We then took a train to Fes the next day. It was a short 4 hour ride, but was again terrible. We were in a car with a ton of small children, and they wouldn’t stop talking and crying. This was especially terrible because we took the 6am one figuring we would sleep on the train and be good to go in Fes around 10. Instead we were exhausted when we arrived.
We headed straight into the medina, and found it incredibly similar to Marrakesh. It was yellow (Marrakesh was red, and Casablanca was white), and it didn’t have the giant square, but overall it was about the same. So, we took a walk. Sarah (who was feeling better, well better than Mike anyway) bought a leather purse and I got a rug. It was a little pricey, but a good deal for a rug, and I needed a souvenir anyway, so now I have this really expensive handmade Moroccan rug. Was haggling a lot with the guy, and he said I reminded him of the Berber tribe of Jacob(the Jewish one). Kind of insulting!!!
Everywhere I have ben people have called me Ali Baba, but in Fes its come to a new level. I think the beard throws people off because they aren't used to seeing white people with one, but whatever the reason its getting old. Mike and Sarah find it funny, and have taken to calling me ali baba as well, which obviously has gotten old as well.
Later Sarah and I tried to find a Hamman, but found none open that would take both women and men. So, we gave up, and went to bed.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Casablanca
As we left for Casablanca from the desert hotel Mike became ill as well. He began to suffer from the same symptoms as Sarah. Obviously this became an issue to deal with for me, because they became very irritable and began complaining about everything. Regardless, we made the drive to the bus stop, bid Unis farewell, and got on a bus headed for Casablanca.
The bus ride was terrible! Sarah took an ambian so she went out like a sack of potatoes, but Mike and I couldn’t sleep as we sat for 10 hours and listen to people talk on the phone, and watch one lady bath her baby, washing the gross poopy water into the floor only to get all the water all over everyone’s feet.
We arrived in Casablanca around 7am, and found a hostel. It was pretty nice, but nothing too spectacular. Our taxi driver actually ran over a biker on the way to our hostel, which seemed about right considering he was going very fast in reverse the wrong way down a one way street. We began to walk over to the giant mask (3rd biggest in the world). It was actually really cool! I was really impressed that the whole thing was hand carved and hand painted. Apparently it cost $800,000,000 to construct in 1992. It was really impressive.
We then walked for a while and jumped in a taxi to go the Jewish Museum. The museum was so junky it was sad. The exhibits were just kind of thrown together. I was kind of pissed at what a joke it was, but whatever, what can you do? After that we walked on the beach for a while and then walked to our hostel for a short nap.
We woke up and headed to Rick’s Café. It was super touristy, and more of a joke than a real lace, but we ate and listened to the music from Casablanca, and made a ton of references. It ended up being expensive ($20 a plate), but was worth it for the jokes alone.
The bus ride was terrible! Sarah took an ambian so she went out like a sack of potatoes, but Mike and I couldn’t sleep as we sat for 10 hours and listen to people talk on the phone, and watch one lady bath her baby, washing the gross poopy water into the floor only to get all the water all over everyone’s feet.
We arrived in Casablanca around 7am, and found a hostel. It was pretty nice, but nothing too spectacular. Our taxi driver actually ran over a biker on the way to our hostel, which seemed about right considering he was going very fast in reverse the wrong way down a one way street. We began to walk over to the giant mask (3rd biggest in the world). It was actually really cool! I was really impressed that the whole thing was hand carved and hand painted. Apparently it cost $800,000,000 to construct in 1992. It was really impressive.
We then walked for a while and jumped in a taxi to go the Jewish Museum. The museum was so junky it was sad. The exhibits were just kind of thrown together. I was kind of pissed at what a joke it was, but whatever, what can you do? After that we walked on the beach for a while and then walked to our hostel for a short nap.
We woke up and headed to Rick’s Café. It was super touristy, and more of a joke than a real lace, but we ate and listened to the music from Casablanca, and made a ton of references. It ended up being expensive ($20 a plate), but was worth it for the jokes alone.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
desert trip
We met up with our driver in the central square of Marrakech at 7:30 and embarked on our journey to the Sahara. We found the ride to be very scenic. Mike and Sarah slept about half of the ten hour drive (I got about an hour, but tried to stay awake as much as possible). The guy who drove us was kind of cool. His name was Unis (I think), and he grew up at our hotel. His father owned it, and now he runs it. He never had a single day of formal education yet spoke Berber, Arabic, French, English, Spanish, and German.
Once at our hotel we went swimming for a few minutes, and then were off to the sand dons via camels. It was incredible!!!! The sand was perfect, and stretched as far as we could see. There was no civilization, and our guides were winding us in and out of the valleys. Overall camels are a terrible way to travel due to the uncomfortable nature of their walking, but it was a fun experience. After the ride we set up in their camp site, and waited what seemed to be an eternity for them to serve us dinner (our first meal of the day at 9:30 pm). It was really delicious, probably the best meal I’ve had in a long time, but unfortunately there were no vegetarian options for Sara, o she had some soup instead.
After dinner we went to the largest sand done we could find and walked up. It was a spectacular view of the stars (way better than anything I had seen before). We then proceeded to roll down the hill, which was really fun, but overall not worth it because the sand damaged both Sarah and my cameras. Ooops!! When we got back we found the guides and the rest of the group sitting and singing traditional Berber songs. It was fine, but we were tiered and only stayed a moment before going to bed.
I had a spectacular night sleep under the stars, and found it to be really nice to sleep outside. However Sarah woke up vomiting and couldn’t sleep. So, we’ll see how she feels as we make our way from here.
The next day we elected to stay at the hotel in the desert and lounge round until they would take us at night to a bus a few cities away that will take us to Casablanca. There wasn’t much to do at the hotel, but we swam a little, played a rousing gme of sorry with one of the local boys, had lunch, and mostly napped. While it wasn’t an incredibly good use of our time Sarah was sick and we had no other options due to the erratic bus schedules in Morocco. Either way, we had a pleasant enough day, and are continuing to be burdened by the incredible heat (60 degrees Celsius!!!).
Once at our hotel we went swimming for a few minutes, and then were off to the sand dons via camels. It was incredible!!!! The sand was perfect, and stretched as far as we could see. There was no civilization, and our guides were winding us in and out of the valleys. Overall camels are a terrible way to travel due to the uncomfortable nature of their walking, but it was a fun experience. After the ride we set up in their camp site, and waited what seemed to be an eternity for them to serve us dinner (our first meal of the day at 9:30 pm). It was really delicious, probably the best meal I’ve had in a long time, but unfortunately there were no vegetarian options for Sara, o she had some soup instead.
After dinner we went to the largest sand done we could find and walked up. It was a spectacular view of the stars (way better than anything I had seen before). We then proceeded to roll down the hill, which was really fun, but overall not worth it because the sand damaged both Sarah and my cameras. Ooops!! When we got back we found the guides and the rest of the group sitting and singing traditional Berber songs. It was fine, but we were tiered and only stayed a moment before going to bed.
I had a spectacular night sleep under the stars, and found it to be really nice to sleep outside. However Sarah woke up vomiting and couldn’t sleep. So, we’ll see how she feels as we make our way from here.
The next day we elected to stay at the hotel in the desert and lounge round until they would take us at night to a bus a few cities away that will take us to Casablanca. There wasn’t much to do at the hotel, but we swam a little, played a rousing gme of sorry with one of the local boys, had lunch, and mostly napped. While it wasn’t an incredibly good use of our time Sarah was sick and we had no other options due to the erratic bus schedules in Morocco. Either way, we had a pleasant enough day, and are continuing to be burdened by the incredible heat (60 degrees Celsius!!!).
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Our Arrival
I departed Chicago on the 24th (my birthday), and met up with Mike and Sarah (my companions from Panama) in JFK. Together we arrived in Madrid at 6:30 on the 25th, and then in Marrakesh around 11:30. We found our way to the hostel with the help of a local boy (who obviously demanded money for his help, not an uncommon theme here). It was pretty nice, and we were soon eager to head out to see the city. Of course before we could Sarah had to call her bank, and Mike needed to transfer money into his checking account.
Once in the city, we found it to be by far the most confusing winding roads any of us had ever seen. This was like Venice, except every house is exactly the same. We wondered the markets, which were incredibly expansive, and eventually ended up buying hats to combat the staggering 120 degree heat. That is not a typo....it was 120 here, and we are told this is about normal. The sun baked on us, and we all became irritable, and very tiered.
We tried for hours to find the Jewish area, but obviously had trouble due to the haphazard nature of the streets. Eventually a man helped us find it, but led us to a carpet store. In the store Mike demanded to leave for fear of having to tip more people (not unreasonable at all, everyone wants us to give them money). So we awkwardly gave our guide 50DH (6ish USD) and left as he complained that wasn't enough.
We went back to the hostel an met a nice guy from Boston (also named Mike) who went to dinner in the city center with us. Dinner and the city center were cool, a rip off, but cool. We saw story tellers, and snake charmers, multiple drum circles, and a host of other entertainers. Unfortunately, they won't let us take pictures unless we pay them, and they demand quite a lot for a picture (30dm or $4). Overall it was a very tiring day, and while its cool to be here, we were too tiered and hot to really enjoy ourselves.
Today (26th) we went out with Mike (the dude from Boston)to a really cool garden outside the city walls. It was weird, because there were no flowers, and it was more of a forest than a garden, but I suppose in the middle of the desert, this is the best they have.
After that the four of us went to the Palace that wasn't a palace. It was a house that a former king commissioned not to be lived in, but to be a piece of art. It was really cool...a little run down, but you could tell it used to be cool.
The three of us (Boston Mike didn't come) went to a pool. It wasn't that big of a deal, but Sarah was getting angry from the heat, so we went mostly to appease her, although I did enjoy it as well. The real fun was getting there. We hired a taxi, who obviously ripped us off, and he took us to one place, who wanted to rip us off, so the taxi guy took us to another one and ripped us off in that fair as well. Overall we payed 440DH (55ish USD) to go swimming for an hour or so.
Right now we're off to buy pants to ride a camel in the saharatomorow.
Once in the city, we found it to be by far the most confusing winding roads any of us had ever seen. This was like Venice, except every house is exactly the same. We wondered the markets, which were incredibly expansive, and eventually ended up buying hats to combat the staggering 120 degree heat. That is not a typo....it was 120 here, and we are told this is about normal. The sun baked on us, and we all became irritable, and very tiered.
We tried for hours to find the Jewish area, but obviously had trouble due to the haphazard nature of the streets. Eventually a man helped us find it, but led us to a carpet store. In the store Mike demanded to leave for fear of having to tip more people (not unreasonable at all, everyone wants us to give them money). So we awkwardly gave our guide 50DH (6ish USD) and left as he complained that wasn't enough.
We went back to the hostel an met a nice guy from Boston (also named Mike) who went to dinner in the city center with us. Dinner and the city center were cool, a rip off, but cool. We saw story tellers, and snake charmers, multiple drum circles, and a host of other entertainers. Unfortunately, they won't let us take pictures unless we pay them, and they demand quite a lot for a picture (30dm or $4). Overall it was a very tiring day, and while its cool to be here, we were too tiered and hot to really enjoy ourselves.
Today (26th) we went out with Mike (the dude from Boston)to a really cool garden outside the city walls. It was weird, because there were no flowers, and it was more of a forest than a garden, but I suppose in the middle of the desert, this is the best they have.
After that the four of us went to the Palace that wasn't a palace. It was a house that a former king commissioned not to be lived in, but to be a piece of art. It was really cool...a little run down, but you could tell it used to be cool.
The three of us (Boston Mike didn't come) went to a pool. It wasn't that big of a deal, but Sarah was getting angry from the heat, so we went mostly to appease her, although I did enjoy it as well. The real fun was getting there. We hired a taxi, who obviously ripped us off, and he took us to one place, who wanted to rip us off, so the taxi guy took us to another one and ripped us off in that fair as well. Overall we payed 440DH (55ish USD) to go swimming for an hour or so.
Right now we're off to buy pants to ride a camel in the saharatomorow.
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