Well it’s been quite a while
since I last posted a blog, so thought I’d better take some peace out time to
do just that. It’s been difficult you
see, what with all the travelling around, seeing amazing new things, eating new
foods, meeting new people and basically getting immersed in some incredible and
different cultures….yes, it’s been difficult.
But here I am, back in the UK once more, for a chill out session before
trekking off again. I just arrived back
here from a last minute whirlwind trip of Morocco and what an amazing 2 weeks –
I didn’t want to leave!
Now roaming the markets of
Marrakech was number 14 on my Bucket List (see my first blog) and visiting this
vibrant city has been on my hit list for a number of years. However, while it was so satisfying to
finally visit here and check out all the souks, barter over pennies and bask in
the general atmosphere that is Marrakech, it was the rest of the country that
absolutely stole my heart.
I arrived into Fez on a Sunday
afternoon from a wet and cold London. I
expected sunshine and warmth to greet me here.
It never did. Overcast and windy,
I huddled down in my only warm thing I took, my thin hoodie and headed off the
plane. I chuckled to myself as I saw an
English girl being chatted up by one of the Moroccan stewards and soon became
friends with her and her travelling friend.
Together we went to wait for the airport bus to take us into town,
despite many taxi drivers telling us it “wasn’t coming today”, obviously
wanting us to travel with them instead.
However, an hour and a half later, rain had started to come down and
there was still no bus to be seen. We
gave in and ended up sharing a taxi into town with 2 locals – at least we know
we got a good price!
 |
The "Moroccan Salad" <3 |
I finally got to my hostel, Funky
Fes and checked in. Great little hostel,
with a lovely terrace, clean and spacious rooms and a nice atmosphere to meet
new friends. Here, I met my Funky Fez
family; the missing parts to my Moroccan salad – Megan, Lucy, Emma and Kez x 2
(Kezia and Kieran). The next day, we all quickly became friends, over light
banter and ridiculous stories as we roamed the Medina (and got lost in the
Medina). It was then we discovered we
all wanted to do a desert trip; so after knowing each other for less than 24
hours, we thought we’d commit to another week together and booked a 4 day, 3
night trip through to the Sahara and down to Marrakech.
Turns out, it was a perfectly
sound decision! We all got along famously as we spent the next 4 days winding
our way up and down the Middle and High Atlas mountains, visiting wild monkeys,
basking in the tranquillity of the open land and visiting the Sahara
desert. We listened to traditional
African music, tried Merzouga’s famous “pizza” - bread stuffed with mince meat
or vegetables, onions and spices, kind of like a Moroccan somosa – had a laugh
trying to sand board, rode camels for too many hours (my groin hurt badly!) and
visited a few Kasbahs (Moroccan housing villages). We can’t forget being stuck in Moroccan style
road rage – a guy screaming and throwing large rocks at the other guy across
the road where we, and a lot of other cars, were crossing!! I thought a rock
was surely going to hit us!
 |
| Chilling with the fam and Black Star in the desert... |
 |
| Middle Atlas Mountains! |
  |
| Camel Trekking and off to sand board! |
The highlight of the trip was
definitely the desert, where we all slept under an incredible blanket of stars!
We ate chicken tajine, drank red wine around the campfire and sang African
songs while our two berber guides played the beat. It was a lovely night, with Black Star and
Issus (our guides) giving us all nicknames – mine was Buchra, meaning happy! :) Was an amazing
experience!!
While this trip was over, I was
so excited to get into Marrakech and go roaming through the souks and square. Selling anything from leather
products, to shishas, to Moroccan tajine pots, lamps and carpets, the markets
were full of life. Shop owners hassled
us to try and look at their shop and obviously highest of prices were
asked. However, after some quick
bartering, we all managed to get some items for a good deal (well we think we did anyway!) To our delight we also found some local
cafes, making Moroccan pancakes for as little as 3dH (0.30€)!
  |
| Finally getting to tick to roam the souks and of course, smoke some shisha! |
Full of entertainers, juice
stands and many little trinket sellers, Marrakech’s main square is bustling
with life. Walking through I almost
crapped my pants, as a local chased me with a cobra in his hands, obviously
wanting me to hold it – I do not like
snakes!!! Saying this though, it was a delight to see locals and tourists alike
basking in the atmosphere. However, the
square came alive as soon as the sun set.
Food market stalls appeared, full of fresh and cheap dinner options on
basic tables and benches, right in the middle of everything. Workers hustled visitors, bartering could be
heard over quiet chatter at the tables and aromatic smells met nostrils of
hungry patrons. It was a wonderful day.
 |
| Sunset over the water in Essaouira |
Kez, Lucy and I then took off to
the coast the next day to a surfer town of Essaouira. A bustling town, but more relaxed, laid back
and cheaper than everywhere I’d been so far.
Beautiful sunsets and water crashing against rocks, shisha and mojitos
(courtesy of our hostel manager) and cheap, fresh and delicious Moroccan
pancakes were a daily ritual. It was a
perfect place to unwind, recoup and see another relaxed side of Morocco. Reminding me a lot of home, I found it very
difficult to leave here.
However, my next stop was the top
of everyone else’s list, the town of blue, Chefchaouen. After leaving Essaouira, I didn’t think I’d
find somewhere I loved more; I was wrong.
The beautiful blue streets, the friendly locals, the most amazing cake shop, the relaxed
atmosphere, the abundant amounts of fresh goat’s cheese and the incredible
landscape surrounding the town; all make this a place I want to come back to
again and again.
  |
| Can't be blue in the town of blue <3 |
My first full day here was taken
up with a hike through the mountains with two new friends, Lani and Laressa, to
two different sites – God’s bridge, a beautiful rock bridge and the Grande
Cascade. Hiking for a total of 6 hours
that day, it was a nice work out, without being strenuous. The view was incredible, photos don’t do the
area justice and was wonderful to get out in nature. Very much a surprise for me, the cold
rivers, greenery and waterfalls, were definitely not what I was expecting from
Morocco!! My following days in Chefchaouen consisted of cheap Moroccan
breakfast, roaming the streets, watching sunsets, stuffing my face with too
many Moroccan dishes and relaxing at our Riad with travellers I met along the
way. It was an absolutely perfect way to
end my time in the beautiful country of Morocco.
  |
| The Grande Cascade and God's Bridge near Chefchaouen |
 |
| Beautiful place to watch the sunset |
In my short two weeks, I made
some lifelong friends (we are already talking about living in Spain together!),
seen some incredible landscapes and basked in the culture and atmosphere of
many different areas of Morocco. It is a
place full of life, very accommodating to tourists and travellers alike and
should definitely make it to everyone’s bucket list!!
Until next time
xxx
No comments:
Post a Comment