This is another bit of text from one of my email list messages:

I left Tafroute after quite a few days and headed south towards the desert
proper. I wanted to get to a small town called Assa, but from Tafroute
there was no sealed road that ran south, only east or west and it was
quite a long way around. I looked at my not very detailed map and decided
there must be a piste south from Tafroute to where I wanted to go which
was to the main sealed road somewhere near Assa. For the first 30km south there was a piste on my map, but from then on I would have to make it up as best as I could as the map showed just a big empty space. If nothing else,
it would be a small scale adventure, and adventures on a small scale I can
deal with

I followed the route as far as the map showed me. Up over some large hills
and through a couple of small towns. It's quite cold in Tafroute and the
surrounding hills when the sun is not shining so despite the beautiful
scenery I was looking forward to the desert again. After an hours or so
driving the sealed road ran out and turned into a piste that ran through a
narrow gorge (riverbed at the bottom). This is where the map stopped as
well.

I followed the piste along, stopping often as it was extremely scenic in
places, loads of pretty red clay houses, amazing clear blue sky and red
stone cliffs. I stopped and had a chat with a German bloke having his
lunch, who was putting around in a Landy as well. He didn't speak any
English, me no German, but the unwritten language of landy blokes with
maps spread on the bonnet kicked in and we where soon deep in conversation (read: finger pointing and saying "Ya!")

Feeling like I wasn't the only mad idiot in a landy in Maroc I continued
heading south along a series of pistes and wound up at a junction in a
large riverbed. Left or right? They both could end up going south, there
was no way of telling, both headed in vaguely the correct direction...

As I was studying the gps and map I saw some guys approaching. They were
dressed in the desert blue clothing that many wear around Southern Morocco
and riding on donkeys or walking. They came up and greetings were
exchanged. I have very limited french, but was able to explain that I
wanted to go to Assa.

No problem one said, and pointed down one of the pistes. As he seemed a friendly sort of a chap, with a broad gentle smile and good french I offered him a ride. All of the others were riding donkeys and it would have been cruel not too. And most importantly it's a great way to make friends and learn about the country you are in, I lecture to you!

Naturally he thought this was an excellent idea and with his broad smile
getting broader jumped into the passenger seat. That's how I meet my mate
Abdullah....

Abdullah, to the best of knowledge, lives with his extended family along what I call in my video 'Abdullahs Piste'. It seems he has a brother and sister, there kids, and his father living around him. They make their living as goat herders, hoping for rain to come down from the mountains.

You can get a lot of hassle as a single tourist in places within Morocco, but with Abdullah and his family it was only pure generosity and genuine warmth that I received along with the customary sweet tea.