Ait Ben Haddou

We crossed what looked like a dry riverbed but used to be a caravan route from Marrakech to west Africa.  Up on a high hill is a village called Hit Ben Haddou that looks like a movie set but was actually a town in the 12th century.  It was added to in the 17th century and today a few homes are still lived in but most have been turned into shops, restaurants and craft centers.  The town was renovated by UNESCO.

At the peak of the hill is a building that used to be much larger as it was a storage facility for all the foods and grains and water the town would need if put under siege.

Many movies have been filmed here such as The Gladiator, Alexander, the Mohican, Indiana Jones series, The Bible and most recently the Game of Thrones.

A short drive later and we are in Marrakech.  We stopped in the Souk for lunch and to shop.  The snake charmers chased me down to drape a snake over my shoulders!  I found out later it was a sedated cobra!!!