Notes:
- The medina is the old, walled town.
- A riad is a grand old home fashioned around an open courtyard, generally with lots of beautiful tile décor. The floor of the courtyard is set below the level of the rooms so that rain doesn’t flow into them.
- We did a lot of inter-city traveling by train and carried our bags with us, so we packed lightly. Thus no blow dryer and just a few shirts which you will see repeated over several days. And with no blow dryer I look pretty ragged, but I was having fun.
- A hammam is a Turkish bath. More about that later.
- Souks are market streets, jam packed full of little stalls. You’ll see the photos.
- $1=$.70 euro=8 DH (Moroccan dirhams)
Drinks in the Delta lounge at the airport. Nice Air France flight- champagne, good meal, hard seats with leg room.
Sun, Oct 25, Casablanca (photos)
Landed in Paris. Met a couple from Dearborn who had been on our flight and were also going to Morocco. He works at the bakery next to Cedarland and gave us some spinach rolls. 2 ½ hour flight to Casa. Got a cab to the hotel, with some confusion. Hotel Club Val d'Anfa is on the ocean. Our room has a view and we can hear the waves crashing in. Went for a walk on the boardwalk (The Corniche). Watched people who were living out of their van from our balcony- they were washing dishes. Moroccan restaurant for dinner- tagines (lamb with fruit), fish and assorted salad.
Mon, Oct 26, Casablanca to Tangier
Up at 7:15. Buffet breakfast in hotel (fruit, bread, boiled eggs). Dad bought water and postcards. Got a taxi, stopped by the big mosque, then to train station. Bought train tickets then walked to a tea shop. Coffee and mint tea for 12 DH. Dad walked across the street and three men sat next to me. When Dad came back and sat next to me they looked like they were going to shoo him away. 6 hour train ride to Tangier, with a stop/change in Sidi Kasem. Met a guy who got heart surgery at Ronald McDonald house in NYC, one who works for government tourism in Fes and was checking out his father’s olive crops, and a woman who lives in Tangier and gave us her phone number in case we needed help. Arrived in Tangier with cab waiting for us to Riad La Tangerina. We had a small room 2 floors up. Arrival mint tea on the rooftop terrace, at night, looking across the strait at the lights of Spain. The other way we could see the rooftops of the medina. Out at 8:00 PM for dinner. Dad talked to a guy in the street who led us to a restaurant. Beautiful Moroccan tile with a live band. An American who recommended the place plus a large party clapping with the music. We split a chicken couscous. In by 11:00 PM or so.
Tue, Oct 27, Tangier (photos)
Up at 7:30. We both showered then continental breakfast on the rooftop terrace, looking across at Spain. As we were leaving we learned they had not reserved our room for the second night so they moved us to Hotel Continental in the medina. The guy led us to the hotel down the narrow, stair-stepped medina streets, carrying my bag. Hotel overlooks the port. Met a nice man in the hotel gift shop who said Dad “smelled like an American” and who has friends in Kalamazoo. Off to explore the medina. Bought a hat, dates, scarf, etc. Walked thru a produce market, meat market (live chickens in cages, resting on the street with bound feet, escaping, a dressed lamb hanging with a tuft of fur on the end of his tail), fish market. Had tea in the courtyard of the Darna Women’s Community Center. Ate fried fish with bones on the street. Visited the American Legation Museum and spoke to the very friendly curator. Saw 5-6 sheep walking through the souvenir stalls. Considered a hamman (Turkish bath) but had been dissuaded by the gift shop guy. Ate dates and a tangerine in a small park. Back to the hotel @ 5:00, sitting on the patio overlooking the port. Then moved from the patio to an inside lounge (salon). Read Morocco book while Dad napped. Walked down to el Hamadi for dinner- had to ask for directions. Two guys tried to recommend other places. El Hamadi had a typical menu for tourists so we left. Bought dates. Went to a local place for dinner. Guys were in there watching soccer- fed us warmed over lunch food. 77 DH, what a deal! Cook/waiter wrote up our bill, complete with handwritten name of the restaurant, on a little sheet of paper. My knee was bothering me a little so we called it a night.
Wed, Oct 28, Tangier to Fez
Call to prayer in the dark, 5:00 AM or so. We slept until 7:00. Dad showered first. Down 2 flights to the lobby, down the hall, then up to the patio where we had breakfast. Bread and jam and coffee, overlooking the harbor. Fantastic tile architecture in that portion of the building. Checked out, bought some bread at a shop, then down to the port to get a taxi to the train station. Arrived at 9:00 for an 11:00 train, and the station was in a barren area, so walked to the McDonalds and waited for them to open to get a coffee. Met many nice people on the train. Aziz offered his friend as a guide in Fez, plus invited us to his house on Friday. Arrived in Fez, took some time to find a taxi to bab RCIF (a gate in the medina walls). Walked to Riad Dar Seffarine- a young boy guided us down tiny alleys (hallways) and was offended by my 1 DH tip. :-) Seffarine is drop-dead gorgeous with a 4-story courtyard, tile, many small rooms & stairways, and a stunning view of the medina from the rooftop terrace. Tea on the terrace, then Dad got a young guide to take him to the food souk for a meat sandwich. We ate that and leftover dates, nectarines, and nuts on the roof. Evening call to prayer was about 6:50 PM. Air filled with smoke. Saw a donkey in a tiny alley on the way in.
Thu, Oct 29, Fez (photos)
Up at 7:30 for a visit to the roof before breakfast at 8:15. Breads, eggs, fava beans. Our Guide, Said, met us at 9:30 as planned. He walked us through the medina. Too much to try to write about: tiny, covered streets with people walking, donkeys and horses carrying goods, stalls selling everything, cats, meat, camel and goat heads, live chickens, birds singing in cages, children asking for money, the smell of wood fires and tanneries, public ovens baking bread. Dad bought leather and carpets. The looking, being shown, complimenting, haggling process was long, interesting, exhausting. We stopped at a restaurant in a riad for a light lunch and more tea. Shortly after that (@ 4:00) Said brought us back to the riad. Beer and discussion, then off on our own to the henna souk. Dropped off our purchases then back off to the ATM and through the souks to pick up dinner, 2 breads for 1 DH each. A chunk of soft white cheese. Some triangular sweet pastries. Stropped at a café for a raisin smoothie- recommended by the Rough Guide. Ate our dinner on the rooftop, 7:00-9:00. Then downstairs to a salon to read more tour books. In by 10:30.
Fri, Oct 30, Fez (photos of our visit with Aziz)
Up at 7:00, after call to prayer at 5:30, birds at 6:00, and donkey traffic and dogs barking. Breakfast at the terrace with Dutch, French, and Swiss. Good bread, marmalade, coffee, eggs. Off to get more money and meet Aziz at Palais Jamias Hotel. Walked through the quiet medina (Friday is prayer day). Paid a boy to guide us to P.J. Nice hotel- used the internet and nice bathroom, then waited outside for Aziz. Dad thought he wouldn’t show but he did. We greeted each other, then took a taxi to his house. It’s a blue adobe house on a hill across from and viewable from the P.J. He showed us around, introduced us to his son, told us to make ourselves home in a covered “cabana” (his term) or the 2-room building next to it. Then he went back to the medina to pray. We sat for 2 hours: talking, taking in the view, drinking the tea his son brought us, sitting in the cool mud building, meeting the family. Aziz returned and took us into his living room. His wife had made a huge chicken tagine with couscous. She served it in a single platter to Dad and me, Aziz and his wife, and two sisters. Aziz spoke great English, the wife spoke French. They were incredibly gracious and kind and we felt ashamed by our mistrust of him and the whole situation. We ate grapes until I realized they had been washed and so we stopped. After the meal, photos, hugs, then he walked us to the road and waved down a car (of course he knew the driver) who dropped us back at the P.J. It was 3:30 PM and we knew we could get a 4:50PM or a 2:30AM train to Marrakesh, so we decided we were done with Fes, walked back to the riad to get our bags, through the quit souk, then taxi to the train station. At the Hotel Ibis there we made reservations at the Ibis in Marrakesh, since we didn’t want a hassle upon our midnight arrival. ~7 hour train ride in first class car with very polite fellow passengers- reading, writing, sleeping. Arrived and stumbled in to the Ibis no problem. Tiny room but clean and we were tired. I hadn’t been feeling well the last hour or so on the train; sure enough I was up all night with food poisoning.
Sat, Oct 31, Marrakesh (photos)
Up at 8:00. Dad ate at the buffet and brought me yogurt, pills for my stomach, and water for my Gatorade packets (Gatorade replenishes fluids better than water and was recommended by my doctor when I got sick in China). We checked out and walked to the train station for our riad pickup. Driver didn’t show so I haggled a price with a driver who brought us through very wide, trim boulevards into the medina. He dropped us off when we could go no further in the car and an old man with a cart grabbed our bags and took us through the maze of alleys to the Riad Andalla. Again, we opened the door in a crappy, tiny alley and saw a beautiful house built around a lovely, tiled courtyard. This one was similar to Dar Seffarine, but cozier. We met the owner who showed us a map of the city, with the can’t-miss sights and restaurant recommendations. Another beautiful rooftop terrace overlooking the medina, where I sat a while to rest my stomach. Spent Saturday in the room, in bed and on the terrace. Dad went out exploring and brought back my dinner of bread, rice and yogurt. Fell asleep early and slept OK.
Sun, Nov 1, Marrakesh
Up at 7:00 or so, feeling much better. To the terrace at 8:00 for breakfast, including a good carrot and a tomato/cinnamon spread for the crepes, bread, and corn cake. Took a short rest, then out to the square. Djeema el Fna is a huge square with food stalls, surrounded by restaurants, hotels, and souks (see later for what happens at night). Strolled down streets lots of souvenir shops, past a large minaret. Wandered around looking for the famous Hotel Mamounia but were blocked before we could even walk in front of it. Through the Koutoubia Gardens (behind the minaret) then off to the Saadian Tombs. Lots of souvenir shops and people. Tombs were closed so we wandered back to the riad, stopping for mint tea and a piece of cake. Short rest at the riad, then out to the souks off Fna. Blocks and blocks of stalls selling meat, produce, crafts, shoes, clothes, fabric, etc. So much to look at it made my eyes swim. Dad was feeling ill so he went back to the riad; I followed him soon after. We rested then went to the roof to hear the final call to prayer of the day. Off to Djeema el Fna for dinner. The square fills with mini-restaurants, complete with stoves and tables, at night. After exploring the souks a bit more we sat at a table and had lamb (me) and rice (Dad). Caused a bit of a ruckus when the staff thought our liter bottle of Gatorade was wine (forbidden in the medina). Wandered around and saw storytellers, boxers, henna painters, snake handlers, musicians. Then in.
Mon, Nov 2, Desert (photos)
Quick rooftop breakfast, then met the camel trekking tour at 8:00 AM. Found out 2 of the other 4 tourists joining us were also having stomach problems, so we all felt better about that and commiserated about causes and remedies. Off through the desert, into the High Atlas mountains, and thru the Dadres Valley and Gorge. Amazing desert and mountain scenery, with houses and villages rising out of the dirt, and made from it so really looking like they grew out of it. Scary, winding roads. Beautiful greenery where there were rivers. Had lunch at a nice, touristy restaurant but everyone was cautious. Several stops for photos but mostly hard driving. At a hotel in the gorge, overlooking an active river. Shared dinner with the 6 other guests- tagine and chicken + bread and fruit. Swapped travel stories and compared our countries (Japan, Spain, Poland, US). It was a cool night so needed the spare blankets available in the room. Good hard mattress.
Tue, Nov 3, Desert (photos)
Up at 6:30 and shower. Water was hot but pressure was low and drainage was bad. Buffet breakfast of Moroccan bread, jam and coffee. Into the van and back down the gorge. Cut east and back to the Todra Gorge. Got out for photos, then a guide led us down a bank, across a creek and some farm fields, and into an old abandoned kasbah. He picked pomegranates off a tree and we sampled them. Back to the van we passed women leading donkeys carrying alfalfa, clover and dates. We ate a few dates- fresh off the tree. Back to the van for long drive across the desert to Merzouga and the Erg Chebi sand dunes (with some stops for snacks along the way). Arrived at the auberge around 4:00 PM, quick stop for mint tea, then we saddled up on our camels and rode off into the dunes. The camels were strung together and led by a man who was walking. There were several other caravans along with ours. I was surprised by how many sets of different animal prints I saw in the sand. The desert obviously supports a lot of varied life. We rode for about 1.5 hours. We stopped near our camp and were urged to climb to the top of the dunes to see the sunset. By the time we were done it was getting dark so we hurried to the tent camp. Again we were greeted with mint tea. Then dinner in the light of the full moon. Bread and a very good chicken tagine, plus pomegranates and tangerines. We were joined by 6 kittens who shared my chicken. Then a quick stop in the sand behind the tents and in to the tent for bed. Carpets on the sand with cushions, sheets and blankets.
Wed, Nov 4, Desert to Marrakesh
Cameleer woke us at 5:30 to see the sunrise. More toilet=sand behind the tent. Breakfast in a different tent with the crew, then sat on the sand while the sun came up and the camels were prepared. Our crew was off first, and alone, back to the auberge. Very quick break then back in the van for a marathon drive back the way we came. A few stops at little shops for snacks, water and toilet. We were all tired, stinky and a little carsick but very glad we went. Arrived back at the Riad Andalla around 7:30 PM. Quick stop to wash our hands then back to the square for lamb and bread at one of the stalls. Dad ate a tagine with sheep head meat- disgusting. The square was annoying with people trying to direct us to their stalls, so back to the room for a shower and bed.
Thu, Nov 5, Marrakesh to Casablanca
Slept in a bit in our luxurious (after the desert) room. Breakfast on the terrace, read the book to decide how to spend our last day. Then off to the street. Bought some pretty glasses to bring home. The shop owner shook my hand, then held it until I realized he was holding it against his crotch, in sweat pants. So I tried to hurry up and close the deal and get out. Yuck. My stomach was upset (again? still?) so we stopped for tea at a restaurant. Turns out it was an old palace where scenes from “The man Who Knew Too Much” were filmed. Beautiful. Then I decided I had to try one hammam before we left. Dad drank tea in the courtyard while I was led to a hot, steamy room. A woman scrubbed me with, first, a slimy black soap, then a rough mitt, then a sandy black scrub. She left me to bake in the steam for about ½ hour, then came and rinsed me off with a bucket of water. Then downstairs for a massage with argan oil (a specialty of Morocco, like olive oil). Nice. Came down, got Dad, walked back to the square while I told him about it. Then decided we were hungry, so backtracked to a vegetarian restaurant we had passed earlier, Earth Café. Yum! Stopped at the riad to pick up our bags, walked out to catch a taxi, and to the train station. ~3.5 hours from Marrakesh back to Casa. We had reservations at the Ibis Hotel right next to the station so that was easy. Ate some leftover snacks, set a 3:30 AM wake up call.
Fri, Nov 6, Fly home
Quick shower then a quick walk to the train station for our 4:40 AM train ride to the airport. Then back to Detroit via Paris.
More notes:
See this funny bit from George Carlin. Stick with it for the jokes about packing on vacation.
Here are the reviews I posted on tripadvisor.
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