Blogs from Morocco, Africa - page 207

Morocco was rife with a wide variety of challenges...physical, cultural, mental, olfactory, gastrointestinal. You name it, we did our darnedest to beat it. Despite the tale of woe, hardships, climatic extremes and projectile vomit that you´re about to read, Morocco was one of the most rewarding destinations in our travels. Our ascent of Jebel Toubkal, highest mountain in north Africa was perhaps the highlight. The excitement builds...we´re bound for heights almost twice the altitude of the top of Australia, and it´s a challenge that we can´t wait to face. We´re travelling with our Swiss friend Andreas, and we´re grateful to have him and his mountaineering skills along for the ride. We make it to the tiny mountain village of Imlil (1600m) by the only way we can find from Marrakech - taxi. It´s the longest taxi ... read more

So Im in Morrocco and i really dont know how to feel. Im actually really wishing i wasnt here, that i was back in barcelona, or even better home on the couch in australia watching the crows play. but im not and so i feel like i should be making the best of this situation- finding out what it is that others love about this place....why i am i so tense that my neck is stiff and everything aches? why cant i look at the little boy whos trying to sell me tissues and not want to cry, but at the same time pull my bag closer to me so he cant swipe it? why do i not even feel like looking at the beautiful coloured scarves and wall hangings? why, when cherida just sugggested a ... read more

after partying all night with locals in Todra Gorge and getting little sleep, we had a short bus ride to the town of Aıt Benhaddou. This town has a fılm studio and many famous films have been shot here, including Gladiator, Laurence of Arabia, and many others. Next came the mountain town of Imlil, where we stayed ın a converted house called a Gıte. We had to hike up to the village to get there, the walk was through terraces and small rivers as we passed houses of locals and played wıth the kıds along the way. Most of us stıll not feelıng at the top of our game, spent most of the time playing cards and games and running back and forth to the toilets... the next morning we had a nice trek through the ... read more

You know when you are at the edge of the Saraha desert. The sand dunes seems to rise up out of nowhere, and there are camels waiting all lined up waiting for you! Getting on a camel is a bıt of a balancing act, but once you are up there, it is a very cool experience. We headed out about an hour before sunset, and as we headed out to the camp, the colors of the sand change from yellow to orange to terracotta and red. Arriving at the camp some of us ran up and down the dunes, some chilling out, recovering from the camel ride. As dinner was being prepared the stars began to come out and I don't ever recall being able to see that many stars ever in my lifetime. After dinner, ... read more

How does one write about a country and culture so different from anything seen before. morocco stews the senses...period. you see things every other minute that shock you, sadden you, make you smile and only at the end can you shake your head and attempt to process it. we began in the city of marrakech after a 10 hour train ride down from the city of tagner. knowing that inside the historic walls of medina is where every visitor must see. we did our best of filling 3 days of walking the streets and squares of medina sampling moroccan cuisine, haggling with the best known scam artists in the world and escaping from the days heat in any shade we could find. our raid or house named menara atlas was hidden down unmarked streets and alleys ... read more