Morocco - desert, mountains, sun, sand and sea

Lovely company, wonderful time....

As we sat in the taxi on the way to Lima Airport in Peru in November 2012, ST and I started planning for our next adventure holiday for the following year. Plans of discovering more about the Mayan civilisation in Mexico, exploring the archeological sites in Jordan and trekking in Nepal did pass through our lips. But alas, due to time, financial and safety constraints, Morocco came up tops.

I ignorantly said yes to Morocco before I realised that we needed a travel visa. Luckily ST managed to submit the documents on my behalf at the not so friendly visa office in London. Two weeks later, it was a done deal! In a matter of days, our flights and tour were booked! In the frenzy of working extra long shifts, neither of us managed to get in any holiday research before we found ourselves on the plane to Marrakech.

Our 2 weeks' adventure saw us whizzing through Morocco. In Marrakech, we watched the many activities in the main square Djemaa el-Fna (monkeys, snake charmers, ample stalls selling orange juice and dates, henna stalls, theatrical performances and funfair games) and explored the souks branching off from it. If one manages to overlook the trail of horse carriages and the wonderful aroma that it imparts, the Koutoubia Minaret was a good alternative landmark to look out for when trying to work out directions back to the hotel. Casabalanca offered us a glimpse of the interior of one of the world's biggest mosques in the form of the Hassan II mosque 'floating' by the sea. This is as per Hassan II's translation of the Koranic verse that proclaims God's throne was built upon water.

In Rabat and Meknes we visited several mausoleums and night markets whilst downing more mint tea. Chefchaouen had lots of narrow streets flanked on either side by blue and white washed buildings akin to a scene from Santorini in Greece. One of my favourite places was Fez. We started off with a superb tour of the souks by Ali as he led us through narrow maze like streets. With mint leaves in hand to mask the smell of the ammonia and pigeon poo used in the processing of the leather, we visited a tannery and took the obligatory photos as featured in travel magazines. To top it all off, we had one of the nicest meals in Morocco. We had tapas like starters, (in my case) a main of pastilla (pastry with chicken filling topped with a dusting of cinnamon and icing sugar - I know, it sounds like a strange combination but tasted heavenly! :P , and finished off with a big platter of fruits including ruby red pomegranates. Superb!

As we headed westwards away from the cities towards the Atlas mountains, the temperature plummetted drastically. By the time we reached Midelt, it felt like a totally different country. We were frozen and surrounded by maple trees. There were cries of outrage from the tour members. We came to Morocco for the warmth! If we wanted the cold, we would have stayed back in our respective countries (Canada/Britain/Australia)! Whilst the weak Canadians seeked shelter in the van, the tougher British trained Malaysians braved the weather for an outdoor lunch picnic of strange looking fruits (eg Horned melon/kiwano) and crisp.


Without doubt, the highlight of the tour was our trip to the Sahara. Once we had dressed up for the part, we mounted our camels and trotted across the sand dunes as desert sparrows fluttered around us. ST, who was initially the most frightened amongst us, bravely let go of the handrails to concentrate on her camera shots whilst my clammy hands gripped the handrails for my dear life. I utterly enjoyed sandboarding as we watched the sunset.

After a hearty meal of olives, kebabs, khobz (Moroccan bread) soaked with the gravy from the stew, rice, fruits and mint tea, we sat round the campfire for a sing-a-long and drum playing session. The Australian, Canadian, Polish and Malaysian national anthems were sung in true patriotic fashion followed by renditions of Moon River, Que Sera Sera and Ging Gang Gollie in my not so melodious voice. One by one, everyone chickened out of sleeping under the stars and headed to their respective tents. As my final companion for the evening, Jason turned round to me and asked "Will you be alright out here on your own?", I automatically replied "Of course, I will!"......a response I was to regret for the rest of the night! Equipped with only 3 blankets, a few layers of clothing (including my trusty North Face waterproof jacket - not that I am likely to need a waterproof jacket in the Sahara desert), I curled up on the sand. First, I heard what sounded like big bubbles gurgling through a huge tumbler of water. I blamed that on the camels. Then, to my right, I heard the howling of what sounded like a wolf. Next was the sound of Jason's beer can rolling in the wind. Intermittently, I would hear the toilet door slamming in the wind. Needless to say, I didn't get very much sleep that night. However, it was an amazing, unforgettable experience as I lay in the middle of the Saharan desert on my own, watching as the constellations and moon make its way across the sky. Never mind that I only noticed the untouched spare mattress on the other side of the campfire the next morning as I woke up before anyone else to take photos of the camp. In a daze, we lined up on our camels, felt the warmth of the sun against our skin and watched as the sunrise casted long shadows on the sand. It was a photographer's dream come true.

Our next stop was the Todra valley and Todra gorge. The red coloured sheer rock face towering above us looked spectacular. It was a shame we didn't have enough time to go for a trek before we were whisked off to Ouarzazate. It was at Ait Benhaddou, Ouarzazate that the Gladiator was filmed. It was also here that we watched as invisible messages came to life before our very own eyes - using tea, saffron and heat.

Alas, all good things must come to an end. Essaouira was our final stop before we returned to Marrakech. It's famous for it's sun, sand and surf. A relaxing European like town by the beach. I did enjoy wandering down the streets in search of Arjan oil and other souvenirs, chatting to the fellow Swiss traveller who picked at his grilled fish with surgical precision, watching the fishermen cleaning their catch and devouring grilled crab, prawns, squid and sea urchin for lunch and dinner.

All in all, Morocco was good fun, especially thanks to the lovely companions we had throughout our travels. Morocco does have lots to offer, though I must admit it didn't give me as much of a buzz as I had on my return from Peru. ST and I agreed that we think the holiday could have done with a trekking trip thrown in. Perhaps we could fit that in alongside a trip to Argentina in the new year??? ;)