fleetfootkath

We started with a drive up the Toudra gorge. This is spectacularly rugged and often used by mountain climbers. We saw two in the process of going up. They were just specs on the rock face.

It was hard to see the second climber! The gorge was so impressive. Then we drove up to a wonderful vantage point to see the road called the intestines because of its steep bends. Mary pulled the curtains across so she couldn’t see the sheer drop to the valley. We had passed other strange rock formations that were like monkey’s fingers.

On we went then driving across a desert plateau with the snow covered Atlas Mountains on the horizon. We passed through many dusty little towns, past salt plains and the largest solar farm in the world.

We stopped for lunch in Ouarzazate before we visited the Atlas Movie studio. Many famous movies were shot here, like Gladiator with Russel Crowe, Babel, Black Hawke Down, and more recently Game of Thrones. It was a fun visit and our guide was so handsome we women were all impressed. He had been one of the extras in Game of Thrones, Season three, episode five. He is actually a film maker himself but he told me he only made small indie films with his friends.This is the cage in Gladiator and our gorgeous guide.

Along the roadside we often see women carrying bags of herbs or grass for their animals . Irene became fixated with trying to get a donkey and driver shot so we all were on donkey alert but she couldn’t get the camera to work fast enough and got legs, heads and tales. I was luckier. The humble donkey and mules are everywhere pulling carts or carrying produce and owners. They are essential in this country.

We drove from Fes to the Sahara. We passed forests with Macaque monkeys and climbed into the mountains. The scenery was spectacular. Along the way we saw patches of snow here and there and the temperature started to fall.

These are the type of villages we passed. They are in oases in the valleys where there are streams. The landscape is so rugged and harsh, not unlike Australia or the Nevada desserts.

On the way we stopped at a fairly unremarkable restaurant. We had seen people fishing in the river and Ridouane had said they were fishing for trout. I thought he was joking and said I hope we get some for lunch. We were delighted when that was what we received. It was such a nice change from Tagines. I actually ate two because Mary doesn’t like fish with the head on. It was so fresh.

What surprises us is the barren country suddenly reveals a green oasis of palms or green trees and farm plots. These valleys are long and often surrounded by steep rocky cliffs on which villages have been built. Most of them have been settled since the 16 th century or earlier in the 11 th century. The architecture is the same now as then only they use concrete instead of mud bricks. The towns mostly look dusty and shabby but inside the homes are quite lovely.

We stopped at a Berber shop where we all got dressed in Berber gear. Unfortunately I had my dress over my clothes and I look a bit like a pregnant midget! We all loved the head dresses though. we posed with the Berber flag which symbolises blue for the sea, green for the land, yellow for the desert, and the Berber symbol which combines the cross of Christianity, Judaism and the crescent for Islam.

We all looked so funny but I looked like a pregnant midget because he dress was over my jacket which has my phone, wallet and camera in the pockets!

When we arrived at our dessert camp we were all thrilled by the tent accommodation. It was so delightful with a little kettle over our hand basin in our personal tent, and an eco toilet, and shower where you had to pump the water. We were greeted with mint tea and biscuits then we went up onto the top of the sand dune to watch the sunset. We all had our heads dressed in traditional headwear which was fun. Then the cameleer came in with the camels and we took a short ride. Mary was very anxious and screamed every time the camel did something more than walk. At one stage she was going Oh! Oh! And I said she sounded like she was having an orgasm. The cameleer thought it was a huge joke! I loved being on a camel again. Ridouane took photos for us. I was on the last camel.

After our ride we went to dinner. The food was fantastic, some of the best we have had. After sitting outside watching the stars it started to get cold so we headed for bed. Jamal the camp captain came to our tent to show us how to zip up the tent for the evening, but we were getting undressed. Anne yelled out ladies dressing and I grabbed a towel for modesty. He just zipped the tent and retreated. The breakfast next morning was fantastic too though we took another camel ride to see the sunrise first. The whole experience was quite magical really. We would all have loved to stay another day.

This morning we started the day with a delicious breakfast with pancakes and ricotta and eggs and a range of olives and jams. We are all so impressed with the Riad Marjana. From the outside places look pretty crummy but once past the threshold it is a different story. They are quite spectacular with beautiful tile work, carved and painted ceilings , lacy decorative archways. The furniture is quite bold in colour and pattern but it all works together.

We set off to visit the King’s palace which had been renovated for his daughter’s wedding about 40 odd years ago. As a gift to the people he also invited 200 poor couples to marry at the same time and gave them all 1000 dirhim. He seems to be a very wise and compassionate leader.

We visited a tile place to see how they make the wonderful mosaics here. Again it is by hand with painstaking chiselling and hand painting. The products were so beautiful I could have bought so many things! I reminded my self that I have downsized!

After the palace we wandered into the old Jewish quarter. This showed all the different types of shops but one caught my eye which had these cream coloured triangular boxes. They are wedding gift boxes. Apparently the groom puts gifts inside the box and gives them to the bride to be.

We went up to a vantage point to get an over view before plunging into the Medina. This labyrinthe of shops was so fascinating but I am sure without a guide we would never have seen as much or even found our way out! The lanes were narrow and twisting. We needed to walk single file most of the time. There were donkeys and mules bringing in provisions and people saying Belak, which means move over or get out of the way.

It was fascinating to see the area of colourful food but we always asked if we could take photos. Anne was going to take a photo but the guy who had his hands in a pile of olives just flicked his fingers at her and flicked oil towards her. Most people though are very pleasant. In fact I have been so impressed by the friendliness and good humour of everyone. Everybody knows our guide and they all say shalom or Salam and hug and kiss cheeks or shake hands. No one seems to be in a frantic hurry.

The tanneries are in the Medina and we were all anxious to see the dye wells. We were expecting it to be overpoweringly smelly but it wasn’t. The tannery people gave us mint to hold and crush under our noses but it was barely necessary. Summer might be different. The workers were up to their waist in the vats and we thought they must absorb over time the dyes into their skin. The first vat is the cleaning one and they use protection against the lime and dung used to soak off the fur though they didn’t immerse themselves in those of course. It was a hive of activity rich with all the colours of the rainbow. Naturally we were directed to the shops that bordered the tannery and Mary bought a gorgeous purple leather jacket, Irene a new red backpack and I succumbed to a small but stylish red backpack too. The prices were good and the quality excellent. The array of colours was mind boggling.

By now we were hungry so our guide took us down a scungey alley to a doorway and inside was a dazzling restaurant where we ate chicken tagine( again) and Moroccan Salad which consists of many little plates of vegetables and dips with bread. We are all putting on weight! People go to so much trouble to prepare food for us that we cannot refuse.

The Medina was full of artisans all using hand tools with no modern technology. Morocco is still in transition from the old ways to the new. Many animals are still used for work and transport.

Another very full day without any time to catch our breath. We don’t want to sleep in the bus because we might miss something! Our new transport arrived today which was more the size we had all expected when we booked. It is a 14 seater minivan/ bus and much more comfortable. We are all very happy.

Anne and I had bought some strawberries to share but we had no chance to eat them or need them as it turned out. When we checked their condition they had grown an incredibly healthy crop of mould and released all their juice. When I removed the bag holding the container from the bed, we were horrified to find the juice had seeped through the bag onto the sheets and mattress protector. What a flurry we had trying to clean it up and a few laughs too when we thought about what the cleaners might think.

Our first stop after driving through beautiful rich farmland full of olive trees, wheat, and barley crops was Volubilis, a Roman ruins which was incredibly important during the Roman era. This area was called Mauritania which is where the name Moors came from too. The mosaics on the floor of some of the excavated houses were really impressive. It was so hard to imagine this was all under ground. The French excavated the site from 1912 to 1955 during their colonisation of Morocco. The triumphant arch and the forum where in reasonable condition as were some of the baths and floors of homes. The city was large and there is continuing excavation.

From here we drove to Meknes, another previous capital and a rather grand city. It has the remains of an aqueduct, granary store, and stables for 10,000 horses! We had a woman guide and she was so interesting. She showed us a video of a male belly dancer, her teacher and he was fantastic! She talked al lot about the tolerance between faiths in Morocco- the fact that they are conservative but also moderate. High schools are mixed now and you saw lots of young couples together. We visited another palace and saw the golf course. The grounds are immense and golf is played at night. She took us to a jewellery place which was my downfall. Mary also capitulated. I bought a beautiful Berber necklace of silver, turquoise and coral.

All these towns have had Jewish quarters and the Jews were acknowledged as skilled artisans. There are Berbers who converted to Judaism and others who took on Islam so that there has been a mixing of the two cultures and you will meet a person with a Muslim and Jewish name such as Mohammed Cohen! The King during the 2nd World War refused to give up the Jews to the Nazis and for this he has been held in high esteem by Jewish communities. Many Jews have now moved to Israel however.

Finally we arrived in Fes, and had to leave our van on the outside of the Medina( the old walled city) and went straight to dinner and a show of belly dancing, magician traditional male dancing /music troupe and an acrobat. The restaurant was so gaudy but exotic and the food was good. Mary was enticed up by the belly dancer and I got up too. It was a bit of fun. She later returned as a different dancer and proceeded to wiggle her breasts against Mary’s ears and later Bills. He went red and Mary commented that that’s why they call them knockers! After Tea we walked to our Riad Marjana. It is quite exquisite with tiled walls, fountain, and a swimming pool practically in the dining room! The ceiling is elaborately carved. Our senses are on overload.

Prickly pear plants are used as fences in many places and they are everywhere.

This morning Anne and I were first to breakfast -so early in fact that it wasn’t ready! We used the time to share a few photos. Our breakfast was much simpler this morning though we had fresh squeezed orange juice and the traditional crumpet like crepe with labna and honey. The pancake had a smooth side and a holey/bubbly top. They are very light and plain and can be rolled up with labna and honey. There was much discussion about the honey which I thought was something else. It was an orange colour and very thin unlike honey. This is Anne and Ridouane our guide for the whole trip. He told us his sister-in-law died after child birth just before the tour started and his brother cannot look after his children so he and his wife have taken them into their home. Now he has three children. It is what you do because there is no alternative for them. His brother is not strong.

We met our local guide at 9.00 am for a walking tour of this famous blue village. Abdullah was a charming and informative young man. He was passionate about his home town. He explained that Chefchaouen was established in 1471 by Berbers expelled from Andalusian Spain. This spot was geographically central to the three largest towns in the Moroccan kingdom as well as on a trade route for the caravans across North Africa. Many Jewish artisans also came to the town when they were expelled from Spain and they always painted their houses blue. The colour is also used to deter mosquitos apparently!

The winding alleys (almost entirely car free) are often painted completely in blue or shades of blue so they seem to glow like sunlight through water. It was quiet because the shops open later and stay open later at night. We came across a bakery and we went inside to see. I thought it was abandoned because of the timber outside but it was for the bread oven. The baker was very happy to show us his small place and insisted we knead some rolls of dough. Mary used to make bread so she was pretty expert but mine wasn’t so round. Every area has its own baker and small mosque within the city.

Wandering the town was like going back in time. The market was setting up and so we could see the produce. No large stalls but just very small individuals like our farmers markets. They might only have two fat chickens to sell or several bunches of herbs, mint being very popular. It is all organic and local. I wondered how the other shops fared selling more touristy things because not many people seemed to be buying. We bought some post cards and Irene had looked at some from one shop and then went to another but came back. The young man put up his prices and said it was because she hadn’t bought from him in the first place. He said it with a smile, no malice just as if it was expected!

We saw lots of bags of coloured powder which apparently is used for paint. Every spring there is a competition between the areas within the walled city (the old town) when they paint and decorate the walls with murals and flowers.

Many of the doorways were very low. Even I had to bend down to enter. This was to ensure respect to the owner because people were bowing to enter!

After a much needed coffee at a cafe overlooking the river we split up and went our on separate ways. Anne and I followed the alleys and ended up outside the old town. It seemed like we were stepping out of a time warp. We returned to visit the Casbah which had a prison as well as a tower from which we could see the whole town , old and new and the mosque on the hill that we would be visiting at sunset that evening.

In the tower where some information boards one of which had information about the princess who was the commander of the ships in the Mediterranean. We were impressed. Abdullah had been at great pains to impress us that Morocco is a very moderate if conservative Muslim country. Tolerance is encouraged. The women are mostly covered from head to foot but faces are exposed and they work and drive and have educations. Younger women wore more modern clothing but nearly all cover their hair and are very modest.

Ridouane told us he met his wife through Facebook while they were studying and they conversed for three months then met and fell in love. They courted for four years then he asked her father if he could marry her. The parents did not know about how they met or that they were seeing each other. They had kept that quiet. She is a graduate in economics.

That evening we met Abdullah again and made the trek up to the Mosque on the hill to watch the sunset along with a couple of hundred other people only to be disappointed because it was cloudy and the sunset was obscured. We returned to dinner and solved the ‘honey’ mystery at breakfast. It isn’t honey at all but coloured sugar syrup. Honey is very expensive! The Moroccans have a sweet tooth and there are lots of people without teeth.

This morning we needed to be down stairs with our bags by 8.50 am ready for our trip to Rabat and Chechaouen. It was a fabulous breakfast spread but also buzzing with people. Anne and I had come down a little late so it was a scramble to get and choose our breakfast. I tried a type of Moroccon porridge with semolina and delicious soft crumpets with beautiful honey as well as a couple of pastries and fruit.

When we saw the car- 8 seat Mercedes people mover- Ross and Irene were not happy. Ross thought it was too small and the passenger seats faced each other which meant some people were facing backwards to the direction of travel. The driver could not change the seats at that time so we all hopped in and made the best of it. Poor Ridouane was embarrassed but spoke with the company to organise a replacement immediately. However we needed that car so we set off for Rabat which has a very imposing entrance through the Windy Gate that is part of the old wall around the city. When we stopped for a coffee break we went to a charming and elegant cafe where Irene and Anne elected to have mint tea. It was very sweet and served in a traditional teapot.

Refreshed now, and seating adjusted to all face forward, we went off to the Casbah. This is a fortification above the river and beside the beach was built by the French. It had beautiful gardens and also enclosed a Medina ( a village of artisans and quaint residences). The village used blue on many of the doors and walls and had winding cobbled lanes.

The garden of the Casbah was fragrant with orange blossom from orange trees and there were many cats basking in the sun. In fact there are lots of cats everywhere.

From here we went to the kings mausoleum and the unfinished mosque that is guarded by two soldiers on horses. The guards sit atop the horses while the horses stand for one hour. Ridouane said this is a new procedure because previously they were not relieved until thy completed a four hour shift. What agony for man and horse.

We then went off to a restaurant overlooking the sea near the lighthouse. Our lunch was simple but tasty and we were all starving. A quick trip to the ceremonial palace and we were in our way to Chechouan – the blue city.

The guy in white is the message man. All documents or important messages are delivered in person to the king. No emails! The different coloured uniforms represent different types of police force, with the men in red the palace police. Inside the palace grounds is a mosque and a humble village where all the staff live who maintain the grounds, or work in the palace etc.

It was a long drive of five hours to Chechaouen and we passed through the main agricultural areas. We were surprised to see so many farmers with donkeys and carts, as well as horses pulling ploughs and many farm labour using hand tools like scythes. We were also amused by the men in jellabbas which are long gowns with pointed hoods. The looked like wizards.

It was hard to take photos while car was whizzing past so fast!

The last part of the drive was a very winding road over the Riff mountains. I started to feel car sick towards the end but managed to last till the Riad accommodation. We were all very tired and only had a quick wash before going to dinner at 9.00 pm! I couldn’t eat anything but strawberries in honey because i felt my stomach churn even at the aroma of my vegetable tagine. We are still coming to grips with tipping in dirhams and each time we agonise over the appropriate amount. Ridouane suggested a kitty to manage it although Ross and Mary are doing their own thing. A very big day.

Anne and I had a reasonably good flight from Melbourne with only two passengers in our three seat rows. Unfortunately for me the other person in my row hogged the middle seat to sleep, so I was confined to my aisle seat until the next leg when I could spread out.

Arriving in Casablanca was easy and we were met and transported to our hotel. As we were so early we had to wait till 2pm before we could get into our room, so Anne and I went exploring. We found our map somewhat hard to follow because we couldn’t find any of the street names that matched! We did manage to discover the very impressive Cathedral Sacré Cœur, a park and a great supermarket before wending our way back to the hotel. We had been directed to a twin tower mall that was very uninspiring.

We have been surprised that cars can park anywhere, even on pedestrian crossings! Casablanca is very shabby and dirty and though the architecture is very French it is not charming.

Later we connected with Bill and Irene who had arrived a day earlier with Mary and Ross. They had lunched at Rick’s Cafe which was in the film Casablanca. Anne and I decided to go for dinner there despite the fact we were tired from the trip. Ridouane our guide told us to bargain with the taxis and that the price would be double on our return. What cost us 20 to get there was 50 Dirham to return but better than 150, the tourist price!

Ricks was delightful and the food delicious. You could imagine how it was full of intrigue during the war.We were supposed to have a meet and greet but the others didn’t turn up and we couldn’t contact them. The others apparently had a lot of trouble getting taxis back to the hotel so they were late and missed the briefing.

Anne and I were so tired after our trip and walking that we could barely keep our eyes open after dinner and stumbled off to bed.