Morocco in Two Weeks

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This was the biggest trip I have yet to take around Morocco. My dear friend Jesselyn brought Liz, another Peace Corps Volunteer, with her from Togo. The arrived in Casablanca and took the train down to Ben Guerir and from there came to see my town, Kelaat Sraghna. After a few days in Kelaa and several giant meals with Maryam and my various hospitable neighbors, we went on to Marrakech. I knew they would love Marrakech and we had a blast. By now I know the city well enough to be able to touch on the highlights and find my way around with a minimal amount of being lost.

We had a couple chilly nights (sleeping on the roof terrace of a hotel to save money) and it was quite a shock to Jess and Liz after their year and a half in sweltering Togo. Then we climbed up to Imlil (in a grand taxi) where the altitude made it much colder and we could see snow. We had planned to climb Toubkal, but after surveying our (lack of) gear and finding out the actual budget needed, we decided to content ourselves with day hiking. Imlil is a beautiful town and the trails leading off from there are all spectacular.

We spent a day regrouping and doing laundry back in Kelaa before heading up and over the Atlas through Ouarzazate and on to Kelaat M’Gouna. The other Kelaa is the site of my friend Cara, who was in my training group back in September 2005. Her Kelaa has a Rose Festival every May and it was amazing, though we arrived too late in the day to see the parade with the Rose Queen. There were all sorts of local music groups, lots of traditional crafts and rugs on sale as well as a general carnival sort of atmosphere. The town was packed and Cara said she hardly recognized it. Her students had a tent displayng photos they had taken in her photography classes. Jess, Liz and I were invited to yet another host family’s home for lunch and the next day some of Cara’s friends offered to drive us up to the Boulmane Dades Gorges for the afternoon.

Next was Merzouga, a small town way our in the desert. We got there in the early afternoon and negotiated for a camel ride out into the desert and a night in some Berber tents. There weren’t many tourists yet, I heard June is high tourist season. So we had the sand dunes mostly to ourselves. I was happy the Sahara heat hadn’t gotten to its full potential yet, tough Jess and Liz were probably cold.

After a hike up the largest dune to watch the sunset and look over at Algeria we had a tajine for dinner, admired the stars and slept for a bit before waking up for sunrise. Jess isn’t a big morning person, but even she beat me out of the tent in the morning to walk out in the gray light to wait for the first rays to peek up over Algeria.

Then it was back on the road, though only as far as Errachidia. I hadn’t been back since Leide Kbir in January 2006 when I went with Maryam and her husband to visit their families. Jess, Liz and I stayed with Maryam’s family and had a wonderful evening with them, though we were exhausted. I was so happy to see Maryam’s family again but somehow was so tired that I forgot to take any photos.

Then next morning we got back on the road and after a nine hour bus ride arrived in Fez. It was a long, though scenic, nine hours and we were so glad to finally get to Fez. I don’t know the city too well, and my Grandma recently sent me the cover story from the New York Times Travel Section about Fez, which suggested that guides would be necessary. Luckily, if you know some Arabic and aren’t afraid to ask shopkeepers, it’s pretty easy to find your way around the city. Our copy of the Rough Guide to Morocco helped too.

Like they say, Fez is a mysterious and often confusing place. It’s a beautiful city but after three days we were overwhelmed and hopped on the train to Rabat. I always enjoy Rabat because it’s so calm and nobody there seems to care that I’m a foreigner. I never thought I’d enjoy being ignored so much. People don’t even look twice.

Besides the calm people, Rabat has a beautiful view over the ocean, a friendly and still very old-fashioned market, and beautiful gardens. I can’t believe I’ve never visited the Chellah before and can’t wait to go back. The Chellah was an old city used by the Romans and later by Moulay Idriss before being abandoned in 1154. The ruins are mostly overgrown and currently full of nesting storks and egrets. It was a perfect closing to our mad race around Morocco. In the afternoon Jess and Liz took the train back to the airport in Casablanca for their night flight to Egypt and the second half of their adventure.

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Photos

Koutoubia
Any visit with me has to start in glorious Marrakech with the Eiffel Tower of Morocco.

Spice Chameleons
In Marrakech's famous spice shops we found everything from aphrodisiac tea and normal cooking spices to chameleons and leeches.

Madrasa Ben Youssef
Still my favorite architecture in Marrakech. This was my third time guiding friends there and I marvel at its beauty more each time.

Bahia Palace
Being an Imperial City, Marrakech has several palaces but my favorite is the Bahia with it's gardens and intricatly painted ceilings.

Up Towards Toubkal
The hike was spectacular, even by the standards of one who grew up in the Rocky Mountains.

Sidi Chamarouch
This little village was our turn around point. The white rock is a shrine that Muslim pilgrims climb up to for blessings.

Boulmane Dades Gorges
Jesselyn was in her element, outside away from busy city life.

Leaving Merzouga
It was a several hour trek out to the Bedouin tents, within sight of the Algerian border.

Lost in a Sea of Sand
The two specks on the left are Jess and Liz, in the first rosy light of morning.

Deserts get cold
in the morning before the sun comes up it though that Sahara sun heats the desert up fast.

Fes lives up to expectations
They say it is a mysterious city with hidden wonders around every corner. Narrow crowded streets lead to peaceful madrasas, like Madrasa Bou Inania.

Zellij
Morocco has stunning tile work, like this zellij at the Madrasa Bou Inania.

Fes
Liz found a good view of the city from Borj Nord on one of her morning runs and brought us back in the afternoon.

Out in the Countryside
Looking away from Fes up at the Borj we could see rolling hills of olive trees and farmland.

Tanneries
Jesselyn braved the labyrinthine streets and found her way to the tanneries which Fes is famous for.

Mohammed VI
Jess and me on the main boulevard in Rabat.

Oudaya
The quaint little fortress on the bluff above the Atlantic is a tranquil place to stroll in the evenings.

The Hand Of Fatima
Said to provide protection it is a common decoration on doors though the Oudaya has the most beautifully decorated ones I've seen.

Chellah
Rabat might be the goverment's capital but it also is full of gardens and historic ruins like the Chellah.

Storks!
The Chellah was full of nesting storks and egrets. The nestlings burbling and the adults clacking their beaks in greeting when their mate returned to the nest.

Comments

[Hamid]

hello heather! this is Hamid Cara's friend. I was surprised and happy when; by chance, I was looking at your blog. It seems that you had with your friends great moments during you trip in morocco. by the way you have here a professional pictures and such good style writing the comments! PEACE.