Day 14- Closing Tripping Morocco

Slept at the Hotel Anezi, 4 star hotel drifting down to 3 star rapidly (poor elevators, ants in bathroom, poor plumbing and inadequate breakfast buffet). Had stayed up late typing yesterday’s blog in lobby of the hotel (WiFi only in lobby). Actually there was a good rock group playing cover and original songs in the bar). Woke up early at 7:15 AM to greet the sunshine and go for a run. So dressed for the climate and customs, I headed out towards the beach. I ran down the hill and along the beach boardwalk. On the beach side, a broad swath of sand with people running, walking, playing soccer despite the early hour. On the land side, there were multiple resorts such Club Med Agadir and Riu Tikul as well as restaurants ranging McDonald’s to chic. Had a good half hour run with the sun rising and the moon still out. Ships were riding high on the horizon waiting to get into Agadir harbor. I tried to imagine what had been there prior to the earthquake of 1960. Back to the hotel and the final preparations for breakfast and then departure. The breakfast buffet was disappointing compared to all the others of the last two weeks. Many voices were in Romanian, suggesting that the East Bloc can now afford to tour. We paid up and transferred the bags downstairs to putt-putt for the drive to the airport. Despite a few signs, we managed to need to stop for directions from a policier, and there was a “tout drrroit” response. We met Amine from Receptours at the departure area as planned. No formalities just a merci for his help. I don’t know if he expected a tip as everyone else did.

In the airport at Agadir, we managed to hit all the slow lines at Royal Air Maroc, passeport control and then security. A smile and patience to get through to the gates. Our flight to Casa left only a few minutes late. Guittel was sitting next to a young Moroccan woman with a six month old baby. She lives in Montreal and agreed with our observations about driving and tipping in Morocco. She told us that the parking attendants should only get a couple of dirhams and we were getting ripped-off. The flight to Casa was brief and uneventful. Then we had to find our gate for Montreal. The flight was not listed and then suddenly listed as boarding. We had to pass through security twice again, even though we had already done so in Agadir. The duty free shops only accepted Euros or dollars, and gave change in dirhams, so only chocolate was purchased. Then we were bused to a peripheral gate where the plane had not yet arrived. Another line up with document check and then some of the passengers were put on buses to go 100 metres to the plane and outside stairwell. After a logjam at the door and at the stairwell, they decided the rest of us could safely walk to the plane. Third world organization, not really designed to be neither efficient nor envied. The plane filled up and we took off an hour late, perhaps fittingly on “Moroccan time”, ending our tripping Morocco.

Some random thoughts:


I would have changed the itinerary to include more Fez and Marrakech time as well as Essaouira. Agadir was not really interesting and we should have booked a different return to Montreal. Riads and small hotels are more interesting and usually better quality. Driving in Casablanca was a terrifying experience after a night on the plane. Although I got used to Moroccan driving habits, I would tell others to be careful if they want to drive. The roads are adequate but require concentration, patience and some nerve. The Moroccans are polite, friendly and smooth talkers. I was quite impressed how many if not most made the effort to appeal to tourists in whatever language. Much of the beauty of places may be hidden behind walls or doors, so the unknowing tourist needs to hunt out good things such as restaurants (for example the Dar Batha in Fez medina, almost lost in the fear of dark twisty lanes of night time medina.) Planning is important and for the most part we did well. December is a rainy month and perhaps not the best to travel in. Technologies such as cell phones, solar panels, satellite dishes and the internet change a society. Religion can be a glue to a society or a brake to progress, now as in the past.

Trip moments:

Driving in Casablanca the first hour.

The food in most places, especially the tagines.

The Fez medina tour (behind the scenes with Rachid)

Sunset, moonlight and sunrise in Merzouga/ Erg Chebbi

The Kasbah Oudaya in Rabat and Ait Ben Hadou

Shopping in the souks of Marrakesh

Dealing with the flat tires in Rabat and the parking attendants.

Breakfast in Essaouira on the rooftop of Dar L’Oussia.

The breathtaking views while driving south from Fez to Erfoud and north from Ouerzazate to Marrakesh.



Next time to Morocco a different focus and attitude perhaps.

Day 13 Essaouira to Agadir

I was awakened by the gulls and the sunlight coming into the room. The heated ceramic floor made getting out of bed a little bit easier. Guittel went to the hammam for a session while arbitrated with the children next door to get ready and head for breakfast. The breakfast at Dar L’oussia was served on the rooftop terasse, five floors above ground with a gentle breeze, strong morning sun and comfortable chairs and tables arranged around the roof, overlooking the courtyard. Several families and couples were already being served. We took our places in the midst of the seagulls and were served coffee au lait, fresh orange juice, crepes, yogurt, baguette with bread and jams etc. Service was elegant and likely a hint of what the restaurant for evening meals was like. Unfortunately we did not get to try either the bar or the restaurant. The décor was elegant Moroccan but the striking feature was the large black and white portraits of older African men. Saved for another trip, I guess.

After the morning meal, we paraded out around the port of Essouira and scala du port. The smell was overwhelmingly fish, the cannon and walls were Portuguese but the men on the docks were all Moroccan. The fishing boats are all blue and the seagulls swooped over the harbor and the shore, waiting to be scavengers.We then walked into the square and through some of the maze of alleys that are named streets. Shops with souvenirs and crafts mixed in with the occasional gallery and restaurant. Cafes were everywhere as fitting the lifestyle and sunshine. We wandered through the medina some more and then later had lunch at a café in the square. My grilled sardines were light, salty and crispy. No beer available to wash them down with. The other s ate well also and the scavengers cats were always in evidence waiting for our droppings. The whole area was crowded with locals and tourists since it was Saturday.

Mid afternoon we carted our baggage out of Dar L’Oussia, regretting that we only had one night there and in Essaouira. We loaded the car up after the street attendant moved a few cars for us so that we could open the back doors. He literally pushed the cars on the level street to make space. (All of us had left the parking brakes off. This was one of the most efficient uses of parking space.) We drove down the beach road and saw the more conventional part of the town. Then it was 170 km down the road to Agadir. Now although the map shows a straight highway much of the distance, there was no straight section of the road anywhere until near Agadir. Moroccan engineers seem to have a disdain for topography and build roads in a twisting, turning fashion up and down hillsides and mountains. The drive was scenic as usual, first inland and then over the coast road with the Atlantic crashing on the rough shoreline. As we approached Agadir, there were more surfers and beach activity as we saw on a similar drive down the California coast a few years ago. Finally at 5PM we arrived on the road overlooking Agadir, a city of white buildings, built since the destructive quake of 1960. Our hotel, the Anezi was centrally located but a bit dated in appearance and functioning. We did catch a great view from balconies of our adjoining rooms. We walked 10 blocks to find a pizzeria, La Sicilenne, which was recommended in the books. We could see that Agadir was different from other Moroccan cities. The pizza was authentic Italian style but with Moroccan twists and service. Ironically, since the restaurant was a WiFi spot, I also read about the shooting and funeral of Nick Rizzuto in Montreal. Sent an email home and then Guittel and I drove putt-putt around the beach area and downtown for a few minutes to see what the night time action was about. The city is just a big resort and not that much different from other similar places. Tomorrow, last day.

Day 12- New Year's Day

The day started like many others, grey sky, slowly awakening children and a busy agenda planned. This time we were mostly up by 8:15 AM and having breakfast buffet at the hotel. Selection okay but less staff on hand. Lots of dried candies on the floor and photographs on display in the lobby of the goings on in the hotel. We packed up and checked out, putting our stuff in the car. Putt-putt stayed in the parking lot while we walked to the medina and Djemaa el Fna. We saw our requisite snake charmer from a distance and the monkee was turning somersaults as usual. We headed toward the souks and did some shopping and haggling. Sometimes we walked away without purchasing as the merchants thought Guittel was offering too little. Kids were somewhat interested and bought some of the things they wanted. Taxi back to hotel and then we drove north to the Majorelle Gardens. There we saw the beautiful and colourful garden that Yves Saint Laurent had maintained after the original owner died. The cacti, bamboo and the colours were striking and perhaps, typically modern Moroccan, rather than traditional.The digital archive continued to grow as we clicked away.
After the Gardens, we had lunch at a cafe on Mohammed V, paninis and  Moroccan versions of caesar salad and club sandwich. Then we hit the road in our car to Essaouira on the coast, There is some construction but on the whole it rolled along well. We arrived on the coast in time to get a glimpse of the sun setting over the Atlantic and the lights coming on in the town. Essarouira is a port with Portuguese roots. Lately with an excellent beach, good surfing and an artist community it has developed. The city and people look typically Moroccan and the Medina is similar to others in crowding, style of shopping and cleanliness (low). The buildings in the medina are old but surrounding and near the huge walls, the riads have developed and the restaurants have become sophisticated. Our riad, Dar L'oussia is just inside the walls, so we parked putt-putt on the street and paid the street watcher 30Dh. Then a porter came and took our bags to the Riad around the corner. The entrance revealed a beautiful open courtyard surrounded by four floors of the building and rooms. The central fountain is filled with rose petals, and there were ground-floor restaurant  and bar areas.The rooftop terrace is also the breakfast area. The rooms are simply decorated with large frame beds and local furniture. The bathrooms have showers with tadelakt finishing, and most impressively the heating comes from radiant heating under the ceramic floors.The other guests seem quiet and the French restaurant was not too busy, but the quiet was punctuated by the shrieking of seagulls who live on the roof and squawk down the open courtyard.
We settled in and had the usual debate over bed assignments by the kids. Then we walked the main street of the medina and did some more shopping. Supper was at a local restaurant featuring Moroccan and French food, Le Mechouar. There was good entertainment with musicians and singers as well as percussionist. The service was slow but the food waas excellent. The area just outside the medina, where our riad is locted has a cleaneer look and the surf is audible above the noise of the town.  From first glance it would seem to be a city that offered a beautifuk taste of the Moroccan coastline.

Day 11 Marrakech

Bad weather showed up early with rain and clouds in the morning . I went for a run in the rain and cold in the early morning, then we all woke up after and piled into the busy breakfast area. A large buffet awaited us, we prepared for the day in town and this allowed the sun to break out. To get to the Koutoubia Mosque, we all got into a horse drawn caleche and rode through the crowded streets past the Moumounia Hotel to the landmark Koutoubia tower and mosque. Of course, non Muslims cannot enter so we moved on to the Place DJemaa El Fna. Quite a scene although not what usually goes on at night yet. Many food carts were already in place as well as a few snake charmers and a performing monkey. We then plunged into the souks, narrow streets crammed with small stores selling and displaying all the handicrafts and other goods one could imagine. Calls and invitations to enter came from all corners and in all languages. Pedestrians competed against bicycles, mopeds, hand carts and the occasional mule. Some streets had wooden objects, food, spices, hats, shoes, jewelry and pottery to no end. We stuck to the main streets but did not really get out to the other areas of the medina. Watching Guittel bargain made the whole thing more interesting. Several hours later, we ended back in the Place at a restaurant for lunch. Delicious tagines helped us fill up. Mine was lamb with figs, the tender meat falling off the bone amidst the sauce, almonds and figs.

The afternoon was then spent visiting other sites such as the Saadian Tombs, from the early days of Marrakesh and the Palais de Bahia, a large house built around several central traditional courtyards. The rooms show the typical elaborate carvings, wooden decorated ceilings and mosaic tiles. Intermingled with the traditional décor were works of modern art including some quirky installations.We crammed into a grand taxi back to the hotel and took a little break trying to book a restaurant for dinner. understandably with New Year's Eve, all the recommended places were "complet" or outrageoously priced with special dinners. Finally we found a small French bistro not too far from the hotel by car. A short battle with traffic and we were there for 7:30 PM, relatively early by Marrakesh standards. New Year's is a big event in this tourist/expatriate city but even the locals seem to celebrate. The restaurant, Metro 80, was a small two storey bistro. They had a DJ and decorations for New Years. We took dinner a la carte and all enjoyed the meal. We drove back to the hotel, the Golden Tulip Farah, planning to go to the Place for late evening entertainment but somehow we did not get there. So New Year's Eve countdown was spent watching Arabic television, and that was the beginning of 2010 in Marrakesh!

Day 10 Ouerzazate to Marrakesh

Day dawn sunny and warm in Ouerzazate, the gateway to the south. We ate breakfast in hotel and then rolled out to see the Atlas Film Studios just outside of town and then 50 km later Ait Ben Hadou, a kasbah (walled town) that was first built in the twelfth century. The film studio had sets from movies made there such as Gladiator, Jewel of the Nile, Kundun and many others. It was pleasant to walk from one country to another in a few metres. Only outdoor shots were filmed there or at our next stop, the Kasbah. So a bit disappointing. The Atlas Mountains are sometimes snow peaked and they form the backdrop for the whole drive and visit to Ait Ben Hadou. This Kasbah is being restored under UNESCO funding. It lies 10 km off the main road north. We parked near a complex of little souvenir stops and restaurants and walked to the edge of the river. To get across to the Kasbah, you either have to take shoes and socks and walk across, search down stream or just pay the boys with donkeys who are lined up to carry you across the 25 metres. As good tourists, we choose the donkeys, haggled a return trip price and then "boarded" five donkeys to get across. (From camels to donkeys, a practical country..) Once on the other side, we were typically befriended by a young adolescent who became our guide to this kasbah complex overlooking the valley. Inside, it is earthen, collapsing or partially restored. It turned out our guide also lived in the Kasbah, one of the few actual residents. He even showed his mother, his little room with a poster of Russel Crowe and the sheeps and chickens kept locked up in a pen  in the house. There are artists and little souvenir stands throughout the complex. The view was fabulous, surrounded by snow-capped mountains in  the distance all around with a bright sun and blue sky.We haggled with a Touareg nomad trying to sell us Touareg jewelry and items, all interesting but over-priced. Leaving the kasbah, we reversed the donkey crossing and then headed to the car. To arrive back at the main road to Marrakesh, we played chicken with oncoming cars and buses on a road built for 1.5 cars instead of two. Once back on the road to Marrakesh, N9, the road was two lanes wide and passed through the usual assortment of busy villages and towns, rising to the mountains anf the Tizk- test Pass. The road was amazingly twisty in serpentines rising and falling up and down the valleys. It seemed never-ending, especially for the car sick passengers of the back seat. The road reaches some 7000' feet altitude, I think, and somehow, no matter how barren or windwept there is a souvenir stand or table or even a single man selling something around each bend. On the way, we had to pass buses and large trucks often carrying cows on a roof top corral. It required fair bit of concentration and gear shifting to not become a road statistic. Finally we began descending towards Marrakesh and the vegetation and climate changed with more greenery and clouds on the northern side of the mountains. Marrakesh is a big city which in typical Moroccan fashion has few street signs, as if they were an after thought, something to get around to eventually. Despite that, with only two requests, we found our hotel and checked in. The room is a little crowded "duplex" split on two levels. We walked a few long blocks to a good Spanish restaurant called Puerto Bunas and ate delicious but expensive fish meal. Very filling. Tomorrow we tackle the sites of the city as well as the New Year.

Days 8 and 9, Erfoud to Ouarzazate

Out of touch yesterday as we were at Erg Chebbi, the dunes in the Sahara, near Erfoud. Can't have the net everywhere!
December 27th, we awoke after a nice night's sleep at Xaluca Maadid. The birds were chirping in the rushes and palms outside our rooms. Breakfast was a buffet affair for the family, fruits, eggs, cereals, pastries and good coffee. We had the morning free so each of us did something. I went for my first run in Morocco down the road from the hotel. I kept track of donkeys vs. cars passing me and the donkeys won. People including women in black to the ground stared a bit even though I was dressed conservatively. I saw the system of dikes and irrigation ditches which floods fields and creates the green corridors through the south. Sure enough when I stopped in the town for a few seconds to catch my breath, a local Berber came up to speak to me in the usual mix of English, French and Arabic, offering to be my guide in the kasbah of Maadid. He listed the movies filmed in the area and like others, wanted to be a host. I thanked him and headed back the few kilometres to the hotel to rejoin the others sitting around the pool. We organised our belongings to only have a small backpack for our night in the Sahara. We stowed our bags at the front desk and headed out for a drive before lunch. We passed through Erfoud, a dusty southern Moroccan town with many shops, including fossils and minerals. The Xaluca rooms had marble sinks filled with fossils such as nautilus shells. By stopping in a factory store, we learned that the area had been part of a sea 450 million years ago. The owner showed us how the stones were cut and the fossils made visible, polished and works of art created. We had the tour of the workshop and he showed us beautiful tables and fountains created from these fossil stones. We had to settle for a few smaller pieces. Then back to the hotel for a quick lunch. Our driver picked us up at 15:30 in a big Jeep and we headed south, first crossing the river in the 4X4 over a bridge/dam with water up to the mid wheel. Then we headed off road across the flat sandy area which had been the inland sea for about 15 km. There were mountains around this flat plain including the border area with Algeria but even more spectacular were the sand dunes rising up a few hundred metres above the desert. These were the classic dunes we've all seen in movies. In the middle of nowhere, a series of kasbah hotels ringed the area each with a tent city of Berber tents with woolen roofs. Ours had several hundred tents in rows arranged on the sand with alleyways lined with carpets and lanterns. Each tent had a large bed with heavy blankets a small table and a bare light bulb. So we had two tents , one with an extra bed for "la gazelle" as she was called everywhere. Next to the hotel camels and drivers were waiting. First we were welcomed in the hotel with a mint tea and then explained the options of camel rides at sunset or sunrise or both. We opted for sunset only at 300 Dhs each. Once cash paid (and we thought this had been included in our prepaid trip), we were taken out to camels and climbed up on our five beasts. A herder led our camels tied together up the dunes with a host person chatting away to us. There were many other  groups on various parts of the dunes. Our beasts bore us uphill, snorting, and creating camel chocolate the whole way. We held on with two hands and tried snapping pictures at times. Once near a summit, but not the highest, we were lowered and dismounted.  A blanket was produced and we all sat and watched the colours change as the sun slowly sank to the west. The dunes and the sky were transformed over a half hour of digital snapping and conversation with the locals. I was decorated with turban and blue gandoura and Guittel had her head turbanned as well. A little dune sliding on a blanket completed the activity as well as a little sales negotiations with our herders for more fossils. After a short session sitting around the fire, mellowing out on little stools, we were served dinner in a large tent heated with propane lamps like we often see on terasses in Montreal. Each table had their waiters and we were given soup, couscous and a chicken tagine, all quite tasty. Dessert was the usual tangerines, slighlty more tart in the south. After dinner, there was drumming and singing by the same staff along with the spectators (at least the Moroccans) joining in.
At 9:30, it was brush the teeth in the washroom, put on all the clothes and climb under the covers. I could see the moon through our tent roof as the temperature dropped. We quickly drifted off and it was official lights out as the bulbs were turned off. (I wonder if all the electricity was solar or otherwise produced since I saw no cables. )Anyway, like in summer camp only the nose stuck out from the blankets. We all slept dressed and in our coats. It was easy to hear the next tent snorer. The idea was for people to get up at 6AM to ride up the dunes for sunrise. We had planned to just go up on the roof of the hotel. I woke at midnight to go to the washroom, and the moonlight was so bright that everything was visible along the carpets to the facilities. You could easily read by moonlight. Back in bed again until awakening at 5:30 AM with our noisy neighbours, including children, awakening and getting ready for their camel climb. At that time the stars were visible in huge numbers and the moon had disappeared, so the effect was like a planetarium night sky. I even saw a shooting star. Gradually a thin strip of light appeared on the eastern horizon. I awoke Guittel and Kate and we bundled up and headed to the roof. All the camel riders slowly wound their up the dunes in a noisy procession with camera flashes going off. The sky brightened and cast shadows over the dunes, changing the colours from brown to pink to yellow. Finally the sun peeked up over the mountains and the sunrise was official.  A spectacular natural display on these towering dunes. The colours of our Berber camp were also revealed with the bright blue sky. Breakfast and warming up took place in the tent. Coffee and a buffet helped warm up the group. The bags were packed, the camera battery pack exhausted and the crew climbed into our 4X4 for the bumpy drive back to Xaluca Erfoud. We were all happy for the experience!

Once back in Erfoud, a quick rest-stop, baggage loading and we took off for our day's drive of 320km to Ouerzazate. The road was pretty easy through irrigated fields and towns all looking the same for the first 100 km. We reached Tineghir and kept going, not reallising that we had missed the turnoff for the Todra Gorge, supposed to be spectacular. The snow covered Atlas mountains formed our backdrop and there were lesser mountains and gorges to see. At Boulmalne, we turned up the Dades gorge valley, the valley of hundreds of kasbahs. A twisty, narrow road wound its way for 30-40 km up the valley with reddened cliff walls and homes and towns perched in places they should not have been. The base of valley was gree fertile terrain but anything above was pin-red rock and towns. My height-challenged crew complained about the road up and eventually forced me to turn back after a set of family postcards some 20 km up valley.  So we missed the end of the valley as well. We stopped in the next town El Kalaa M'goun, famous for its rose water and rose festivals later in the spring. After another sales pitch, we left with a small bag of product, and headed to lunch further down the road. We sat at a little restaurant outside on the sidewalk while they prepared tagine, brochettes and kefta on the edge of the sidewalk. The restaurant was not anything to speak of but the food was good. Once back in putt-putt we rolled along at a good clip past palms, the snow capped mountains appearing closer and many transitions from dirty plain to green valleys. Sunset saw us drive into Ourazazate and finding our hotel, without help, a first for the trip. We settled in the Mercure with the usual acrimony over who gets the extra bed. It was dark when we walked down the hill to see the Taourit Kasbah, a UNESCO site that was closed. However handicrafts beckoned, bargaining was done and a bag was filled. Back at the hotel, the hammam was used by Guittel, Kate and Michael with years dropping off with the water. Supper and off to bed.  

Day 7 Fes to Erfoud

This morning was one of those clear blue sky mornings which makes you want to be out and about. We got up early and had breakfast at Riad Damia, the usual crepes, yogurt, coffee etc. Nothing too fancy. We finished packing and said good bye to our host. He let us out the door of the Riad and it was like closing a little chapter of the trip. We rescued our car and packed in the baggage and the kids. Then like Fassis, we rolled out of te medina and found the road to Ifrane. Quickly we moved beyond Fes and started up to Immouzer. More climbing under the bright sun and we arrived in an hour in Ifrane, a picture postcard village looking like a Swiss transplant to Morocco. Little houses and hotels with sidewalk cafes and super clean streets and trees that looked like a Swiss or French mountain resort, minus the skiers or the snow.The weather was pleasant and we snacked on some pastry, snapped a few photos and headed out. We saw the Royal Estate with a chateau on a hilltop (the King has residences in all major areas). Then the road became more interesting outside of Ifrane.
For kilometres we climbed through first alpine terrain,with cedars and the usual herds of sheep and shepherds on the side of the road. After a while we reached a more bare landscape, rocky hillsides and bare vistas. We clibed and descended numerous switchbacks to reach Azrou. Then we headed south on N13 with the vista of the snow peaked Middle Atlas mountains. The scenery changed to more dry lunar landscape, sheep always visible and streams and lakes appearing where dry river beds had been. For hours we went up and down finally reaching Midelt (roughly halfway from Fes)  where we stopped at a clean little restaurant. The waiter put a table out in the courtyard for us to eat lunch in the sunshine. We enjoyed some omelets and chicken witholives and vegetables. It was very pleasant to feel the sun shining on us. Then after an hour, back in the car. The second half of the trip was even more breathtaking with high roads on the cliffsides, towering cliffs and deep gorges. The scenery looked a lot like the Grand Canyon and the American Southwest, but with homes and villages looking more and more like desert casbahs. The satellite dishes were ever present as were the cell phone towers, reminders that you are never out of touch, even as you approach the desert. Then we came out of the mountains to reach a man made lake shining in the barren landscape with a dam at its southern end. We reached the desert city of Er Rachiddia, which was more than your one mosque towns that we had passed through, and we thought that we were most of the way there. But again we started climbing and descending until we realised we were following a gorge that was filled with settlements and greenery from the river flowing through it. or the last 30 kilometres, the sun was setting and changing the colour of the sky and mountains to shades of pink, purple and finally dusk. \guittel became nervous that we were driving across desert floor with no town in site. Finally we reached the hotel resort that we had reserved, the Xaluca Maadid. It is a luxurious resort with  decor and staff from the south, earth-toned wallls and buildings with a spa, indoor and out door pools, jacuzzi, two restaurants, a salon de the, and entertainment. At the supper buffet, which had moroccan and "international" foods, they brought in a camel, a Gnawa rhythmic band chanting and drumming and then a trio of dancers doing belly dancing and head tossing routines. The kids liked and loved the rooms with their earthy decor, platform beds, fossilised marble sinks and shower. All beautiful. Toss in the moon and a sky full of stars at the end of a long but spectacular day and we have the makings of a great trip into the dunes tomorrow.