7-8 May 2023, Imilchil, 32.08km
Auberge des Lacs R381 [DH200]

Yesterday we rested, not budging from our Agoudal hotel except to step briefly onto the verandah to photograph a hailstorm which coloured the hills white.
Today we cycled 34km to Imilchil. A beautiful ride following a shallow brown river downstream. The valleys through which we rode were wide enough for the river, a ribbon of green fields on either side of it, and the road. On several occasions, the valley widened enough to encompass an earth-coloured village. Though many of the traditional mud and straw houses have fallen in disrepair, many have been maintained and we saw a new house being built in the old ways. At times the valleys narrowed, pushing the road onto the spurs of the surrounding mountains and hills, and here we climbed briefly despite the general downward trend.
We had a couple of incidents with boys. One ripped my flag off its rod, though another sheepishly returned it to me. And in two places where the road was potholed, groups of boys were filling these with sand and trying to persuade passing motorists to pay for this service. We often came across this innovative entrepreneurship in west Africa, but this is the first time in Morocco (perhaps because there aren't many potholes). Motorists may or may not oblige, but on a bike, faced with four boys blocking the road, one tends to feel a moment or two of anxiety, wondering whether they may prove aggressive. The two teams we encountered were somewhat demanding, but not unduly so...
Imilchil is a chilled town with several hotels and restaurants. Our hotel is charming.
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On our day off we hitched to Lake Tislit and back...