Blogs from Essaouira, Marrakech-Tensift-El Haouz, Morocco, Africa - page 12

This blog is dedicated to my good friend and workmate Terry Cronan who retired today from the NAB. Best wishes TC, you lucky bugger, and I will catch with you for a round of golf when I return to Sydney. Straight off the High Atlas Mountains and onto Essaouira (pronounced "Essawira") on the coast. Spent my time going from the outdoor seafood grills (the sardines were by far the best I have ever tasted), to the beach, to the shopping alleys, and finally to the bars and cafes. Pigged out on scrummy crepes, pastries and ice-cream. Fantastic town to chill out and rest my tender leg muscles. After a relaxing couple of days it was onto Marrakesh. On the way we espied some goats in an Argan tree. This event does happen au naturel, however it ... read more

Essaouira! I have found one of the most beautiful cities on Earth. If you come to Morocco you MUST go to Essaouira! With its white washed city walls, its sprawling beaches, its bustling medina packed with some of the most inspired examples of Moroccan craftsmanship, and a history so long and tangible that you can see it and feel it all around you, it is one of the true gems of a country already filled with many marvelous sights. Best of all, Essaouira (pronounced Ess-u-air-ah) is the home of Gnaoua (pronounced Gn-ow-ah), a style of music that is, in its roots and its rhythms, truly African. Originally it comes from the nations south of Morocco, such as Senegal and Mali, but it has found its greatest venue in Essaouira with the Gnaoua Music Festival that takes ... read more

I am a bit at a loss as to how to put the trip into words or how to organize this update! Here we go I guess…. Winnie and I set off for our 11-day Morocco adventure with very lightly packed bags and a lot of gusto! We arrived in Marrakech (north-central Morocco) in the afternoon and as we walked down the stairs onto the tarmac all I could think was "I’m in AFRICA!" The taxi ride was smooth and our French useful, and at last we landed in our hotel. They did not have a reservation for us so we had the choice of sleeping up on their roof or on a ‘couch’ thingy….of course we chose the roof. We dropped our stuff and headed out into the city. First we headed out to the ... read more

I hadn't planned to go by myself to Essaouira. Yesterday, Elaine dismounted awkwardly from a mule at Imlil, and we had spent the rest of the day in Marrakech getting her treated. Today, she was supposed to be resting at the hotel, and I was on my way to the coast, able to occupy two seats on the bus. ... read more

My days in the Maghreb drew to a close. Mixed feelings. Anxiety - what lies beyond? Nostalgia - will this country ever leave me? Hurry - when will I get to Kenya? At Hotel Smara, just off the ramparts, Julie and Geraldine - two frenchgirls I met in Marrakech - waited for me. Despite the grey sky, they had good news. They'd met a nice moroccan guy who invited us for tea at a friend's restaurant. His name was Hassan. Craftsmanship was in his blood. Son of an artisan, he personified all I'd read about Africa. Tradition, heritage, tradition. He introduced us to the Gnawa Music. Rituals, soul and physical healing, trances. Animism, voodoo, capoeira? Perhaps. Its more inteligible facet being the Essaouira's Gnawa Festival. Held every year around the 26th June, it takes over squares ... read more