From Morocco with love….

Hi again…….I am writing you from the Moroccan House hotel in beautiful Marrakech. Unfortunately this is my last night in Morocco. A year of planning and just like that, its here and and now finished. It has been a fantastic trip without as much as a hiccup. I will get you all up to speed before I talk more on that. 

Yesterday we got up early, had breakfast and headed off to the Fes train station. We boarded and settled in for the seven hour trip to Marrakech. It was a decent train but nothing fancy. We were divided up into compartments as some of these trains are. It was reminiscent of that scene on the movie “Eurotrip”. One of my favourite movies. We clicked and clacked through the Moroccan countryside. Since there are only limited tracks in Morocco, we made stops in Meknes and Casablanca, both of which we visited earlier in the trip. There was a lot of nice conversation and laughs which made the long journey seem go much faster. We eventually arrived in Marrakech early afternoon and headed off to our hotel. The one I am in right now.  

After settling in, we headed to the town square to meet with a tour guide for a walking tour of the square and Medina. As we walked across the square, we were treated to live street performers from singing to snake charmers. It was a little unnerving standing there as a Cobra stared at me. We watched for a bit and headed to the Medina. We once again wound our way through the alleyways, taking the sights and smells. Although much smaller the old Medina of Fes, this one was still complicated to navigate on times. There is just so much to see and take in. It can be overwhelming on times as the senses can be overloaded. We stopped at a huge cart of Cactus fruits where some of us enjoyed a sample. They were quite good but very messy. They stain your skin red I you touch the insides. The vendor was cutting the skins off and handing them out. As he was cutting mine, it squirted on my shirt. I highly doubt it will wash out but oh well, it’s a story to tell. From there, it was a planned stop at a sand coffee demonstration. We watched as the lady rotated the coffee pot around in the hot sand until it started to boil and perk. She them gave us a cup to sample. I have to say it was mighty tasty. We spent another bit walking around and then headed off to our farewell dinner on the rooftop terrace of Mabrouka restaurant. It was a very nice atmosphere but it did get quite chilly. It was the last dinner for our Intrepid tour so there was lots of chatter and reminiscing over the past trip. There were even a couple speeches. It was a great group of people from all over the globe. We finished dinner and headed back to the hotel lobby where we said our good byes. Some were continuing on in Morocco, some on to other countries and a few of us were headed home. You really do become a family on these tours. A family that spends every second together for a short period of time and then its over again! Those shared experiences and memories last a lifetime. After the good byes, I head to my room and prepped for today! 

 Today was another very busy day. I was on my own today so I booked a day tour of the Agafay desert and Atlas Mountains. I went myself from here but there were others on the tour from various hotels. It was yet another instance where we climbed in a van as strangers, but ended the day as friends. 

 After driving an hour out into the Agafay desert, our first stop was for a Camel ride. I had actually rode a Camel before in Egypt but was excited to do it again. It was a first for the rest on the tour. The owner dressed us in the local clothing for the photo ops and then helped us on the camels. They are much taller than you think and a little scary when they first stand up after you climb on. We then headed for a quick walk in a little convoy. Have you ever tried holding a Camel reign and take pics at the same time? Its an art to be perfected. It was a great experience and made for some nice pictures. 

 After he Camel walk, we headed into the Atlas Mountains. They are the highest range in Morocco with the highest mountain, Mount Toubkal, at 4167 meters. Its the second tallest mountain in Africa after Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. The roads were extremely narrow, very winding and steep. Not suitable for any one who gets car sick. Some of the edges with steep drops made me uncomfortable but I just looked to the opposite side when needed. The driving experience was worth it though as it eventually led into a few different towns, high in the mountains. We stopped at a local place for fresh bread and jams. It was owned by the Berber people. It was very nice but to be honest, I have had my fill of breads at this point. Every single place in which I have eaten in Morocco has served bread as an app. All good but I have had my fill!

We then kept going to a couple other towns, stopping for pictures and then going to a nice hike into the forest to a nice waterfall. There were some great photo ops along the way before reach the waterfall. You could feel the air getting a little thin but we made it without issue. A few more pics and it was off again! 

Our final stop on this your was a nice outdoor restaurant where we were greeted with breathtaking views. We sat in awe of the mountains and the high altitude villages that adorned them. For a late lunch, we were treated to chicken Tangine. I have had this a number of times while over here but this one was by far the best. The waiter placed this massive mound of food in front of me and my first though was “I will never finish this.” To my surprise I polished it off though as it was delicious. As stated, this was the final stop on this day tour so we headed back to Marrakech. It was a 2 hour drive back down the mountain and into the city. I finally made it back to my hotel where I posted another pile of pictures. I hope I am not boring you all with pictures! I repacked my backpack and got things in order. I then went for one last walk. Out of curiosity, I went for a bite at McDonalds. I wanted to see what a McDonalds meal in Africa tasted like. I had my regular McChicken meal and it was pretty much the same as in the western world. It was nice to get some cheap fast food as all the meals we had with the tour group was at nice restaurants. Not a bad thing but sometimes I like to just get some fast food! On the way back, I grabbed a giant tea at Starbucks and back to the hotel. I wanted to send this off before I went for a nap. Honestly, I should be asleep now as my airport transfer is picking me up at 3 am! Tomorrow will be a long day of travel. I fly from Marrakech to Paris, then Paris to Amsterdam, and then one last flight direct to Edmonton. Of course then a 3 hour drive home. Hopefully all goes well. 

 Any who….thats a wrap. Another trip in the books. It was a great trip with a few more bucket list items crossed off. I was able to walk the coastline in Casablanca. Get my picture at Ricks Cafe. Take in the streets of the blue city of Chefchaouen. Navigate the maze of alleyways of the old Medina in Fes. Ride a camel in the desert and experience the Atlas Mountains. All this and I met some great new people along the way. Thank you for following my travels and hopefully I can plan something again in the near future. Good Night from Marrakech, Morocco.