Having eaten breakfast and laid in the necessary supplies for our three day camping trip in the desert, we secured a grand taxi for the ride across the mountains from Marrakesh to Ouarzazate. We were haggling with the taxi driver who wanted to charge us 700 dirhams for the ride across the mountains. Word on the street was that it shouldn't cost more than 500. The twisted thing about the whole situation was that the guy would be driving us for four hours through winding mountain roads and 700 dirhams is the equivalent of about $70; less than I paid for my taxi ride to and from the San Francisco airport. Needless to say, we paid the guy his 700 and didn't lose any sleep.

On the road. That bloated thing a few cars ahead is a truck loaded down with enough hay to smother a pregnant elephant.

Yon mountains in the distance.

Cactus seems to grow like weeds in these parts.

At a certain elevation, things start to get pretty and green. No more barren desert landscapes.

Many miles of unphotographed beautiful scenery later, we arrive in Ouarzazate. The taxi drivers in the city are hanging around like vultures waiting to extort as much money as possible from the festival-goers.

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