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seeping through from collapsed walls and opened ceilings.
Only a tiny area, it felt as though this room was little removed from that of the Christian or Jewish faiths, there really was only subtle differences between the opposing religions. Our self-appointed guide agreed as he explained how the nearby Oued Ounila and Oued El Maleh rivers had come together in this region bringing two groups that lived in peace for over a thousand years until the French colonialists had driven a wedge that divided the town of Tamdakhte through religious mistrust and faithful zealots. Ironically just over a hundred years later the French are building modern hotels next to the ancient ruins.
We ventured further north and discovered a land that had recently changed. The almost magnitude seven earthquake that struck this region in 2023 had forever changed the nature of the landscape and the dwellings of those that call it home. On September 8, an earthquake struck seventy-three kilometres from Marrakesh. The Atlas Mountains moved, destroying the lives of 2.8 million people as hillsides collapsed as well many of the traditionally constructed buildings. Three thousand people were tragically killed as more than sixty thousand homes collapsed.
It was the most severe quake on Morocco’ s recorded history and the evidence is still apparent in many parts of the regions we had ridden and would do so for the next few days. Roads and tracks led to villages left in ruins, mudbricks walls falling into deep ravines, places of worship no longer existent, local people still living in tents and portable cabins. As we returned to our starting point we quickly discovered a people resilient and rebuilding, construction seemed to be undertaken by those who cared rather than those who would profit. Our chosen path had provided a glimpse into a life of a proud people who refused to let others dictate how they should move forward. We’ d discovered that the road to ruin isn’ t always such and that with a rich, proud history and belief in community, the road to ruin can be a road to opportunity. LW
Traverse was invited to Morocco by Desert Rats and had the use of a couple of under-powered, underbraked, and under-sprung Chinese made Dockers for an exploration of south-east Morocco. These are what the locals ride in Morocco and if nothing else, they provide a lot of laughs, going places the bigger bikes are seldom taken. If you want to explore Morocco, consider a Docker and the team at Desert Rats can help you... desertrats. tours
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