Blogs from Morocco, Africa - page 17

The sun cannot be covered by a net ~ Moroccan Proverb HE SAID... Today we were travelling northwest from Tafraoute to Taghazout. We’d fallen for the charm of Tafraoute (a remote mountain village high in the Anti-Atlas), but it was time to leave. However, we needed to breakfast first, so we made our way to the formal dining area of our hotel (Chez Amaliya) and enjoyed tea, orange juice, yoghurt, msemen (flaky Moroccan flatbread), khobz (traditional round bread), boiled eggs and honey. We had a long day of travel ahead. We were descending from the Anti-Atlas on route to the Atlantic coast, so we loaded our packs into the minibus and left Tafraoute at 9am. As we started winding our way through the mountain roads, I was drawn to the Anti-Atlas peaks towering above us. They ... read more

Never say I regret, say I learned ~ Moroccan Proverb HE SAID... Today we were travelling southwest from Marrakesh to Sidi Ifni via Agadir. We woke late. I’d accidently set the alarm for 6:30pm, so we had to hustle. We quickly organised our packs and headed straight down to breakfast. Ren wasn’t feeling 100%%, as she had not slept well during the night (due to a constant cough). Her appetite was fairly low, but I made up for what she couldn’t eat. I had three fresh juices – orange, lemon and beetroot – along with mint tea, cornflakes, almond yoghurt, baguettes and jam. It was a standard way to start the day, and I loved the simplicity and freshness of our Moroccan breakfasts. We dragged our packs down to the hotel lobby, loaded them into the ... read more

One cannot hold two watermelons in one hand ~ Moroccan Proverb HE SAID... Today we were travelling east from Essaouira to Marrakesh. We walked from our riad (Chakir Mogador) to a bus stop just outside the medina, loaded our packs into the underbody storage compartment of a public bus and headed off to Marrakesh at 2:30pm. As we made our way through the outer suburbs of Essaouira, I realised we had rarely ventured outside the old medina’s walls during our two days in this relaxing coastal city. We climbed from the Atlantic coast and headed inland, driving through flat agricultural fields on the way. Every so often the bus ground to a crawl as we slowly edged through small villages where busy Friday markets had spilled onto the main road. The bus trip was very comfortable, ... read more

The mind is free and the slightest thought has great influence ~ Moroccan Proverb HE SAID... Today we were travelling northwest from Taroudannt to Essaouira (via Agadir). After a whistle-stop visit to Taroudannt (where we explored the town’s red-mud walls ramparts and crowd-free souqs), we jumped into our minibus and headed to Agadir on the Atlantic coast. We were taking the scenic coastal route to Essaouira. We drove past endless oranges groves and banana plantations (many of which were under cover) on the way to Agadir. Nearly 40%% of Moroccans are employed in agriculture, and this was very apparent as we gazed out the window at the Sous Valley’s changing terrain. We also drove past endless argan trees and witnessed the Moroccan phenomenon of goats in trees. Goats love to eat the outside flesh of the ... read more

The journey on a local bus from Chefchaouen back down the hill to Tétouan was uneventful save for the kids needing sick bags after just the first couple of twists and turns! Luckily it didn't become an epidemic and we were soon jumping into a taxi and on our way to the Hotel Al Mandari.Perched on the edge of a cliff, it occupies a spectacular location in itself, but we were not prepared for the spectacle of the city of Tétouan. How this gets left off tourist itineraries is beyond belief. Our first stop was the impressive Place Feddane, an enormous square, gleaming white at the foot of the hill over which spreads the most magnificent display of white houses topped by a crumbling old barracks and kasbah. Where Chefchaouen was a blaze of beautiful blue, ... read more