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SOUK MARKET
We visited one market place with 8,000 shops. We sailed from Lisbon with 64 passengers in our group. Time to meet new friends and visit new ports. Our first port of Agadir, Morocco is on the northwestern coast of Africa. I thought it would be warmer but this area is influenced by the cooler current that comes down from Greenland. We took the ship’s shuttle bus to the main town square and then negotiated with some very eager drivers for a two-hour taxi tour around the town. We ended up at the souk (market) and were in for some strong bargaining. I finally reached a price agreement with one merchant for some scarves and pashminas. That afternoon a sandstorm from the Sahara Desert kicked up leaving sand everywhere. We will probably see this same sand when it passes over Florida in a few weeks, hopefully not in the form of a hurricane. Just off this coast is the birthplace of hurricanes. NOAA is predicting an intense hurricane season this year. We’re keeping our fingers crossed that they are wrong.
Next we headed to the Canary Islands, the winter playground for Europeans and aptly named “The Happy Islands.” We docked at five islands in five days and found all
of them to be quite unique and lovely. Surprisingly the Canary Islands are named not for the bird of that name but instead for the dog breed called Presa Canario. Lanzarote, Tenerife, and Grand Canary Island are highly developed urban cities that happen to have numerous beautiful beaches. El Hierro and Fuerteventura Islands are the least developed and have a more traditional Spanish lifestyle.
Since the ocean was too cold for snorkeling, we did another walking tour of the old town in Arrecife and saw lots of evidence of its volcanic origins. Santa Cruz is noted for its lovely town squares and parks and, of all things, Chinese Restaurants. So, we had the Tenerife version of Asian food at a nice outdoor restaurant. El Hierro is the least populated and was virtually closed for the May 1st worker’s holiday. The town itself is called the cloud city because it is so high on a cliff. The bus ride up and down is not for the faint of heart. In Las Palmas we explored the old quarter which is filled with bountiful food and craft markets. In Puerto Rosario we again hired a taxi for a half hour ride to
SUSAN AND SEABOURN STAF
Awaiting the arrival of guests at Distinctive Voyages welcome reception. Corralejo with friends Jan and John. The towering sand dunes are remarkable as are the miles and miles of beaches. This island of Fuerteventura is the closest to Africa and is considered a Biosphere Reserve for its unique blend of desert ecosystems and sustainable tourism. We enjoyed the Canary Islands and can see why they are loved by many Europeans.
Next up we cruised back to Morocco and the exotic city of Casablanca made famous by Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman. The funny thing is that none of the filming was done in Casablanca. The scenes were all shot in Hollywood. After all, in 1942 the war was raging in Europe and North Africa so there weren’t many movies being made in that part of the world. We took our group on a tour of the area and the first stop was at “Rick’s Café.” An enterprising Moroccan had some signs and plaques put on a building and opened a bar. Now it is a tourist favorite. We then went to one of the largest and most beautiful mosques in the world. The Hassan II Mosque was completed in 1993 and almost broke the city because of its massive
construction costs. The beaches are beautiful, and the souks are filled with wonderous goods and very determined hawkers.
Our last port in Africa was Tangier. This is our favorite city in coastal Morocco. It is situated on a large half-moon bay and has maintained its stunning white Moroccan architecture. As usual we hired a cab and went to the top of the Medina which is the old commercial and residential area of town. From the hilltop we could see where the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean meet. The narrow alleyways and cobbled streets are lined with rug sellers and master weavers and all sorts of trinket shops. Our driver Mohammed escorted us as we made our way on foot back down the hillside. And he also helped with our bargaining. There was much more to explore here but it was time to head back to our ship and depart for Lisbon and finish this second segment of our cruise.
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