Wednesday, June 4 (Rome & Istanbul) - Somehow my '100 days of travel' posts got a little messed up over the weeks, so today is actually day 51 (even though my last numbered post was 48!).  That means I am more than halfway finished with my 100 Days of Travel!  It is a bit crazy to think that I have been on the go for so long, without staying in any one place more than a few nights.

I have definitely learned a lot - about myself, about traveling and about the world - and I thought I'd share some random thoughts, lessons and highlights from the last 50 days.

Cross-country riding clinic in Ireland

Hiking the Cinque Terre with my mom

Feria de Abril in Sevilla

Celebrating the Europe League champions, Sevilla

Riding a camel and camping in the Sahara Desert

I know I've posted a bunch of things about my trip to Morocco, but like I've said before, it was such a crazy nine days of moving around that it is kind of hard to remember where I was and what I did!  So here is the official map from Explore Worldwide that shows where we went.  We covered about 1,500km by bus!!

DAY 1:  JOIN IN MARRAKECH
Join tour Marrakech. Depending on the schedule of your flight, you may wish to start exploring the 'Red City' independently. 


DAY 2:  MORNING SIGHTSEEING IN MARRAKECH; DRIVE TO BENI MELLAL
Morocco's famous 'Red City', Marrakech is the spiritual heart of the country, a cultural melting pot of the mountain Berbers and the desert peoples of the south. Blessed with some of the most stunning architecture in Morocco, its mix of tradition, colour and history makes for a fascinating guided walk through its medina this morning. We'll wander through its bustling souks and pay a visit to the remarkable setting of the Bahia Palace, a fusion of Moroccan and Islamic styles that was intended to be the greatest palace of its time. Following our tour we then depart Marrakech, for the beautiful Cascades of Ouzoud, before continuing on through Azilal and on towards Bin el Ouidane Lake. Our final destination today is the city of Beni Mellal, lying at the foot of Mount Tassemit.


DAY 3:  DRIVE TO FES, SIGHTSEEING TOUR OF MEKNES EN ROUTE
Today we drive along the northern slopes of the Middle Atlas Mountains, stopping off first in Azrou to take a short hike through the Atlas Cedar Forest, home to endangered Barbary macaques. From here we then continue into the Oued Boufekrane River Valley and on to the city of Meknes, once the heart of the Moroccan Sultanate. Built by the tyrant, Moulay Ismail, the city was once filled with palace and grand gateways and although much of Ismail's capital has crumbled to dust, it still exudes a sense of its former regal grandeur. In the company of a guide we will visit the old granary of Heri es-Souni and the Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail himself. In spite of the sultan's infamous blood lust and cruelty, many still see his reign as a golden age and the tomb is held in high regard. From here it is just a short drive on to Fes, where we will spend the next two nights. 


DAY 4:  CITY TOUR IN FES; OPTIONAL TRIP TO VOLUBILIS AND MOULAY IDRISS
A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Fes el Bali is probably the oldest of the great imperial cities and certainly the most complete medieval city in the Arab world. This morning we enjoy a tour of the city that has long been regarded as Morocco's 'artisan capital', taking in the medina and the souks and paying a visit to the Royal Palace (Fes El Jedid). Craftwork made and sold in the Fes medina is considered amongst the finest in Morocco and a wander through its artisan districts reveals an array of weavers and brass workshops, coppersmiths and tanners, producing beautiful pieces much as they have for generations. We also take a drive out to the North Borj (tower) for some great panoramic views of the city. This afternoon is then free to perhaps visit the holy city of Moulay Idriss and the ancient ruins of Volublis, once the capital of the Roman province of Mauritania Tingitana.


DAY 5:  DRIVE OVER THE MIDDLE ATLAS MOUNTAINS TO MERZOUGA
Today we have a long, but very scenic drive over the Middle Atlas Mountains to Merzouga. These are the lands of the fiercely independent Berbers, the "Lords of the Atlas", whose timeless traditions still hold sway up here in their mountain strongholds far away from the cities. The road takes us through Ifrane and Azrou, into the Gorge du Ziz and across the broad plateau towards the desert settlement of Erfoud. Following the meandering course of the Ziz River we then head into the dunes of the Sand Sea, the traditional homeland of the Alaouite, who ruled this region for some 300 years. Our final destination today is the settlement of Merzouga, lying on the edge of the Erg Chebbi, an area of high dunes that are amongst the most spectacular natural landscapes anywhere in Morocco.


DAY 6:  OPTIONAL CAMEL RIDE; DRIVE TO TINERHIR AND HIKE THE TODRA GORGE
This morning we have the option to take a camel ride into the dunes to watch the sunrise.The word 'erg' is Arabic for 'great sand dune area' and although many people imagine the Sahara as an endless sea of rolling golden sand dunes, they actually cover only about one-fifth of its surface. Leaving mid-morning we then drive along the southern slopes of the Atlas towards Rissani and from there continue on to the town of Tinerhir, set amongst the dramatic ochre-coloured cliffs of the Todra Gorge. This afternoon we'll take a hike through the narrow gorge, wandering through a landscape of towering, sheer sided walls that in some places are up to 300 metres high and little more than 10 metres wide. We spend this evening in the canyon.


DAY 7:  DRIVE TO BOU THARAR VIA THE 'ROAD OF 1000 KASBAHS'; VISIT A BERBER VILLAGE
Returning to Tinehir this morning, we then drive along the famous 'Road of a 1,000 Kasbahs' to Boumaine-Dades. The Dades Valley can boast some of the most authentic Berber settlements anywhere, with each of the oasis towns offering up its own distinctive charm and character. Many of the original kasbahs lie in ruins now, but enough remain to provide a real flavour of Morocco's ancient heritage. Our journey today also takes us via the town of El Kelaa Mgouna and the famous Valley of the Roses, before finally arriving at the Berber village of Bou Tharar, located at the entrance to the wonderfully scenic Mgoun Gorge. This afternoon we'll take a hike through this stunning area, paying a visit to some of the local Berber villages that lie scattered amongst the desert landscapes. 


DAY 8:  DRIVE TO MARRAKECH VIA OUARZAZATE AND THE TIZI N'TICHKA PASS
Leaving Bou Tharar after breakfast this morning we drive on to the oasis town of Skoura, where we pay a visit to the kasbah. From here we then continue to Ouarzazate, a desert outpost lying to the south of the High Atlas, sandwiched between the high mountains and the expansive sands of the Sahara. Driving over the Tizi n'Tichka Pass we then make our way back to Marrakech, where we have a free evening to enjoy the many delights of the city. Marrakech is a city like no other, a place where trade and barter still renders its centre a delightful chaos of noise and colour and at its heart you'll find the spectacular Djemma-el-Fna, a site not to be missed.


DAY 9:  TOUR ENDS MARRAKECH
The tour ends today in Marrakech. Depending on the schedule of your flights, you may wish to spend some additional time in the souks or in the Djemma el Fna Square before departure. 

Sunday, May 25 (Morocco & Milan) - One of the things that struck me the most throughout my tour of Morocco, was how the country seemed to be very traditional and what a westerner may consider 'old-fashioned' in its development and customs.  Although there are new parts of some cities like Marrakech – that house Starbucks, Zara, and the like – the vast majority of the country seemed to be decades or centuries behind.  Because I was on a guided tour, I am not sure if what I saw was the norm or if it is what the Moroccan government wants tourists to see, but either way, real people were living vastly different lives than I am used to.  It was a humbling and interesting experience for me, and I wanted to share some of the difference that stood out most.

TRANSPORTATION
While there are cars driving down many of the streets in Morocco, riding donkeys, mules and horses (in order of prevalence) is not abnormal.  Some animals pull carts, some carry men or boys and others are put to work carrying goods while the owners walk alongside to steer. 

For those who get around with a motor, scooters are extremely common and will often be seen carrying entire families, pets or colleagues.  These bikes are very dangerous for pedestrians as traffic laws seem not to apply, and I witnessed one crash into a local woman who was crossing the street.

HOUSING
Kashbahs, ksars and riads are common forms of housing with slightly different definitions.  The variations were a bit difficult to understand, but from what I gather, a kasbah is a multi-room house (or building or palace), usually for one large family.  A ksar is more of a village of houses (multiple families) that are inside a high wall for protection.  Riads are like kasbahs but they have a garden in the center, and the rooms are often rented out to guests. 

Traditionally, these are all made out of earth – clay, straw, rock – and take on a dull red color.  I visited a few of each of these types of housing, and some had tiled floors but others had the same clay-based floor as the walls and ceiling.  There was seldom much furniture, and not all of the homes had running water.

MARRIAGE
A very small percentage of people in Morocco marry for love.  Many marriages are arranged by parents as more of a family alliance or agreement.  For the younger generations, there is a split between seeing this type of arrangement as tradition to embrace and wanting to be in control of finding a mate for love.  I heard a story from someone on my trip of a Moroccan man leaving his country and family for Europe so he could find his own wife out of love – whereas his younger sister stayed in Morocco and expects her marriage to be arranged and wouldn’t leave with her brother. 

Additionally, in Morocco it is allowed by law for men to have more than one wife (as long as the first wife gives her consent!).

And finally, if a man from one village wants to propose marriage to a woman from another village, his entire family needs to go to the woman’s village with offerings such as sugar, tea and an animal as part of his proposal.  While this tradition clearly represents that he and his family have the means to take care of his bride, it is pretty interesting that it still exists and hasn’t been modernized over the years.

Saturday, May 24 (Marrakech) – The souks in Morocco are filled with fresh fruits, vegetables, candies, meat, and fish.  But the restaurants are pretty limited to just a few key dishes, regardless of eating in a more touristy place or a local restaurant.  While I am pretty sick of these options at the moment, I loved them for my first few meals!  One interesting thing to note that most people on the tour mentioned, was that the dishes seemed pretty bland which was surprising in a country known for their spices.  I think this may have been to please tourists’ palates?

TAJINE


Tajine is the name of the triangular pot used to cook the dish of the same name.  Veggies, meat and spices are slow-cooked in the pot together, to form a stew.  Sometimes a sweeter topping is also used such as dates, as pictured here.

COUS COUS


The tiny grains of cous cous can be completely flavorless without the right spices, but when seasoned well, it can be a delicious dish.  Usually the plate comes with the cous cous on the bottom, covered with a layer of cooked, mushy veggies like carrot, potato and zucchini. A meat of choice can be included as well.

KABOB (aka Brochette)


Pretty straight forward, the most common kabobs are chicken and kefta (ground meat, usually beef or lamb, with spices - sometimes in meatball form as well).  The kabobs generally come with veggies and French fries or rice.  And yes, the same veggies as those that come with the tajine or cous cous.

ZAALOUK


A cold appetizer of cooked eggplant and tomato.  I only saw this on one menu and it was very good, so if you see it, order it while you can!

BREAD


It's certainly not the tastiest bread you will ever have, but it isn't bad, especially when you get your hands on it when it just comes out of the oven and is still warm.  But there seems to be one type of bread in Morocco: picture a pita bread that has bread inside, not just a pocket.  Now, get used to it, as this will be part of your breakfast, lunch and dinner at any restaurant or hotel you visit.  (Trust me, as a carb-a-holic, even I got sick of this bread after a while and looked forward to grocery store visits where I could pick up fresh fruit or yogurt!)

MEDFOUNA (aka Berber Pizza)


I was expecting pizza... or at least tomato and cheese.  Instead, bread stuffed with seasoned meat or vegetables was cut into triangles to appear to be pizza.  While the taste was no where close to my local Bravo pizza, this was actually one of my favorite meals.  Maybe because it was a change from the cous cous and tagine, but also because it seemed to have more flavor than other dishes I had.  We enjoyed this meal in Fes, but I didn't see it on menus anywhere else.

MOROCCAN MINT TEA


This is the classic drink you will have everywhere you go - whether arriving in a hotel, visiting a shop or having a meal.  Simple and satisfying:  green tea with fresh mint leaves and sugar (although half my tour opted for the tea without mounds of sugar).  It reminded me of mate in Argentina - the local tea that is not only for drinking but for socializing with.

SPECIAL FLAG BEER


The most popular local beer, Special Flag, is a smooth, light lager that I enjoyed during my trip (except the bottle is too small!).  Interestingly, the best selling beer in Morocco is Heineken.

MAHIA


During my time in Morocco, I heard about this mysterious and potent spirit made of figs that can knock you out just one drink.  I couldn't get the story straight, but it sounded like the drink is either illegal or requires a special license in order to be served.  Ultimately, I didn't have a chance to try it, but if anyone does I want a full report!

Friday, May 23 (Dades Valley, Mgoun Gorge) – We’ve all heard the song “rock the casbah” but I can’t say I knew what a Kasbah was until this trip to Morocco.  A kasbah in Morocco is a fortress with many rooms, generally for one large family.  A home in a kasbah generally has three floors: the main floor is for the animals (goats, sheep, donkeys), the middle floor can be a family room and the top floor may be a room for cooking.  There is also often a rooftop where chickens may be kept.

The traditional homes are made of natural materials such as clay and straw, which make the homes durable and last decades upon decades.  Here are some close-ups:

In Morocco, there is a famous street called the “Road of 1,000 Kasbahs” because it seems to be a never-ending row of villages.  We walked in through one of them and continued on a 3 or 4-hour hike around the kasbahs, farms and countryside.  Many people who live in the kasbahs grow crops such as fruits, vegetables and herbs, and we had a chance to see these gardens while enjoying the natural landscape and countryside during our trek.

It had recently rained in this area, so the bridges across the river (stones / planks of wood) were gone.  So we took off our shoes and walked across the rocky, yet refreshing, water.

This was one of my favorite afternoons in Morocco because we had a chance to see where people really live, the types of crops they grow, and we got to be a little active after days on the bus!

Thursday, May 22 (Tinerhir & Todra Gorge) – When I envisioned Morocco, I thought of colorful tilework, intricate interior design and dry desert.  Well, I wasn’t all that accurate.

Marrakech is known as the ‘red city’ because everything in the city (and in most Moroccan villages) is a red clay color.  There is beautiful decoration in the entry ways to mosques and palaces, but other elements of the detail I envisioned are few and far between.  The cities themselves are not all that aesthetically pleasing to be quite honest, but some of the restaurants, hotels and attractions make up for that.

Anyway, throughout my tour of the country, I was extremely surprised to see how often the landscape changes.  From snow-capped mountains to green farmland to the desert, Morocco really has it all.  Today I walked through the Todra Gorge which added another landscape to the list – and it was absolutely incredible!

Wednesday, May 21 (Merzouga) – When you think of Morocco, images of sand dunes and camels most likely come to mind.  The Sahara Desert covers much of the country and camel riding is not only a tourist attraction, it is a means of transport for many locals (although more often you will actually see them riding small donkeys).

So when given the last-minute opportunity to not only go for a camel ride, but to ride to a campsite in the Sahara at sunset, sleep under the stars and ride back at sunrise, I couldn’t say no.

After checking into our hotel, six of us on my tour were picked up by camel to start our adventure.  We were sent off by the rest of the group and started our journey into the desert.  My hair was wrapped in a pashmina turban to protect my face and hair from the blowing sand.  We rode the camels up and down the sand dunes for 1.5 hours, making one stop to get off the camels, run up the tallest dune to capture the sunset (getting up the dune was a workout – the sand is soft and goes up mid-calf with each step). 

If you are ever in the Sahara, you may see hundreds of small black rocks lining the sand dunes.  Well, those aren’t rocks.  Camels poop all the time, like constantly, and in surprisingly small poop balls.  Over time they appear to darken and become a part of the landscape!

When we arrived at the campsite, we were greeted with the Moroccan standard – green tea with mint and sugar – while we sat around a table and relaxed.  Dinner was prepared for us at the campsite and was delicious – tomato-based vegetable soup and chicken tagine.

After dinner we sat outside looking at the thousands of stars, trying to make out the constellations, satellites and planets.  I even saw a shooting star – only the second time in my life!

I spent the night in a tent, which was very basic, but more ‘glam’ than when I camped in Israel.  In other words, I had a mattress on the floor instead of a sleeping bag.  I thought it would get very cold overnight but it stayed warm and comfortable.  

In the morning, we woke up at 6am in order to catch the sunrise on our camel ride back across the desert to the hotel where the rest of our group was staying.  Even though I was pretty tired on the ride back (and the saddle could have been more comfortable), but overall the experience was amazing and definitely one of the highlights of my trip!

Tuesday, May 20 (Fes) – Morocco is known for its souks or open-air markets where haggling is part of the fun.  Each city we visited had their own maze of endless souks, but Fes in particular is known for its crafts.  We were taken to different artisans' shops to learn about what, how and why they were making different crafts.  While many of these demonstrations ended up in a sales pitch, it was still great to see first-hand how they make the goods (and also to reassure me that the souvenirs I buy are actually from Morocco!).

Carpets

Carpets and rugs are not just for show in Morocco.  The patterns and designs are filled with metaphors and special meanings.  These particular Berber rugs are generally created by one woman and can easily take five years to complete.  The different patterns represent legends, folklore and tales of different tribes or villages.  They are made out of different materials - often camel hair, cotton and/or silk - and they are beautiful (not very soft though).  

You can certainly haggle on a carpet purchase, but note that these will run you anywhere $150+, and rightly so.  Also keep in mind the costs of shipping the rug back home!  But most carpet purchases begin with a cup of Moroccan mint tea to signify there is no rush, and we're all friends!

Scarves & traditional clothing

The secret ingredient in weaving scarves and traditional dress in Morocco is cactus!  They take the silk from cactus leaves, turn it into thread and dye it in vibrant colors.  Then the artisans use a loom with a minimum of two foot pedals to create beautiful pieces.  

When the design includes an intricate pattern, it requires many more foot pedals and we didn't get to see that in action, but when the pattern is single or multiple colors in lines or stripes, they can use just two pedals like the man in the photo to the left.  The finished products are scarves and outfits like the photos below.

Ceramics & tile

Every time you sit down to eat in Morocco, your plate will be colorful, intricately designed and made of ceramic.  Additionally, there's a pretty high chance that when you sit down to eat you will be having tajine, the local Berber specialty cooked in triangular pots (like the man is making in the photo on the left).

We visited a place where ceramic bowls, plates and crafts were made, as well as given a demonstration on how individual pieces of tile are chipped into designs.  Some really beautiful pieces!

Leather

Visiting the leather tannery was the biggest shock of my entire trip to Morocco.  Fes is home to the oldest tannery in the world, dating back to the 11th century.  Tourists are brought into leather shops that have balconies overlooking the tannery where workers seem to be jumping in and out of circular stone tubs of dyes and miscellaneous liquid.  The smell that wafts to the balconies is absolutely horrible, and is barely diffused by the mint leaves given to tourists as they walk in.  

Workers take animal hides such as camel, goat, sheep, and cow and first dip them into a mixture that strips the hyde down to just the skin (I have heard different foul ingredients that can be used in this mixture such as pigeon excrement and cow urine.. not sure what it really is made of).  Then there is a process of dying the hide and kneading it for softness.  Afterwards, the hides are dried out, cut and made into bags, shoes, wallets, and other products to be sold in the souks.

I felt like I was watching a sweat shop as I couldn't imagine who would willingly partake in this type of work.  If the smell was so terrible from all the way up on the balcony, it must be 10x worse for the workers.  But it is a job, and supposedly a well-paying job.

Monday, May 19 (Meknes & Volubilis) – One thing about taking a guided tour - especially in a country where I don't speak the language - is that it is easy to lose sight of which day matches with which city and which activities.  As I write this post, it is actually a few days past Day 33, and I am trying to think of what I actually did on this day!  But instead, I want to highlight a couple of the things I saw that I didn't expect in Morocco.

As we left Marrakech, one of our first stops was visiting the Cascades d'Ouzoud (waterfalls).  It required a bit of a hike, which was nice after sitting on the bus, and was way more beautiful than I could have expected!  Not only did we get right up close to the falls, we also got to see a beautiful rainbow!

On the hike to the falls, there were a bunch of wild monkeys, including this mom and her little monkey baby!

On our way to Fes, we stopped off at Volubilis, an ancient Roman city from the 3rd century BC.  Volubilis has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage site for being "an exceptionally well preserved example of a large Roman colonial town on the fringes of the empire".  10 centuries of archeological history have been uncovered including ancient baths and mosaics, the Capitoline Temple and the Arch of Caracalla.  It was a very interesting - and surprising - stop along our journey.

Sunday, May 18 (Marrakech) – When I was in college at NYU, I became fascinated with the architecture, design and culture of Morocco.  I bought travel and interior design books and thought about visiting.  But over time things got in the way and Morocco was swept to the back of my mind.

Fast forward to when I started planning my 100 days of travel.  I knew I wanted to spend a good amount of time in the south of Spain, and while I was researching, I realized just how close the coast is to Morocco (about 15km!).  So I knew it was finally time to see the country.  But instead of a day trip from Spain to Tangier, I wanted to make the most of being in that part of the world and see more of the country.

I mentioned it to my friend Lainie (who has traveled just about everywhere you can imagine), and she said that Morocco was one of the (few) places left on her bucket list and that she would be able to join me in May.  So we started talking about the trip and ultimately decided to choose a guided tour – something I’ve never done before in this capacity.

Ultimately we felt that a tour of Morocco would be the best way to see the most of the country and that it would make our parents happy in terms of our safety.  We looked at a lot of tour companies and routes, and finally selected the “Highlights of Morocco” tour from Explore Worldwide.  See how it goes in my next few posts!