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Published: April 30th 2006
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En route...
Joel and me in the bus Morocco is a country of people just hanging out....
Well, after 10 long days, Im finally back ''home''. I got in last night around midnight into Vienna. I think the trip back was longer than the entire trip total! Ill try to give a quick run of the itinerary...
Day 1
leave for Bratislava from Vienna via train. Catch quick bus to airport and then plane to Germany's Frankfurt-Hahn airport. Don't let the name confuse you...Frankfurt Hahn is about 2 hours from Frankfurt. Slept in airport.
Day 2
wake up early after uncomfortable sleep in airport and catch plane to Jerez, Spain. From airport catch bus to Jerez bus station, then bus to Algeciras. In Algeciras, buy ferry tickets to Tangier, Morocco. Catch: must take taxi to Tarifa, Spain...20 min away. Catch ferry to Morocco and hang around Tangier (which kinda sucked because we weren't allowed in the cafes (only for men)). Catch Marrakech Express overnight train to Marrakech. Very uncomfortable. Meet 2 cool kids, one from Australia and one half Moroccan chick.
Day 3
Arrive in Marrakech in early morning. Find hotel in new part of city. Just thankful for western toilets and hot water. Check out Medina (old town). Meet
Spain
on the coast in Tarifa cool guy, Khalid - 19, studying at American School. Buy some stuff...learn how to haggle. Khalid says to meet him that next day at 10, hell take us into the Mts. to show us real Berber village. Run into Australian guy, Steve-O. Joel and I are so tired we go to bed at 8pm!
Day 4
Up early to catch some grub at local cafe. Delish. Meet with Khalid and go to taxi stand. Haggle with taxi driver over price...for €50 hell be our driver for the day! Go into mt foothills. Check out authentic Berber home...people still living in it. Feel awkward taking pictures while they are making their bread. Still very cool. Continue road trip. Run into some camels...take some photos. Get to our destination...do some rock climbing to check out some nice waterfalls. Water way too cold to get into. Joel goes climbing farther...Im wearing flip flops. Not a good idea. My new nickname...Rock Wallaby. Grab lunch with Joel and Khalid - Tagine (chicken and way too much saffron than should ever be allowed). Grab cabbie and head back into town. Decide to head back to hotel, mett Khalid around 8.30. Meet Khalid and his
Tangier
First day in Morocco in Tangier. Cool stop signs, too. uncle, Rachid who owns carpet store. Smoke shisha with those two (dont worry mom...thats just flavored tobacco). Go grab some grub with them...Rachid speaks german, lived in Munich for 2 years. Walk around famous Medina market plaza. Very cool. Fresh squeezed OJ very popular, as is mint tea. No alcohol to be found because Muslims arent supposed to drink. Part ways...head back to hotel.
Day 5
Catch bus from Marrakech to Essaioura, coastal town. Get into town, find hotel. Check out Medina. Check out harbour. Run into Steve-O.
Day 6
Spend a little more time in Essaioura. Not too much to do/see. Catch bus to Casablanca. 6 hours later, find hotel in Casa. Run into Steve-O. We all stay in Youth Hostel. Walk through medina and find 3rd largest mosque in the world. Closed at night because King is visiting. Go back to hotel. sleep.
Day 7
Up early. No warm water in shower. No shower. Go back to mosque. Take tour through Mosque. Built in 1987 partially over ocean. Tower is 200m high. All materials, except small portions of marble and chandaliers from Venice, from Morocco. Estimated cost $8M, probably 3x that amount.
Tangier
Tangier by night Say ciao to Casa...take bus to Assilah, another coastal town. Find hotel. Big festival going on in town. Walk around medina, buy some popcorn. head back to hotel. sleep.
Day 8
Hot shower costs €1. Find cabbie to drive us half way to Paradise Beach. He drove us onto rocky road, then we had to walk 1km. Beach about 5km long, all to ourselves. Water too cold...get awesome tan though. Head back to town, catch bus to Tangier. Plan is to stay in Tangier then take first ferry back to Spain. Find hotel in Tangier. Eat last meal in Morocco.
Day 9
No hot water. No shower. Guy at hotel tells Joel and me that Australians were cannibals. This isn't true. Just go with it. Spend the last of our money. Water, sour apple moroccas sodas (amazing), bread, cheese, candy, fruit...€3,50. Nice. Take ferry back to Spain. Back in Tarifa. Tarifa is a cool little surf town on coast. No train station to leave bags, basically have to hang out at bus stop with stuff til bus arrives. Had some American girls watch our bags, bought some ice cream, hung out at beach. Will have to
Just the two of us...
Marrakech in front of the Medina Mosque do return trip some time. Back to bus stop. Bus finally came...back to Jerez. Idea is to sleep in airport to save €€€. Meet cool half german/half japanese guy,Yuuki. He tells us the aiport closes at 12. Damn. We all (some other germans too) camp outside of airport. Really wish I had a sleeping bag. Concrete is not comfortable.
Day 10
Fly from Jerez to Frankfurt Hahn. Catch bus to Mainz. Catch bus to Wiesbaden. Meet with Carlos at train station. He gives us keys to his place and heads out of town. FINALLY I enjoy WARM shower! And western toilets again! Go out on the town...play tour guide to Joel for my old stomping ground. Find some really cool pubs. Pupassch and In Eimer. Joel gets hit on my old gay dude, Günther. Old Norwegian couple tells us that Joel and I should get married right away. They were pretty bombed. Steal some mugs, go home. Sleep. Get up early and go visit Eva, my aunt I lived with. We bring cake and flowers, she still insists on driving Joel around Wiesbaden. We get dropped off and catch busses back to airport. Fly back to Bratislava. Catch
New Friends
Khalid and Aziz, our new friends in Marrakech bus to Vienna. Catch subway back to Schloss Döbling. Greeted with big hug from Seb. Couldn't have had a better end to a trip!
So...hope you enjoyed my commentating. Next big trip is set for France...then Spain. Today was Easter and I went to church! Very nice service...I have to head back home now. Til next time...
xoxo
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Ab-Joel
non-member comment
Nice blog Rock Wallaby!!!
Hey! Great to see you started a travel blog! I'm waiting with baited breath for your next installment!!!