Showing posts with label Travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Travel. Show all posts

02 November 2015

Morocco is the best tourist attractions

Morocco is a North African country that has a coastline on both the North Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. It has borders with Western Sahara to the south, Algeria to the east and the Spanish North African territories of Ceuta and Melilla on the Mediterranean coast in the north. It is just across the Strait of Gibraltar from Gibraltar.
Understand

Morocco is composed mainly of Arabs and Berbers or a mixture of the two. Sizeable numbers of Berbers live mainly in the country's mountainous regions — long areas of refuge for them where they preserve their language and culture. Some segments of the population are descendants of refugees from Spain who fled from the Reconquista, the Christian reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula, in the 15th century.

Morocco's long struggle for independence from France ended in 1956. The internationalized city of Tangier was turned over to the new country that same year. Morocco annexed much of the Western Sahara, a former territory of Spain, in 1975.

Gradual political reforms in the 1990s resulted in the establishment of a bicameral legislature in 1997, although the King still possesses the actual political power. The press is mostly state controlled, even though there are free newspapers, and clampdowns have occurred following criticism of the authorities or articles concerning the Western Sahara situation.

The major resources of the Moroccan economy are agriculture, phosphates, tourism and textiles.


04 November 2013

Best Guide to Essaouira, Morocco










Located on the windy Atlantic coast, about three hours southwest of Marrakesh, is the small city of Essaouria (or “Swerah,” as locals call it), also known by some as “Mogador,” it’s old Portuguese nomenclature. In fact, this vibrant city has a long history of colonization with the Portuguese in particular being responsible for the construction of the massive stone walls that still surround the old medina of Essaouira. This, among other reasons, is why it is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. With its long beach, calm harbor and friendly locals, Essaouria has developed into one of the more tranquil spots in Morocco. Windsurfers glide over the waves, the call of seagulls echo, and fishing boats pull into harbor. The salt air here is a crisp respite after a few days in Marrakeah or in the heat of the desert.
Essaouria has been a port town for quite some time. There is evidence of prehistoric settlements and, in the 5th century B.C.E., the first known settlement was established. It wasn’t until the Portuguese built the fortress, giving the town its ramparts and stone walls in 1506, that the Essaouria as we know it today really took its form.
Today, music and art are two of the biggest draws throughout the year to this tranquil hub of Morocco. Jimi Hendrix once sojourned here and some suggest that the song Castles Made of Sand was written while he was in Essaouria (although the album was released in 1967 and he traveled to Essaouira in 1969), so this is more of an ongoing fable. Every year there is a music festival held at the end of June, the Gnaoua Festival of World Music and throughout the year, musicians can be found on the ramparts, playing traditional Gnaoua music. Several painters and sculptors call Essaouria home with some of the more popular artists featured in several stores and galleries scattered throughout the medina. In 2013, the television show “Voyages” selected Essaouria as one of the “Ten Happiest Destinations” on Earth.
Fun Essaouira Fact: And if you are a “Game of Thrones” fan, you will recognize Essaouria as the backdrop from where Daenerys Targaryen purchased her army of Unsullied soldiers.

What to Do

Relax 


After the frenetic souks of Marrakesh or Fez where haggling is an art and a way of life, the
relatively tranquil medina of Essaouria is a superb place to meander through an old Moroccan medina full of color and character with few encounters with pushy shop owners.

 Go Fly a Kite 

 Well… go kite surfing, anyway. Essaouira is known as North Africa’s wind capital and rightly so. Days of wind are as common as grains of sand and just south of the medina are several locations to rent surf equipment or to set up surfing, kiteboarding, windsurfing, or kitesurfing lessons. The latter is the latest draw to this oceanside town as near-perfect conditions can be had every day of the year.

Take a Cruise 

 At the port is a sailing tour that takes place from 10:30am – 2:30pm. It is best to book the day before and the cruise is weather dependent. Sunset cruises also available. For both cruises, tea and Moroccan pastries are served.

Go Spice Shopping 

Stop by Si Said’s shop in the spice market for spices, to get your hands on elusive saffron,
and, if you’re lucky, “royal tea,” a special Moroccan tea made of a combination of 15 spices. You’ll find decent prices here as well. You can find Said behind the fish market in the medina at no.199 Marché aux épices. 

Be a Beach Bum 

Most people come to Essaouiria to enjoy its picturesque beach. A series of ruins about a 1.5 kilometers to the far end of the beach make a worthy stop (the supposed Castles in the Sand). You can walk, swim or ride a camel or horse to explore the ruins. On less windy days, Essaouira is one of the more relaxed beaches in the country. Beach chairs can be rented for 25dh per day, relax, watch kite surfers, soccer players, read a book and work hard on that tan (or windburned look).

Learn How to Cook 

 One of the best cooking schools, hands down, is l’Atelier Madada, which offers a workshop with Chef Mouna. Reserve well ahead of time and while forgiving the plug, this is one of many superb activities that you can tack on to your Morocco tour with our team! You’ll be able to chose from a variety of different dishes off a select menu. An expansive kitchen awaits the creativity of experienced cooks and non-cooks alike. Cooking classes run from 10am-2pm and Patisserie Class from 3:30-5:30pm, except Sundays.

Kite/Wind Surfing 
 
Learn how to Kite Surf or Wind Surf (or just plain old-school Surf) with the experienced professionals at Club Mistral. Various gear is available for rent. In April 2013, surf prices were: 165dh for two hours, 300dh per day or an fair 1200dh per week. Wind surf: 480/720/2950. Kite surf: 480/720/2970. Lessons are also available and advisable. Kids under 12 get a 30% discount and kids from 13-18 receive a 20% discount. Lessons are from 825 dirhams on up. Contact ahead of time to prearrange lessons and perhaps better rates on gear. For those that are in decent shape (as well as coordination and balance), it will take an estimated six to sixteen hours to get pretty good at either kite surfing or wind surfing. Essaouira makes a top choice for a more sportive vacation with the high season being from the beginning of April to the end of September. Open from 10am – 5pm. Talk to Martin!

Check Out Some Art 

 Essaouria is known as an artist’s town. Art Plastique features work by female Moroccan artist Najia Kerairate and other artists. Free entry. Art Plastique is Sponsored by l’association des arts plastiques d’essaouira and is recognized by UNICEF for their contribution to disadvantaged youth.

See Recycled Art Statues 

Made of junk you might find in a garage, the artist who goes by his first name, Rachid, creates some funky statues. These make a great gift or centerpiece for your house. Rachid’s workshop and store is about a hundred yards after Bab Marrakesh in the west side of the medina. Some of his recycled sculptures include snails, fish and ants playing violin. Your guaranteed to find something that will make your smile.

Walk the Ramparts

 Before dinner, take a stroll on the old Portuguese ramparts as the sun sets over the Atlantic Ocean. Listen to the waves crash and watch as the world transforms into hues of orange, pink and red. Make sure to bring your camera! Many old (not functioning) cannons line the walk over the cobbled stone and make for a great photo opportunity. The best viewpoint may be on the north side of the ramparts. Vvarious artisan shops and locally made crafts located in the stores beneath the ramparts are also worth a look-see.

Where to Eat

La Mama

Sicilian Restaurant. Italian style. Gluten-free options. A nice change of pace or for those looking for something a bit more familiar without having to give in to McDonald’s or KFC. Pane Cunzato, Eoliana, Salina, pastas and pizzas starting at 45dh.

Dar Kenavo

The fine establishment of Dar Kenavo serves lunch and dinner in an all organic mix spiced with a seasonal menu. It’s a bit more upscale with a three-course lunch and dinner. Located about 12 kilometers from the medina with a wonderful garden and a heated pool, which makes a nice break from the beach crowds for those looking to spend an afternoon poolside.

Chez Sam

Open for lunch and dinner (though closed from 3pm-7:30pm), Chez Sam serves the freshest fish from the nearby dock. Served in ample portions, the mean is both filling and delicious. A rustic, port restaurant with a nice terrace. Smoking is allowed. Expect to shell out 200-300dh per person for a filling repast. Lunch is served from noon to 3pm and dinner from 7:30pm until 11pm. Located right at port.

Triskala Cafe

A nice stop for some great vegetarian options or just a quick tea or coffee. Funky vibe complete with pictures of Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix (among others) line the walls. They strive to be eco-friendly and only serve local products. Open for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. 

Elizir:

 Our top-pick restaurant in Essaouria! Abdellatif Rharbaoui is the owner and chef. He spent eleven years in Bologna, Italy learning how to cook. There is fun, hippy-chic-frumpy atmosphere. You are as likely to see a couple dressed up as dressed down. The menu is seasonal and generally has only three or four options for dinner, including a vegetarian option. Italian-Moroccan fusion. Plan on about 600dh for two for dinner (which they serve exclusively).

Beach and Friends

 Located just off the beach south of the medina. Outdoor beer, wine, cocktails. Great to grab a drink and watch the sunset. Food is optional and easily skippable.

Port Grills

Great for seafood lovers (though you’ll have to deal with vendors from every stall), this place has
food stalls of the fish variety that might be compared to that of the main square, Djem Alfna, in Marrakesh (although admittedly cleaner). The creativity and variety is lacking, but it’s a great place to grab local, fresh grub. Located just before the port on the rampart thoroughfare. In January, expect to pay 130dh to purchase a massive plate of sardines, one medium sole, one medium rouget, a small pageut, a handful of shrimp, a few langoustine and a giant crab (to be exact). Seagulls fly overhead, so watch out from above! Everything is grilled BBQ style with few, if any, tasty sauces.

31 October 2013

Into the Sahara Sand Dunes: A Moroccan Misadventure

Erg Chebbi Sahara Desert - Camel Ride 

Beneath the absolute black of the Sahara Desert sky, with our campsite nestled in the middle of the Erg Chebbi sand dunes, sprinkle after sprinkle slowly found its way into our Berber-style tents; we were gradually getting soaked. Little did we know that this night had an even greater challenge awaiting us.

My husband, Terry, and I were in Morocco on a week-long exploration of the country with four friends alongside our Moroccan Berber guide. Amidst our stays at various guesthouses, our outfitter, Journey Beyond Travel, arranged for us to travel by camel into the Saharan sands for a dinner coupled with an overnight stay among the dunes.
The plan was to leave at sunset in order to witness the various hues of the golden, waning sun as it said its last goodbyes to the expansive dunes and then enjoy a Berber meal al fresco as a million stars began to reveal themselves. Dawn would bring an equally stunning scene as the sun crested over the rolling horizon. Our experience was to be anything but typical.

We started our expedition at Kasbah Tombouctou, a hotel mimicking a citadel on the edge of the dunes located just between Rissani and the famed desert town of Merzouga. Young guides helped us choose and eventually ascend onto the backs of our fellow dromedaries.

Ali, a local, young Berber man, guided our small caravan across the ridge tops of the windblown sand dunes; he led the way so the camels did not have to struggle up and down the steep faces of the dunes.

Kasbah TombouctouTo our unaccustomed eyes, Ali seemed a magician. With no tracks, no landmarks, and amidst constantly shifting sand, he led us safely to our Berber encampment: several large tents about five feet tall, encircling a common area of carpets laid out for easy walking over the sand.
In camp, Ali and his fellow aide-de-camp, Muhammad, served us steaming, sweet Moroccan mint tea. We talked about the sun setting largely behind clouds, which would now block any chance to view the stars.
“Muhammad,” we asked, “should we be worried about rain?”
“No, my friend. If it rains, it will be in Algeria,” he reassured us.
And why worry about rain? We were in the desert for crying out loud.
And the guidebook had specifically said this part of the Sahara only gets four inches of rain a year.

Berber Dinner in DesertAfter Muhammad and Ali served us a dinner of salad, bread, goat tagine, and fruit for dessert, we retired to the largest Berber tent where each couple had a bed in an area separated by blankets, and we immediately fell asleep.
In sleep’s bliss, I suddenly awoke to the sensation of someone (or something) flicking drops of water on my face. Hearing thunder in the distance, I was astonished that we were actually experiencing rain! I assumed it would be over in a few minutes because “it only rains four inches a year here.” When it didn’t stop, I just pulled the thick wool blankets over my face and waited for it to pass…and waited…and waited.
But it did not pass. The thunder kept getting louder and lasting longer, while the lightening illuminated the porous woven cloth that made up our roof. The rain kept coming, and we kept hunkering down, thinking it would stop any minute.
By now, Terry was soaked and shouting, “We have to get out of here!”
But, how? None of us had taken Sand Dune Negotiation 101. The thought of riding the camels back in the cold rainy darkness was not enticing. Before long, our mattresses were soaked, our blankets were soaked, and we found ourselves starting to shiver from the cold rain. I looked at my watch with the flashlight: midnight. How would we deal with the next six hours of darkness if we were cold and wet? Should we be worried about hypothermia setting in?
Suddenly, Muhammad, with his turban protecting his head and a big blanket wrapped around him, parted the “door” to our tent.
“Are you OK?” he called.
“No,” I calmly replied, although I wanted to scream: We’re soaked, our bedding is soaked, and our mattresses are soaked!
“Do you want to leave and go back to the hotel?”
“Yes. But, how?” I couldn’t imagine riding those camels slipping and sliding in the wet sand in the dark!
Holding up his lit cell phone, he said, “I call the boss. He come in truck.”
“Yes. Tell him to come. We need to leave!” I didn’t need to be a cold, wet hero for another six hours just to have some bragging rights once I got back to the U.S.
Help was on the way!
I called over to our friends, Mary Jean and Becky, and they quickly relayed the arrangement to their husbands, Rick and Charlie. We stayed under our blankets while we waited, but the cold rainwater continued to find us, no matter where we hid.
And, then, like the treasured sound of a loved one’s voice, I heard the distant hum of a motor in the distance.
“I HEAR THE TRUCK! IT’S COMING!!!” I yelled out with elation to the encampment. “Get ready!”
I poured the water out of my shoes, jammed my feet in, slipped my wet rain jacket on, grabbed my backpack and did not bother to change out of my sleeping clothes. I stumbled out as Muhammad greeted me with a huge blanket spread out over his head, telling me to come under it until the truck came.
From a cold, wet Sahara Desert night there suddenly appeared a Toyota Land Cruiser, headlights blazing forth – our light at the end of a soaking tunnel. The driver flung open the doors, the inside car lights lit up, and blasting, hypnotic Arabic pop music filled the night.
In a heartbeat, the scene went from fret to festivity. “Oh, my god! We’re at a party in the middle of the Sahara with fantastic music!”
I recognized the driver as Hamid, the hotel manager who had greeted us, the guy who had supervised the mounting of the camels, and I was immediately relieved. No teenage cowboy to tackle this mission. We had the boss!
Amidst the raindrops illuminated by headlights and the many flashlights, we all – guests, guides and driver – rushed to fling open the 4×4 doors and crammed in, not caring what limbs ended up where.
As steam from our breath quickly fogged the windows and the windshield wipers slapped away the rain, I surmised that a vehicle would not follow the narrow ridge tops of the dunes as the camels had.
Instead, our rig – easily competing with any clown car in its tangled mass of squished bodies – raced up a dune, crested at its ridge, and plummeted down into the caldera between each sandy drift.
To the throb of the Arabic pop music, Hamid applied his nerve, testosterone, and the diesel-powered engine to get nine adults atop dune after dune to make our escape. With the weight of our bodies, the wet sand, no road, and the accelerated momentum needed to propel us forward, I started to appreciate Hamid’s handling of this modern beast of the desert, the Land Cruiser.
At one instance, Hamid hit the peak of a dune and instead of the usual roller-coaster blast over the ridge, and a quick view of the night sky, we started to slip backwards. The uncertainty was unnerving; it lasted what felt like a lifetime. Hamid took a different angle across the dune, and we jumped to another ridge.
Soon the dunes gave way to flatter stretches of sand. Our beloved host and driver with Journey Beyond Travel, Naim, was waiting for us at the hotel. He had gotten up in the middle of the night to fetch our suitcases full of dry clothes, and ensured we were taken to warm rooms. Hot showers revived and calmed our soaked souls. Finally, it was safe to say: We had ridden camels into the desert. We had camped (for awhile) under the Sahara sky. We had had a taste of the desert and the lives led there.

Wet Group in Sahara Desert

Adventures (and more) in the Sahara Desert

If you are interested in Moroccan adventure (with hopefully no misadventure!), our team at Journey Beyond Travel can help you put together a superbly unique Morocco travel itinerary. We offer:
- Knowledgeable Guides
- Genuine Experiences
- Outstanding Quality
- Custom, hand-crafted itineraries

26 October 2013

A Crumbling Glory of Mud and Straw: Ait Ben Haddou



Ait Ben Haddou
“Just there, that patch there, just by the side of that small hill, see it?”

Well, yes, I did see it, a more-or-less round piece of bare ground completely lacking any significance other than being similar to many other pieces of ground around Ait ben Haddou. Hamid was trying to show me where the scene in Gladiator was shot, the one with Oliver Reed looking sufficiently Arab-ish as he explains to the slaves, including the disgraced general Maximus, played by Russell Crowe, that “I did not pay good money for you for your company. I paid it so that I could profit from your death”. (Cut to pile of corpses being picked over by vultures.
Fortunately for Ridley Scott, Gladiator’s director, a few rough poles to act as stockades and a couple of walls plastered with adobe, and his gladiatorial village was virtually there, given the presence of the majestic Ait ben Haddou and the dessert landscape around it. (He was obviously so inspired by the location that he came back to shoot the Holy Land scenes forKingdom of Heaven.) These are just a couple in a long catalogue of films that have used this ancient citadel as a set; Lawrence of Arabia, The Last Temptation of Christ, Kundun, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, and part of the TV series Game of Thrones amongst them.

More  Than Just a Film Set

Local Girls Ait ben Haddou

Ait ben Haddou is more than just a film set, though; it is a ksar, a fortified village whose history goes back almost a thousand years, although the maze of narrow and crenulated towers you see these days are mainly from the 17th century. As a strategic stop for caravans of camels, often numbering hundreds, on the trans-Saharan trade route from the Sudan to Marrakech carrying gold, silver and slaves and returning with salt, it would have been a thriving town, home to thousands. As well a private homes – everything from small palaces to modest one-room dwellings – there were communal areas including a public square, a mosque, a caravanserai to house those travelling with the caravans, grain threshing areas outside the ramparts, a fortified granary (agadir) at the top of the village, the last redoubt in time of invasion, and two cemeteries, Muslim and Jewish.
When the French built a new road over the Tizi n Tichka Pass, a stunning piece of engineering that zigzags its way up to 2260 metres from Marrakech before descending to the pre-Sahara flatlands, the Marrakech to Ouarzazate caravan route ceased to be. The population of Ait Benhaddou quickly dwindled and today only a handful of families live in the walled village. While some of the larger and more important buildings have been maintained, many of the traditional mud and straw dwellings are returning to the red earth from which they were built.
From across the dry river bed of the Oued Ounila, Ait ben Haddou looks magical, with its olive groves and date palms, and patchwork fields of vivid green. You can make out the kasbahs, the homes of the rich folk, built around a central courtyard and guarded over by a tower at each corner. A family of storks are perched on one of the lower towers, a sign of good luck. The village layers its way up the hillside, stopping just short of the wall that safeguards the granary, perched on the very top, like a nipple on a recumbent breast. But it’s only as you get closer that you see that so many of the roofs have collapsed, walls are crumbling, arches fallen in, as the buildings degrade past the point of no return.

 Life in the Ksar

old man ait ben haddouTo help maintenance costs, some of the kasbahs allow visitors (for a modest fee of ten dirhams). The small dark rooms with uneven floors and tiny windows may seem incongruous when you recall that wealthy families would have lived here. But go back four centuries and think how your ancestors might have lived, using the traditional building methods of the area. In Ait ben Haddou, as in many regions of Morocco, buildings had been constructed (and still are being) of hand-made bricks, with rooms the maximum size of the nearest indigenous tree that provided the ceiling beams, narrow external slits as windows so archers could lose arrows during an attack (and these were perilous times of regular and vicious tribal wars). And bear in mind the soaring summer temperatures, where external windows guarded by ornate metal grills and open internal-facing window apertures allowed any passing breeze to cool the house, and flat roofs became open-air bedrooms to avoid the claustrophobic heat of a crowded bedroom. And as the traditional Moroccan way of life is to live with extended families, these rooms could get pretty sticky – and probably pretty smelly as well.
As you climb the narrow, higgledy-piggledy streets and get to eye-level with the decaying walls that stand in rows like a mouthful of broken and rotted teeth, you get a close up view of the basic traditional building materials, the compacted bricks, called pisé, laid over footings of stone harvested from the harsh terrain outside the town, and covered with a thick layer of adobe. But ‘basic’ doesn’t mean ‘plain’; the tops of the high angle towers and upper sections of the kasbahs are decorated with motifs, ziggurat designs created by careful spacing between the clay bricks, rows of blank fenestration, looking as if they are waiting for windows to be fitted, and the ancient design of the horseshoe arch used as door and window openings. (And the holes in the walls aren’t the aftermath of tribal warfare, they are there to ventilate the walls, which would dry out and disintegrate much quicker without them, and are found throughout Morocco where this construction material is used.)
The inclination to use cement for speedy and more lasting restoration, and metal door and window frames to replace the original wood has so far been controlled, although a few reinforced cement lintels have slipped through the net, which, fortunately have been covered by adobe rendering. But one of the beauties of Ait ben Haddou, whether in its restoration or return to its prime constituents, is that everything is in harmony with both its natural surroundings and the culture of its inhabitants.
Simply talking of Ait ben Haddou’s buildings or role as a movie backdrop overlooks the fact that it is still home to a number of resilient families. As I climb the streets to the granary a young man suddenly pops he head out of a door to offer me small paintings of the town. I thank him and move on, but shortly after, I see an old lady working a loom in what looks like a dark alleyway but is probably part of her home. I suspect that had she seen me first she’d also have jumped out to accost me, but she hadn’t so I ask if I can watch her work. Helped by the fact that I had crossed her palm with a twenty dirham note, she allows me to sit beside her as her nimble fingers work the pattern in a brightly coloured rug. A point to be aware of with the making of these rugs is that no design is ever written down, and while the basic layout of the pattern may come from the traditional designs of her tribe, the rug is the story of the weaver’s life as she experiences at that moment; her joys and sadness, trials and tribulations, which is why every true hand-woven rug is completely unique. And rugs are always woven by women.
The climb to the agadir is strenuous in the heat but immensely worth it, with glorious views of the palmeraie at the foot of the village and the stony desert that stretches almost into infinity. The afternoon is slowly settling and the warm light of the desert sun casts a glowing sheen over the russet pink of the village below. As shadows stretch in the narrow alleyways I make my way down the hill and out of a small arched side entrance. For a few minutes I watch a man weeding a patch of garden. History or no, life still goes on.

23 October 2013

Puerto Rico Travel Tips












Determining Puerto Rico's charm is a no-brainer. Less than a three-hour flight from Miami, this island is a U.S. territory (in case you didn't recall from high school history). So when you're shopping in San Juan, you can pay for your souvenirs with American bills. But don't be mistaken:  This isn't quite a home away from home. Puerto Rico has both 20-foot waves for surfers and calm, clear waters for families. It's a stroll back through time (El Morro) and an up-close look at the contemporary (Calle del Cristo). It's an exhilarating mix of landscapes, from the serpentine jungle of El Yunque to the corkscrew caves of Parque de las Cavernas del Río Camuy. And if you want to get away from civilization entirely, you can ferry over to the secluded -- not to mention jaw-droppingly gorgeous -- islands of Vieques and Culebra. Convinced?
If not, we can drive a few further points home. When other Caribbean isles put a premium on wintertime at the beach, Puerto Rico offers year-round affordable packages to relax along its blanched sands. And while other regional spots like to advertise exciting nightlife, the capital city of San Juan actually delivers. Follow a pulsating beat to the dance clubs in the Santurce neighborhood, catch some live music in a Ponce lounge, or grab a casual drink at a San Sebastián bar.


 

Copyright @ 2013 all you need.

Designed by Hicham |