It is hot, hot, hot in Marrekesh. When we arrived from Casablanca it was in the mid 50s, temperatures like we had never experienced before. We found a hotel with AC and a pool.
The famous Jamaal el Fna square has 24 hour activities which range from snake charmers, acrobats, musicians, storytellers, henna artists, mystics, healers and fortune tellers. You can buy almost anything including ostrich eggs (makes a large omelet), carpets, traditional medicines, tagines, Moroccan slippers and all domestic goods. The sights, sounds and smells were incredible.
We have also visited the El Badi Palace and the Saadian tombs. The palace was as famous and beautiful as the Alhambra but today is in ruins. We explored the below ground passages by torchlight. The tombs were rediscovered by a French pilot in the 1930s. They are incredible and give us an idea of what the palace must have been like.
We have made frequent visits to the hotel pool and have yet to turn off the AC. We have a great balcony but can only use it for cooking eggs. 1 minute for fried but 4 minutes for ostrich.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Friday, June 27, 2008
Casablanca
At last we are in Casablanca. So far we have seen no sign of Humphrey Bogart.
We have stopped on the way to Marrakesh to organise our flight to Tunis and have decided to extend our time in Morocco by a few days. We travel down to Marrakesh tomorrow then return to Casablanca for a few days before our flight to Tunis on Friday 4 July.
Casablanca is a city of over 3 million people and we met most of them when we walked through the medina this afternoon.
We have stopped on the way to Marrakesh to organise our flight to Tunis and have decided to extend our time in Morocco by a few days. We travel down to Marrakesh tomorrow then return to Casablanca for a few days before our flight to Tunis on Friday 4 July.
Casablanca is a city of over 3 million people and we met most of them when we walked through the medina this afternoon.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
More Roman Ruins
Morocco is certainly the place to see Roman ruins. Today we visited the ancient Roman city of Sala Colonia at Chellah just on the outskirts of Rabat. It was a compact but very impressive Roman city. There was no restoration and you made your own way around the site.
We saw the ruins of the Jupiter temple; the triple arched entrance; the forum and pools.
Behind this was the ruined Islamic site with a minaret; medersa and tombs. There was even a special pool where infertile women fed eggs to the eels. There were also dozens of cats who were certainly not infertile.
A fascinating aspect of the visit is that the surrounding area is overrun with storks and ibis. There were storks nests everywhere. It was like the setting for an Indiana Jones movie.
We also visited the Hassan Tower built in 1195 and the mausoleum of Mohammed V. This was an impressive place to visit and there were soldiers in traditional uniform around the mausoleum. We arrived just at the changing of the horse guard.
In the afternoon we visited the Archaeological Museum and saw marble statues; bronze artefacts and jewellery and pottery from various sites including Chellah and Volubilis. There were also skulls of homo erectus and other oldies.
A wonderful day. We are off to Casablanca tomorrow.
We saw the ruins of the Jupiter temple; the triple arched entrance; the forum and pools.
Behind this was the ruined Islamic site with a minaret; medersa and tombs. There was even a special pool where infertile women fed eggs to the eels. There were also dozens of cats who were certainly not infertile.
A fascinating aspect of the visit is that the surrounding area is overrun with storks and ibis. There were storks nests everywhere. It was like the setting for an Indiana Jones movie.
We also visited the Hassan Tower built in 1195 and the mausoleum of Mohammed V. This was an impressive place to visit and there were soldiers in traditional uniform around the mausoleum. We arrived just at the changing of the horse guard.
In the afternoon we visited the Archaeological Museum and saw marble statues; bronze artefacts and jewellery and pottery from various sites including Chellah and Volubilis. There were also skulls of homo erectus and other oldies.
A wonderful day. We are off to Casablanca tomorrow.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Come With Me to the Kasbah
Off again _ this time to Rabat, the national capital of Morocco. Rabat is 3 hours by train from Fez and is located on the Atlantic coast.
So far we have walked through the Medina, past the now familiar souks, only this time we ended up in a square that was formerly a slave market. We then walked up to the Kasbah and wandered through the narrow, winding streets of this walled city.
We ended up at a large terrace overlooking the Atlantic. There were lots of people swimming, mainly male but we did see a few ladies in traditional dress, paddling up to their ankles.
We went back via the Medina and even made a few small purchases, but as our bags are at a maximum, we cant buy much.
We are enjoying our time in Morocco and will spend another day tomorrow in Rabat before heading off to Casablanca.
So far we have walked through the Medina, past the now familiar souks, only this time we ended up in a square that was formerly a slave market. We then walked up to the Kasbah and wandered through the narrow, winding streets of this walled city.
We ended up at a large terrace overlooking the Atlantic. There were lots of people swimming, mainly male but we did see a few ladies in traditional dress, paddling up to their ankles.
We went back via the Medina and even made a few small purchases, but as our bags are at a maximum, we cant buy much.
We are enjoying our time in Morocco and will spend another day tomorrow in Rabat before heading off to Casablanca.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Hot Time in Fez
We have continued on to Few the old imperial city and symbolic heart of Morocco. It was less than an hour in the train from Meknes.
The weather has been very hot in Meknes and in Fez with temperatures in the mid forties. We went out for dinner the other night and remarked how beautifully cool it was.... the temperature had fallen to 39.
The old Medina in Fez was even more extensive than the one in Meknes. We spent hours walking down narrow lanes even moving aside for donkeys. We looked into many spectacular souks including henna; leatherworkers; tanners and dyers; brass and bronze; carpets; shoes and many more.
We had a stop at the Medersa Bou Inania built in the 1300s with incredibly fine work in the walls. It is very similar to parts of the Alhambra and is considered to be the perfect Medersa. A medersa is a place for studying the Koran and most were built in the 13th century. We stopped at mosques and climbed to the top of an old house to take photos.
We saw the royal palace and the old walls and buildings of the northern medina.
These were interesting places especially when the temperature finally fell below 40. We caught a petit taxi back to our hotel.
Our next stop will be Rabat the capital of Morocco.
PS. In case you have not worked it out there is no comma on this keyboard.
The weather has been very hot in Meknes and in Fez with temperatures in the mid forties. We went out for dinner the other night and remarked how beautifully cool it was.... the temperature had fallen to 39.
The old Medina in Fez was even more extensive than the one in Meknes. We spent hours walking down narrow lanes even moving aside for donkeys. We looked into many spectacular souks including henna; leatherworkers; tanners and dyers; brass and bronze; carpets; shoes and many more.
We had a stop at the Medersa Bou Inania built in the 1300s with incredibly fine work in the walls. It is very similar to parts of the Alhambra and is considered to be the perfect Medersa. A medersa is a place for studying the Koran and most were built in the 13th century. We stopped at mosques and climbed to the top of an old house to take photos.
We saw the royal palace and the old walls and buildings of the northern medina.
These were interesting places especially when the temperature finally fell below 40. We caught a petit taxi back to our hotel.
Our next stop will be Rabat the capital of Morocco.
PS. In case you have not worked it out there is no comma on this keyboard.
Exuberant Over Volubilis
From Meknes we went out to the ruins of the Roman city of Volubilis. This is the largest and best preserved Roman ruin in Morocco and the best we have seen with the exception of the Forum in Rome.
We went via shared taxi .... seven per vehicle. The first to Moulay Idriss an important religious city. It was an amazing place with whitewashed houses on a hillside with an incredible market that was in full swing when we arrived. Then we went on to Volubilis.
This is an immense place with large Roman buildings; arches; temples; columns etc still standing. You could walk amongst the fallen columns and into the houses with little restriction.
The mosaic floors were wonderful. You will have to see the photos. Great mosaics of Diana; Venus; dolphins; fish etc. They are all still in their original locations. We walked down the Decumanus Maximus the ceremonial road and through the triumphal arch. We walked round the Forum and temple buldings. We loved that the storks had built a nest on top of one of the columns.
We nearly couldnt get back but finally made it to Moulay Idriss and then to Meknes. This is a must see place.
We went via shared taxi .... seven per vehicle. The first to Moulay Idriss an important religious city. It was an amazing place with whitewashed houses on a hillside with an incredible market that was in full swing when we arrived. Then we went on to Volubilis.
This is an immense place with large Roman buildings; arches; temples; columns etc still standing. You could walk amongst the fallen columns and into the houses with little restriction.
The mosaic floors were wonderful. You will have to see the photos. Great mosaics of Diana; Venus; dolphins; fish etc. They are all still in their original locations. We walked down the Decumanus Maximus the ceremonial road and through the triumphal arch. We walked round the Forum and temple buldings. We loved that the storks had built a nest on top of one of the columns.
We nearly couldnt get back but finally made it to Moulay Idriss and then to Meknes. This is a must see place.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Just Like Websters Dictionary.......
At last we are Morocco bound.
We opted for a fast ferry from Tarifa so caught a bus around the coast and then the ferry for the 35 minute trip. Even before we departed, we could see the African coast.
We arrived in Tangier that has a worst reputation than Algecires so we decided to catch a train that morning. We went for the 11 am train to Meknes and arrived with 10 minutes to spare. The ticket seller told us it left in 1 hour and 10 minutes and then we realised the time zone change.
Meknes was a 4 hour trip and by the time we arrived, we had met a Berber gent, a French Moroccan lady and a young woman from Fez who has invited us to her wedding in 1 month. We may meet up with her in Fez in a few days.
Sorry for the delay in posting. We are still in Meknes and a report on Volubilis will follow.
We catch the morning train to Fez tomorrow.
We opted for a fast ferry from Tarifa so caught a bus around the coast and then the ferry for the 35 minute trip. Even before we departed, we could see the African coast.
We arrived in Tangier that has a worst reputation than Algecires so we decided to catch a train that morning. We went for the 11 am train to Meknes and arrived with 10 minutes to spare. The ticket seller told us it left in 1 hour and 10 minutes and then we realised the time zone change.
Meknes was a 4 hour trip and by the time we arrived, we had met a Berber gent, a French Moroccan lady and a young woman from Fez who has invited us to her wedding in 1 month. We may meet up with her in Fez in a few days.
Sorry for the delay in posting. We are still in Meknes and a report on Volubilis will follow.
We catch the morning train to Fez tomorrow.
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