{"id":790,"date":"2014-01-04T18:38:56","date_gmt":"2014-01-04T08:08:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/travel.pennyandjosh.com\/?p=790"},"modified":"2014-01-16T00:48:30","modified_gmt":"2014-01-15T14:18:30","slug":"drinking-from-the-bottle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/travel.pennyandjosh.com\/?p=790","title":{"rendered":"drinking from the bottle"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>We left Tafraoute early in the morning via 4wd and made our way through the desert to the south&#8230;<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p>We passed Napoleon&#8217;s hat and stopped at the painted rocks, an art project created by a Belgian painter in 1984.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/travel.pennyandjosh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/12895-1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-795\" title=\"12895-1\" src=\"http:\/\/travel.pennyandjosh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/12895-1-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/travel.pennyandjosh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/12895-1-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/travel.pennyandjosh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/12895-1-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/travel.pennyandjosh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/12895-1.jpg 1400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Basically he came out into the desert and painted a whole lot of rocks&#8230; I thought he was just an environmental vandal and I&#8217;m still not sure but he definitely had some dedication&#8230; The rocks are massive ands not like there&#8217;s a Bunnings down the road somewhere.<\/p>\n<p>Next we drove up through the mountains we had seen the day before from the top of the hat.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/travel.pennyandjosh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/12896-1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-796\" title=\"12896-1\" src=\"http:\/\/travel.pennyandjosh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/12896-1-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/travel.pennyandjosh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/12896-1-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/travel.pennyandjosh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/12896-1-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/travel.pennyandjosh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/12896-1.jpg 1400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>At the top we turned off road and drove for another 30km across a rocky plain that leads to Ait Mansour Gorge, which I like to call the Moroccan grand canyon.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/travel.pennyandjosh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/12897-1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-797\" title=\"12897-1\" src=\"http:\/\/travel.pennyandjosh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/12897-1-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/travel.pennyandjosh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/12897-1-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/travel.pennyandjosh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/12897-1-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/travel.pennyandjosh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/12897-1.jpg 1050w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/travel.pennyandjosh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/12898-1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-798\" title=\"12898-1\" src=\"http:\/\/travel.pennyandjosh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/12898-1-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/travel.pennyandjosh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/12898-1-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/travel.pennyandjosh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/12898-1-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/travel.pennyandjosh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/12898-1.jpg 1400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>We drove down into the gorge and stopped for a picnic lunch, after which our driver gave us two hours to walk forwards down the gorge, where he would collect us later in the day.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/travel.pennyandjosh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/12899-1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-799\" title=\"12899-1\" src=\"http:\/\/travel.pennyandjosh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/12899-1-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/travel.pennyandjosh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/12899-1-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/travel.pennyandjosh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/12899-1-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/travel.pennyandjosh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/12899-1.jpg 1050w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The gorge is filled with tiny villages that house a few Berber families each. I don&#8217;t know how they managed to construct so many buildings, in such a remote location and all perched on the side of the canyon walls but they have been there for hundreds of years and don&#8217;t show any signs of weakness.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/travel.pennyandjosh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/12906-1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-801\" title=\"12906-1\" src=\"http:\/\/travel.pennyandjosh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/12906-1-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/travel.pennyandjosh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/12906-1-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/travel.pennyandjosh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/12906-1-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/travel.pennyandjosh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/12906-1.jpg 1050w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>At the first village we passed, a group of about fifteen small children followed us for a couple of kilometres down the gorge, asking us for candy and money&#8230; When they eventually understood that penny was trying to tell them we had nothing but a bottle of water, one of the older girls wanted to drink from it&#8230; When we let her, all the other kids wanted to drink from it&#8230; I think it became a game of dares for them.<\/p>\n<p>Mind you, none of them actually drunk.. They just put the bottle in their mouths. Fun for them but we didn&#8217;t really feel like we could safely drink from our bottles after out had been in the mouth of 10+ desert children.<\/p>\n<p>Disappointingly for me, when i finally took out my camera to take a photo they all freaked out, told me no, turned their backs and ran back to their village.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/travel.pennyandjosh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/12907-1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-802\" title=\"12907-1\" src=\"http:\/\/travel.pennyandjosh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/12907-1-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/travel.pennyandjosh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/12907-1-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/travel.pennyandjosh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/12907-1-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/travel.pennyandjosh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/12907-1.jpg 1050w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>As we approached the next village we heard a kitten crying from a tree near the road&#8230; We walked over to investigate and he came out and wanted some attention.<\/p>\n<p>The Moroccans love cats&#8230; They are everywhere here and seem generally well fed, even the scabby ones. We have taken a cue from the locals and when we finish a meal we feed the scraps to whatever restaurant or street cats are lurking around.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/travel.pennyandjosh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/12908-1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-803\" title=\"12908-1\" src=\"http:\/\/travel.pennyandjosh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/12908-1-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/travel.pennyandjosh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/12908-1-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/travel.pennyandjosh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/12908-1-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/travel.pennyandjosh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/12908-1.jpg 1050w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>This little guy was obviously a town pet&#8230; He was very well looked after and followed us right into town where he was picked up by one of the village kids.<\/p>\n<p>We passed a couple more small villages before our driver picked us up and we headed out of the gorge.<\/p>\n<p>It was one of the more unique places we&#8217;ve visited&#8230;. Very authentic and not at all touristy. Just people going about their lives away from the hustle and bustle of the world&#8230; I don&#8217;t think I could live without my technology (and running water!) but I thought it would be nice to try&#8230; Just hanging out on the side of a cliff watching the rocks change color as the sun washes over them. I think it would be a simple and calming way to live&#8230; until I needed to Google something or have a hot shower.<\/p>\n<p>Back on the main road we headed to the town of Tata to spend the night.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/travel.pennyandjosh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/12909-1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-804\" title=\"12909-1\" src=\"http:\/\/travel.pennyandjosh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/12909-1-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/travel.pennyandjosh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/12909-1-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/travel.pennyandjosh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/12909-1-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/travel.pennyandjosh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/12909-1.jpg 1050w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Tomorrow, we&#8217;re off to the Sahara&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We left Tafraoute early in the morning via 4wd and made our way through the desert to the south&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[17],"tags":[22],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/travel.pennyandjosh.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/790"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/travel.pennyandjosh.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/travel.pennyandjosh.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/travel.pennyandjosh.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/travel.pennyandjosh.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=790"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/travel.pennyandjosh.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/790\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":904,"href":"https:\/\/travel.pennyandjosh.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/790\/revisions\/904"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/travel.pennyandjosh.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=790"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/travel.pennyandjosh.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=790"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/travel.pennyandjosh.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=790"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}