Wednesday, February 14.  Early departure to the city of Ouarzazate (You try to pronounce it!).  I felt colder than yesterday, though others thought the reverse.  Returned to our large bus.  Drove past hundreds of ancient wells which reached down to a large underground river from the mountains.  At the photo stop a mass of screaming happy young teenagers surrounded us.  I thought it was mildly silly, but everyone else loved it.  (Ben calls photo stops “Japan Stops”, apparently because Japanese tourists only take pictures, then move on.)

We visited a school for first graders who wanted to shake hands with everyone.  Very cute.  They recited a number of chants(?), to which our group sang Itsy Bitsy Spider (and explained it).  Too many for balloons.

Toured a Berber Museum, which I found very interesting.  A lot of their farming and clothing looked remarkably similar to Navaho.  Lots of dissimilarities from Arab dress.

Lunch was at a place preparing for a flood.  Two turkeys, two peacocks, two geese, two ducks, etc.  Great food, as usual.

Several abandoned cities made of adobe.  Everyone had moved to nearby buildings made of concrete. Spooky.

Ladies doing laundry in the river.  Lots of litter in the fields.  Drove through the country’s capital city of roses.

Hotel is massive and modern.  Japanese and Chinese.  Poor wifi.  Fruit basket.  $9 beer.  Buffet dinner.  Had good lasagna.  Exercised.