Morocco 2022
Travel used to be an adventure but now it is more like an endurance marathon….Bozeman refused to give me a boarding pass for flight from Paris to Casablanca so entering the chaos of Charles De Gaulle airport….I went in pursuit of a boarding pass…. wrong train…wrong desk..wrong level..wrong terminal….took an hour to sort out….when it was time for the flight to board …they stuffed about 50 of us on a small bus…after an interminable drive to the fringes of the airport we park….and wait….and wait…and wait…people on the bus started beating on the windows…..yelling “let us off the bus” …..they finally announce that a 20 ft section of the stairway that joins the jetway is missing and they need to determine how best to get us all up to the aircraft….more time goes by…finally the doors spring open …people pour off into the rainy night….there is a small circular concrete maintenance stairway….I was most grateful that I didn’t have to drag a rolling bag up those 3 flights.
Sat next to a charming Romanian fellow..…how pleasant to have a conversation instead everyone being glued to their phone/etc….finally fell into a sea of plump pillows at midnight.
Nov 22….hotel looks out over the ocean…Took a nice long walk on the beach…sat by the pool….another stroll…trying to stay awake for group meet and greet tonite.
World Cup blaring from an ENORMOUS TV in courtyard…everyone completely engaged in the game….chefs…pool guy….gardeners
NOTHING could have surprised me more than finding that our total group is 10 people….2 couples…4 single women…a mother and daughter…my mind is already envisioning so many interesting scenarios……who’s late…..who’s early..…who’s asks all the questions….went to a nearby restaurant for dinner…humidity soupy
Nov 23…visited the largest mosque in Casablanca….Hassan II Mosque…beautiful mosaics….intricately carved cedar….coffered ceilings …massive marble and granite columns….the hammans were one level down…huge marble fountains…separate sections for men and women…titanium doors…gold inlays…over the top in every way…..but stunning ….capacity 25000 people inside with up to 100 K outside…..drove an hour north to capital city Rabat…..beautiful gardens and parks….eucalyptus trees…jacaranda…Norfolk pine…city sits above an estuary…..fortifications dotting the landscape….ancient walled cities are referred to as Medina…had a lovely lunch by the river visited the Oudaya Kasbeh and did a small walk at the unfinished minaret, the Hassan Tower…back on the bus heading to Fez….olive groves….occasional vineyards…1000’s of cork trees…..tiny villages sprouting several minarets …all very tidy..…a lot of work being done by hand not machinery …..house color has shifted from white to dusty rose…to oxblood…villas sit surrounded by pine and olive trees….rolling hills …..reminiscent of Southern Utah …hillsides covered with cedar
Arrived in Fez…large city…inside old city walls all the houses are mandated to be a very soft sand color…mountains in the distance….hotel very Moroccan…gorgeous room…I look out into the courtyard…enchanting place…fountains…tangerine trees..…perfect weather…happy to stay 3 nights…..dinner at hotel
Nov 24….visited the grounds of one of the palace residences…stunning architecture….plunge in the the warren of alleyways of the souk/market…..tiny alleys barely wide enough to walk through…up …down ….around…..quick turns into unseen corridors..…segregated portions….vegetables and fruit…..candy….hardware…clothing….anything imaginable is here if you know where to look….we go along at a good clip…..you need to move with the “traffic”…..dodging hand carts…people….donkeys…..this is the largest pedestrian zone in the world….70 acres inside the Medina/city wall…ancient buildings.….mostly businesses but some people live inside….most definitely could not have escaped this labyrinth without a guide.…we had 3 for our group…lunch then a small mosque…the tannery section of the Medina ….absolutely medieval…huge vats built in the ground….different stages of processing…..vats of dye…mind boggling to think of the labor intensity involved….more twists and turns when suddenly we pop out of the souk….a bit of a shock that is still daylight…felt like we were in there forever…it would have been great to spend several days exploring…back at the hotel I had arranged to go to the hamman….I was told to sit …they would be back in 5 mins….15-20 mins later I am shown into the steam room….the door closes…alone in the dripping tiled space…..seemed like an eternity….sweat dripping off my nose….I crack the door open for a breath of cool air….I am about to faint from the heat when the door opens…..attendant beckoned me forward…towel hastily wrapped around me….we go into a dark marble room….lay face down on a marble slab….I was told to wait 5 mins…felt like being in a morgue…not terribly comfortable laying on marble…I flip over for a more comfortable position……when she returns the fun begins…..water spraying haphazardly…some type of oil is applied….scrub scrub scrub…more water more oil…flip over..repeat…was NOT a expecting her to pinch my nose closed as she sprayed water over my face…some sort of black mud is slathered on….wait 5 mins….hosed down again…she grabs my hair …roughly shampoos…more water over face…conditioner smeared everywhere…hair…over face ….in ears….gulp….felt like some sort of water torture….when I finally sit up……blindly searching for something to dry my eyes…she thrusts a towel at me …only to take it back so she can have a final total body spray…….of coarse staring with my head….swaddled in a blissfully dry robe…I damply head to my room…did a quick regroup then met our group to go to a French restaurant for a great dinner
Nov 25…about an hour drive from Fez is Volubilis…a well preserved Roman city…UNESCO world Heritage site…..area is very rural and so reminiscent of Tuscany….olive groves…apples trees….smoke hanging in the air…..we have a great guide lead us through the ruins….many mosaic floors have been preserved and some areas very nicely restored ….weather is perfect so walking around the ruins in delightful…bonus being that it is hardly crowded…which always makes for an even better experience….short ride to Relais Chateau vineyard…Chateau Roslane….have an amazing lunch out by the pool….spectacular setting…wine excellent….lots of folks dozed off on the way back to Fez…several of us got off the bus a little before the hotel to go into the grocery store….so much fun trying to figure out what is what…..to be continued ;)
Nov 25…. The courtyard of the hotel is open on one side to the pool area…it is a nice place to have a drink in the evening…one night 3 men were playing guitars….it was absolutely idyllic…the sound carried very well….I had my window open….it delightful… last dinner in Fez involved a short taxi ride to the other side of the Medina…we were met by a guide that would walk us to the restaurant…..the alleys were mostly deserted…..finally we walk into a dead end alley…huge wooden door with metal studs slowly opens and we step into a beautiful space ….gorgeous tile…. elegant lamps…a small alcove with a fire burning ....20 ft ceilings…..the food was excellent
Nov 26 ……long bus ride today….heading into the Sahara…lots of hair pin turns…up into the mountains…giant cedar…huge maples…..snow fences built out of concrete…we stop in a lovely town of Ifran….steeply pitched tile roofs…interesting stone work…..reminiscent of an alpine village…still climbing up through the forest…we come to a ski area (elevation 6800ft) …locals swarmed us asking if we wanted the ride the brightly saddled horses…but the real attraction was a large group of Berbury apes…they were bouncing in the trees…running between the horses……numerous stops…still 8 hours is a very long day….the scenery was constantly changing….mountains now void of trees…think Baja or parts of Arizona…..we pass several large oasis…mostly date palms…sun just setting as we arrive at our hotel on the outskirts of Erfoud….exterior style of Kasbah…but inside very modern…numerous lovely pools
Nov 27…have some time after breakfast…wonder outside the hotel….great rock collecting…..short ride to nearby village…visit mausoleum and ancient kasbah that is being restored…..stop by a fossil quarry…the most amazing fossils I have ever seen….have some down time..…everyone in the bar…..we are watching Morocco play in the World Cup…happily they won!! Entire town celebrating as we drive through….we are now in four 4x4 vehicles….our driver almost rear ends the other 3 cars ahead of us..…very exciting start….we suddenly turn off into the desert…there is a road but our driver is off roading …flying over sage brush and cactus….we come to stop at the group of camels… ..wrapped in head scarves….assigned a camel …giddy up…gorgeous ride through the dunes…fortunately it only lasts a 1/2 hr….tents situated in a low section of a valley…. drinks are waiting for us at the top of a small rise….nibbling olives..pistachios…a glass of wine….the setting is magical….soft light on the dunes behind us…sun setting over distant mountain range…heaven…dinner served in large tent… a very good meal was conjured up somehow from the plethora of tiny tents behind the dining tent….a group of musicians from Mali perform….sitting around the fire afterwards watching the stars was wonderful…..lanterns light the way to the tents…..separate little tent is attached to the larger tent that has the sink…shower and toilet…. very civilized….the best part was discovering that the beds were heated….oh happy days….using the toilet in the night was very bracing…temperature in the low 40’s
Nov 28…strolling around in the predawn light…trying to get the perfect sunrise picture….nice cup of hot coffee to wrap your hands around….a quick breakfast and we head out the rejoin bus in Erfoud… later in Tinghir ….we tour a local Berber museum….have an excellent lunch outside on the large covered patio called Gite El Korbut…..some time later….topography has changed…huge valley…mountains on both sides…..large variety of trees…bamboo and shrubs…more green than we have seen since leaving Rabat…houses are a variety of colors…bright yellow…tangerine…dark maize….green or turquoise doors …this particular stretch of road has many ancient kasbahs….crumbling ruins on the edge of the town….or in the middle of town with modern structures sharing the same walls….we have seen storks throughout the countryside…quite often they build their enormous nests on the top of a minaret ….back to seeing distant mountain ranges…no trees…huge valley with not much vegetation…arrive Quarzazate late afternoon…thankfully an oasis of palm trees ….this town has several large movie studios….The Mummy…one of the Indiana Jones…..Gladiator ….to name a few have been filmed here….the roundabouts all have some sort of movie themed sculpture ……usually the bus driver has a helper but he has not been with us the last couple of days…I went towards the front to get a picture of the road ahead and our guide said “Sit in the jump seat for a better view!”…..say no more…I got to sit there the rest of the day….great views…only down side was if the sun is in front of you it is like being in a sauna
Nov 29….lovely breakfast…leisurely start to the day….short drive to nearby town…landscape has suddenly changed to red rocks…..red sand…..Atlas mountains in the distance with a little snow on top….make a brief stop at a overlook to take pictures of the nearby fortified Kasbah….located across the river…snake charmer among those that are peddling their wares….pots…..jewelry….stop in a small village to visit a Berber weaving shop….have a wonderful lunch at the absolutely stunning Kara Ighanda…we all wanted to have stayed at the hotel there….amazing gardens…..secret cabanas…..terraces…..since we had endured some long bus days…we had the afternoon free….sat by the pool….so enjoyable….earlier in the day I had booked a spa treatment….steam in the hamman and massage….imagine my surprise when the steam room turns out to be a large vaulted room with a fountain of what turned out to be VEY HOT a water…..attendant walks in…starts scooping up giant ladels of hot water…tosses the first one on me…I sort of gasp…she inquires “chaud?” ….before I can even answer….another bucket of scalding water ….over the head…lay down I am told….water everywhere…expecting the tsunami of water over the face…..I cover my face….sputtering…the scrubbing starts…..WAIT? Is this what I signed up for?….more water..more scrubbing…she finally reaches for my hand and leads me out….rivulets of water running down my face ….Lead to massage room….no preliminary…as in the US such as what medications? Areas of concern?…all business….robe off…face down..masseuse gets to busy….whoops…except her phone rings….sometime later…without warning she gives a shove to the table so she can move around since the room barely accommodates 2 people and the table…..then someone opens the door…quick chat about who knows what…abrupt end…she walks out….I am left wondering are we done? Or is she making a call?….she then indicates we are finished….it is OFFICIAL….no more hammans EVER!!!….quick shower…..off to dinner…several people anxious to finish so they can watch USA vs Iran game….tomorrow Marrakech
Nov 30….early departure from hotel…..the road we take to Marrakech is under construction…original road first started in 1920…completed in 1939…so many twists and turns ..it is like a snake undulating through these tiny mountain river valleys….highest pass 7330 ft…air very fresh ….descend. ….ascend…glimpse the road on the far side of the valley from high above….from the back of the bus I would say this could be on the list of most dangerous roads…..certainly when you glance down over the guard rail…it is a little nerve racking….guide suggested that those that might get car sick…sit near the front ….not sure I would be brave enough to sit in the jump seat today……enormous eucalyptus…sycamores and poplars congregate in the small river bottoms…..cedar and olive trees on the steeper slopes…..traffic increases as we near Marrakech….traffic here as in Casablanca is fluid….lane indicators are largely ignored…3 lanes can become 5…scooters…mopeds…bicycles….carts pulled by donkeys….buses…cars….taxis..…ebb and flow….all passing within inches of each other…we have a fabulous lunch at Cafe de La Poste…very French bistro vibe….feeling embarrassingly country cousin since obviously Marrakech takes fashion VERY seriously…fashionably dressed locals could have been plucked from the streets of Paris….huge boulevards lined with ornate wrought iron lights…large mosque/minaret in the distance….very nice dinner at the hotel….lovely property…more resort feel…..
Dec 1 …later start to the day….toured the palais…courtyards with banana trees and tiny fountains…incredible mosaics on the floor the walls the ceilings ….beautifully painted cedar ceilings….one room had a ceiling made to look like the interior of a boat….the museum had so many mosaics…room after room….all stunning…whisked off to a lovely lunch at boutique hotel…very attractive pool and exterior bar area with seating tucked among the roses…spent the afternoon wandering the souk…massive area…..as the afternoon progressed…a lot of soccer flags and shirts appeared….Morocco plays this afternoon and they won AGAIN!..…went to a VERY POSH hotel for dinner Hotel La Mamounia…..formal gardens that covered acres of perfectly manicured walkways ….. benches tucked among the foliage….lemon and tangerine trees mixed with succulents and large metal cactus that were painted bright red…Winston Churchill frequently stayed there …he had a little niche in the bar with small table and 2 seats….dozens of nooks and secluded tables ….dark plush banquettes screened from prying eyes…dim lighting…very romantic and mysterious …..you can imagine spies lingering in hidden corners….very 1940’s……must have been an exotic paradise back in the day…...very busy…rooms start just shy of 2K a night
Dec 2 LAST DAY……zip off early to tour Yves St Laurant gardens…..absolutely spectacular …..succulents..palm trees…bougainvilleas…pergolas covered by trumpet vines and bougainvillea…….fountains…..koi ponds …orange ..green….and yellow planters and strategically placed pops of cobalt blue…the house which is on four acres is for sale and not open to the public…but one can only imagine what splendor is on the far side of the wall…the Berber museum is located at the back of the garden…..not a large space but a truly astonishing selection of Berber jewelry ….displayed in the completely black room …..gently illuminated by the ceiling lights that looked like the sky full of stars…..colorful clothing showing various seasons of dress..…we were all very impressed by the entire venue….at the end of the street is the museum…beautifully curated with an unbelievable selection of YSL garments…photographs and drawing from his sketch book…special exhibition by artist/topographer Theophile-Jean Delaye….reminiscent of artist’s renderings of the early American West….early in the trip we all decided we wanted to eat the the Michelin starred restaurant in the Hotel Monsour…..well appointed room…everyone enjoyed a delightful lunch…the chef stopped by our table….electronic wine list was overwhelming….hours later…..fully sated …..we stagger out into the courtyard then off to wander the souks…tired..return to hotel to TRY and assimilate all our purchases…final dinner at a restaurant out of the Medina…20 ft ceiling…entire bar is onyx…intricately carved doors…alcoves lit by candles…acres of marble…perfect spot for our last dinner….next morning drove back to Casablanca for a late morning flight….drive was dark and foggy…..whisked through check in….flight home relatively easy…. Morocco might very well be in the top 5 destinations that I to hope to return to one day…….
