Blogs from Africa - page 10

The following morning, we bid farewell to historic Fes and prepared for a long day of travel towards our next destination, Erfoud. Our route through the montane cedar woods of the middle Atlas Mountains, would take us past Ifrane, a charming ski resort, and continue to Erfoud via Errachidia and the Ziz Valley. The stop at Ifrane was short, with time for a coffee and to try to imagine what our surroundings would look like covered in snow but, not long after leaving the village, we had another amusing stop to visit the local monkeys. Naturally, an enterprising young man was there to provide nuts so we could also feed them, and much merriment ensued when one of the cheeky cuties snatched a bag from someone's hand and ran away with it to sneer and eat ... read more

I have to admit that I probably knew less about Fes than any of the other cities in Morocco, but after having observed the immense 8th century Medina the previous afternoon and our stay at a beautiful Riad within it, I was really excited to explore what Fes was about. The 8th Century Fes el Bali Medina is a UNESCO Heritage site, and makes the others look like a child's maze. The claim is that it has 10,000 streets, by which I mean some being just wide enough to traverse single file and in perpetual gloom because of the high walls. It is so densely populated that the majority of the inhabitants are only familiar with the area that they live or work in and would get lost in any other part of the Medina. The ... read more

We had an early departure from Tangier, since it was going to be a long day of traveling South on our way to Fes. But the early departure gave us an opportunity to observe the beautiful sunrise from the 15th Floor La Kasbah Restaurant at the hotel, the Hilton Tanger City Center. In addition, one of the highlights of the trip was scheduled for that day, the anticipated tour of Chefchaouen, The Blue Pearl, nestled in the Rif Mountains. The early departure meant more time spent exploring this gem. We carefully packed the pastries we had bought the night before so that we didn't have to waste the precious time in the city waiting to be served lunch. Apparently, waiting for a meal can be a lengthy process in Chefchaouen. The name Chefchaouen means "look at ... read more

After another hearty buffet breakfast, we set out to explore the city that has served as Europe's gateway to Africa for centuries, Tangier. Our sightseeing would take us to the legendary Kasbah, the Grand Socco, and the Tangier American Legation, a five-story mansion located in the Medina. Our first stop was the Kasbah, and this sample only made me fall even more in love with the architectural style. Here, the samples of the traditional blue brought by the Jews feeling Spain in the 15th century became more prevalent. In this Kasbah, there were more buildings that have been converted to guest houses and B&Bs than in Rabat, which is to be expected from a city as cosmopolitan as Tangier. But from what we were told, they are not going cheaply, and good candidates can be sold ... read more

Tangier is fascinating in many ways, not the least of which is the constant reminder of the proximity to Spain, it's landmass clearly visible from the port across the beautifully blue water. A ferry that leaves every two hours provides easy access to those who wish to spend a day exploring Gibraltar. Tangier is one of the many Moroccan cities that take advantage of their waterfront location by having a beautiful and lively promenade with access to the wide beach on one side, and many restaurants and cafes on the other side. Fortunately, The Hilton Tanger City Center, where we were staying, was situated about two blocks from the promenade. It provided us with two fun evenings exploring the variety of choices available to us, as well as also providing spectacular views from its 15th floor ... read more