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Morocco

November 2017
November 2017 - June 2018 Read more
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  • TravelerMorocco
    Day 1

    Fes

    November 1, 2017 in Morocco ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    After a short hop flight from Memmingen we arrived in the afternoon in the heat of Fes. The border control did go well and fast so we just needed to catch the right bus which wasn't a problem either. But there was no connecting bus to get us to the Medina, the old city center. A short cab ride later we checked in to our hostel, put our stuff in the room and went straight into the busy market life.
    An incredible noise paired with uncommon scents and the heat made an impression on me that will last for my whole life. Bursting with life in one moment to empty streets and feral cats just a few hours later. We went to a restaurant as close as possible to the most famous gate, Bab Boujeloud. There we enjoyed a savoury dinner with traditional Moroccan food.
    For the second day we had planned an extended visit to the markets and seeing the tanning area. We were done with it already in the early afternoon so we decided to head in direction of the main station with stops at the Royal Palace and the Jewish Quarter. Exhausted after another long day we went on the night bus to Merzouga.    Read more

  • TravelerMorocco
    Day 3

    Merzouga

    November 3, 2017 in Morocco

    Merzouga is a small village located directly on the edge of the Sahara desert. The night bus ride was as unpleasant as long bus rides are and we arrived an hour earlier than scheduled in Merzouga. As we didn't have a specific plan and the sun hasn't rose yet we decided to go to the outskirts and watch the sun rise. Its an amazing view seeing the first sun beams of the day over the high dunes.
    By the time the sun fully rose the hotel opened that was collaborating with the Sahara Tour that we wanted to make. After some clarification we got a space to put our luggage, some towels and access to the pool :) We spent some time relaxing at the pool, shopping in the village and enjoying the local food... In the late afternoon we got to our dromedary guide dressed in the traditional berber clothes. He explained us quickly the basics and then we were suddenly two meters above the ground on top of the dromedar. He led us through the dunes for about an hour which was already long enough on the uncomfortable seat aka hump. But the view was once more amazing with all kinds of red and orange colours.
    When we had our stop we could go Sandboarding with a proper Snowboard! It went pretty well for me even though I'm no snow boarder. But it was a fun activity! From there was it just a short walk to our nightly camp, a luxurious tent with proper beds and mattresses.
    The dinner was a berber speciality with lots of greens and chicken and berber whiskey (mint tea). For the night we played music(we tried!), sang and danced. I had planned to make some night photography but due to a full moon it was impossible to see stars :(    Read more

  • TravelerMorocco
    Day 5

    Marrakesh

    November 5, 2017 in Morocco ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    In the morning we were woken up by the Berber at 4 because we needed to catch the bus leaving at 6 from Merzouga. So we made ourselves ready within a few minutes and got on the camels to bring us back to our hotel. It was magical to experience the sunrise in the Sahara while sitting on the back of a camel.
    We had a quick shower at the hotel and then went to the bus station to board the 12h bus ride to Marrakesh. We saw a lot of changes in the vegetation and also the narrow windy roads leading over the Atlas mountains. But it was too long of a bus ride to be enjoyable... So we were glad when we finally arrived in Marrakesh.
    The negotiations with the taxi drivers were unsuccessful so we decided to walk into the city centre. And it was a wise decision in favour of our feet :) At 8:30 in the evening we finally arrived at the Jeema el-fna, the main square in the center of Marrakesh. With lots of shops, markets, vendors and artists there's always something going on. So we just dropped our stuff at the hotel and then went out to explore the main square until late at night... We tried the moroccan soup, a spicy tea and some sweets. Afterwards we went on top of the Hotel Fourcade, a stop where my dad used to stay when he was in town. It also offered an amazing view from the rooftop over the whole city and especially the main square.

    We spent the morning in the quarters around Jeema El-fna after a big breakfast (sweet of course) at the hotel's rooftop. First we just walked to some sights along the narrow streets that form a sheer endless labyrinth of walkways and alleys. But that's the right way to see and experience a city. Then we went to a former palace Badia, an impressive large complex in the centre of the city. Afterwards we had a coffee in a small shop amongst some friendly locals.
    Refreshed we continued the exploration of the markets with curiosity. Eventually I found a tea pot that looked great but the price was a bit too high... So we haggled for half an hour until we came to an acceptable price :) It's an elementary part of the transaction. Later we headed back to the train station to catch the bus to Essaouira.    Read more

  • TravelerMorocco
    Day 6

    Essaouira

    November 6, 2017 in Morocco ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    Again we arrived late in our destination, the bus terminal was quite far outside of the medina where we had booked our hotel. So we walked about half an hour through the old, uneven streets before we finally managed to arrive at the hotel in a small, dark alley. But yet again we were surprised by the beautiful interior of old wooden floors and doors mixed with lots of green plants and colourfully painted walls. The room was spacious with two stories to sleep.
    After settling in we went out to get some falafel that were recommended by our hotel concierge. And they were really tasty with just the right spiciness. With new energy we decided to make a nightly walk down to the harbour district. The main plaza was still very lively and we enjoyed the views over the city with the glow of lanterns. Some live music was played nearby and we detected the source at a rooftop bar overlooking the harbour. We joined the crowd that was already there to get some beers and snacks. The music was really good so we had a blast there until late at night :)
    I'm the morning we took a pretty good but small breakfast in the hotel before hitting the streets again. As in every city here in Morocco we've been to before, there was a market and we got ourselves some snacks to make up for the breakfast ;) Afterwards we walked along the old walls that protect the city from the weather. At one point there was a lot cation that was used in the Game of Thrones series :) We really enjoyed the atmosphere of the city and spent more time in the alleys, markets and a restaurant than we had initially planned. But then we needed to get in the bus again for the journey to Casablanca...    Read more

  • TravelerMorocco
    Day 7

    Casablanca

    November 7, 2017 in Morocco ⋅ 🌙 13 °C

    Our last stop of the journey was in Casablanca, a city where just the name directly wakes feelings of grandeur. We had considered skipping it because there are many other cities to see and from what we heard there's nothing all too special about it. But as it was on our way to Fes and we had time we decided to go anyways! Which was a great decision even though we were greeted by a dark (it was once again pretty late when we arrived), smelly and dirty. Also our stay was just a mere additional room at the back of an alley. But the host was really friendly and chatty. We spent some time with him before going for a short walk in the area.
    In the morning we went out early so we can see all of the sights in the city. First we went in direction of the harbour to have breakfast there with a view. Then we stopped at a filming location of the famous movie "Casablanca". The next stop was a bit further away but one of the highlights, the mosque Hassan II. It is an impressive sight located directly in the harbour and made with incredible details! For the last stop we went to the largest mall in Morocco which has a large aquarium in the center, besides that it's just a normal mall.
    For the end of our trip we took the train back to Fes and spent the night in the airport. The journey was exhausting but also very rewarding filled with culture and history!    Read more

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