So, what a marvellous trip to a country very different to those we have already visited. The people were warm & friendly, we rarely felt hassled; the culture was very interesting, with lots of new experiences,
and the food was yummy (our guide with a street chef - the smoke was from a barbecue).
Morocco is a country of extremes.
The countryside varies: dry plains & hills,
huge cultivated areas,
verdant valleys with date palms,
high mountains (always an opportunity for sales; the stick shows the depth of winter snow),
and the Sahara Desert (at sunrise).
In the poorer & less developed areas where the majority live, we saw the endless ways people endeavour to eek out livings without the supports we take for granted.
The towns & cities were full of vivid sights
and the bartering challenging when we decided to buy things at the end.
The towns & cities were full of vivid sights
and the bartering challenging when we decided to buy things at the end.
We spent the first 3 days with Pat, taking the ferry from Algeciras to Tangier (where we left our big bags), a bus to Chefchaouen, another to Fes & then the train to Casablanca. (On the train we enjoyed the company of a very friendly family.)
Chefchaouen was a pretty place, where Mike was offered hashish within the first hour,
Chefchaouen was a pretty place, where Mike was offered hashish within the first hour,
we had our first taste of delicious Moroccan food and saw all the things being sold (easy to say 'no' when we are not natural shoppers).
We particularly enjoyed sitting in street cafes watching people & various modes of transport.
In Fes we ('babes in the woods')advertently ended up in the worst hotel of our trip, beside this beautiful gate into the huge old town (medina),
but enjoyed our breakfast watching the locals going to work & the innovative ways of delivering goods where no vehicles are allowed.
In Fes we ('babes in the woods')advertently ended up in the worst hotel of our trip, beside this beautiful gate into the huge old town (medina),
but enjoyed our breakfast watching the locals going to work & the innovative ways of delivering goods where no vehicles are allowed.
We joined our Gap Adventure group in Casablanca - 3 guys & 12 women ranging from 20s to 60s, with an excellent van driver and a very enthusiastic & knowledgeable Berber guide. We got on well together. One of the hilights was Mike & Pat regularly being called “Ali Baba” by all & sundry, the respectful name for 'mature' men with beards! The downside was the tummy bug Kay, & a few others, got.
Casablanca is Morocco's commercial capital. This mosque is the 2nd largest in the world. 110,000 people can pray together inside & outside.
and this one in the 20th.
Morocco is a generally liberal Muslim country, fundamentalism is discouraged. It has regular elections, 20% of its cabinet members are female, but popular King Mohammed VI, the 7th richest man in the world, has the overall power. Berbers are about 70% of the population & Arabs from the Middle East 25%.
It was a French colony from 1912-56 so some systems are French & this language remains, together with Arabic & Berber. We noticed people give to beggars – Muslims are required to give 10% of their income to the poor. There is pressure to improve the education & health systems.
Under a King's law Moroccan men can only have one wife, to help reduce the population. Muslim law does not allow the consumption of alcohol so the men hang out together in cafes instead of bars, with women rarely seen in these places, especially in traditional areas. Some habits are hard to break!
Rabat is the administrative capital. This is one of the King's several palaces
It was a French colony from 1912-56 so some systems are French & this language remains, together with Arabic & Berber. We noticed people give to beggars – Muslims are required to give 10% of their income to the poor. There is pressure to improve the education & health systems.
Under a King's law Moroccan men can only have one wife, to help reduce the population. Muslim law does not allow the consumption of alcohol so the men hang out together in cafes instead of bars, with women rarely seen in these places, especially in traditional areas. Some habits are hard to break!
Rabat is the administrative capital. This is one of the King's several palaces
Guarding the Royal mausoleums there.
and this one in the 20th.
A magnificent gateway in Meknes, a former capital city.
This beautiful palace was built there by a prime minister (with the King's permission), complete with a harem.
Extensive 1st-3rd century Roman ruins at Volubilis. This was once a road lined with homes & shops. The Romans certainly got around!
After an enjoyable final 2 days in Spain & then a special week in Portugal, we are now back in the UK, spending our last 3 weeks in Guildford, near London. The temperatures have dropped as we moved north - it is beginning to snow here! Time to return to the NZ summer :-)