“Old Guermessa is up there,” the locals advised us when we asked, pointing to a rocky hilltop. Needing the 4wd capability of our rented pickup truck, we climbed the steep path. The afternoon was sliding into evening, turning the abandoned traditional ksar village a golden hue. In the arid climate, the homes dug into the hillsides had not deteriorated; inside we found books, school papers, lanterns, suitcases, tomato tins, accounting ledgers, olive press equipment, clothing and more, as if the people had moved out only yesterday. I’ve always wished I was an explorer in the Golden Age of Exploration, discovering ancient “lost” cities. This day seemed like a dream come true. While in reality the population now lives only a short distance away from this traditional village, they could have been miles and centuries away.