Maddening Medinas, Tasty Tajines, Gorgeous Gorges (and Gastrointestinal Grumblings) - Morocco!

Nov 2009. For anyone who doesn:t know or didnt guess, we are in Morocco! I write this at the very large "oasis" pool of the 5flr, 500room Mazagan Beach Resort which opened last wk complete w Africa:s largest casino and a Gary Player designed golf course (tho claims to be environ friendly!) where we are spending our final 2days in fantasy-Morocco as JC recovers from the latest of our many GI episodes (salmonella?); after driving 2700km thru reality Morocco the last 3wks.

We landed in Casablanca after an only 7hr overnite flight from Mtl (where we arrived late for the world diabetes congress as I had a probable episode of swine flu - we did stay down the hall from the John and Yoko suite at the Queen E!) We then worked our way up the Altantic Coast through the capital Rabat and the picturesque towns of Larache and Assilah to Tangier which fortunately failed to live it up to its terrible reputation (at least in comparison to the rest of the country - touts/vendors trying to cheat you or try to be your friend/guide are a ubiqiutous hassle here) The impressive Hercules grotto (his birth place) is nearby. You can see Spain and later Gibraltar_ splitting which from Africa, opening up the Meditteranean was one of his 12 labors. Next was nearby Ceuta, a leftover peninsula of Spanish colonialism, unhappiness over whose existence results in a 3rd world border experience, followed by an oasis of European calm; order, cleanliness (and tapas!), amid the madhouse aasault on all 5 senses that is Morocco;

Next was the v. picturesque tho touristy Rif mtn town of Chefchauoen with the painted blue stucco houses of JC's unrealized Greek dreams of last yr, and separated alcove restaurant dining to match. From there we went to Fez, which although home to the world's oldest but certainly not best university and largest intact medina (also the world's lagest car free urban area - they cannot fit!) was our least favourite city. Every Moroccan city has a sizeable and mostly authentic medeival medina(=old city), some more touristy than others- getting lost in the labyrinth of lanes and alleys is simultaneously the joy and aggravation of visiting them. In Fez a taxi driver (generally easier to use for navigating the cities as street signs don't exist) dropped us off at night on the wrong side of the medina 2 km through a maze from where we wanted to be for an already delayed dinner, forcing us to allow a young "faux guide" to take us on a long winding walk through it while being uncertain if he was trying to lead us astray...Second hand smoke was also at its worst in Fez, entering our hotel room. Fortunately Swiss-style order, quiet, architecture and climate was only a short drive away at Ifrane, a 1930s French-built town in the Middle Atlas Mtns.

We then drove thru the spectacular scenery of the High Atlas, down into the Sahara, just in time for a sunset camel ride into the dunes (which only cover a small %age of the desert), returning under the stars. The next day I walked alone 2.5km into them and isolation to the sounds of Pink Floyd (with my GPS- much more effective there than in BC's forests, tho wasn't really needed). I couldn't resist walking mostly barefoot, and didn't realize the slow cooking of my feet, so ended up with blisters- don't tell the diabetes center nurses!

Next were the impressive gorges of Todra and Dades. Gorges are everywhere around the Atlas mtns, and we had even better experiences on randomly stopping our car and entering them after walking thru the towns' desintegrating adobe kasbah (old fort), +/- wading across a small river. We then wound our way back thru the High Atlas (with a solo scramble 450m up an unnamed 2800m peak at the pass), and down into fabled Marrakesh, complete with snake-charmers, and designed -ceiling riads (courtyard hotels) and restaurants, before heading back to the coast and completing our circuit.

The food (illness aside!) has been excellent here- especially the various tajines and Berber kalias. The weather was excellent- only one drop of rain the entire time (now back in Canada for 36hrs and yet to see the sun- and not expecting to until february...). The driving was crazy with neither other drivers, cyclists, or pedestrians understanding the concept of a lane, but everyone (other than me) knowing to pull over and stop immediately should any king-related convoy be heading the other way (maybe it was just someone hired to polish his shoes ASAP?). Poverty, litter, filth and smoking are problems. Islam is mostly moderate with 60-90% of women wearing head coverings depending on the city. Tourist contact however remains mostly with men, with the genders leading largely separated lives. Jews, despite a very long history in the country and being 10% of the popn only 2 generations ago, have essentially all left since 1948.

Overall, despite many downsides Morocco is a fascinating place, and made for some great travelling.

until next time,

Stu