En Maroc

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Wahey I have , made it out of the UK Back to backpacking...
Marocco has been a huge breathe of fresh air. The first moments in the country found me wandering around the airport carpark looking for the exit. It becomes quickly apparent that English which I ve been working on for 30 years is next to useless compaired to French. Ah French.. the language of childhood holidays those exchange kids with fancy trainers who ate chocolate for breakfast and one which i was going to have to summon quickly.

Yep so Marocco is a 3 hour flight from London and a world away. Along with the French and Arabic script there was also the call to prayer echoing over the parked cars. The Mezzuine has always held an attraction for me sampled on some of the most enigmatic records the first time I heard it was a in southern Thailand quite strange that time as it woke me from sleep it had a diaphinous quality as it drifted into my dream adled head. In Sumatra Indonesia the sound was tinny and deafening in it s repetition whereas in Marrokech it seems to blend with the fabric of the day and to book end it =sunrise and sunset are marked with this sound of devotion.

First impressions of Marrakech were chaotic dodging motorcycles in the narrow streets . My hotel was a Riad .. a traditional building where the rooms are arranged on several floors around a central courtyard with open roof... it was the preverbial oasis of calm away from the frentic souks. A huge thanks to Eissem and Houssain for a friendly atmosphere and buckets of tee a la menthe😊

The Riad was called Amour de Riad and true to it s name was peppered with hearts even in the steel work on the bed heads...check it out.

So after Marrakesh it was off to the dessert for a sojourne. Merzouga is an area of dunes 60km long. I traveled with a lady from New York (Marcia) and a girl from Japan (Sayaka)... Cheers guys for company.. chats and Marukeshi😊 (Japanese noughts and crosses for those not in the know).

I climbed the nearest of the vast dunes and filled my shoes with sand as a consequence.. The sahara is coming home with me😊

After this I went to the coast to Essouria where the wind blows hard... and a welcome break from the heat and also the energy of Marrakech. Enjoyed the seafood there.. strolling the long beach a laid back place.. On the ride back to Marrakech the bus started to make a loud chick chick chick noise and finally died in the heat.. the radiator pouring by the roadside. Gotta love travel full of surprises.

P.S. Thanks for bearing with me through this blog... am working with a French/Arabic keyboard so the punctuation has been hit and miss. I ve been hitting the keys but the commas are missing😊

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Photos

Jamaa el Fna
The main square in Marrokech and scene of all nu,ber of craziness.

Berberry
This costume the jaliiba is described as the berber sleeping bag. I personally think that George Lucas must have borrowed heavily from the look and style of Morocco.

Tagine
Delicious abnd the concetrated and scolded essennce at the bottom is all mopped up with bread.

Sakura
Well blossom anyway

Light
A small Berber village on the way to the dessert This was a Jewish settle,ent until they moved from the mudbrick houses. The government offered these free to the normally nomadic Berbers and it now has around 200 inhabitants.

Merzouga Sunrise
So I went to the sahara for a stay really enjoyed it especially the arabic techno under the stars. This is two desserts now with Mongolias Gobi.

dessert companions
Marcia New York and sayaka from Japan

Essouira
A very busy Medina

Coffee shop culture
Essouira

Sea food
20 Dirham that s less than 2 quid for a pile of protein packed fresh fried deliciousness.

Comments

[Natalie]

Love it
Hey Steve.. Can't wait to go even more now. The pictures are really great! Nat

[Carter He]

Hello
Very glad to hear you guys again, it seems you start the Africa journey now, good luck and take care! All these pictures are very nice!

[anonymous]

you guys travel a lot

[Brass Monkeys]

alorra travel
Thanks Anonymous!:)

[mum]

marrakech mianders
So good to see you made it to the desert i still owe u a trip to the pyramids i havnt forgotten but one day egypt assyria and israel are to be joined by a highway so that should help .lovely photos great writing you really do have a gift for this travel journalism ! Love the picture of the mount it really looks like the fastest camel in the west. Good luck with the new beginning hope all goes well lots love muim

[Sayaka]

Hello, STEVEN!!! I guess I failed in sending a private mail so I write here again. sorry. Long time no see. How are you? and where are you now ?? ha ha ~ I'm SAYAKA SATO. Thank you for your mail. I was very glad and sorry my answer is late. I read all your blog and enjoyed them very much.It made me soooo happy :) i think you are soooo lucky because you visited a lot of countries with your girlfriend and had a good times. someday i wanna....haha:D Since I got back from Morocco, I've been very busy with my job (at cram school) and school work every day. Now I experiment analytical chemistry at my school laboratory and have some tests. And my practice at hospital and pharmacy will start on May 16th until the middle of Nov. I feel depressed:( But I do my best!!!!!!! The days that I spent with you and Marcia in Morocco are the best of my life.I wanna travel with you again. i miss you. Steven, do you enloy your every day? I hope that.Take care of yourself :D! Sayaka from JAPAN

[Brass Monkeys]

In touch
How's it going Sayaka? Sorry to hear you are so busy... perhaps it keeps you out of trouble;) I'm really glad you had a good time travelling in Morocco. I had a blast too. May be taking you up on that offer of a guide in Japan some day:) Take good care, Steven.