at Kasbah du Toubkal a few hours from Marrakesh, Morocco. Because it is such a unique place, I included another photo of the Kasbah from a different angle.

Our last day there we extended a little longer to take a hike and enjoy a picnic in the High Atlas Mountains. Rough basalt  boulders and other volcanics surrounded us and made for a challenging but fun short trek. A few clouds streaked over the mountains and in the far distance (behind the hills) a snow-topped peak was barely visible.

Behind the dusty hiker in this photo (me) you can see some Berber villages in the valley and hills. Many of the traditional houses built of thick clay walls were abandoned and next to them newer ones were built or being built in a similar style of concrete block. Maintenance (reworking/recoating the outer walls every 4 years) of the old style appears to be the main reason for the modernization. Many Berber are unhappy with the loss of the traditional homes, and we discovered, once left unattended the mud slowly is worn away and the walls collapse. Also the cooling quality of the old style walls and their ability to hold in heat are lost with the cement construction.

After a few hours (I did say this was a short hike), we stopped for a picnic provided by Berbers from a nearby village. While we imagined something simple prepared for us, eaten while perched on a boulder, a surprise lay ahead. In the middle of a boulder field, we saw a few men setting up for us (and another couple coming in with a different guide). Young men put out carpets, padded mats, and pillows.

Off to the side, foraged one of the donkeys, which had carried up supplies.

We checked out the “kitchen” stove consisting of propane canisters.

The cooks were hard at work dicing vegetables, making tea, and preparing both hot and cold lunch selections.

The kitchen and serving area were separated by a boulder and a stone wall.

We found a comfy place on a padded mat and mint tea was served. Notice the glass cups and tea service. Okay…I can read the word “spoiled” in your mind. That’s exactly how we felt. Honestly, we had expected a sack lunch and soda. But one thing I can assure you of, is hospitality is quite important to the Berbers.

We rated the lunch as one of great meals on our trip (the view and fresh air surely had a lot to do with that rating). They served a salad of diced purple onions, peppers, tomatoes, and cucumber with canned salmon (well, we are in the mountains) on top and then followed it with a hot portion of rice and a spiced meat mixture of lamb. Boy, did we need the second half of the hike to burn off all the calories.