First trip to Africa! And if you
don’t count the four separate cases of food poisoning between the two of us, it
was pretty damn awesome. We flew into Casablanca and took a train to the center
of town. Our poor language skills were apparent immediately. It took way too
long to find our hotel, which ended up being what should have been a five
minute walk from the train station. Central Hotel welcomed us to a nice small
room overlooking the town square. Casablanca was less than desirable, except for the super impressive Hassan II Mosque which was grand in scale and
extremely beautiful. A true example of the powerful faith of the Muslim
world. Casablanca was also my
first taste of what Morocco had to offer as far as markets and souks, endless
mazes of awesomeness and photo ops.
We
took a train to Marrakesh, which is where the fun really began. We paid a young
kid to take us to the Riad we had chosen through the labyrinth that is the old
town. Lucky for us, it was full and we ended up stumbling onto a hidden gem called
Riad Al Nour. The place was absolutely gorgeous. We started to get to know the
owners of the riad, which turned into an experience of its own. We ended up
staying there for the rest of our time in Morocco. These fantastic people
turned into good friends and the riad a home away from home. The markets,
souks, people, and the beautiful city drove us to cancel our plans to visit the
north of the country as we had already found everything that we were looking
for.
It
is a very real fact that knowing someone local in the place that you are
visiting opens lots of doors. And I think that especially Lindsey found a
lifelong friend on this particular trip. They took us out to dinner, taught us
how to cook in a tagine and helped us to visit some of the surrounding cities.
We
took a trip to Essaouira, a beachside town several hours away that is famous
for its relentless wind and beautiful coastline. We met up with a Spanish
ex-pat whom had been living in Essaouira for several years. He eagerly showed
us around his beautiful town and spent several hours as a tour guide. We went
to a fantastic street side seafood restaurant and ate to our hearts content.
Apparently portions of Game of Thrones have been filmed there, much to Lindsey
enjoyment. It was an amazing day.
We also visited Siti Fatima, a city high in the mountains that is home to the owners of Riad al Nour. We were introduced to some of their friends and family, and took a beautiful hike to a waterfall, and then through the hand built homes of our new friends.
We also visited Siti Fatima, a city high in the mountains that is home to the owners of Riad al Nour. We were introduced to some of their friends and family, and took a beautiful hike to a waterfall, and then through the hand built homes of our new friends.
Morocco
has a very special place in my heart now. A country of immense religious faith
and a strong cultural identity I was enthralled with every step. This is the
world of snake charmers, tree-climbing goats, and surprises at every turn. What
an amazing place to visit. Just be careful what you eat…