0279. Castle, Lake, Mountains (Mor 112--new)
I got to Kasba Tadla in the late afternoon--right as market day was winding down. I wandered around for a bit--but I got the feeling that two fellows were trailing me... managed to throw them off and head on into town.
The first thing I noticed was a cool castle up on a hill--so I hurried over so I could take a few shots before evening. Found a great combination of castle, snow capped peaks and a little lake and waterfall making for a beautiful scene...
The inside of the castle was about the most run down little medina that I've seen--just a couple of scrappy shanties and a mosque and that's it... Not a huge effort to preserve Tadla's historical heritage...
As I headed towards downtown, I quickly noted Tadla's unusual feel.
I find a little hotel, settle in, and then set out into the night to explore a few of those neighborhoods, walking until the houses suddenly ended, then darkness, and another cluster of homes beyond. I found a quiet little park next to the river to pull out my guitar--then I headed back into town.
Back in town, looking for batteries for my camera, a young Berber shopkeeper struck up a conversation with me. He says he's studying tourism in nearby Beni Mellal and hopes to land a job down in Agadir--but he still finds time to help his father with his shop.
It's a cold, windy evening and the city has already sort of gone to sleep, so after grabbing a quick bite, I head on to my hotel.
Next morning, head down to explore the beautiful tree lined river and bridge once again in the daylight... take another clip while a neighbor sheepishly chucks his garbage in...
It's been a fun town to explore--but there's one more spot I must check out before I leave.
The Fork.
It's an odd monument of some sort that looks like, well, a fork situated on a ridge on the other side of the river. Of course I have to go to take a closer look.
Can't say it took my breath away--but, I guess you really can't really say you've experienced Kasba Tadla without visiting The Fork.
Time to head on up the mountains now. I was told that my best bet was to go up the highway a little ways and just wait for a bus coming by from Beni Mellal direction... so that's what I did...
