Morocco - Week 2

We were now into the second week of our Intrepid tour of Morocco and were heading North from the Atlas mountains to Marrakesh via Essaouira.

Day 25

Cam was up early publishing some more blog action for you guys! We were greeted by a very crappy breakfast. Left the basement hotel and off to Dades gorge. Along the way we stopped in at a Association that helps disabled children by providing them with work to allow them to feel wanted in society. They are provided with assistance from the Moroccan and Spanish government, but still supported by volunteers. There was 2 nice girls that showed us around and gave us a run down of what they do there.

After browsing the shop, we were off to the Dades gorge about 1 hour away. And boy where we spoilt! This hotel was absolutely amazing! Xalauca Dades was a recently built hotel overlooking the mountains built on top of the mountain. Absolutely amazing place with lovely lounge and bar area. Gorgeous bedrooms with free wifi! The Pool/Spa area was overlooking the scenery with large day beds and loungers around the pool, day spa and tennis courts. Words cannot describe how nice this place is! After unpacking and some lunch at the hotel, we were on our way down to the Dades gorge. Absolutely stunning! Amazing zigzagging road up the mountain. After a hairy ride we were up the top at this cafe looking down the gorge.

After some photos and a great cup of coffee we were back to the hotel. We were greeted by an African dance/music troupe. 5 guys on drums and 4 girls in traditional costumes playing and dancing up a storm! Hot mint tea and nibblies supplied as well. Awesome! Then off to the pool! for a relaxing way to unwind. Cam jumping between the toasty Spa and chilly pool and back again a few times feeling very refreshed! After a cold Heineken we were getting changed for dinner. And what a feast, a massive buffet with dishes with a fresh flavour and Moroccan influence with Cam being the first person to crack the hot buffet.

I felt like royalty dipping the spoons into the dishes for the first time! So much tasty food! After feasting on this and a massive desert, time to retire back to the bar for a nightcap and upload some photos on a disc for some our travel buddies. Off to bed but not before setting a few torrents whilst we were sleeping!

Day 26

We had persuaded our tour leader to allow our group to enjoy this hotel for a bit longer. So Cam got in the spa and pool, damn that pool was cold this morning! There is a window from the pool to the reception area. Cam tried to get Nat to take a picture, but the light was no good for this. Still kinda cool but! A quick change and it was time to leave the stunning hotel. Our next destination was Ait Benhaddou.

It was not a very scenic leg of driving, stopping along the way in the rose capital of Morocco. They make all sorts of rose products from perfume to creams etc. A chance to make us smell even better! The roses that they used were extremely powerful scent and the whole area smelt so good! The locals were cashing in of course selling rose necklaces on the side of the road. We couldn’t resist the alluring smell, so we picked up one and a photo to go with it at a cafe nearby. Back on the very pretty smelling bus and off to the next stop.

The next stop was lunch on the terrace with great views over the Atlas mountains area. Then we were off to the Atlas movie studio. They have done several famous movies here, some of which included: Jewel of the Nile, The Living Daylights, Cleopatra, The Mummy, Kingdom of Heaven, Kundun, Gladiator and Apocolypse to name a few. It was a really interesting insight into how the desert type movies were made, and damn it was hot!!! After this interesting insight we were back on the bus to Ait Benhaddou.

This is a UNESCO protected mud/straw village, built on a mountain. More details can be found on Wikipedia here. It is a truly stunning place right next to a river/oasis and has been protected by only allowing 10 families to live there. They have put in some proper rock/concrete paths to protect the soft land. As it was rather hazy we decided to have a look at sunrise in the morning, so a siesta was called!

After checking into our hotel and kipping out we were taken to a local riad (small family hotel) for a demonstration on how to cook Couscous and Tajine, by “Action man!” He has starred as an extra in over 22 movies including the blockbusters! He was a very funny character. He had his sister in as the demonstrator whilst he explained the process.

True couscous takes over 2 hours to prepare! Bit different to the 5 minute instant stuff at Tesco! Damn it was tasty! But of course we didn’t wait all this time “Here is one we prepared earlier”. We ordered our dinner and of course we had to try the couscous and tajine. Damn it was tasty! And the service was very smart. Just like being in a family home. They normally have 3 families living here and small groups of guests are welcome when they can. After a very satisfying dinner, we were on our way home to bed.

Day 27

Cam was up early again to take photos of the village, whilst Nat enjoyed a couple more hours in bed. It was an amazing experience. It took a while to find the way in as the main entrance was locked. I felt like I had the whole village to myself as there was no-one around.

But one of the locals was already up trying to flog his wares to me! He asked me to come back for mint tea, an offer I could not refuse! After some amazing shots from the top of the mountain and some exploring, it was time to head back down the hill and check out his stuff. There was some vintage stuff, even some over 100 years old! But they were way too pricey for me. At the bottom of the village was the area that they filmed the arena scenes of “Gladiator” as well as many other films. And you thought it was in Rome or Greece! The powers of trick filmography!

Time to rush back to breakfast on the terrace of our hotel overlooking the village and the oasis. After another average breakfast we were on our way to the next destination, Imlil. This is in the high Atlas mountains, around 100 km from Marrakesh.

Along the way we drove through the highest mountain pass in Africa at 2260m. This was an amazing drive through winding mountain roads. In winter most of this terrain is covered in snow. Who would of thought? Stopping off for pictures along the way and an average lunch we arrived at the destination. A lovely riad, only built around 1 year ago but had the look of a 100 year old riad. Very beautiful!

After being invited up to the roof terrace for mint tea, we unpacked and were told about being able to hire mules for a couple of hours to up the surrounding mountains. Unfortunately Nat and riding animals don’t get on but Cam took one for the team and headed up. What an amazing experience! Something that I will never forget. These mules would just power up the zig-zagging roads all the way up the mountain, with some prompting of course! “Click-click” and “Aaarrrddddrruuuppp” would generally get them moving.

After stopping off at the top for the obligatory photos, it was time to head back to our village for dinner. After looking around the village some and picking up a couple of souvenirs, we strolled back to get cleaned up for dinner. A nice feed of Tajine and we were off to bed, a little weary!

Day 28

This would be our last travelling day of the tour. Today we would say goodbye to our driver Mohammed. He is a friendly guy and a fabulous if not very cautious driver! We were only about 1 hour of town. With enough time, Nat suggested that we take a look at the cascade nearby. The morning light shining, it was a wonderful way to see the day. I think my mule was down there having a feed too! A few photos later and we were on the bus on the way to Marrakesh, welcomed very warm weather. The day before being only 18 degrees, then nearly 40 here you could certainly feel it! The traffic and pollution was crazy! We certainly didn’t miss that bit.

After checking into the hotel, we were off in search of the bus. We would be on the local bus to the medina, one of the most amazing in Morocco. During the day, there is many people mainly selling leather goods, shoes and jewellery. We were given a tour by our tour guide of the different areas of the medina.

We saw one of the grossest things so far, sheeps’ heads. They roast them and eat the bits inside. Disgusting! We thought we would spare you the photo, but send us an e-mail if you want to see the details.The array of different spices, herbs and other food bits was amazing. It was a lot more spacious than the other medinas that we have been too, but so many tourists, apparently more than the locals! After a spot of lunch at a local cafe, we decided to head in for a bit more action to round out the day.

On the way back in, Cam couldn’t resist getting onto a snake charmer for a bit of action. Truly incredible seeing these guys controlling the cobras. As you can see by this picture, they are not shy! I had a water snake wrapped around me while they were playing with the cobras only 1 feet away from crazy me! Here is a few more medina pics for you:

We decided that a taxi home would be the best way, so we fitted 5 passengers into our Mercedes taxi and headed back to the hotel. After a rest we showered up and chilled out for a while. Nat wasn’t feeling very enthused as this weather really takes it out of you! Cam was feeling pretty hungry, so he chaperoned the other girls on their own out for dinner. We found a shady local place, but they did have cold wine (alcohol served is hard to find over here!) After a few glasses we had to look inside, what a dodgy place! We weren’t sure what was going on in there but I’m sure there was some dodgy stuff going on!

After our average but cheap dinner, we were on our way home, but not before stopping off at Maccas to pickup a cheeseburger for Nat. Nearly midnight and the place was still pumping! They have funky uniforms here with well fitted funky coloured t-shirts and designer jeans. Puts the aussie uniforms to shame! Off to bed.

Day 29

Today was the last day of our tour. We woke up to warm weather! A nice breakfast overlooking the pool and the garden, a great way to start the day. Today our tour leader would be taking us to some of the sights around Marrakesh. Apparently he could not find a local guide for us. So off in the heat to look at a ruined palace, not very impressive other than the size of the place, which must of been huge in it’s day!

Apparently the king had 500 wives and concubines to keep him busy! It was all stripped later by some other king to build another palace. Next stop was the metalworks market. There was some lovely lampshades for sale. If only we had more room we would of stocked up! They are so unique and would be a great addition to any home. Then we were off to the spice market. Absolutely amazing. They stacked the spices in these amazing cones about 1 metre high. Hopefully a big wind doesn’t come through! They sold all sorts of stuff. We picked up some musk soap, it smells so nice! Just what you need after a day of sweating under the Marrakesh sun....

We then went to another palace, about 150 years old. Fitted out in the Andalucía style, with mosaics and geometric patterns. The whole place was very symmetrical. This would of been an amazing place in it’s day. Looking a little tired now, we think that the government needs to put some money into this place to preserve the amazing artistry completed here.

After taking a shortcut through the medina we arrived at the Musee de Maroc. Another old kings palace, it has been converted into a museum. Only a couple of people Cam included went in. Although the exhibitions weren’t mind blowing it gave a nice insight into the culture. But the pisteresistance was the atrium. It was massive! A nice modern vinyl roof over the top with a massive lampshade, they had couches all the way round and mellow music to sooth the soul. Very relaxing! As some of the others were waiting we were off to get some more medina action!

Then off to lunch at the same dodgy cafe. At this point one of the girls cracked the shits with us and then it all fell apart. Who knows why, but we were in the bad books with some of the group after this. Oh well as Chris in Skins would say “F**k it!” Everybody was a little edgy as it was very hot and at the end of 2 weeks together. So we went our separate ways and headed back to the hotel for a rest and swim, just what we needed! On the way home we were really feeling like a cold beer, damn hard to find over here. Luckily we found a cheeky bottle shop selling coldies on the quiet. Even wrapped in newspaper/rubber banded stubby holders!

Back on the bus into town to the square in the Medina to see Marrakesh in full swing, Amazing! They have night markets here every night when all these portable restaurants are set up and all vying for your business. This would be our last meal together, and there was tension in the air for whatever reason. We were not happy to pay our tour leader the full tip amount as we didn't feel it reflected his tour leadership. Even though everybody had bitched and moaned about him throughout the trip, they all just paid up and said nothing. Pretty piss poor really. So we were now the enemy of the group. Our tour leader kept telling us “You only tip for good service...” Our frustration at this situation is the fact that the person who was angry with us, would not discuss it, so we still have no idea what we did wrong to upset her. Such a shame.

Anyway the meal was great and we feasted like kings! (Even if there was no serviettes and maybe the hygiene was not quite 100%) Still an amazing buzz in the air. We said our final goodbyes to our tour leader Mustaphah and left the group. After watching the frivolities in the square, it was time to put our feet up at home. We were stuffed! We had forgotten how hot weather drains you so much!

Day 30

Today we would say goodbye to Marrakesh for a couple of days as we were off to the coast, Essaouira here we come! We had heard some good things about this place, so we had booked the bus to go out there for a couple of days R&R. After seeing a couple of the group off we had our backpacks strapped on hand luggage to juggle and on the bus. It was a 40 degree day in Marrakesh. Smoking!

3 hours on the bus and we had arrived at our destination. Luggage boys hassling us to take our luggage to the hostel. As we had no idea where ours was it was a win win! The luggage boy raced away with our luggage and led the way straight to our riad! Checked in to our room at an old riad in the middle of the old town. After showering and changing in to some appropriate attire, we went for a walk along the coast, stopping off for a while at a lovely cafe overlooking the coast for a beer or two.

Next stop the seafood restaurant strip. They are cheap eateries with seafood straight off the boat only 400 m away. Couldn’t get much fresher! Bargained a huge feed of seafood, pretty tasty. I think that Cam could of perhaps worked that BBQ a bit better. They were a little overcooked but still damn good! Then walked to the harbour to watch the daily catch straight from the boat being cleaned, selling it was insane. So many seagulls! They were feasting on all the fish innards that were being scraped out very efficiently A very memorable way to finish the day.

Day 31

Woke up to sunshine, up on the terrace for a simple breakfast, but the crossaints were great! We

had arranged with the riad for some quad biking through the dunes up the road. They came and collected us. It was a short drive by car to the quad bike shed. Nat had never been on one before so she was on the back with Cam. We were on 150’s. OK for 1 but for 2 it was a little underpowered on the sandy big hills. Cruised up the road then hit the dunes.

Nat was a little scared, but eventually the smile creeped in! After about an hour and hitting the beach, passing sheep, camels, goats and people on horses, we stopped off to check out the views. Amazing! Back on the bikes. Dropped off Nat at the beach then the leader and I hit it!

Humming through the dunes, going crazy! After some wicked doughnuts on the beach headed back to base with Nat in tow. We were so full of sand and our clothes needed a good clean!

We spent a good while hand washing our clothes, in the hope that they would dry by tomorrow! We then spent some time wondering around the town. After we had had enough, we headed to “After 5”. A beautiful cafe/restaurant with free wifi. Prices were a little higher, but this place was all class. Spent over 5 hours there! Ended up having a wonderful dinner and several glasses of icy cold Moroccan rose wine. The French guy running the show was really nice and made the experience even better. Off to bed thoroughly satisfied.

Day 32 (Monday 28 April 08)

Time to leave this lovely place and say farewell to Morocco as we were back off to Spain for our third leg of the big tour. After another breakfast and drying the last of our washed clothes with the hairdryer we were packed and on our way to the bus station. We really liked the feel of our riad. Although a little rough around the edges, the staff were fantastic and plenty of character! Our room even had a big sofa to laze on! So nice to have somewhere to lounge!

We gave the luggage man the flick as it was only about a 10 minute walk to the station. Back on the bus to Marrakesh. Rolling down the road going through the small villages and watching the locals doing their thing brought back so many fond memories. A truly amazing country that does take some warming but does really grab you in the end. After our exit in Marrakesh into 40+ degrees our saviour in the form of a mini cab was there to take us to the airport. No food at the moment as they are still doing up the airport. 3 hours to kill. Through a rather lame security check and wait in departures.

Had some crap food at 1 of the 2 cafes there. The duty free shops only accept Euros! So we had to buy a couple of souvenirs at the stores to spend the last of our currency (MAD) as it cannot be exchanged outside the country easily. That killed another hour or so and we were called to our flight. Seeya Morocco! Jumped another timezone, so we lost 2 hours when we arrived in Madrid. Here goes the next stage, our big road trip. Collected our car from Avis, which just happened to be upgraded to a new VW Golf diesel. You beauty! Got lost trying to find the Ibis hotel we were staying at. The fastest check-in ever and we were resting in our hotel after a long day. Tried to find somewhere to eat but all places around were closing. So a crappy pizza and big beer at the hotel bar and off to bed.

That's all for now, coming soon Nat's reflections on Morocco. Should make for some interesting reading!

Cam & Nat