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our hands Berber style .
A massive communal Tagine dish was placed on a low , round table in front of us , chicken with vegetables and dates on a bed of couscous . Brahim showed us how to pick-up couscous using only the right hand . He skillfully pressed and flipped the couscous into a ball . We all tried but ended up in a right mess , so ate with the spoons provided . The food was amazing and even though there were seven of us we had to leave half the food as there was far too much for us to eat . It ’ s a Moroccan tradition that guests must feel full to busting after being given a meal . We finished off with honeydew melon , which was also delicious .
It was with guilt that we ate so much food in front of the family , we were here during Ramadan a time when Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset , no food or water .
Sated and rested , we put on our gear to ride along the fertile valley with stunning mountains on either side eventually reaching a small settlement where we stopped for mint tea in a Berber tea house . Back on the bikes we climbed out of the valley to turn off onto a dirt track that first dropped us back down onto the valley floor before steeply rising to the side of a mountain . This trail proved to be so difficult , even for me , as it was strewn with loose rocks , particularly on the bends with steep drop-offs down the mountainside . The trail was even more difficult due to some corners and sections being covered in the ever present fesh fesh , at times hiding rocks and boulders underneath the sand .
Eventually we stopped to wait for the others , but they never arrived . Martine returned to see what had happened , she suggested we waited for her return but after 10 minutes or so we began to worry so followed her path from where we had come . Two bikes were being placed on the back of the support truck ; it had become too much for the riders .
We reached a fast-flowing river . Ali , in thongs , rode Martine ' s bike across the two river sections and even he had to use his feet in parts as you couldn ’ t anticipate where the stones and boulders were . He then walked back across the river to oversee us on the crossing . A bunch of local children had arrived to witness the crazy tourists attempting to cross the river , they all offered advice and wanted to help . I rode across last , mistakenly thinking I can do this with my feet up and stay dry ! Not a chance ! I arrived on the other side soaked but exhilarated !
Martine gave the kids chocolate bars and they posed for us so we could take a picture of them in front of the support truck as she suggested that we all record the next section through a narrow gorge with a stream flowing down it .
Our hotel in Boumalne Dades was renowned for welcoming adventure groups and was set in a palmerie with accommodation set around a large courtyard and pool .
The owners of the hotel had toured North Africa extensively ; bringing back loads of traditional artifacts that adorned the lobby , hallways , and walls . These included a set of musical instruments that enabled me to have a little session playing some of the percussion instruments that sounded great in the resonant hallway .
Our room was spacious , the absence of howling dogs created an atmosphere for a peaceful night although the windows had to be closed to protect from the roaring wind .
The overnight winds forced a discussion with Martine who decided that a ride down to visit the Dades gorge was not possible , visibility was low and the many hairpin bends could be dangerous . It left us with a relaxed morning at the hotel before a superb four course lunch .
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