Backpacks and Flipflops

Monday 14 November 2016

Morocco.. part 2...Making time in Meknes.....the road south to the desert.....amazing Atlas Mtns...surfing Safaris and Camel riding...

Hello Meknes...

We leave Fez by train for Meknes.

The Fez train station is modern, clean and sleek.

The interior has a bit of old world Moroccon charm like this amazing wooden ceiling in the centre of the station. Glass, marble finish with plenty of shops to help pass the time while waiting ...

Our train leaves on time. Service including food and drink can be purchased by stewards walking through the cars. Seating is very comfortable. Too bad the trip only lasts 20 minutes.

This is definitely the way to travel through some regions of Morocco.

We arrive in Meknes, one of the four imperial cities of Morocco, get to our Riad (house) Felloussia in the Medina. Wonderful room, quiet and safe with Gravois hosts. It's just a few steps to the alleys of the Meknes Medina.

Our room with 16' ceilings.

A shower with enough room for the whole family!

A welcome mint tea starts our stay here.

We head out to see the famous Bab Mansour Gate finished in 1732. This gate is one of the best preserved of its kind in Morocco. Although, the palace grounds are closed for renovations, there's plenty else to see in Meknes.

Across from Bab Mansour is the giant plaza. Once, it was the site for royal pronouncements and public executions centuries ago. While that has been done away with, it is still a place to gather, to sit, to buy.

Snake charmers continue their centuries old entertainment; while story tellers weave astounding folk lore tales and magicians delight and mystify the children and families that stroll through the plaza.

People gather to meet, talk, eat snails or check out the 'flea' market goodies.

Inside, the Medina is less frantic than in Fez. Shopkeepers work, plying their handicrafts. Many of these thread shops turn their spools of gold, silver and magenta into glittering gowns for festivals and weddings. What Rumpelstiltskin would have done with these treasures.

The handiwork is evident everywhere.

And, we encounter little pressure to shop or buy. Much more laid back in the Meknes Medina, than in Fez.

We come across a rug, blanket, curtain auction. We step inside to watch. Seems the women down the middle are selling their handcrafted goods. Men carry each good from one end of the hall to another, bids are offered and sales are made.

A timeless tradition still carried on to this day.

We never did find out if the sales were for personal use or to be sold in someone's shop with a bit of a mark up.

Our Riad Felloussia has a perfect terrace overlooking the plaza. We sit in the warm afternoon sun and watch the crowds build for the nightly fun.

Of course, a brilliant Moroccon sunset over Meknes ends the day (with a stork gracing the sunset).

The souks in the Medina carry a wide range of fruits and vegetables.

There seems to be a vibrant agricultural scene in Morocco. Soil is rich, land is tended and worked.

Soon, it is time to head on the road again. After, a wonderful breakfast at our Riad we prepare our packs and head to the bus station for a 7 hour journey south and the desert.

On the Road to the Atlas Mountains and the Desert.....

We leave Fez by bus on a bright, sunny morning and head south towards the town of Merzouga; the gateway to the Sahara Desert. This is a big travel jump. The 7+ hours journey should get us to the town of ErRachidia, where we will spend the night before moving on the next day.

South of Fez the bus rolls through the fertile plains that extend far in all directions. This region looks to be able to grow a wide range of crops. Tidy homes and farms dot the ever increasing rolling hills.

We start to climb into the forested hills surrounding the Atlas Mountains. Sheep, goat herds are tended to under the watchful eye of the herder.

As we pass from range to the plains, the terrain changes. Growing more and more desolate and stark, the last landscape takes on a Martian-like panorama.

The views are impressive. The distant Atlas Mountains still carry snow. There are ski areas, alpine towns done in a Swiss theme.

We pass through quiet towns with the ever-present mosque, and, to eat at roadside grill stands. Grilled meat, onions and tomatoes wrapped in bread.

We motor on. The scenery now begins to look as if it could be a backdrop for those westerns filmed everywhere.

It is a gorgeous, stark terrain.

We get fleeting glimpses of old/new adobe Berber settlements.

Rugged, lonely but so beautiful. This is a vast, striking country in its variety.

We push on through the Atlas Mountains until we descend into the Ziz Gorge and into the valley.

We stop for the night at the Auberge Tinit in Errachidia.

We order dinner and are served tea. Poured the old way!

Tomorrow, we head into the desert for several nights from Merzouga. A chance to ride camels, follow a bit of the Spice Trail and sleep in a Berber home.

Can't wait.....

Additional Random Photos...

The Super Moon

Traditional shop

Beautifully tiled fountain in our Riad but also seen everywhere in towns where people get their drinking water, wash hands or fruit.

Tea set in our room

Baker baking bread for shops. Can you see him?

Tea break

Not my favourite bathroom !

WOW!!

Cheers until the next post after our desert trek...🐪🐪

Saturday 12 November 2016

Morocco...Part 1, Welcome to another world.....riffing in the Rif Mtns, the Blue City, road to the ancient city of Fez

Morocco...part 1

We leave Tarifa, Spain on a hydrofoil ferry for the quick 45 minutes crossing to Tangiers, Morocco. The customs, the trip across the Strait of Gibraltar and entry into Morocco is quick, painless and totally hassle free.

Spanish customs in Tarifa waves us through without any issues. Once on the modern, clean ferry we line up to go through Moroccan border customs. Within a few minutes visas are collected, passports stamped and we settle into airplane-style seats for the uneventful crossing to Tangiers.

We ponder the ever closer Moroccan coastline...people have warned us over and over...Be prepared for unrelenting hassling, locals in your face and chaos.

"Yea, you've traveled....... But, you haven't seen anything like Morocco. Watch out," we are told.

We have also been told about the Tangiers port - all the 'bad' things that could happen...the lack of personal safety, the in-your-face pressure from locals, even theft.

We disembark our ferry, leave the dock and look for a bank machine somewhere in the port. We experience zero hassles. NO ONE is in our face. One taxi driver even helpfully points out the bank machine needed to take out Moroccan $$$.

We get our Dirhams, bargain with some taxi drivers to take us to the bus station and head through the streets to the Tangiers' bus station.

The taxi lets us off across from the station. We are faced with crossing 6 lanes of traffic.

Just might get killed in our first hour in Morocco trying to get through the traffic. No worries, drivers stop, as we weave our way across.

So far, it's been a painless 30 minutes from the time we stepped off the ferry, found an ATM, haggled with a taxi driver and arrived at the bus station.

The station welcomes us with the usual chaos of noise, movement and bustle. Ticket sellers screaming out various destinations, food vendors hawking a number of edibles and people hurrying everywhere to catch their bus.

Immediately, a ticket seller spots us and yells, "Chefchaouen!!!"

We reply with "Si/Oui!" We are directed to the correct ticket window and easily purchase our tickets to Chefchaouen - the famous Blue City high in the Rif Mountains.

With an hour to wait, we head off to find some mint tea to celebrate our arrival in Morocco.

The 3 hr bus ride weaves ever higher into the Rif Mountains and towards Chefchaouen.

Chefchaouen - the Blue City

We spend several days in the wonderful, sprawling Medina of Chefchaouen. Our room is located in the Casa La Hiba - a 300 year old family home with several rooms. Run by 2 brothers, it is a beautiful, quirky oasis for our time here.

Roof top terrace

A little tough going for a friendly giant...

Chefchaouen Market

We explore the town, its alleyways, narrow streets and blue-stained decor.

The town was closed to outsiders until 1920. Little seems to have changed in the shadowy blue-hued pathways where men still wear djellabas - the hooded full length cloaks...which look to be the inspiration for the Obi Wan Kenobi of Star Wars fame.

We wander, get lost in the quiet, tourist-free Medina. Locals are open, shopkeepers friendly, food is generous and at a good price.

We head out from the Medina for several short day hikes. Views are impressive as we climb the slopes of the Rif Mountains behind Chefchaouen.

Found this shy, little Berber beauty adorned in a cactus silk scarf and a jacket length djellabah in this family run clothing store. I think she'll come along!

The nights are mountain-cool here in early November, while the days are sky-blue, warm and clear.

Hate to leave this tiny paradise, where children play games on the front steps of homes and cats ponder the passing parade of people. But, it is time to move on.

The Road to Fez

We buy our bus tickets (the day before - to ensure our seats) and head down from the Rif Mtns to Fez.

Our 4.5 hour bus ride goes quickly. A full bus of travelers and locals. The bus is clean and keeps to the schedule. We share some sweets with a Moroccon family and are repaid with some wonderful home baking of quiche! Fantastic.

We soon leave the rugged Rif Mtns behind us and descend into the Moroccon plateau. This vast plain goes on for hours as we head towards Fez.

Although the growing season is over, evidence of a fertile region is widespread.

We arrive in Fez by late afternoon. Grabbing a taxi, we head to one of the gates of the Medina, near where our Riad (family home/hotel) is located.

We are met at the entrance by one of the Riad's staff and lead through the rabbit-like warren of walkways in the old city.

We spend several days exploring the labyrinth of maze like passages. We get lost, ask for directions, inspect shops, bargain for Berber rugs.

During our days here, we have ZERO problems. Shopkeepers invite us in, to look, to buy. Most are very friendly. French is used everywhere now. Amazing how a little high school French will get you by.

We take a tour of a leather tannery. This tannery is little changed from the 11th Century.

Men still immerse themselves in vats of colored dyes and a vile concoction of poisonous, carcinogenic chemicals, including acids, camel urine and pigeon dropping. (We kid you not!)

The process generally takes 45 days from the time the cows, goats, camels and sheep have donated their skins.

The process of soaking, stripping, dyeing and tanning to make our leather jackets, purses etc creates vast amounts of ugly, destructive waste. Without any treatment, the toxic mess is just dumped into the river that runs past the tanneries and through the town of Fez.

Dye colors are all from natural sources.

Much like squishing grapes with your bare feet to make wine, the men stomp on the skins barefooted, in shorts, amid fumes of chemicals and the powdered dyes being poured.

A rug co-op showcases a fabulous display of Berber hand made rugs, along with modern designs and blends.

We ponder and bargain over a Berber beauty. Before we do business, we sit and have tea. In this, generally, alcohol free country, we drink tea..wonderful blends of jasmine, mint and herbs. Our sugar intake has skyrocketed.

We wander throughout the Medina, encountering little hassle. No pickpockets, we feel safe and comfortable, even in the evening, after dinner.

This is an old, crumbling, working, living Medina, full of cats and the smell of urine (camel) near the tannery. Recognized as an UNESCO Heritage site, work is being done in sections to improve, restore and upgrade.

The Medina is full of shops offering just about everything..from clothing to sweets, carpets to haircuts...if you need something, it should be here. The Medina is really the equivalent of the modern mall, the major difference being the abundance of hand made items.