In April of 2016, we visited Marrakech, Morocco for two weeks.
As part of the trip, I planned a three day introductory excursion to Alnif to hunt for trilobites.
Alnif
Alnif is a small village of about 3000 inhabitants, in the south east of Morocco in the middle of the Ma'der Basin, known by some as "trilobite heaven".
The trilobite localities are widely spread around Alnif and unmarked, thus a local guide is essential. We arranged for an English speaking guide over the
internet based on a recommendation from an acquaintance. As a courtesy, the guide arranged our local hotel accommodations and the rental car in Marrakech.
Route from Marrakech to Alnif
Alnif is in the "Anti-Atlas", an 8 hour drive from Marrakech and similarly distant from any other large metropolitan city in Morocco.
In Marrakech, we rented a Dacia Duster which was an all wheel drive diesel powered small SUV. It got 38 MPG.
We found the roads to be quite good passing through many small towns with services available along the way.
In places, the national police do enforce the speed limits with radar guns and cameras. There are also occasional check points where the police
are stopping traffic for control and for inspection but we were never stopped or questioned.
Atlas Mountains
The Atlas mountains separate the coastal part of Morocco from the Sahara desert. The road "N9" is generally in
very good condition and was being extensively improved in the area of the pass at the time we went through.
Tizi n'Tichka Pass
The scenery along the is worth the trip in and of itself. One should not hesitate to stop for pics.
Ouarzazate
At the half way point, Ouarzazate is a great place to stop for lunch and a break. It has grown from a small desert town to a modern city due the film industry.
There are two massive film studios that specialize in location settings for films set in the desert.
Local Wildlife
After leaving Ouarzazate, the terrain is quite arrid and resembles the western US except for the oases and these guys.
Actually, most camels belong to someone, typically nomads. They are loose to graze.
Local Folk
There are still nomadic people living in this part of Morocco. The raise goats, camels and other livestock for a living.
Approach to Alnif
Alnif is about 4 hours out of Ouarzazate. We took the southern route through Agdz and Tazzarine mostly for scenic purposes.
Ihmadi Trilobite Center
Upon entering Alnif, we easily found the shop of our guide, Mohand Ihmadi.
His shop is right in the middle of the town on the route to Arfoud and is one of many trilobite "shopportunities" in Alnif
Accomodations
There are hotels in Alnif but our hotel was located about 6 miles out of town on the road to Tazzarine.
It does not have much "curb appeal" but inside, it was a pleasant surprise.
Kasbah de Meteorite
This family run hotel is very comfortable and clean. A few of the staff speak some English but French is more common.
The room rate is about $35 "per person/per night" and includes breakfast AND evening meal.
Enjoy the Berber hospitality!
Dining Room of Kasbah de Meterorite
Swimming Pool at the Kasbah de Meterorite
The food was excellent and they have a bar and a swimming pool.
Our Guide, Mohand Ihmadi
Mohand is a degreed geologist and shares his knowledge of the geology of area as well as the fossils, which I especially appreciated.
Over the three days in Alnif, Mohand took us to seven localities, spanning the Cambrian to the Devonian, where we hunted for fossils, primarily trilobites.
We let him pick the localities to visit and he did all of the driving. He also provided lunch each day and hammers for splitting rocks.
In late April, the temperature was mild, in the 80's during the day and quite sunny. Proper clothing is essential as shade is not an option!
About Moroccan Trilobites
In many of the Devonian deposits, the trilobites are deeply embedded in the stone matrix. This makes them somewhat difficult to recognize
as they are only visible as a thin black line or trace on the surface of a freshly split shard. If a trace is seen, then you must
carefully inspect the other shards to make sure you have all of the pieces that show any hint of the trilobite inside.
Once gathered, the loose pieces are set aside for later processing, called "preparation", to bring the trilobite out from its stony prison.
Proper preparation of these trilobites requires rather sophisticated tools and a good deal of skill and experience.
