After a few months of planning, finally we managed to visit Morocco. Visit??!! One of the best vacations I had since a long long time. :)
Planning - yes, everything started with the planning. First of all, we just wanted to go with Eszter for a weekend, to check Casablanca, go to the desert for camel trekking, than back to Geneva. However, 2 girsl in Africa... well... we decided we need a MAN... so asked Andras to join us. But of course for him, to have a look at the return of invest... it had to be extended from a long weekend to a 10 days excursion, visiting the imperial cities, and the ocean as well.
I have to sa,y after I saw the detailed agenda, with the budget in an excel.. i was like: No way... I am not going to get up before 9 on my vacation.. nooo waaay!!! But than the guys convinced me. :)
I will write down my experiences, and some suggestions for future visitors - as if there are sooo many people interested in this :)
1. day: Fying Geneva - CasablancaWho cares, that our airplane was: jet4you, a never heard charter company... who actually borrowed the airplane from hello! - from an also very well known swiss company.
The ticket was reasonably cheap, however, we could have got it cheaper, if we had bought the tickets a bit ealrier than March. The flight took 3 hours, and as we entered to a different timezone, overall it took only 1 hour.
At the Casablanca airport, we had to get some money. It is prohibited to have dirhams before. Well, it turned out, that it would have been better just using an ATM to get some cash, instead of exchanging swiss franc or euros.
The taxi from Casablanca airport to Casablanca center was 300 MAD. We didn't even tried bargaining. Actually, we asked.. but they were very strong, and told us this is the general price at night.
At Hotel Central in Casablanca, we hada really adventorous experience. The receptionist was high like a kite, than our room was dirty, musty and small... so we asked for a change, the one on the roof - at least, it was better ;)
2. day Fez After we managed to rent a car, we were heading to Fez - to the city where the King is living, population is 1 million. Actually Fez has become a tourist destination in the recent years, which I can totally understand. It has soo much to offer.. and actually, we didn't see enough.
As soon as we entered to the city, one big guy, wearing pink -shirt, on a small small scooter has just followed us -. started knocking on our car window, and shouted at us: "Hotel, hotel reservation". We tried to explain him that we already had a reservation, we don't need anything, only a guide.
Well, it turned out, he has a "brother", who actually speaks English, and he will show us around.
Well... yes.
Travelers or tourists? 0 -1 - definitly typicall stupid tourists. :)
We ended up at the Hotel, he recommended, but no regret at all, the place was amazing! really beautiful treasure in Fez - New Fez.
Actually, this shows, that even if you don't have hotel reservation beforehead, you can just go there and find something. It is pretty nice.
Abdol - our guide was a young, 22-year old arabic, who was about to study medicine and become a brainsurgent. n the meantime, he was ahowing us the Medina in Fez. We could get lost in the souq, the closed market. The streets of Fez's Medina is part of the World's Heritage. It has 9000 streets, oftenblind ones... so it is really handy to have a guide. Though, it might be that when oyu enter to a shop with an official guide, the prices raise high, due to his commissions.
Well.. we could not know everything. :)
In Fez, we also saw the leather district, and the factory where all those mosaique fontains are made. Really beautiful.
In the evening, Abdol took us to a fantastic, finger-licking dinner. Copious Moroccan dinner!
Seriuolsy, only the starter would have been enough. ;)
During our stay in Fez, they had the prestigous music festival. It was fun walking around the people.
3. day Middle Atlas - Fez - Merzouga -Erg ChebbiThis 460 km was truly the best part of our trip. Maybe, because all the panorama was still new for us, or just simply because in the Middle Atlas, after each turn you could find different view ofthe environment: a hidden oazis, picturesque red stone mountains, palmeries, date trees, etc.
Ifrane, Ziz Valley really beautiful places. ;)
Seriuosly, if we didn't have to hurry to catch our appointment with the barbar's for the camel trekking, we could have spent 1 night somewhere inbetween, just to truly enjoy the view and the way down to Merzouga. Actually, in Erg Chebbi, the guides were really nice and they were waiting for us, so we could stop for taking breathtaking photos.
We stopped in Midelt - just to fresh up a little. Well, Midelt is really dangerous, and there is nothing to see/visit. We only stopped for a quick lunch, but already false stones were offered. Terrible. We literally had to fly for our lives. ;)
In Merzouga, there is not much to see, that's why we went directly to Erg Chebbi. The people of the Hotel were really nice. Before Merzouga, there is a small - few km- offroad, we have to take, to reach the beginning of the desert. The hotel stuff came upfront to us, and we could follow the 4*4 witho our normal car. But there was no issue with that.
Of course, all the people were really nice, they offered us mint tea, and we could fresh up a little, before our camel trekking.
Oh boy! The camel trekking was ok, fantastic to see Algeria, the yellow/orangish sand dunes, everything.
But the best was, when after dinner, we went up to one of the dunes to see the stars, the moon, and we were scruching our toes into the Sahara, where the moon was shining, the sky was covered by millions of stars, amazing!
To tell you the truth, it was a really moving part, I could feel an inner peace, and really it was a very great hour of my life. :) I was thinking a lot there... a good meditation place. :)
We slept under the blue sky, and woke up at 5 to climb a bigger dune to watch the sunset for there.
Unfortunetly it was a bit cloudy and windy. But I still really enjoyed it. ;)
4. day High Atlas - Merzouga - Tinerhir - Gorge TodraAfter returning from the desert, we could take a shower, and than after chilling at the hotel - mint tea and drums - we were heading to Tinerhir, to Gorge Todra.
The way in the High Atlas was also really nice, but we expected much more, after saw Middle Atlas. Anyways, we arrived to our hotel in Tinerhir, and had a wonderful late lunch.
Unfortunatly, the weather was not that nice, so we couldn't start hiking in the Todra, only managed to visit the village.
Well... how shall I say that? The most agressive carpet sellers, really lots of small children begging for a
stilo or for anything else.. really .. not the best experience.
Not to mention, that almost everybody felt sick... so... we didn't really do a lot.. just chilling and eating ;)
5. day Gorge Todra - Dades Valley - OarzazateThe next day we were up to some hiking. 4 hours hiking in Gorge Todra. This is a very good mountain to climb , also for professional climbers. For us, it was a nice hike, visiting a nomad family accepting the mint tea there, seeing a 14.member family living in a tent, not knowing how old the girl was, not knowing the time, the date, the month they were. Truly a different world.
After freshing up at the hotel, and having again a very luxuriant lunch, we were heading to Oarzazate.
Before that we had a D-tour in the Dades Valley, in the Dades Gorge by car. Beautiful again, however, the hairpin bands made my day a little... ;)
6. day Marrakesh - Ait Benhaddou The next day, we were heading towards Marrakesh. Before, we stopped in Ait Benhaddou - the palce that insipred several famous directors, for example the Gladiator were filmed here with Russel Crowe!!!
Well, I have to say the place is better in the guide books, but still worth visiting it. :)
Than we arrived to Marrakesh, where, unfortunatly Eva had to leave us, as she - as usual - had to go somewhere else.. actually to India for a business trip ;)
This girl is just amazing!!! Full of energy and always on the roads!!! :P
We managed to have a little look at the caotic central market of Marrakesh, and had a very good dinner again ;)
7. day Marrakesh Our accomodation was in the best Riad I think. The location was a bit dangerous, specially in the night, but after a couple of getting éost in the medina, we found it quiet easily. ;)
The owner is a morrocan woman with a german husband. ;) They are soo lovely and funny. :)
The room was really a 5star, and the service was also great.
The best, is however the roof of the riad. What a night! :)
Marrakesh is exactly as I imagined, full of people, full of caos, the central market with its 3 MAD freshly squeezed orange juice.. oh boy!! ;)
All the sellers, with bargaining, and negotaiting, and nobody knows where Hungary is... ooooh boy!!! So much fun, so great!
We did some sightseeing trip and had lots of fun.
Than, at the evening, we went out to a bar/club, had lots of fun, meet with local people. Really great. ;)
And again... the roof of the riad.. is just... unreciteable ;)
8. day Marrakesh - Essaouria We left the car in Marrakesh, so after that we had to rely on public local transportation and taxis.
Aslo, it meant, that we were finished with the traveling, it was all about chilling.
During our way to Eassaouria, we had to stop, and we saw a really funny guy with his instrument, singing and enjoying himself. It weas hillarious!
Essaouria is next to the ocean, and agin, Andras didn't really feel well, so we left only the 2 of us, with Eszter, visited the port, the beach, the medina. We met a local cool guy, who likes to be called Delphino. ;) You can imagine, a blackish guy, full of muscle, acting as if he is really the local god, very cool guy. ;)
But, hey, he was fun, but a bit childish, and gets pissed off easily... specially when things are not happening as he expected.
But he dances well. ;)
In the evening, we sent Andras to hammam, so he can enjoy it a little. The strong massage from a huge black guy helped him... apperantly.
9. day Essaouria - Villa The next day, we also went to a hammam... well... our experience were different than Andras'. But we also enjoyed it.
That's true, hammam is there for the arab women to wash, clean, and aslo clean thier souls. Still.. it was interesting to sit where the other women wher bruhing their teeth.. anyways, we dont talk about this.
After this, we left our accommodation and went to a Villa.
Oh boy! That accommodation.. was just amazing!!!
Really beautiful, and a bit remote... offside of Essaouria, but still worth it.
The whole place were ours.
10. day Essaouria - CasablancaThan, we went back to Essaouria, had some chilling hours before our bus left to Casa.
So, we stayed in the beach, reading, chilling. ;)
The way to CAsablanca were a hussle... 6-7 hours in the bus..oh boy...
And agian, bakc to Casablance - we saw the medina, central market, etc.
But.. Casablanca is not that beautiful.
11. day Casablanca - GenevaOur last day, we ran to visit the Hassan II. Mosque - a true masterpiece - amazing.
Than again, we had to run to catch our plane to Geneva, it was amazing. Guess, who were the last one on the check-in??
Seriously.. :)
In Rick's Cafe: Travellers - Tourists: 0- 2!!!Overall, our trip was adventoruos, we saw amazing things, ecepereinced the desert, got lost in the squods, got discount while bargaining ;)
I loved this vacation!!!
Next destination: Greece than Tunis. ;)
Thanks a lot for Eszter and Andras for the photos, if it were me... well... ;)
bisous
