Morocco Travelogue

Blog on Hawaii

2007-05-15T15:09:00.000-04:00

Check out my new blog on Hawaii at

http://hawaii-travelogue.blogspot.com/

Color me!

2006-08-02T10:01:00.000-04:00

Sunrise on the desert

2006-07-28T00:29:00.000-04:00

We raced up the sand dunes to catch the sunrise, but it was cloudy. Could only see the sun after it was high up.

Rissani

2006-07-28T00:25:00.000-04:00

This is the entrance to town of Rissani, which is the gateway to the desert.

Another Scene from the desert

2006-07-28T00:20:00.000-04:00

Valli took this pic as we sipped mint tea from a cafe after a long, exhausting and eventful overnite journey to Rissani.

B/W pic

2006-07-25T23:47:00.000-04:00

This is a B/W pic I obtained after some processing. I took this pic in the Paradise valley near the coastal town of Agadir.

Moroccan Paintings

2006-07-25T23:31:00.000-04:00

As I wait for my simulations to run, its so easy to just go back to Morocco. Here's a pic of paintings sold on the streets of Marrakech. The paintings had a lot of warm colors, to be expected in a desert environment. However some paintings depicting the coastal town of Essaouria had lots of blue. Apparently all the houses there are white washed with a bluish tinge. I bought a medium sized painting with Bandits on the horses. The image of Bandits conquering the harsh desert climate held some fantasy. I was only later disappointed to learn that these depicted tamer version of things, namely horse races in the villages. Alas ! It was quite a task protecting the painting thru' our rough journey. Thankfully my conference bag did the job well. Now it hangs over my dresser.

Marrakech carpets

2006-07-25T23:07:00.000-04:00

It feels good to be blogging again. I was looking through the pics (inevitably as an excuse of taking a break from research) and came upon this pic of carpets hanging on roof-tops in the central square (Djemma-el-efna) in Marrakech.

Revisiting the desert

2006-06-30T16:11:00.000-04:00

I already broke my decision to end this blog. This is Valli's description of the Desert Storm.

" The wail of Berber song flows across the dunes, backed by the thunderous roar of the approaching sand storm which you can see in the background. We were a day into a desert trek in the Moroccan Sahara when we spotted that the sky was darker in one part. Our guide announces, in a voice so calm he might have been ordering tea, that there is a sand storm coming and probably a thunder storm too right after.

We start running but we are running with the storm. The wind fill our hearts like a sail and there is no fear, just sheer exhilaration. The guide begins to sing and suddenly you feel heartwrenching sadness but at the same time and more strongly, the utter, heart thudding joy of being alive. I have never before felt so much a part of this world. Everything is waiting for the storm to hit and the very air was holding its breath.

The throbbing tension before an approaching storm is undescribable with words, but theberber music defines it perfectly."

The journey's over, but the destination is nowhere in sight

2006-06-30T16:03:00.000-04:00

Like all journeys even this came to an end and so should this blog. As I settled back at my predictable world, I realized that I would treasure the memories and decided to write this blog. I still have tons of photographs with me, but I believe in less is more. But the urge to revisit is strong and I might again post stuff here. But more importantly, the travel bug has caught on, and I plan to infect as many with it, as possible !

French countryside

2006-06-29T23:37:00.000-04:00

We drove around the Quercy region stopping at random places to take pictures or even just to relax. Driving on narrow roads in steep hilly region was a challenge and it is no wonder that compact cars rule here.

Village of St. Cirq Lapopie

Cabrerets, near the Pech Merle caves.

Prehistoric Caves

2006-06-29T23:24:00.000-04:00

We rented a car in Toulouse and drove around the countryside. The drive was pleasant. Although we missed an exit, we got to drive through narrow country roads. We ended up in remote charming villages and finally reached the caves of Pech Merle. Pech Merle has the largest collection of Prehistoric drawings, some dating back 25,000 B.P. Entry to the cave is limited to reduce the CO2 exposure. Photography is not allowed inside the caves, although you can take a look at the pictures at this link.
Pech Merle caves
We were awed by the huge stalactites and stalagmites in the caves. As the guide explained (in French) , we could figure out that he was conveying the aesthetic sense of the caveman. The paintings were everywhere including the ceiling and included human forms, bulls, mammoths, bear, handprints and even abstract art.

Backpacking in Paris

2006-06-29T23:13:00.000-04:00

It is funny how my name showed up in an ad near Notredame, Paris.

Flowers in France

2006-06-27T15:59:00.000-04:00

More Beach pics

2006-06-26T21:33:00.000-04:00

It was heavenly to laze out on the beach

Mowgli loved his dogs ( and its obvious that they did too )

My balancing act : I was learning to balance a candle for fire dance. However this felt safer.

One more try

Surf's up

2006-06-26T13:05:00.000-04:00

We did something totally crazy; we rented a car. The rental guy couldn't speak any English, so we just signed some papers in French. Driving in Morocco reminded me every bit about India. In truth, it was much better. We could quite easily figure out roads without maps (Valli refused to use one.) and drive along the coast was fabulous. It was sunny and warm without being too hot. Soon we were stopped by a cop for speeding. As we feigned ignorance, he let us go, but only after asking me in Marriage. Thankfully he was kidding.

We reached the surfing village of Taghazout. It was very clean and not a crowded touristy beach. The waves were not too high, but it was good enough for us. We rented a jet-ski and sped through the waves. Then we started the surfing lessons. There was a language barrier, but we soon overcame it. It was magical to ride the waves (although it was a few times and we could do it only sleeping on the board). All that paddling, was quite exhausting for the arms. But on the whole, it was fabulous.

The surf instructor

Valli tried to get the horse gallopping. Notice the football in the pic.

Agadir

2006-06-23T01:40:00.000-04:00

From Boumaine Dades we took an overnite bus to Agadir. Before that, we posted loads of postcards and figured out stamps for posting all over the place. We slept mostly through the journey, except when there was a blinding sandstorm near Ourzazate. Next day, we got out in pouring rain. We had some yummy bread with honey and started looking for our hotel. We were confused when the lonely planet guide map did not make any sense. After being totally drenched (our bags were waterproof, but not us !), a kind man told us we were in the wrong city ! Thankfully it was just 20 kms away and we rode in a collective taxi. We were totally exhausted in the end and slept till 2 in the afternoon.

Agadir is a very touristy beach resort. Luxury hotels line the coastline. There seemed to be western tourists everywhere. Menus come in 6 languages. We did lots of window shopping, but the prices went through the roof, sometimes even costlier than Europe. We mostly walked on the beach and sat in the outdoor hotels.

Baywatch : Is anyone drowning?

Quad bikes : Since it was very windy that day, we could not jet ski or para sail. Then we came across this guy riding a Quad bike and asked for a ride. Soon we found out that he is a cop. He found it absolutely hilarious and gave us a short joy ride.

Dades Valley

2006-06-22T21:50:00.000-04:00

The next day, we had some very tasty breakfast, of couscous in goat milk. The walk on the second day, was level and easy. We reached the village of Msemir and tried to hitch-hike. A French couple in a luxury caravan offered to drop us at Boumaine Dades. The dades valley had lots of winding roads and the gorges contrasted the green palmeries. It was definitely the most pleasant drive in our trip.

Berber Wedding party

2006-06-22T21:26:00.000-04:00

We arrived at the Berber party, totally famished. 3 colourful women came forward to greet us. It was impossible not to stare! They had very white skin and round doll like features.

There were a few sticks holding up a roof and under this were sitting all the women, including the 2 brides who were covered completely in red. It was a shame, not being able to communicate as the women didn't even understand french or arabic. (haha if they had understood these languages, sure we wud have been able to hold high level political talks with them with the 10 words we knew-V).

We werent allowed to take fotos of the women ( cos it wud steal their soul or something) and were hostile when they saw our cameras. The men were too happy to pose! When we left our cameras behind, the women opened up and dressed us in traditional Berber garb. The Berbers danced by the campfire all night. We joined them, but after few hours of the same dance, we headed to the tents, and slept very badly with the dogs howling, the mule braying and all the Berber music. Nb - never pitch your thin floored tent on sharp rocks!

Unlike the women ( who dont like to be photographed), the men wear fairly dull garb with a couple of star wars jedi type cloaks thrown in and the all important cool-buy baseball hats.
Hang on there's a berber woman!

Hare Ram..

The trek : day 1

2006-06-22T21:12:00.000-04:00

On the first day, we trekked about 20 kms and reached an ascent of 3000m. We made it through the mountain passes. The landscape was harsh and rugged, with wild shrubs. On the way, the only people we met were the Berbers. It was a relief to reach the Berber wedding party.

Our Accomodation

2006-06-22T19:42:00.000-04:00

Valli seems quite content with our accomodation. It is roomy, well lit and ventilated. In fact this is nothing new, it is more popularly known as campus housing.

The high atlas

2006-06-22T19:23:00.000-04:00

We stayed in the village of Tamtoutouche for half a day as we loaded the mules with our bags and set out to the moutains.

How to climb a Mule

2006-06-22T16:31:00.000-04:00

User manual for mule owners. Step-by-step instruction on how to climb your mule (with figures).

Step 1 : If you are tall enough try jumping on. If the mule is feeding and does not appear to notice you, it is quite normal.

Step 2 : Congratulate yourself for being on it. There is no need to acknowledge if someone gave you a little push.

Step 3: Turn to the side, pose for another picture and then jump down.

Carpets

2006-06-21T16:57:00.000-04:00

We tried our hand at carpet making ( to soon realize that it requires way too much skill and patience ). First the wool is smoothened and made into a thread. It is then weaved into a carpet with different patterns.

Todra Gorge

2006-06-21T14:44:00.000-04:00

We took a bus from Arfoud to Tinehir. From there, we took a grande taxi to the todra gorge. The gorges were monstrous covering parts of starlit sky. As we walked in pitch black darkness, the cool water from mountain streams felt good ( although not the frogs in them !). The green palmaries were a treat after spending many days in the bare deserts and contrasted the harsh gorges. In the morning, we rode at the back of a truck. For Valli, it was a first ( I had once hitched a ride back in India after a trekking trip). This truck seemed more tourist friendly, since there were railings to hold onto !

Marrakech

2006-06-19T16:44:00.000-04:00

I flew in and out of Marrakech and found it an extremely lively place. Both times, we stayed close to the main square or the djemma-el-efna. The square comes alive at night with interesting (and sometime freaky) people.

Blind dates

I am switching species.

I'm a genie in a bottle.

Snails

Some interesting music

It's thumbs up for Valli

2006-06-16T11:08:00.000-04:00

This is a newspaper clipping about my cousin's backpacking skills. It was secretly passed on to me by her mom. I know she will be mad that I posted it here !
I Am mad! There goes my job as a secret agent!V

Fossilized Marble Quarry

2006-06-14T13:34:00.000-04:00

We visited the fossilized marble factory. There were an array of different fossils. We were intrigued to see black and brown marble with white fossil imprints. We readily agreed to visit the quarry and hired a 4X4. The fossils are mostly from the Cambrian period, when Sahara was under the sea. I met up with a geologist on the bus. He told me that heavy duty machinery was introduced only 15 years ago and feels that fossils are being plundered unsustainably. But the Berber families we met, told us that this is their only source of livelihood. Agriculture isn't an option in the harst unforgiving climate. We bought some fossil marble plates and statues. Yes we feel a bit guilty - but they do look fabulous!

Whats that strange fossil in sunglasses?

Desert river crossing

2006-06-14T13:08:00.000-04:00

It rained so much in Rissani that the roads were flooded. Apparently one of hotels collapsed killing several tourists and Moroccans, as it was built in the middle of a dry lake. The buses were cancelled and even 4X4's couldn't make it across. So we found an innovative way to travel : MULE CART ! It was quite amusing for the locals to see 6 foreigners on a mule cart. They were taking fotos of Us! We rocked about for 16 kms on it,(the cart definitely did not have suspension), then bravely crossed the flooded road by foot before hitchhiking to our hotel.

Thankfully we didnt have to swim the deeper sections
which were almost 50 cm deep

Our Berber Side

2006-06-14T12:34:00.000-04:00

The shop owner was really excited to meet us and kindly let us dress up in traditional Berber wear !This might or might not have had something to do with us hinting heavily that we were Shah Rukh Khan´s sisters. The huge necklace Valli is wearing is made of Amber and worn by the bride. It is to be passed on as heirloom and is worth more than the sum of both our bank accounts at the time. The guy was in fact so excited, he dressed up too and started adding various "finishing touches" to the foto like our rifles and a small, yellow, stuffed camel which has unfortunately missed the foto and hence, its moment of glory

Desert rain

2006-06-12T21:42:00.000-04:00

It was a pleasant morning as we started our journey. But suddenly the clouds darkened. The guide, Yousef predicted that rain and sandstorm would hit us in 15 minutes. The wind speed picked up tremendously. As we climbed a knife edge, the old camel carrying Julia fell over because of the wind. She jumped and luckily didnt hurt herself. It was cold and windy as we huddled into blankets. Valli and me were like Siamese twins trying to fit into my sleeping bag. When the weather refused to relent, we just decided to walk. Walking with the blankets was too weighty and our guide Yousef just told us to let go and run. It was quite cold and our feet were frostbitten, but the soft sand felt like cushion. We had some of the wildest moments running on the dunes, racing each other and shouting like kids ! To see lightning in the desert was beyond imagination. I know I missed a million wonderful shots, but I just wanted to live that moment and it is etched in my memory.

More desert pics

2006-06-12T20:43:00.000-04:00

We started from the hotel in the evening and headed out to the dunes.
But the wind blew relentless

Sandboarding

2006-06-12T12:53:00.000-04:00

We spent the morning sandboarding, on a snowboard. We neither had boots nor strapped our leg in; just lovely frictiony sand. We even tried some body boarding( more like sitting on the board and sliding down !)

Is that a bird, is that a plane?

2006-06-10T18:16:00.000-04:00

It is a bird! flamingoes in the middle of the Sahara !

The guide told us that they are extremely rare in these parts, as there was no water source in the vicinity.

Turban : Sahara style

2006-06-10T18:08:00.000-04:00

We learnt that there are different styles of turbans for men and women. The need for turbans to protect from sun and wind and to look cool, cannot be overstressed.

Climbing the dunes

2006-06-10T18:02:00.000-04:00

You can't help but feel philosophical as you climb the dunes.

As one of the guides, unpredictably named Mohammed, sang and jumped on the dunes, it seemed the ultimate carefree life.

The desert caravan

2006-06-10T14:18:00.000-04:00

We arrived in the overnite bus to Rissani from Azrou. Rissani is the last town reachable by bus. Beyond this, we took a grande taxi to Merzouga and then a 4X4 to the dunes or the Erg Chebbi.

We were rolling with laughter when we saw a boat in the middle of the Sahara !

But this is what we saw two days later !

Azrou

2006-06-08T17:45:00.000-04:00

We spent a day in the sleepy moutainous town of Azrou, in the middle Atlas. Being the market day, there was a boisterous crowd at the souq. The people at the souq were very friendly and offered us mouthwatering delicacies and fresh produce; but refused to accept any money.

Is this to eat or to smell ?

Come on, You can do it !

Ah.. well, not really !

Carpet buying is a dangerous sport to practise in Morocco. One of our friends bought a carpet designed to cure rheumatism, after getting a whooping 2000DH ( 200 Euro) discount, although he never told us the actual price. We decided that the souq was the best place to buy carpets, directly from the Berber people.

Carpet shawl, Berber style !

Is this the one?

Home sweet home.

The famous water seller. Unlike the touristy ones in Marrakech, he refused to accept any money for the picture.

Umm actually I gave him money and he started creating a fuss because he didnt think it was enough. Anima seems to have happily missed the fight, maybe cos she was staring at some juicy dates nextdoor? V

Colorful wool

About 10 kms from Azrou in the mountains, live the Barbary apes. We took a grande taxi to cedre gourand, which has a very old tree. On meeting our friends, I did what I always did back in IIT, RUN ! However, the pull of peanuts proved too much for Anima. Slowly I coaxed her nearer n nearer until finally she took the peanut from my hand and started feeding -the monkeys.

Tajine is absolutely delicious

Chic Berber Belt ! Shake ur bonbon

A painting depicting the story of Azrou.

Sunset at Azrou, as we look out of the internet centre.

Fez

2006-06-08T15:56:00.000-04:00

Fez is a big thriving city with a long history. We stayed in the old square or the medina.

The entrance to medina or the old square.

Refreshing fresh orange juice.

Colorful purses.

I wonder why public taps need such decoration?

Some mint tea from the breadmaker.

We visited the tanneries in Fez. Unlike conventional tourists, who gape at the melange of colors from a safe distance of rooftops, we decided to barge right in! We managed to gain entry (illegally) and walked through a stinking mix of animal carcass, dung and sludge. We learnt that animal carcasses are stored in pits for 70 days (yuck !) We were scared to death balancing on the pots and any slip would be truly disastrous !

Workers scrubbing away at the leather and dyeing them in various colors. We learnt that natural dyes were used ( indigo, saffron etc.,)

Valli seems intoxicated by the "aroma"

Don't push me in there!

We did it !

There we were ! Right in the middle of it !

Preferred mode of transportation.

Animal carcass stored for 70 days.

Yellow footwear is in !

I am buyin some spice mix (made up of some 45 spices). I am yet to find out the results !

Volubilis

2006-06-06T17:14:00.000-04:00

Volubilis is home to 2000 year old Roman ruins. The ruins were intact until the earthquake in 18th century.

Vommitting Pit : Apparently Bulimia was in with the Romans.

With Peter, Zhenia, Tom and Valli.

Stork nest on the Roman pillars.

Well preserved Mosaic depiction of Hercules.

Zhenia's Dandelion Hair Accessory.

Yummy Melons!

Is that a chameleon?

Olive oil grinder

The ruins.

Sunflower Field on way to Volubilis.

Meknes

2006-06-06T16:51:00.000-04:00

I met up with my cousin at Meknes after 6 long years ! Meknes is a small town next to the big city of Fez. We stayed there one day.

The Square : Although smaller in size compared to the one in Marrakech. It had some interesting things like ostrich eggs!

And we met the Moroccan king ;)

Bollywood Craze : We were amazed by the immense popularity of Indian Movies. We were immediately recognized on the streets to be Indians and worshipped accordingly. Many conversations started with the locals about Amithab Bachan, and Shah Rukh Khan, and then ended quickly as I realised they knew more than me. For many, we were the first Indians they had met in person !

A Birthday party : The man of the house next door to the hotel was SO happy at the birth of his first son that he didnt stop smiling for 2 days. As well as having a permanent grin fixed to his face, he insisted that we come to his party.

Henna : Nasreen made some awesome henna designs and even signed her name on us !