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Before I start, I must first apologise for the continued lateness of the special fotw pages, these will now be written over Easter due to coursework deadlines.
(Pictures will be added at a later date when I'm not typing on my phonne).
The Dr and his companions:
(From Gara 'Sbaa)
From left to right:
Simon 'Strings' or 'Tump', palaeo coursemate
Toni 'Toe', Si's Mrs, the 'Honorary palaeo'
Dave Martill, Dr of palaeontology at Portsmouth uni
Conrad 'Fuzzmuffin' or 'Ramrod', palaeo coursemate
And me! 'Stingray'
Day 1 - 29th December, 'Arrival'.
I'm not go8ng to write too much about this day, seeing as not much really happened, we flew out in mid-afternoon and arrive early evening in Marracech airport. That's it really. Apart from the realisation that you look a little weird walking around Gatwick Airport in the middle of December wearing short sleaves, shorts, hiking boots and palaeohats.. More of a weird-cool though, with Stingray, as opposed to my mates who had flatter hats. (At the time!)
Day 2 - 30th December, 'Goodbye old friend, hello Strings!'
The next day was one of two earmarked for travelling to the first locality, Gara 'Sbaa, on the edge of the Kem-Kem plataeu. Starting in Marracech (and a rather nice hotel), we set off east. Leaving the city, we came across a large rubbish tip in a field. However unlike in England, the local birdlife attracted was not seagulls and pidgeons, but stalks and egrets.
The first destination for the day after Marracech was the royal city of Ouzazate (easily the best place name in the world). To get there, we first had to cross the High Atlas mountains, using the Tizi 'n' Tichka . This is the second highest road over the Atlas, with some rather epic views. And a LOT of traders. Minerals and geodes (both real; dyed vivid colours and downright fake), pottery, fossils and more for sale on every corner of the road.
However, on the descent, once we'd reached sea level and the road was flattening out again, the back door of the landy flew open and...
.....Like a frisbee, Simon's hat flew out the back door, before the g-force of the approaching corner forced the door shut! We stopped the car, and Dave and Simon trekked back to go find it.
Meanwhile, by the landy of doom..
They returned 5 minutes later, Si with a rather glum look on his face.. He'd lost his hat! He was mortified, having wore it for every hunt for the last 5 years.. so in memory of his unnamed, but now lost hat..
And then we drove on..
And on..
And on..
Over the Haugh (High) Atlas
-Conrad showing that altitude is a concern wherever you are!
and on to the city with THE best name ever. Ouzazate. With Si still bemoaning the loss of his hat, we found a restaurant along the main road, and sat down for lunch. After, myself, Dave and Conrad nipped up to the internet cafe, whilst Si and To went hat hunting. With the premise that it's a hot, very sunny country, so there must be some form of hat-based-sun-protection available at the market. And he was right!
Sort of. After leaving the internet cafe, we found Si and To at the first market stand (one of the only ones open as it was a Friday) choosing between the two types of wide brimmed hat on offer. A sombrero and a cowboy hat! Eventually settling for the cowboy hat (which was relatively cheap), we set off further into the Desert, crossing the Anti-Atlas and into the true Sahara Desert. By nightfall we eventually reached the town of Al-Nif, famed for it's trilobite shops.
Day 3 - 31st December, 'Sat on the bus'
Last edited by macrocephale on Tue Apr 03, 2012 8:15 pm; edited 2 times in total
