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Spain - Morocco - AndorraSpain - Morocco - Andorra
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Spain - Morocco - Andorra

August - September 2022
A 43-day adventure by Jason and Ricky Read more
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  • TravelerSpain - Morocco - Andorra
    Day 34

    Here’s Looking At You, Casablanca

    September 15, 2022 in Morocco ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    Heading north, we travelled the 230-kilometres from Marrakech to Casablanca by train. We’d been told not to bother with Casablanca by a few different friends; but, we decided to make a pitstop and break up the journey.

    We boarded the train and found our first-class seats. Jason was expecting a high-speed train but this was more a rickety old train that would plod for two and a half hours to our final destination. First class was just a booth of 6 seats. I’m not sure what second class looked like, but everyone was vying to sit in first class.

    Two Moroccan women came and sat in the spare seats next to us, but when the ticket inspector came along, it turned out they had purchased second class tickets. The younger woman argued with the inspector and refused to move to their allocated seat. The inspector gave up and went on his way. I overheard her say to the French couple next to her that she was an art dealer, buying art for the wealthy. When the inspector came back, he had a few more words to say to her, but she continued to ignore him.

    Since we were only staying overnight in Casablanca, we opted for a hotel near the train station. This way, we could avoid the bartering process with taxi drivers. However, I'm not too sure it was the best neighbourhood. And in true Jason and Ricky fashion the hotel was located on the opposite side of the train station, which meant walking a little further than expected. It wasn’t just a skip across the road. Fortunately, the temperature was a little cooler in Casablanca, not that it helped with Jason’s man-o-pause. Princess Goldilocks likes it just right – not too hot, not too cold.

    We arrived at the hotel to check-in, but there was a problem with our booking. Of course, there was; it wouldn't be a Jason and Ricky adventure without at least a little bit of drama. The hotel was trying to charge us for the room when we had already paid. After a bit of back and forward, the issue was resolved and we were allowed to check-in. Fortunately, Jason didn't need to go full Karen – Get me the manager!

    With little time to waste, we headed out to wander the surrounding areas. Many of the buildings looked like they needed a little bit of care and attention. As Morocco’s largest city, with over 4 million people, Casablanca has little in the way of tourist attractions. It is more an economic and business hub.

    The main tourist attraction in Casablanca is the Hassan II mosque, the second largest in Africa and the seventh largest in the world. It was commissioned by the previous King Hassan II, involving more than 10,000 artisans and at a cost of about 585 million euros (866 million Australian dollars). The mosque was funded by 12 million people and loans from across the world. Meanwhile they needed to abandon the expansion of the train network due to a lack of money. As an atheist, it always puzzles me how so many religions preach about helping the poor, and yet so much wealth is poured into monuments rather helping people survive this harsh world. But then, there are many things in this world that don’t make sense to me.

    Next stop: Rabat.    Read more

  • TravelerSpain - Morocco - Andorra
    Day 35

    Racing about Rabat

    September 16, 2022 in Morocco ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    It’s only an hour train trip to travel the 90-kilometres from Casablanca to Rabat. Rabat, founded in the 12th century by the Almohads, is the capital city and the administrative hub of the country. When we boarded the train, people were already sitting in our seats, enjoying the first class carriage. But I'm not too sure what made this first class. It looked like any other suburban train. With some pigeon French and pointing, we figured out the seating arrangements.

    We decided to include Rabat as a stopover to see another part of the country and to break up the journey to Fes. This time, there were no dramas with check-in. Immediately, the atmosphere seemed different to Marrakech and Casablanca. The people seemed friendly and the city looked relatively clean.

    We had little time to waste so we set out for the old Medina and Kasbah. On our way, we stumbled upon the Martyrs Cemetery, a sea of graves near the seaside. The cemetery is on prime land near the beach, and it is divided into the elite versus the commoners. The differences between the classes is visibly evident. The gravestones of the elite are neatly arranged, while the commoners section seems to be in disarray and includes unmarked burials.

    Unlike Marrakech, the Medina was subdued, with very little spruiking going on. It may have helped that it was the Sabbath and most people were at mosque until the afternoon (except many of the shopkeepers). This gave us an opportunity to acquire some Morrocan wares at a fraction of the Marrakech prices. We walked away with a beautifully decorated silver teapot, with matching tray and glasses. The hunt is on to find matching accessories.

    The following day, we returned early to the Medina to continue our shopping spree, leaving the markets with new leather jackets. Now, the issue was going to be how we were going to get it all home. Easily solved. Let’s buy new backpacks.

    Laden like a pack-mule, we checked out of our hotel and made our way to the train station for our next leg of our Moroccan misadventures. It would have been handy to actually have a mule to carry some of our stuff.

    We had some time to kill so we rested with our entourage of bags. As usual, a stranger was drawn to me, mumbling something in French. The typical conversation ensued; we spoke about where we were from and how we can’t speak French well. The conversation nearly always ends with a request for money. Apparently I'm not to talk anymore, otherwise a stranger may cut my throat. It seems a bit dramatic, Jason.

    By the way, Jason’s Lost World continues to escalate. This time, he thought he'd lost his Kindle. Fortunately, I’ve rid myself of the dreaded Lost World syndrome.

    Next stop: Fes.    Read more

  • TravelerSpain - Morocco - Andorra
    Day 36

    Frolicking around Fes

    September 17, 2022 in Morocco ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    Fes, founded in the late eighth century CE by Idris ibn Abdallah, is a 3-hour train trip from Rabat. Fes, similar to Marrakech, is centred around the old Medina, Fes el Bali, with little laneways and alleys connected to houses and markets. Apparently there are over 900 laneways in the Medina, according to the tour guide that struck up a conversation with us as we waited for the train in Rabat.

    We arrived at Fes train station, and as the tour guide in Rabat advised, we headed away from the train station to catch a taxi and avoid the inflated tourist prices. As we walked away, we tried flagging down taxis as they drove by, but most were already taken. One taxi stopped and saw the address and refused to take us. We continued on our way and found another taxi rank but none of the drivers were familiar with the Riad location. Eventually, another driver came along and was willing to take us to our accommodation.

    We were dropped off at the Bab Bou Jeloud gate and we walked the five minutes to our Riad, laden like a pack-mule. I’m certain we could get a job within the Medina transporting goods all over the Souk, instead of the donkeys that roam up and down the alleys.

    It wasn’t long before a young Moroccan guy came up to us and followed us to our Riad, offering to take us to his mother’s kitchen for food. He stood next to us as the Riad Manager opened the door. The Manager asked if we knew the Moroccan guy and we replied in the negative. Apparently the young guy was part of the Moroccan mafia. Fortunately, he never bothered us again.

    We were warned that we would get lost easily in the Medina and that the locals will offer, for a fee, to escort you out. Jason McGoogle had no problems in navigating the streets of the Medina. In fact, the Souk in Marrakech was much more chaotic. At least motorbikes aren’t throughout the Medina; it’s only horses and donkeys that you have to contend with.

    We wandered the streets of the Medina in search of some Moroccan wares to bring home. While the spruiking wasn’t as aggressive as Marrakech, the shopkeepers were on the hunt to coax people into their shops.

    We stumbled upon three Moroccan women who worked in a perfume and oil shop. We were in need of more Arabic oils so we browsed her merchandise in pursuit of our preferred scents. We introduced ourselves and soon started chatting about all kinds of things. The main shop attendant was Yousra, and she was assisted by Fatima and Hajar. We were our charismatic selves which earned us a discount, although I'm sure it still wasn’t Moroccan prices. The discount was because we were “gentil” (lovely/sweet/charming). Fatima said that I had a “gentil visage” (a lovely face).

    Both Yousra and Hajar spoke English, along with Arabic and French, but Fatima only spoke Arabic. With an Moroccan Arabic accent, she said, in English, “I don’t speak English”. Soon she was on Instagram, following Jason. She scrolled through Jason’s feed, liking every post, even before they could load. Internet connection is not great in Morocco, and even worse inside of the markets of the Medina. I think Jason has found his new Moroccan wife to replace the wife he divorced in Marrakech.

    Before we walked away with half of her Arabic oils, I noticed that Yousra was wearing braces. We compared notes between old school braces and my Invisalign. When I pulled out the aligners, Fatima countered this with detaching a set of her eye lashes. She had about three or four sets of them, fluttering from her eyes.

    I noticed that there seemed to be quite a few people on the streets with braces and wondered if there was good dental care in Morocco. When we struck up a conversation with a guy selling leather goods, he explained that it cost him 2000€, but he had been wearing them for three years because he didn’t have the money during the pandemic to pay for it.

    He spoke perfect English, and was on for the chat to improve his speaking. We were only too happy to partake. He was a smart man and had studied sociology at University. Now, he was the store manager of the small shop in the Souk. Another shopkeeper told us that she had studied at University, but it seemed that they couldn't get other jobs outside of the markets. It seemed such a waste of their talents.

    The leather guy gave us the lowdown on the Medina. We’re glad that we bought from his shop and didn’t fall victim to a tour group visiting the tannery. Apparently the tour guides get 60% of the cut, and that’s why the prices are so inflated. He even admitted that the sellers set the price based upon a person's nationality. If you are from Australia, UK, USA or Japan, they set the prices much higher.

    We finally managed to drag ourselves out of the market carrying our spoils for the day: teapots, tea cosies, glasses, leather belts, and cushion covers (and the list continues … ). The next problem was going to be packing everything, even with the addition of our new backpacks. Let’s hope that everything survives the next leg of our adventure.

    Next stop: back to Barcelona.    Read more

  • TravelerSpain - Morocco - Andorra
    Day 38

    Back to Barcelona Part 1

    September 19, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    From Fes, we headed back to Barcelona for the final leg of our adventure. Despite flying the 2.5-hour journey with Ryan Air, the flight was surprisingly uneventful: no delays or crash landings. We were expecting Fes Airport to be a tiny tin shed in a paddock. But it was a proper airport with proper check-in facilities, although you have to print your booking information so that it can double as your boarding card, contrary to what it says.
    While face masks are apparently obligatory onboard, no-one except us seemed to be wearing a mask. Ryan Air staff were not to be seen for the entire journey, besides doing the safety gymnastics demonstration: exits are at the front, middle and rear. It really should be an Olympic sport the way they flap their arms in the air with such theatrics.

    By the time we had cleared customs, our bags were ready to be collected. This gave Jason hope that we may get to our hotel and out to the shops before they closed. But alas, it took about an hour on the airport train and then a transfer on the metro. We seemed to have taken the scenic route, although there wasn’t much to look at. Jason thought we were travelling for an eternity. Like a child on family holidays, he continued to ask the question: “are we there yet?”.

    We finally arrived and checked in. With a quick dress change, we were pounding the pavements of Barcelona in pursuit of a bargain and a beverage. It had been a little over 4 weeks since we were in Barcelona, and there was a noticeable change in the weather. For our entire trip, Princess Goldilocks (aka Jason McGoogle) has been struggling with the heat. Now, Goldilocks is feeling a little cool … no, hang on, he’s hot again.

    On day two, before setting out to acquire some souvenirs, we went in search of a barbershop so that we could return home with a cool Spanish hairdo, ¡qué guay! We found a trendy barbershop around the corner from our hotel. It was probably the first time we have had a proper conversation in Spanish. Jason had his hair cut by Alejandro from Puerto Rico, and Ivan from Argentina cut mine. Ivan was from just north of Mendoza, a city that we had visited five years ago and which we could reminisce about with him. He’d been living in Barcelona for the last six years.

    As Ivan was finishing my haircut, I overheard Jason and Alejandro chatting. Alejandro asked Jason if he liked Aussie girls and he answered in the affirmative before he realised what he was agreeing to. Divorced in Marrakech, a new wife in Fes, and now it seems he's on the hunt for a new girlfriend in Barcelona 🤣🤣.

    Prior to getting our haircut, as we walked back to our hotel, we heard a cry for help from a guy on the street corner. At first, we thought two guys were having a flight, and so, we started to take a wide berth away from them. Soon, we realised that one of the guys was being pickpocketed, as his Rolex watch fell to the ground. The thief quickly recouped the goods and took flight. I saw he didn’t have a weapon and tried to obstruct his path, but he just wacked my arm as he flew past, with the owner in hot pursuit. With the speed that the thief was travelling, I doubt he would have been caught. It reminded us to be a bit more vigilant.

    With over 22,000 steps, we retired to our hotel with all of our spoils. We decided to take a later bus to our next destination so that we could get a sleep-in. But someone or something in this universe doesn’t want me to sleep. At 4am, the fire alarms were set off. Here we go again! Will this be a repeat of Ibiza? I poked my head out into the corridor, and there was no smoke, no people … nothing. We rang reception to let them know, only to be told that they couldn't stop the alarms and that "it was okay". The alarms continued for another 10 to 15 minutes before they stopped. I'm not sure if the fire alarms were worse than the wailing sounds for the call to prayer at quarter to five each morning in Morocco! Not happy Jan! Oh well, I guess there’s plenty of time to sleep when we’re dead.

    Next stop: Andorra la Vella.    Read more

  • TravelerSpain - Morocco - Andorra
    Day 40

    Our Andorran Adventure

    September 21, 2022 in Andorra ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    Situated in the Pyrenees mountains between Spain and France, the Principality of Andorra is only a 3-hour bus ride from Barcelona-Sants. The last time we took a bus up mountains we were in the Andes in South America, and that wasn't a great experience for our stomachs. This time, we were prepared with motion sickness tablets. While there were some windy roads along the way, we got to our destination with full tummies intact.

    Similar to Barcelona, the official language spoken in Andorra is Catalan, which, to me, sounds like a mix between Spanish, French, and a pinch of Portuguese. Bon Dia! Due to its proximity to Spain and France, there are many ex-pats living in Andorra, making up a population of about 78,000 (40,000 residing in Andorra la Vella and surrounding areas).

    When we checked in, we spoke a little Spanish with the receptionist (there’s no way that we could speak in Catalan). She responded in English, which tended to be common along our adventures. At one point, she paused and said “do you understand Spanish more than English?”. We explained that we speak English in Australia, and assured her that we were native speakers 🤣.

    With little time to spare, we set out to explore the streets of Andorra la Vella. The city is small and can easily be traversed by foot. We quickly realised that Andorra was the duty-free capital of the region. It could also be the casting location for the next instalment of Cocoon. Spanish and French grey nomads wandered the streets ready to snag a souvenir or stock up on duty-free cigarettes and alcohol.

    We also soon realised that the temperature in Andorra can change drastically throughout the day. When we arrived in the late afternoon, with the sun beating down on us, we roasted like chooks on a rotisserie. But by evening, we were grabbing cardies to keep us warm. The temperature dropped to five degrees #5degreesinthepyrenees. Needless to say that Princess Goldilocks was only satisfied for a brief moment when it was just right.

    While Jason seems to have escaped the Lost World (for now), it was my turn to enter. I was convinced that my sunglasses were stolen from reception when we checked in. It turns out they were buried under all of my crap in the hotel. But it was a great excuse to go in search for a duty-free pair.

    The following day, we continued our shopping pursuits, wandering the central shopping district. We stumbled upon a clothing store, next to our hotel, with lots of sales. We couldn’t help ourselves, and walked away with half the store. The next challenge is getting it home. Where is DHL when you need them!

    Next stop: back to Barcelona    Read more

  • TravelerSpain - Morocco - Andorra
    Day 41

    Back to Barcelona Part 2

    September 22, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    And so all good things must come to an end. We ended our Spain - Morocco - Andorra adventure where we began ... in Barcelona. We had one last night in Barcelona before we commenced our 27-hour journey back to Brisbane, with a five-hour stopover in Doha, Qatar.

    Next stop: Brisbane    Read more

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