Day 5 - Souss Massa National Park

The sun rose this morning at about 4.55am. I know this because Lily was having a “who's gonna be up first?” contest with the sun, and won hands down. Of course this was followed by the call to prayer competition between what sounds like 3 local mosques. Although, they would have all been beaten by the cockerel in Marrakesh on our first night, who was certain that 3.30am was an appropriate time to cockadoodle-doo. Wrong. Way wrong.

I wasn't aware of all this though, because I can sleep through anything. Steph on the other hand had been up to attend to Lily. It had gotten very cold in her room over night and so after an early morning feed she finished her nights sleep in bed with us. We rose properly at 8am and had another dose of continental brekkie, although the yummy pancakes seemed to have been replaced with crispy and not so lush pian au chocholate – perhaps an omen of things to come?

Packed 3 bags, and grabbed the car seat and buggy ready for our day out at Souss Massa National Park. Pretty sure the only things left in our room once we had gone where our binoculars and the rain cover for the buggy. The drive there was to be 2 hours, probably not including the stop to fill up with gas, and pick up another couple from another hotel. Didn't end up talking to them much but the posh couple from the night before were with us too, and they all seemed to get on well. Also with us were our driver and the “friendly guide” Siad. He has a degree in English, Biology and making up names for birds. He wasn't that bad, but appeared to be awfully put out to be taking us out for the day.

Lily had slept for a bit on the way there, and as we got to within a few miles of the park, the eagle eyed Siad spotted several birds – the little owl, the Moroccan Cormorant and the green bird. Not to mention the ground squirrel. Pretty much say what you see. I saw a long necked white bird, and short necked white bird. I felt that I needn't bother asking him what they were called and named them Terry and Julie.(a nod to the Kinks there).

Once we got into the park the wild life seemed to become more scarce. We sat for our packed lunch, and munched through more laughing cow cheese – a Moroccan staple – and the carnivores had tuna and sardines. Then we loaded up Lily's buggy and set off on the trail. Binoculars would have been useful but of course we had left them behind. Oh, and then it started to rain. Trusty rain cover was also relaxing back at the guest house, probably playing hide and seek with the binos by now.. We had our rain coats though, and I struggled on rough terrain and sand with the buggy while Steph snapped away with the camera at anything that moved, and even some fennel which was pretty abundant.

After 20mins it pissed it down, so we decided to turn back. The rest of the group were already 200m in front of us by now anyway due to the buggy pushing and photo snapping, so we figured that back the way we came had to be quicker than pressing on. Got back, got dry, steamed up the car and waited for everyone else. The drive back was more peaceful but seemed to take ages. Lily did sleep eventually and for a good hour or so. Once we got back it was pretty much time for dinner. We had a sort of pea daal, and veg moussaka thing. It was divine, and Lily agreed too. We listened to the Swansea couple go on for a bit about their day – adding cold and wet to their reasons for coming to Morocco, while the posh couple politely and graciously indulged them for a time. We got Lily to bed and continued with more True Blood before lights out.