I just realized that, on our trip, everyone's camel had a name but mine!  Clyde's was "white", Michaelswas "Purple" (though we called it "Lavender") and Alan's was "blue".  Mine did not seem to have a Name.

She was however pregnant and you have NO idea how wide you have to splay your legs  open to straggle a pregnant camel. I'm still stretched in places I  did not know I had places to stretch.

The return to Marrakech was back through the crazy twisty Atlas mountains.

In several places the side railings to the gorge below were missing and I refused to peer any further to see why.

On our last night, the boys took me out for a "quiet" pre-birthday dinner that turned into a FULL ON belly-dancing show and these old Moroccan women with trays of lit candels on their heads.

I have pics.

Clyde, with not so fond memories of a flaming tray of deserts falling on him in Turkey, looked visibilly tense and did not move much through the performance.

I'm finally in the Marrakech airport and sadly starting my journey home. The pushy little Spanish woman tried to shove in front of me at the check-in  is only a reminder of the fact that the vacation is over.  Here is an actual pic of the Marrakech Airport from the Sex and the City 2 movie... pretty!

I'm in the middle.

The roads ended and we just threw our backpacks on and headed off into the sunset. After nearly 2 hours on camel back we arrived at our tents in the Sahara desert.

It's just the 4 of us and an equal number of guides and staff. Some of  the guides only speak 'Sahari' and a smattering of French but we sat  before dinner and heard all the stories of long caravans and valleys full of gazells that were all a part of the history of this region.

Dinner was (The obligatory but tasty) tagine. And after we are now laying under the full moon on carperts, being serenaded by the guides playing drums. The sandy desert is cool between my toes and I'm going  to sleep.

Stunning Essouraria

The Horse Show in Marracech was very much as we expected...

Essouaria was a stunning treat...

Clyde in Marracech

We've driven all day to arrive at a very dusty and windy Ouarzazate at the Gate to the Sahara. Staying in a Charming Riad but the howling winds make it sound like someone is constantly trying to open the doors and windows to the bedroom.

Ouarzazate ("War-za-zat") is the Moroccan "Hollywood" with studios around the town.

Not sure what the plan is but dinner and a nap would be great. We were doing great with the ride until we stopped at the overlook to  the town and out of the ground (literally) crawled two very drunk old  men; one carrying some sort of half-alive lizardy-thingy and the other
with a box.

Remember these men were drunk (or perhaps stoned on the "happy cakes" sold here) and the one with the box proceeded to open it and puledl out a tangled mess of unhappy King Cobras.

I glanced over and he was chasing one towards the car while staggering behind it.

By this time I realized that the Doc and Michael had had enough and  were already in the car and ready to go.

I got no pictures.

We left.

Blue

In Essaouira. It is like Marracech with the volume turned WAY WAY DOWN. Sitting on a rooftop deck, waiting on our fresh seafood lunch  with the cool ocean breezes bringing the soft Moroccan music upstairs.
It "doesn't suck".

Arrived in Marracech after what seemed like a very long drive. Of course we are staying in the MIDDLE of the old part of the town near the famous square. Our driver parked outside the walls and we turned
our luggage over to some little porter with a cart who took off with everything we owned, at 90 miles an hour, into the maze of alleys.

Trust is a wonderful thing in this country. He was waiting at our
guesthouse when we eventually got there.

The walk includes a memory game of where to turn right and left, all  punctuated with landmarks like "the blue doors", "the broken sewer",  "the half-dead cat" and "the zig-zag hole in the walls".

On arrival, we were seated for the required "Moroccan Whisky" (mint  tea) and a cookie, that, while almond flavoured, managed to have the EXACT consistency of sand. Delicious. Sort of.

Anyway, the city is amazing. The recent "Sex and the City" movie has rebuilt part of the Zouk to film here. But the square is full off  snake charmers and fortune tellers and fun people pulling (literally)
you into their food stalls that are full of exotic spices and yummy foods.

Alan has been indulging in the snail stands. Snails come in a cup size of"small" and "grande" but surprisingly not in a "venti". Next to the snails they sell the cinnamon tea which has ONE HECK of a kick to it. Tons of Cinnamon and Ginger. Even sipping it slowly feels like Christmas has exploded in your mouth.

And yes, besides the food, the shopping is amazing. I'm still holding back (we have a week more to go) but Dr. Clyde has moved from one suitecase to two. Shoes and tassels are everywhere and I'm not sure
how my mother survived this trip.

But, you do have to haggle and Dr Clyde is getting better at this. We got dragged into a store selling wooden boxes. The guy took pity on the doc and made him "haggle" as he told him that 400 dirham (about
$50) was too much to pay. "No, no, you give me a price now", "no, no, now you go up a little". He had to teach the doc how to bargain. That alone, was worth the diversion into the store. The doc now has a
resonable box of dice, and some basic haggling skills.

Next up... The Yves St. Laurent gardens and the horse show...

Rocking the Casbah

We are in a little wi-fi free zone in Marraakech.

Loving the marketplace at night. Being pulled in a million directions
by the sights and smells of this amazing county.

Walking around the Medina in Fez today...

Walking around the Medina in Fez today...

Today was spent driving around in the blazing hot sun visiting ancient ruins in the country.

All went nicely and we are back in the little Riad that has been our home here in Fez.

I'm not sure exactly when this happened but I think a cat broke into my bedroom and there i a (not so) faint smell of cat pee in the room.


I'm hoping this is NOT in my luggage but I guess if the smell follows  us to Marrakach then we have a problem.

Tomorrow is a "free day" that hopefully involves a hamam, a shave and  a scrub that will leave me all clean and tingly.

Signing out for now.

Morocco pics 1. Fez and Tanger

Some of my initial pics. Quickly posted.
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Tanger and Fes

Sitting in the Riad (hotel) in Fes now in Morocco. We spent a lovely day in Tanger and only got offered opium once. We stayed a a lovely hotel who's claim to fame is a long list of very old celebrities who have stayed there in the past. I think I was in the Ryan O'neil [sic] room. I was not sure... but it smelled like desperation and faded career.

We met this charming friend of a Facebook friend for dinner and (as irony would have it) ate at a swanky restaurant called "Miami Beach". I came all this way for that? The food was lovely but the Zamfir CD on loop was a bit much (including Love Story, now that I think of it. Why is Ryan O'Neil haunting me?)

Our new Moroccan friend told us that we were going to enjoy everything in the desert including the snakes and scorpions. Pardon me? I did not sign up for either.

Today we then piled into a Toyota land cruiser (our home for the next two weeks) and drove to Fes. Finally meeting up with the last of our group! We are now all together from all parts of the globe

The drive was interesting The only thing we were alowed to do was to eat at a place on the highway that was 'clean'. Our guide does not seem to care to much about the type of food, as long as it's 'clean'. I'm going to defer to his judgement here.

Our senic (and 'clean') stop was this amazing little town called Asilah. You could have been in any part of the Greek isles (except for the lack of Topless Germans and bored Italians.)

I'll post some pics.

Please excuse the spelling here too. I'm doing all of this on my iPod.

And so the Road to Morocco begins. My American flight to Paris was mercifully speared the recent delays because of volcanic ash. Lots of positive thoughts and prayers went into that one. We arrived in Paris only 20 minutes late and I still had plenty of time to get my bags and switch terminals to Easyjet. This is where things all started to go wonky.

In TYPICAL Parisian style we went down a jetway climbed down stairs and got BUSSED to the aircraft that was (no exaggeration) 2 gates away. Where we has to get off the bus and wait to climb back up the stairs By this point all the people who had paid extra for 'speedy boarding' were pissed as they were not on board first. And .... I'm quickly learning... you don't piss off cheap Moroccans or French.

But wait. It gets better...

I get on board and the old lady in front of me immediately asks for several motion sickness bags. The flight attendant didn't speak (I'm guessing) Berber so the universal sign for "I'm about to throw up" was used quite effectively.

Sitting next to I'm-sure-I'm-going-to-throw-up lady is a huge Arab man who has now proceeded to sing/chant/recite the Quran. He is not using his "inside voice" and the American guy (who looks like Woody Alan, but Not as attractive) has broken out into a visible sheen of sweat.

He sang/chanted through the entire flight announcements in French English and Arabic.

... But wait... it gets better.

Midway into the flight the guy sitting next to me pulls out his MacBook and decides that he is going to watch a movie. The only thing is that HE IS NOT WEARING HEADPHONES. So everyone around me; throw-up-lady, chanty man, Woody Alan and the child now kicking my seat are
Glaring at me because they think that I'm typing on my iPod and this must be where the noose is coming from. They can't seem him from their vantage point. Of course it's a war movie and the cabin is now full of sounds of explosions and gun shots. Woody is so scared now he is literally twitching

Note to self: no more Easyjet. I'm listening to Yanni on my headphones... And now the woman behind me just threw up on my shoes...

I've been traveling for years and suddenly people are asking me to blog about it.  I thought I'd try and set this up before I head off to Morocco (next Friday) and get this all working before then.  Cheers!