The start of something big!

---

Pull up a chair, there's something that might be of interest to anyone who has ever had anything remotely resembling widescreen ambition in the realm of overseas travel. After the dust was more or less beginning to settle in a world blighted by some unwanted episode(s) in the background, the light was sufficiently green to be able to set the most ambitious plan of action in the realm of travel in motion. Months of planning had it all at the ready, a multi-nation trek which would last anything up to one year, and include anything up to 30 nations, so the journey started life at a significant point on the globe, the Moroccan city of Tangier, the gateway to either Europe or Africa depending on which direction you are travelling from. Tangier is about commerce and a kind of Europe-meets-Africa vibe abounds, with splashes of Moroccan culture here and there, for good measure. Outside of the city lie the prime day-trip stop-offs of Cap Spartel (lighthouse) and Neptune's cave, but this traveller could not wait to let rip, and even worked a day trip to Tetouan into the mix, before heading east for the blue city of Chefchaouen where Moroccan magic springs to life almost acrobatically. The joys of the blue city of Chefchaouen are mainly just losing yourself in the labyrinth of blue-tinged streets and alleyways, and exploring the environs on foot, where mountains and foothills afford mighty fine views of a city of equal stature. Fes is Morocco's second largest urban zone, known chiefly for the nation's largest medina, along with the tanneries, though a day trip to nearby Meknes proved to be not out of the question, and added further depth to a world tour in its nascent stages which was already gathering momentum at a remarkably brisk pace. Upon reaching the nation's capital city of Rabat, it quickly became apparent that this is Morocco's most orderly and clean city, with enough in the way of cultural reference points to earn it enough kudos even as a standalone destination. The city's truly fine tram network also goes a fair distance to prove that once you equip an urban zone with those kinds of conveniences, its status as livable is heightened in direct proportion. Similarly, the nation's rail network is a touch of class, and a train ride to Casablanca, the nation's largest urban zone, meant that a variety of modes of transport were being worked into the mix, more so when an escooter tour of Casablanca revealed everything which is to be appreciated about the city which some find a touch too businesslike to appeal to the tourist palette. What is truly hard to deny though is the sheer arresting beauty of Hassan 2 mosque, a masterpiece of cultural depth inside and out, and the kind of early highlight on the world tour which boded incredibly well for the majestic beauty of the cream of the overall visuals set to unfold as the year progressed. The very fact that the Moroccan leg of the world tour came to a close in Marrakech, this voyager's only prior experience in this fine land was symbolic, as it ensured that a touch of familiarity could allow for a slacker pace of proceeding, with less of an emphasis on zipping from one place to the next as part of a bid to keep the discovery process constant. Jemaa El-Fna square, Koutoubia, the new town of Gueliz, the souk and the city walls to name but five key references points ensured that Marrakech was going to strike a chord even on a repeat visit. As you might have gauged from the above, the party was beginning to take shape, and was destined to be an episode where free-spiritedness fused with widescreen ambition to create an episode which highlights precisely why wanderlust can have addictive qualities when a curious mind is overcome with desire to satisfy those urges. Sticking to a script became as vital as going off-piste in many ways - in other words, keeping to the intended budget, but allowing all kinds of ideas to be thrown into the mix especially if they allowed for the all-important power of experience to make it all feel so undeniably worthwhile. One nation down, a fair few more to follow, and the prospect of adding an endless stream of discoveries and experiences to my cannon was as strong a catalyst as reality dictated it would be!

---