Backpacking in Morocco

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What an amazing and enlightening week I have just experienced. To say only those words does not give the necessary justice to the last seven days. Last Saturday I, along with my friend Frank, flew from Dublin to Agadir, a city on the west coast of Morocco. Though we told our families and friends otherwise, we had no itinerary, hotel reservations, or booked tours. We simply bought our plane tickets, packed some clothes into our bags, and headed south. Though I will not recommend that everyone take this approach, I will say that it does allow for an unbelievable experience and one that I certainly hope to encounter again in the near future.

We left the 12th of January and landed in Morocco that evening. After catching a taxi from the airport into the city we found a hotel for the night and then our first taste of authentic Moroccan food, which, I might add, is quite good. We decided to catch a bus heading north along the coast to the city of Essaouira (pronounced Ess-oh-way-rah). The drive was absolutely beautiful with the Atlantic Ocean to our left and the rugged Atlas Mountains to our right. On the trip we met a guy from Galway, in the south of Ireland, who studied at the university there and is currently teaching in a language school. He is quite an interesting person as he has had a number of experiences having taught in schools in South Korea, Japan, and Mongolia. With that in mind, our two man excursion added another member.

The three of us stayed in Essaouira for two and a half days where we explored Portugese and Spanish ruins and ventured south along the coast to villages outside the city. One of my favorite days was hiking along the ocean to an old, Spanish fortification and from there to a small village where Jimi Hendrix visited for a period of time. When we made our way back to the city, we did so along the beach to a beautiful Moroccan sunset. I have to say that Essaouira is one of my favorites; a lively city, tremendous fish grills on the docks, a sense of history, and great scenery.

Following Essaouira we caught another bus heading northeast to the city of Marrakech. This is a much larger place with a population over a million people. The markets here were unbelievable. The souks, expansive marketplaces, go in every direction in a maze like setup. In short, they are quite easy to get lost in. While we were here we visited an old palace, now a museum, a mosque, and used it as a starting point to venture out into the desert. It is here that we got our taste of the ruggedness of the Moroccan landscape. We took advantage of a trip that brought us into the Atlas Mountains and into the desert next to the eastern slopes. I cannot describe the impact the villages in the desert had on me. The images still resonate in my mind. To all my friends and family at home, the best way I can illustrate it is this; our society has little to no idea what discomfort is. My respect for the people in these villages is beyond words and I fall short in saying that I have been humbled.

Following our journey into the desert, Frank and I left our new Irish friend and made our way back to Agadir where we were to catch our flight home. Along the way we met another great person, Ian, who is from New Zealand and is currently traveling across Asia, Europe, and Africa. With that said, our party returned to three members. On our final day we decided to climb to the Kasbah (old Muslim city) that sits atop a small mountain to the north of Agadir. The view from the top was amazing as we looked across the city to the south, the Atlas Mountains to the east, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west.

Though I am happy to be back in Belfast, it was no doubt a tremendous seven days. I do hope to return to Africa in the near future as it is a diverse and unique land, and one that I think is often misunderstood.

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Photos

Portugese Memories
A Portugese fortress in the harbor of Essaouira. A reminder of Portugal's once dominant empire.

Moroccan Sunset
The sunset along the coastline of Essoauira.

In Spanish Ruins
I am standing in what remains of a Spanish fortress along the coast, just south of Essoauira.

Marrakech Palace
The design and artwork inside this palace are absolutely beautiful.

The Rugged Atlas
A view as we pass over the Atlas Mountains.

Desert Village
A village in the desert east of the Atlas Mountains.

Comments

[Mala Mukunda]

Beautiful!
The pictures look inviting, especially the Marrakech Palace. Thanks for sharing! Mala Mukunda www.traveling-stories-magazine.com