From Atlantic to Crossing the Atlas

We left the heavy heat of Marrakech behind and began the slow climb over the Atlas Mountains. The road curved through high passes, with dry air and wide, open views all around us. After crossing through Ouarzazate, we reached the Draa Valley.

This is where the desert begins. The land feels empty at first—rock, dust, and quiet mountains. And then, suddenly, a ribbon of green appears. A long line of palm trees stretches across the valley, an oasis that feels almost unreal, like something out of Assassin’s Creed.

I kept thinking about how this place exists at all. The answer goes back centuries. The qanat system, first developed in ancient Persia, carried water across dry lands like these. It spread across the Old World—east to Turpan, west to North Africa—making life possible in places that seem impossible.

The more I travel, the more I’m drawn to the Maghreb. It’s not just a region, but a meeting point—where the Sahara, the Mediterranean, and the Atlantic come together, shaped by Amazigh culture over generations. There’s something about this intersection that stays with you.

從酷熱的馬拉喀什出發，翻過阿特拉斯山的埡口，經瓦爾扎扎特，抵達 Draa Valley。這裡是沙漠邊緣，荒山與石漠之間，居然有一條棕櫚綠洲，像是刺客信條的畫面

古波斯發展出的坎兒井，沿著舊世界的乾旱帶一路傳播：向東到吐魯番，向西抵達此處的北非綠洲。越來越喜馬格里布，撒哈拉、地中海、大西洋和阿馬齊格交會