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Published: September 10th 2012
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Lotty's version: We have been in marrakech 3 days now and I can safely say it is like nowhere else I have ever been! Its vibrant, noisy, busy and smelly (and that's just the local Carrefour!). The driving is erratic at best, you could have 3 cars, two bikes and a bus all trying to overtake an old man on a donkey who will trundle along not batting an eyelid! Furthermore it appears custom to squeeze as many people, produce and animals that will and wont fit onto motorbikes; many carry helmets, carry being the key word in that statement! Junctions do not have any markings, its just luck of the draw and who can beep their horn the most.
We learn't all this on our journey from the airport, our taxi driver misheard us and took us deep into the heart of the medina, dodging people, bikes, donkeys and goats. we sat looking at each other wondering where on earth we had come. In hindsight, previous trips to other north African countries were tame and touristy..... We are already out of our comfort zone in our first country, the one we expected to be a holiday! Our hotel is
touristy.... If you are French! I am surprised by how much French I'm remembering, however loud, slow English seems to also be just as effective!
Today we went to the cascades d'ouzoud. A beautiful part of the atlas mountains which i believe the pictures depict better then any description! And honestly we took enough of them, our guide insisted we stop every couple of minutes to "take nice picture" I didn't realise a waterfall could have so many angles! All together we were walking for around 3 and a half hours, from the very top to the base and back up the other side. Around the waterfall were forests full of sheep, monkeys and little Berber huts with items for sale. It was a challenging hike in the Moroccan sun, but one I couldn't help remarking would be an amazing dog walk for jess! I felt especially sorry for the other girl in our group who had decided a maxi dress and flip flops was a good idea.
I am writing this on our way back, our guide has obviously got his English cd on. 10 Tracks including "stand by me" and "I just called to say I
love you" are on repeat, and in true Moroccan style the cd is scratched and jumping constantly........ to further rub salt in the wound i'm dying for a wee as i decided to hold it in on the toilet stop as it involved a hole in the ground........
Planty's version: I had seriously considered hiring a car for our stay in Morocco, although the taxi ride from the airport to our hotel via the Medina which was the total opposite way anyway, served as proof that it was a good idea not to hire one anyway. Out of all of the countries I've visited, I have honestly never witnessed such carnage, chaos and utter lunacy on roads as I have here over the last 3 days, they all make me look like a Sunday driver!
The basic rules I've picked up for driving in Morocco are.......there are no rules, sound your horn at anyone in your way, don't indicate, car's do not have right of way over bikes, people, horses, donkeys or children playing in the road. The things I have seen on roads get more obscure as the days go by, for
example, I have seen a family of 4 on a motorbike (none of which were wearing a helmet), a taxi carrying 7 people, a guy on a motorbike with his friend on the back holding a large coffee table on his shoulders without holding onto anything secure, and a motorbike somehow pulling a trailer with 2 fridges and another man sat in it.
Apart from the sheer madness on the roads, Morocco's alright, pretty hot weather over the last 3 days, went to some pretty cool waterfalls today, saw some mental lad, probably about 12 years old decide it was a good idea to jump of a rock about 40ft high.....as you do! The only things that are annoying me about our stay is.....1.) the hotel is full of French people 2.) the bottles of beer (which are pretty shit) are £3.80 each!!!! 3.) the hotel food is really, really poor, I even contemplated licking the dust of our bedroom floor today instead of eating it, its so bland and boring, and pretty much burnt 4.) the only TV channel that is in English, is CNN, and I'd rather not watch that for obvious reasons.
So yeah, thats pretty much our first 3 days covered, we'll update you again when we can be arsed, or when we've done something more interesting than sunbathe and stock up on crisps from the local Carrefour :-)
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Attire !!!
Lotty seeing that you have an educated (he has a degree you do know) well-travelled gentlemen to call your own i think it is time you get him out of that red jumper and in to the local threads. My challenge to you Richard (and i know you will except, need i say vindaloo) is to Acquire the most outrageous and hideous shirt you can find from each place you visit and immerse yourself in the culture, I want pictorial proof :) For - ever jealous G.J.Wi....Damn it I mean Secret Admirer xx