Valley of the Casbahs: A Journey Across the Moroccan Sahara
by Jeffrey Tayler
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The four-hundred-and-fifty-mile long Draa River Valley in the Moroccan Sahara contains some of the most sumptuous oases and searing desert of the Arab world, starting in the moonscape gorges of the Anti Atlas Mountains through to a green sea of date palms over which rise the many-towered casbahs of ochre coloured clay, medieval in aspect and sheltering a life medieval in character. It is a region richer historically and ethnically than anywhere else in North Africa. The river stretches to show more the mosaic of dunes and parched land known as hammada - the domain of Bedouin and Blue Men and isolated Berber tribes - and pours through the desert into the Atlantic, where it ends its course. Jeffrey Tayler follows the Draa by foot and on camel, recounting stays in casbah homes, weddings, visits to mosques and marabouts and nights in hashish dens. It is a journey marked with extremes - of weather, as Tayler survives intense heat and sandstorms and potentially lethal local tribesmen - and one which he only narrowly escapes to tell this tale. show lessTags
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More people should read Jeffrey Tayler's writing. He has a bold, adventurous spirit and is so knowledgeable about the people he meets in the places he visits that you cannot fail to learn something profound from his experiences. This is another excellent book of his, about trekking the Draa valley in Morocco.
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Adventure Travel & Exploration In Africa
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11+ Works 778 Members
Jeffrey Tayler is the author of "Siberian Dawn: A Journey Across the New Russia". He writes for "Conde Nast Traveler", "Spin", "Harper's", and other publications and is a regular commentator on NPR's "All Things Considered". Two of his essays appeared in the inaugural edition of "The Best American Travel Writing". He lives in Russia. (Bowker show more Author Biography) show less
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