Scott chose our itinerary for his stay, so we left Chefchouen and headed south towards the desert. En route, we visited Volubilis, a UNESCO third century Roman administrative center that is marvelously preserved. It was enormous compared to other Roman towns I’ve seen, and it really impressed. They really did build to last…

We could almost hear the voices of ancient Romans mulling about and planning their next conquest. It was truly amazing to contemplate the Empire’s expanse back then.

After Volubilis, we headed to Fez, Morocco’s spiritual capital and home to the world’s largest medina. Nowhere else on Eatrth can you wander so far in a pedestrian only mall. Fez is the leather tanning and manufacturing center of Morocco, and its craftsmen and women are everywhere. A really unique visit.

After Fez, we were off to Merzouga, where the Sahara Desert overtakes the continent and which sits four miles from the Algerian border. Merzouga was surreal – forlorn and incredibly stark, yet inviting and warm at the same time. The heat somewhat overwhelmed, yet we headed out into the vastness to explore and learn.

This was a desert oasis miles from Mezouga. Underground water provides life where you’d never believe it could exist. Truly amazing.

Off for a camel rise at sunset. These are really cool creatures. Almost exclusively males, after castration chills them out, (bummer, doods), they appear and feel totally prehistoric in their movements and disposition. Pretty wild buckin’ along on them.

This is the tallest sand dune in the entire Sahara. I jumped it on the quad….

Scott has been an awesome companion and navigator, taking us to great places all week.

After the desert, we headed towards the High Atlas Mountains again and Ait Ben Haddou, another ancient UNESCO town that is incredibly preserved. Game of Thrones and Gladiator were filmed here (I know, big whup), and it has a completely otherworldly feeling.

We’re off to Essaouria today, on the coast, as we wend our way back to Casablanca for Scott to head home. Here’s the trip so far. After landing in Morocco, I headed south to imlil in the HIgh Atlas, then west to the coast. We’ve traveled a lot, with more to come as Deborah arrives in five days. More fun to come. Stay tuned….