Sunday, December 18, 2016

conclusions

TransportWe were unsure about using public or our own transport. We prefer to use public transport wherever possible, enjoying the opportunity to meet local people and the comraderie  of fellow travellers. However we decided to rent a car and having your own transport here is definitely a good idea. Some of the best experiences we have had would not have happened if we had been restricted to public transport.
A 2WD is fine here. Unless you are really into serious off roading you don't need a 4WD.
We didn't need any assistance, but listening to other peoples stories it's a good idea to hire from a larger company with a good track record if you want to avoid the possibility of losing some of your precious holiday time waiting for repair/recovery work.
A Dacia Logan is an ideal car for these conditions, it's a sturdy little beast and did everything we asked of it, including the desert piste and the terrible surfaces on the white roads between Ouzoud and Oualodia. It is the national car and spares and repairs are available almost everywhere.
Driving in Morocco has a really bad reputation, it was much better than anticipated. As with everywhere, including Europe, you just need to drive sensibly and with regard for the environment, the conditions and with the awareness that on occasions there are some very stupid people on the roads.
Road signs were excellent, we didn't get lost on regular roads at all. Any times when we did lose the way it was exploring in very rural areas where there weren't any road signs anyway, or of we tried to take 'short' cuts! Carriage ways were often narrow, but this was usually where traffic was light, so without rushing it was possible to average 50mph with no trouble. Even on remoter areas there were always plenty of fuel stations.
We noticed that in some places the old French rule of giving way to traffic coming from the right was still practised.

Best time to visitWe did a lot of research before coming from 25th March to 25th of April. It depends of course on what you want to do, obviously if you want to trek or climb snow covered mountains you need to come when there is snow. We were a couple of weeks too early for the sort of trip we wanted to do, this year. Another year and it might be fine, it's a weather rather than climate issue. I don't think it would be too hot in the desert early to mid April and maybe the nights wouldn't be so bitterly cold at altitude. There were a couple of times when I had so many blankets on my bed I had problems turning over.

Illness
Neither of us has had any gastric upsets or diarrhoea. We've drunk tap water on occasions although not all the time. We've eaten a lot of salads, which would all have been washed in tap water. We've eaten frequently from street stalls and barrows, some of the tastiest food, we tended to pick busy ones assuming they have more of a turnover and the food is fresh.

Safety
Moroccan people are in the most part very friendly, welcoming and helpful. There are a few hustlers around at tourists sites and in the big cities, but not too many and none were ever over-persistent or aggressive.
We have always felt safe, no threat to us or our property, even in large cities.
We don't think we have been 'ripped off' on any occasion. There might have been a couple of times when we felt we could have been charged too much for something, but if so a really small amount, peanuts, and nothing we weren't prepared to pay, considering the average wage here.
We haven't done a lot of souvenir shopping, not our thing, just a djellabah each as warm UK dressing gowns, babouche for the grandchildren and some tiny bottles of Argan oil and Amlou (from a women's co-operative. outlet. We negotiated what we considered to be a cheap price for the djellabahs if they had been bought in the UK, and for the bulk purchase of babouche. I'm sure it was much more than a local would pay, but we are not locals, we are tourists with much more disposable income enjoying their hospitality. All the bargaining was humorous and friendly.

Money
ATMs are readily available and although on a couple of occasions one would not accept our particular card (pre-loaded cash card) another one soon did. We had no problems with them at all.
Large supermarkets (for the sale of alcohol) are few and far between, usually on the outskirts of most large towns. Many places also have a discrete alcohol outlet, known to and patronised by local people, if you are able to tap into the bush telegraph and find one. We were very careful about being seen with alcohol, and at first restricted ourselves to drinking a glass or two of wine clandestinely in our bedroom. However whenever we asked the people where we were staying if they would mind if we drank a beer or a glass of wine, we were never refused, and indeed it was just accepted as the norm. We never drank in public or on public view unless it was in a restaurant offering wine with the meal.

Gender Issues
There was not a single occasion when I felt threatened or uncomfortable as a woman, unlike in Egypt for example. As a woman of a certain age I would always dress conservatively when travelling, long skirts and long sleeved tops in light but not transparent cotton are the coolest and most comfortable clothing in hot climates anyway. I always carried a light scarf I could throw over my hair if I felt it necessary, but apart from remote rural areas where some women were veiled, I rarely used it.

Commucations
Wifi was readily available and it was free. Most hotels even in rural areas provided a connection. Even if the hotel didn't there was usually a cafe nearby which did. The only places we didn't get it were the remote hotels we chose close to the desert which only had satellite phones.
We purchased a Maroc Telecom SIM and got phone coverage everywhere.

Police
They have been kind and helpful on all occasions. We were rarely stopped in our car and when we were they were polite. There was no suggestion of corruption or bribery. This is unique in our experiences of travelling in all other African countries, including Central and sub-Saharan, and in Central America.

Other things Morocco was no exception to most other places we have travelled, including the U.K., an essential travel companion is a handy little multi-tool, (loose plugs, dripping taps, toilets that don't flush etc)

Conclusions
We have enjoyed this trip. As we get older travelling seems to get easier. Maybe we are slower, more tolerant and accommodating. In all the countries we have visited in the past ten years our age seems to have been an advantage, particularly in the atitudes of other people towards us.

Friday, April 27, 2012

Final thoughts, and other things

Transport
We were unsure about using public or our own transport. We prefer to use public transport wherever possible, enjoying the opportunity to meet local people and the comraderie  of fellow travellers. However we decided to rent a car and having your own transport here is definitely a good idea. Some of the best experiences we have had would not have happened if we had been restricted to public transport.
A 2WD is fine here. Unless you are really into serious off roading you don't need a 4WD.
We didn't need any assistance, but listening to other peoples stories it's a good idea to hire from a larger company with a good track record if you want to avoid the possibility of losing some of your precious holiday time waiting for repair/recovery work.
A Dacia Logan is an ideal car for these conditions, it's a sturdy little beast and did everything we asked of it, including the desert piste and the terrible surfaces on the white roads between Ouzoud and Oualodia. It is the national car and spares and repairs are available almost everywhere.
Driving in Morocco has a really bad reputation, it was much better than anticipated. As with everywhere, including Europe, you just need to drive sensibly and with regard for the environment, the conditions and with the awareness that on occasions there are some very stupid people on the roads.
Road signs were excellent, we didn't get lost on regular roads at all. Any times when we did lose the way it was exploring in very rural areas where there weren't any road signs anyway, or of we tried to take 'short' cuts! Carriage ways were often narrow, but this was usually where traffic was light, so without rushing it was possible to average 50mph with no trouble. Even on remoter areas there were always plenty of fuel stations.
We noticed that in some places the old French rule of giving way to traffic coming from the right was still practised.

Best time to visit
We did a lot of research before coming from 25th March to 25th of April. It depends of course on what you want to do, obviously if you want to trek or climb snow covered mountains you need to come when there is snow. We were a couple of weeks too early for the sort of trip we wanted to do, this year. Another year and it might be fine, it's a weather rather than climate issue. I don't think it would be too hot in the desert early to mid April and maybe the nights wouldn't be so bitterly cold at altitude. There were a couple of times when I had so many blankets on my bed I had problems turning over.

Illness
Neither of us has had any gastric upsets or diarrhoea. We've drunk tap water on occasions although not all the time. We've eaten a lot of salads, which would all have been washed in tap water. We've eaten frequently from street stalls and barrows, some of the tastiest food, we tended to pick busy ones assuming they have more of a turnover and the food is fresh.

Safety
Moroccan people are in the most part very friendly, welcoming and helpful. There are a few hustlers around at tourists sites and in the big cities, but not too many and none were ever over-persistent or aggressive.
We have always felt safe, no threat to us or our property, even in large cities.
We don't think we have been 'ripped off' on any occasion. There might have been a couple of times when we felt we could have been charged too much for something, but if so a really small amount, peanuts, and nothing we weren't prepared to pay, considering the average wage here.
We haven't done a lot of souvenir shopping, not our thing, just a djellabah each as warm UK dressing gowns, babouche for the grandchildren and some tiny bottles of Argan oil and Amlou (from a women's co-operative. outlet. We negotiated what we considered to be a cheap price for the djellabahs if they had been bought in the UK, and for the bulk purchase of babouche. I'm sure it was much more than a local would pay, but we are not locals, we are tourists with much more disposable income enjoying their hospitality. All the bargaining was humorous and friendly.

Money and Alcohol
ATMs are readily available and although on a couple of occasions one would not accept our particular card (pre-loaded cash card) another one soon did. We had no problems with them at all.
Large supermarkets (for the sale of alcohol) are few and far between, usually on the outskirts of most large towns. Many places also have a discrete alcohol outlet, known to and patronised by local people, if you are able to tap into the bush telegraph and find one. We were very careful about being seen with alcohol, and at first restricted ourselves to drinking a glass or two of wine clandestinely in our bedroom. However whenever we asked the people where we were staying if they would mind if we drank a beer or a glass of wine, we were never refused, and indeed it was just accepted as the norm. We never drank in public or on public view unless it was in a restaurant offering wine with the meal.

Gender Issues
There was not a single occasion when I felt threatened or uncomfortable as a woman, unlike in Egypt for example. As a woman of a certain age I would always dress conservatively when travelling, long skirts and long sleeved tops in light but not transparent cotton are the coolest and most comfortable clothing in hot climates anyway. I always carried a light scarf I could throw over my hair if I felt it necessary, but apart from remote rural areas where some women were veiled, I rarely used it.

Communications
Wifi was readily available and it was free. Most hotels even in rural areas provided a connection. Even if the hotel didn't there was usually a cafe nearby which did. The only places we didn't get it were the remote hotels we chose close to the desert which only had satellite phones.
We purchased a Maroc Telecom SIM and got phone coverage everywhere.

Police
They have been kind and helpful on all occasions. We were rarely stopped in our car and when we were they were polite. There was no suggestion of corruption or bribery. This is unique in our experiences of travelling in all other African countries, including Central and sub-Saharan, and in Central America.

Other things
Morocco was no exception to most other places we have travelled, including the U.K., an essential travel companion is a handy little multi-tool, (loose plugs, dripping taps, toilets that don't flush etc)

Conclusions
We have enjoyed this trip. As we get older travelling seems to get easier. Maybe we are slower, more tolerant and accommodating. In all the countries we have visited in the past ten years our age seems to have been an advantage, particularly in the atitudes of other people towards us.

27 April Home

Our last day in Marrakesh was much better than I had thought it was going to be. After having a revision of our luggage and a rearrangement of the packing we walked into the Ville Nouvelle to the Marjorelle Gardens. They were lovely, a real haven of peace. The cactuses were amazing, quite exceptional. We lingered a while in the cool and the shade.
We strolled slowly back through the Medina, stopped for an orange juice and then an excellent shakshouka, our last Moroccan meal.
Before going back to the Road I made a last minute purchase of a large leather satchel type bag, just what I wanted for carrying a it more stuff around with me than my leather handbag will take.
The day went very quickly, the only downside being the hour delay in the Ryanair flight.


Home again. A wonderful trip.I'll put a last few thoughts together soon.

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

24 April Marrakesh

It is such a shock, coming back to Marrakesh. It is hot, noisy and dirty. There are so many other beautiful places in Morocco, I can't imagine a holiday where you would come here for a week. I suppose you could use it as a base and do day trips out. If we had planned it differently we could have taken the car back later and gone straight to the airport. Still we have another 24 hours here so make the most of it. We went out and strolled round the souks for an hour or so. I got my arm hennaed and we had something to eat at Djemma El Fna, then came back to the Road.
There were so many more beggars in Marrakesh than there were a month ago. So many women with children and babies, it was really distressing. I actually wasn't very hungry and I filled a roll with my kebabs and gave it to a women sitting in the street with a sad looking young child. She seemed pleased and said thank you. John emptied his pockets of small change. There were snake charmers, I don't know how to assess the state of happiness of a snake, and some Barbary apes on tight chains with choke collars. They seemed sad and listless, not very happy, not my sort of thing at all. Maybe I am just ready to go home.

Monday, April 23, 2012

22 - 24 April Essaouira

Back where we started from, if you don't count the first few days orientation in Marrakesh. After the events of last night and earlier this morning we were on the road by 07.30. We took the coast road out of Safi and then picked up the N1 through to and beyond Essaouira. We drove on to take a look at Sidi Kaouki. We loved the look of it and were sorry that we had not discovered it earlier in the trip. It was everything we had hoped that Oualidia would be and definitely was not. It's exactly the sort of place we always seek out when we are camping. However we had to make a rational decision about where we would spend the last couple of nights of the trip and agreed we needed somewhere with a few more amenities. We have a 'to do' list, including getting the car sorted, we have just thrown everything in the back and the boot for four weeks. John would also like to get it washed and valeted before we hand it back. It's done a lot of things you shouldn't do in a 2WD hire car.
So we are back in Essaouira and the Mirimar Hotel. It was rather nice, the young woman on reception recognis d John from the last time we were here. As returning customer,ears we have a nice sea view room with a balcony at the same price we paid for a back facing room last time. It feels a lot different in Essaouira, a month on. It is warm and sunny. I am sitting on the balcony in just a light shift, having just had a shower at 18.15. I couldn't have sat outside a month ago, I would be wearing both my thermal vests by now. It's a very nice room too,larger than the other one and the bathroom has a proper bath and a bidet. The bidet is a real treat, I have missed not having the 'arab' toilet, I must check out which countries/cultures have them. Is it an
Arab thing or a Muslim thing? It's not just the weather that is different in Essaouira a month later. Many more places seem to be open, bit there aren't a lot more tourists.
The trip here was interesting as Argan trees slowly replaced the Olives. There was also a lot of agriculture and some very expensive farming machinery, several combiners and lots of (John Deere) tractors. Unlike yesterday when in our cross country trip from Ouzoud we saw people plowing and harrowing with donkeys. Essaouira is a nice place, by far the best of the resort type seaside places we have been to. After settling in at the hotel we walked down to the port area and ate a big plate of mixed fish, lobster, prawns, squid, sardines and red mullet. With a salad, chips, bread, a Coke and a Fanta the bill came to about £30 which we didn't think was two bad at all.
We will be having an early night tonight and then a final relaxing day here tomorrow, with maybe more fish.

I had a very good nights sleep. Our room, overlooking the busy beach road, has quadruple glazing, that is two sets of double glazed sliding doors leading onto the patio. I didn't hear a thing.
After breakfast John took the car to be washed and cleaned and I went for a walk on the beach. There were miles of hard sand. I walked to the far southern corner of the bay, where John and I had walked almost a month ago. Today it was warm and sunny. I didn't realise how much the wind had got up until I felt the sand whipping the backs of my legs, and decided to turn back. Activity on the beach had increased, people were taking rides on horses and camels, would be wind surfers were being kitted out. I stood and watched as a novice struggled to control both his board and his kite simultaneously. A much more experienced exponent skimmed across the waves, performing leaps and twists with acrobatic precision. These are different to the wind surfers we used to see off Karystos. Instead of a surf board with a sail attached they have a sail board and a kite. Two young men raced sprightly horses through the surf. Some dogs came and sniffed around, to see if anything was on offer, a bitch with dangling teats and a young pup. Is it the only survived this time round? I had nothing and they soon left me for a more promising option.
I was suddenly aware that the rhinitis and itchy eyes I have had almost permanently for the last week had gone. It's the olive blossom, exactly the same thing I used to have for a month each year in Greece. When it happened here I knew exactly what it was, I had just got so used to it again I didn't notice it until it was gone.
Back at the hotel John had returned from! the car wash and we walked the short distance into the Medina, strolled the back streets, enjoying the ambience and the warmth, noticing how much difference a month had made. We bought some fried fish and shrimps from a street stall, a good sized bag for less than £2. We sat in the square and drank some freshly squeezed orange juice.
Back at the hotel we are sitting on our balcony, sheltered from the wind, drinking a beer. It's countdown time. Tomorrow we go to Marrakesh, back to Riad El Az, for our last night in Morocco. Maybe I won't write anymore. I can't decide whether or not to get my arms hennaed before I go back. I think Bella and Freya will be so impressed. It's been a great trip, I'm so glad we came. I'm also pleased we are back here at Essaouira although I think if we just took a holiday Sidi Kaouki would be the place for me.
I've missed the kids, but probably no more after four weeks than I did after two. Now it's time to go home though, I'm ready to go. Without a forward plan, where next, what next, I am thinking about my allotment, how are my potatoes, do they need earthing up. What about my garden, is the rambling rose in flower, have the fruit trees set. Karen put it so well in her blog about travelling and going home, I need to re-read it.