Blogs from Morocco, Africa - page 19

Endurance pierces marble ~ Moroccan Proverb HE SAID... Today we were travelling northwest from Moulay Idriss to Volubilis. We emerged from the steep narrow lanes of Moulay Idriss around 9:30am, piled our packs into a waiting taxi and made our way towards the archaeological site of Volubilis, a mere 10 minute drive from the intriguing hillside village we loved so much. Once a distant outpost of the Roman Empire, Volubilis is located in the middle of an agricultural plain, and we soon discovered we were at the mercy of strong winds that amassed incredible force as they made their way across the flatlands of the Fertassa and Khoumane valleys. There were times I could barely stand, which made it difficult to hold a steady camera for photos. I couldn’t help but question Rome’s logic as we ... read more

If at noon the king declares it is night, behold the stars… ~ Moroccan Proverb HE SAID... Today we were travelling northeast from Casablanca to Rabat. We were catching a morning train to Rabat, so we headed down to the hotel lobby for an early breakfast. Breakfast was a reasonably simple affair, but enjoyable all the same. We started with freshly squeezed orange juice and mint tea, then grazed on baguettes, boiled eggs, croissants and jam. We organised our packs in our room, then loaded them into a minibus and made our way to Casa Voyageurs, one of Casablanca’s three main train stations. The station was empty, so we breezed through the various ticket collectors and settled into our oven-like carriage. We eased out of the station at 9:45am, and stared silently at the decrepit and ... read more

Believe what you see and lay aside what you hear… ~ Moroccan Proverb HE SAID... Today we were travelling from London to Casablanca. We left Romany’s house in West Harrow (London) around 2:30pm and caught an Uber to Heathrow Airport (Terminal 4). We settled at Caffe Nero and used our remaining currency to buy coffees, smoothies and a lemon sparkling tea. We sat and chatted with Romany, Kirsten and Jared until 4:45pm, then made our way through security. Ren got caught in a backlog of passengers who needed their bags checked, and while we waited at the security counter our gate lounge opened. It seemed an interminable wait before Ren’s bag was even opened, and the only mistake she had made was to leave her iPad in the bag (rather than take it out). When she ... read more

Chefchaouen, Rif Mountains Morocco February 2019 “Blues is a tonic for whatever ails you. I could play the blues and then not be blue anymore.” B. B. King “No water, no life. No blue, no green.” Sylvia Earle “The birds they sang at the break of day, Start again I heard them say. Don't dwell on what has passed away. Or what is yet to be.” Leonard Cohen, Anthem Chefchaouen (35.1695 -5.2685) was founded in 1471 as a small kasbah fortress to fight off the invading Portuguese. It is 113 km south-east of Tangier and is nestled at the base of the Rif Mountains (best known as for the production of Moroccan hashish). After the 1492 Spanish expulsion, many Jews settled in Chefchaouen. It was also part of Spanish Morocco from 1920 until the independence in ... read more

Imlil, Alto Atlas, Morocco February 2019 ' “I have seen nothing more weird or miraculous than myself. Over time we may get used to strange things. But the more I probe myself and know myself, the more my oddity astonishes me, and the less I understand who I am.” Michel de Montaigne,On Presumption “I am the wisest man alive, for I know one thing, and that is that I know nothing.” Plato's Socratic Paradox, The Republic “Being at ease with not knowing is crucial for answers to come to you.“ Eckhart Tolle “Not knowing anything is the sweetest life.” Sophocles “The only thing that makes life possible is permanent, intolerable uncertainty; not knowing what comes next.” Ursula K. Le Guin “In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, in the exper... read more