We got back to the hotel around 9am and went straight to the bus station to catch a bus to Azrou, a town in the mountains on the way north to Meknes. Mela and Mathieu said they'd be happy to have me along, which was good to know! We didn't stay in Azrou but caught a grand taxi (squeezes 6 people into 4 seats) to a little village called Ain Leuh further in the mountains. We got an early start in the morning and went on a hike into the mountain forests, we were on a mission to spot Barbary Apes! A mission that almost ended in failure, as we hiked for several hours and saw nothing but trees and droppings. However, suddenly we heard their distinctive calls nearby and tried to find a spot where, if we were still and silent, they might come out where we could see them. But no luck, and after sitting for 1/2 hour we were cold and ready to give up. It had been a nice day nonetheless, in the forest with excercise and nature all around. We tramped noisely down from our hiding spot when low-and-behold there was a family of Apes running down the path ahead! They ran up into the trees where they played for a good 20mins before disappearing into the forest. We exited the forest with massive grins on our faces and the local people must have thought we were mad.
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The next morning we continued on to Meknes and had an early night. We were up early the next morning to make the most of our day and followed the walking tour in my Lonely Planet guidebook, before wandering off to see some other sights and attractions. Meknes was a nice place to wander, but as we didn't stay long I've not really much else to say about it. That night we caught an overnight bus to Marrakech, to connect with a bus to Essaouira for the big Gnaoua and World Music Festival.
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