I'm a little tiny speck of the universe

There's something magical about the mountains.
The view from the roof terrace of the family home we stayed at this week, in the town of Imlil. That's Jebel Toubkal in the middle, the highest peak in North Africa. The place we stayed at cost 7 bucks a night including breakfast, our own kitchen and living room, incredible views, privacy, and a brand new squatter toilet. Quite a luxury for the senses, without beating up the wallet.
Here's the view from our bedroom window
I think I used to be an ocean person when I was younger, but now I'm more amazed by mountains. The massive size of them, the way they are always changing, how at different times of day the colors evolve, especially the reds that come out at sunset. The crisp, clean mountain air and bright blue skies above. The way the clouds dance and get stuck in between valleys. The snow melting creating streams and waterfalls and leaving wrinkles on the mountain faces revealing its age. The desire to climb the highest peaks and feeling the contrast of being on top of the world as well as being an incredibly miniscule part of the universe.
Rush hour traffic in Imlil. Bumper to bumper mules on the freeway.
Spent the last week in the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco, far from civilization and the evil, life-draining, vital fluid depleting computers that control the universe and are brainwashing you as we speak. The High Atlas are quite a contrast from the dry, arid desert that we were in last week. We climbed up to the top of Jebel Toubkal, at 4167 meters, North Africa's highest peak.
Here we are starting on the trail to the top of . A guide, a cook, a mule, and some crappy, soleless skate shoes.
The views were spectacular of jutting granite peaks, and lush river valleys in the distance. I love the feeling of climbing a high mountain peak when you can go no further without flying. The natural high you get from the oxygen thin air. It's like nothing else in the world......
a pit stop tea stand on the way to the top
In the distance to the right, the refugio we stayed at one night, before making the push to the summit, early the next morning.
The refugio viewed from our afternoon siesta sleeping rock.
At the top of Toubkal. This was a guide from a different group. His English consisted of 2 line rhymes such as 'No money, no honey', 'No pain, no gain', 'No hurry, no worry'. I taught him 'No glove, no love', to add to his repertoire.
The view from the top, and if you look to the bottom right, tiny little people on the trail, making their way up.
The original mountain man, yelling out it's claim as king of the mountain.
But I mean no disrespect to the ocean. I will always love you. You and your crashing waves will always be a part of me.......I just don't think I'm ready to settle down with only one of mother nature's natural beauties right now. So if it's ok with you, I'd like to have a polygamous relationship with you the ocean, as well as the majestic mountains. I like it's rough and ruggedness beauty, that contrasts with your soft and wet salinity. And who knows, maybe one day, we can add an extraterrastrial affair with the stars into the mix.
Yours truly contemplating life, love, and the deeper meaning of the universe..........
But thank you for always being there for me. I'm glad you're only violently angry with me during the winter months and parts of El Niño. The mountains are aware of you, and are willing to share my love if you are........and in some places of the world such as Big Sur, California, or Santorini, Greece - the mountains are willing to meet you half way on an equal and equivalent basis.......Even if you might have the upper hand during El Niño.
....only to be distracted by a bird flying by to the left of the screen...'flyyy pelican, flyyyy'
Speaking of violent storms with a Spanish name origin, Dónde está Ché Pelotas?