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The Wicks go Back in Time
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The Wicks go Back in Time

Egypt & Morocco 2022 Read more
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  • Travel with the WicksThe Wicks go Back in TimeTraveler
    Nasser Lake

    High Dam & Nasser Lake

    October 20, 2022 in Egypt ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    Last night we continued to Aswan with the rest of the flotilla. Today we tried to beat the crowds by leaving at 6:30 am. We drove to Nasser dam, the maintainer of the largest man made lake in the world. It is 450 km. long and 150 km. wide in one part. Most of the lake is in Egypt but 20 per cent extends into Sudan. The dam itself is 4 km. wide and at its base 1 km. Height is 130 metres.Read more

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    Temple of Philae

    October 20, 2022 in Egypt ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    This temple was relocated over a period of just about 10 years. The process finish in 1980. It was relocated because the low dam (not Nasser) left the original location flooded. The relocation happened after the temple was flooded so they built a dam around the inundated temple and went to work.Read more

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    Final Night on Cruise in Aswan

    October 20, 2022 in Egypt ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

    The last afternoon we went to a spice market, perfume/ essential oils shop and a relaxing walk through a market, “window shopping”. (Tom’s favourite kind of shopping)
    We also had pirates bring their boat up to ours to sell their wares.Read more

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    Abu Simbel Temples

    October 21, 2022 in Egypt ⋅ 🌙 23 °C

    Other Egyptian temples have a similarity where Abu Simbel stands alone. It was built by Ramses II in southern Egypt, so that all who entered from the south would know who’s boss. This temple was carved into a mountain, with such precision that on Ramses birthday October 22, the rising sun shines directly into the chamber where his principle statue is. The sunlight lights his face! This also happens in February, the day he was crowned.
    What you see in the pictures has been relocated from the area below that is now flooded by the Nasser Dam. It was a massive project that took about 4 years finishing in 1968.
    The ride here took about 3 1/2 hours through mostly desert. Nasser lake extends another 100 km or so further south into Sudan. It is a big lake. Abu Simbel is one of our favourite temples.    Read more

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    We wake refreshed!

    October 24, 2022 in Morocco ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    Today is a new day! Our task today to to find a ATM that allows us to get money! With some research we locate 2 not far from the hotel. Both decline our card! What next? Well more research and find many have the same issue. We have been withdrawing from our chequing but that doesn’t work here so we try the savings! It works! Somehow the ATM here recognizes our chequing as a savings, Anyhow we are in the money. Next task is to relax my the pool, hit the gym and back to the pool! This was a great day!
    Tonight we meet our travelling mates..    Read more

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    Rabat

    October 25, 2022 in Morocco ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    Our first day of touring in Rabat and the impression is “what a nice place”. There is a blend of old and new the that is attractive. The city is immaculately clean. Traffic is manageable and the rules predictable. Sadly there was not a good shopping opportunity for Dianne, but she now has some local dough to work with when there is a chance.

    Our first stop,was at Bah Rouah; this is a monumental gate in Rabat. The “Gate of Winds” as it was battered by Atlantic winds. Oudaya Kasbah was next on the agenda. It is a 13th century neighborhood fortified with walls and a gate. An original gated community.    Read more

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    More sights in Rabat

    October 25, 2022 in Morocco ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    The new opera house, designed by a Zaha Hadid from Iraq. We stopped outside the Royal Palace and then the unfinished mosque (from the 1300)
    Next we visited Hassan tower, the unfinished mosque, and mausoleum
    We enjoyed a “fish” lunch. Tom had fish soup followed by a plateful of shrimp, fish, calamari and more fish. I enjoyed a vegetable platter, with rice completed with lots of white fish!

    We finished the day relaxing back at the pool.    Read more

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    Going to Fez

    October 26, 2022 in Morocco ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    It’s a bus trip to Fez. The country side is varied and pretty. Some rolling hills, some small mountains. On the way we stop at Meknes, a former capital city. We visit a Mosque within the old city. The king who moved the capital here was super paranoid. So much so that he built 2 walls to surround the place.
    Agriculture in Morocco is a principle industry. Olive groves and citrus fruit trees cover the hillsides. They grow almonds and have apple orchards as well.    Read more

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    Riad Salem Fes

    October 26, 2022 in Morocco ⋅ ⛅ 33 °C

    Our hotel, Riad Salem Fes, is close to the Blue gate of the medina. Riad refers to the style of home, where the doors, windows and balconies face the courtyard. There is no view except of the courtyard. This is now a hotel. All of the buildings in the ancient medina are riad style. There is some indication of the prosperity of the riad from the door. The size of the door, one or two knockers, what kind of wood, Even so, you can’t always judge a book by its cover.Read more

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    The Medina of Fes

    October 27, 2022 in Morocco ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    In local jingo, medina refers to the old part of the city. The part that is over 800 years old. Fes has one of the largest medinas, and our local guide says it is un mapped. The passages are certainly narrow, and maze like - one could easily get lostRead more

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    Moroccan Carpets for Sale.

    October 27, 2022 in Morocco ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    How lucky can we get? There are carpets for sale here in Morocco. The best one is a two sided, winter summer, self cleaning, live wool, reversible piece of art that took several years for the talented strictly female artisan to tightly tie the knots into the best carpet.

    Next was the Chouara tannery. We saw how the leather is cut and dried in the traditional way. They gave us a sprig of mint to sniff when in the area…need I say more!

    The last few pictures are in a museum with old wooden tools,    Read more

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    Jewish Quarter

    October 27, 2022 in Morocco ⋅ ☀️ 33 °C

    After lunch we walked through Jewish quarter of the Medina. The noticeable difference is that the building style was not Riad, they had outward facing windows and balconies.

    Our first stop was the Jewish cemetery. In this cemetery if you had a tattoo or a body replacement part ( ie hip or knee) you couldn’t be buried here. Your body would be sent to a cemetery in Rabat.

    Then we visited a Jewish synagogue, and finally the entrance to the Royal palace!    Read more

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    Riad Salem breakfast

    10 hour bus ride

    October 28, 2022 in Morocco ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C

    Last night we dined in our room on a bread I purchased at a small shop close to the hotel. It was nice to eat light for a change. Today we continued to Erfoud over a mountain pass, through the Atlas Mountains. The ride is 10 hours. Our group of 20 get along well. We have mostly Americans, but there is another Canadian couple from Ontario. We pass a ski resort where some macaque monkeys have drawn a crowd. I can see why Moroccans don’t appear on the World Cup for skiing circuit. The season is short and so are the runs.
    The south side of the high Atlas range is the Sahara desert. The same Sahara we flew over for 5 hours from Egypt. It was a long day of travel, broken up by stops at scenic points along the way, a lunch break, and bathroom breaks. We are glad to be here in Erfoud at the Xaluca Casbah hotel.    Read more

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    Xaluca Casbah

    October 28, 2022 in Morocco ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    Xaluca casbah is a welcome refuge after a long bus ride. We relaxed a bit before dinner and then prepared our overnight bags for a night in the desert tomorrow. There is rumours that Dianne will get her chance to ride a camel tomorrow. I’ll keep you posted.Read more

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    Tour of Rissimi

    October 29, 2022 in Morocco ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    This morning we had another opportunity to buy things. The first was at a fossil factory. I know you can’t manufacturer fossils. What they do here is liberate them from the stone nearby, polish them up and sell them to you.
    Better than the fossils are the souks and the partially renovated fortress like ksar. Some families are living here again, but the ksar was a current and going concern in the 17th century.    Read more

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    The Rumor is True.

    October 29, 2022 in Morocco ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    A convoy of four wheel drive vehicles take us from our hotel to a Berber oasis where we regroup and have a drink on the edge of the desert. The rumour of a camel ride is true. Dianne will get her chance, along with all the rest of us. It looks as if I will have re-evaluate my attitude towards the beast if I am to get along with my desert transport.Read more

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    Soloman11Earle & Soloman smile for the camera

    Dianne Rides a Camel

    October 29, 2022 in Morocco ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    It is to be a camel caravan. But before, camel riding lessons. The Berber dromedary handler demonstrates the proper hand, arm and shoulder positioning as well as proper balance for the raising and lowering of the beast. I pay close attention.
    We all get a long ride out on the Saharan sand dunes where we stop for sunset pictures and give the dromedaries a rest. Dianne is riding Soloman, I’m on Earle. Earle is quite friendly with Soloman, wiping his nose on Soloman’s backside any time it starts to run. Dianne is a natural on a camel. Comes easier to her than skiing.
    By the time we get back to the desert camp, it is dark. Everyone is safely dismounted from the dromedaries and a celebration begins. I guess we’re all just happy to be here in one piece.    Read more

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    The Band

    Back to camp

    October 29, 2022 in Morocco ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    Camp is a group of tents under the stars. Sort of a caravan motel with parking but no pool. We were late to get back to our suite and had planned a nice shower but ( always a but) didn’t get any hot water. We washed our feet instead. Dinner was nice, and the band played our favourite songs.Read more