Chefchaouen

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The journey from Tetouan to Chefchaouen was very stressful but fascinating. The winding mountain road had very little verge and a big drop on one side. It was very busy with lots of lorries including some huge ones overloaded with recently harvested straw - and quite a few mad drivers overtaking on the bends.

The landscape was crowded – with dwellings, small villages, little herds of animals and people. (What a contrast to the quiet depopulated disused but fertile slopes of the Sierra Nevada). There were many people on the road. Some walking; some selling vegetables or terracotta pots by the roadside; some men just standing. We saw women collecting water in large plastic containers; older women carrying huge bundles wrapped in old bedspreads; men and women carrying huge bundles of sticks or
prunings on their backs; donkeys loaded with bags; young boys selling red berries from buckets. Some of these boys and other young men made the universal mime for smoking as we passed, hoping we would stop. We didn't need drugs – it was all too surreal: we saw two cows with tall brimmed purple hats on in a hillside field! Their owner was sitting next to them eating his lunch.

Little stony fields had been carved out of the steep slopes. There were one or two tractors in evidence but mostly the ploughing was done with wooden ploughs and donkeys or horses.

Chefchauen sits on a steep hillside and the campsite is high above the town. There are lovely views of the mountains, the air is clear and the facilities are surprisingly good with a bar/restaurant which sells a few basic items and clean sit down toilets. But there is only one hot shower for which you have to pay 10Dh (more than £1). Unfortunately there was a power cut for almost the whole of one day.

We walked down a steep path through the cemetery

into the 'blue' town – everywhere in the medina the lower parts of the white buildings had been painted with an attractive pale blue wash with a lilac tinge.

Even the mosque was painted with the same blue colour.

The effect was clean and cool – a bit like a theatrical ice stage setting for the Snow Queen.

The steep narrow streets were open to the sunlight and much brighter than the Tetuan medina.

We explored the well-restored Kasbah

and viewed the town from the tower

including some roof top solar panels

On every trip to the town from the campsite we were frequently approached by young men offering hashish; a “trip up the mountain” or a viewing of carpets. This became very wearing. A general sense of unease and an inability to relax and enjoy the country made us cut short our visit and return to comforts of Spain. Maybe we will return another day, possibly with an organised group.