goodsue

Now I'm camping all over the eastern US with my R-pod, a small camper trailer.

I retired. In 2006 I finished volunteering in Guatemala,
finished being a foreign expert at Nanjing Normal University in China, from August 2006 to July 2007.

For the years afterward, I have traveled several places in the USA; visited a spa in Mexico; northern Europe in February '08 with friends from China. June 2011 another trip to Mexico, to Rio Caliente Spa. But staying home got boring. So I'm still camping the country and visiting relatives and friends all over the place.

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The Argon oil cooperative (Moroccan Oil)

Africa » Morocco March 18th 2015

High Atlas in background

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Have you heard of Argan oil? It's supposed to be fantastic for your skin and hair. This morning we stopped at the argon oil cooperative. Many young women work there pounding the nuts to separate the nuts to extract the kernal which is processed to get the oil. They are young women doing the nut cracking. Our guide, Abdul, said its a good job for them. They get a decent salary and the business is a cooperative intent on improving the lives of women. We got to see, hold and even taste some of the nuts, shells and kernels. I bought some oil and creams. The sample lip balm I tried was great.... read more

Arriving in Marrakech

Africa » Morocco » Marrakech-Tensift-El Haouz » Marrakech March 18th 2015

Snow on high Atlas Mt

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We drove over the High Atlas Mountains today to Marrakech. More later. This is a very busy place. We're in a 3 star riad (inn). Left the bus. Now traveling by horse and buggy. (Like true tourists) ... read more

Sleepy

Africa » Morocco March 18th 2015

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Last night I fell asleep with my finger on the photos in my phone. I'm sorry they aren't right side up. Now to the bus. ... read more

The Berber Palace

Africa » Morocco » Anti-Atlas March 17th 2015

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We were in the High Atlas region in my last blog. I chose the wrong section. We are now in the Anti-Atlas. We left Tinghir this morning after two nights. The hotel wasn't very good. The one now is fantastic. I have only 20 minutes before dinner, so just some notes. Three of us went to the haman, the bath. Very different from all the others I've gone to. (The Korean one in Atl., the Swedish one in Copenhagan, plenty of Turkish ones, even the one in Phila in the vast areas under the city.) Our guide had arranged for two women to take care of us. We each paid 100 dirham and we got scrubbed, oiled, washed with olive oil soap and had several warm buckets of water poured over us. There were a lot ... read more

A day in the life of a Morrocan

Africa » Morocco » Anti-Atlas March 16th 2015

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Today we were to visit typical places, not general tourist places. We first went to the weekly market and practiced our Arabic buying the ingredients for our dinner. In three teams, we got veges, and fruits. My team was responsible for the chicken, to be purchased in a different market. Much of the market reminded me of the Missouri flea markets. Then we went to the fields where the women were oicking alfalfa for the animals. After that, a boarding school for boys from outlying Berber communities. Our IAT travels help support the school. It reminded me of schools in other developing countries. We all brought books and notebooks and other school supplies. The chicken place was very interesting. The killing is done in the halal way, cut the throat and drain the blood by dropping ... read more

More photos of hotels

Africa » Morocco March 16th 2015

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I'll post some photos of the riad (small b&b) wheree we stayed in Fez. The place was owned by a wealthy Jewish family that left when Israel was founded. (A large Jewish emmigration happened later after 1967.) The current owner's grandfather bought 3 of the houses for his extended family. The carvings, mosiacs, etc. are phonemal. So here are photos.... read more

Tents in the Sahara

Africa » Morocco March 15th 2015

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We had great times in Meknes and Fez. I'll come back to them later; now I want to talk about driving through the Sahara and camping in camel hair tents. Actually, there are no camels here, only dromedaries. The latter have one hump. Before we got to the desert we stopped in a store to buy scarves and were taught how to tie them. I got bright blue--one of my favorite colors. Then we drive to an area with the big dunes, you usually see, and are introduced to our dromedaries. My scarf tied on, I was helped on the saddle. But those beasts rise up as though you will be thrown off. I expected it so I held on tight. We walked out in a string. It was great. We never ran. The desert is ... read more

We have traveled through plateau, mountains with ski resorts, dry land, oases, etc.

Africa » Morocco » Meknès-Tafilalet March 12th 2015

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That's all for now! More later. ... read more

Heading to the Sahara Desert

Africa » Morocco » Fès-Boulemane March 11th 2015

On the way to Fes

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Tonight is our second night in this fantastic Riad, an old (and I mean old in centuries) house that up till 1989 had 31 members of the same family housed here. As the children left to have their own homes, the last 8 relatives decided to turn it into a "Riad" a guest house, small hotel or most like a bed and breakfast. It is huge and and incredibly beautiful. The biggest change was to add a bathroom for every bedroom. I have lots of photos of the intricate handiwork, the mosaics, the carved ivory, etc. Today we went inside the Fes palace walls but not the doors. The king isn't here. When he is there are lots of flags and more guards. Then we went to the old medina. The biggest medina in Morocco, I ... read more

I arrived in Morocco

Africa » Morocco » Rabat-Salé-Zemmour-Zaer » Rabat March 9th 2015

3/9/15 Rabat, Morocco

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Hi everyone, I arrived in Rabat yesterday after hours of travel. I flew Air France from Atlanta to Paris Charles de Gaule airport, changed planes and flew to Casablanca. If you ever have a choice of companies, choose Air France. Delta does handle part of their service, but you will notice a huge difference in Delta's customer service and that of Air France. The latter is superb and I've never heard compliments of Delta's service. It's just barely OK...... Examples include phone communication, try it. In the planes, especially when crossing the ocean, you get wonderful service. Delta does overbook. (They sold 9 seats twice and we were delayed while Air France was taxed with getting us settled.) Enough of that complaint. We were given dinner one hour after we were in the air. First a ... read more

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