Following men down narrow alleys
Marrakech
We left Casablanca on an early morning train. We went in search of the desert and never quite reached it. As we rode in from the coast the landscape changed dramatically, but not completely. I was in search of desert, but I didn't find it on this trip.
We arrived at the train station at 11 AM and after a leisurely lunch walked to our hotel. Our hotel was also a spa with a swimming pool in the back and masseuse at the ready.
The owner, Alex, was a wonderful woman who spoke many languages and provided us with great tips and suggestions for enjoying the afternoon in Marrakech.
The first thing she told us is always Barter!!!!! Which we promptly forgot.
We went out and took a cab to the market and ended up walking through the Jewish quarter first. We explored the two palaces that in Marrakech.
The Bahia Palace is located in the medina of Marrakech along the northern edge of the district Mellah or Jewish quarter. Although the exact dates of the construction of the palace are unknown, the building was in use between 1859 and 1873 and was completed by 1900. (From http://www.palais-bahia.com/en/) The Bahia Palace has doors, tile floors, ornate ceilings, stain glass windows and many fireplaces still remaining. It has a large garden and it is wonderful to wander through.
The second Palace is the Badia Palace which was completed in 1594. And built for a great Sultan. The walls are crumbling, there is no roof, but you can see the remains of 10 swimming pools, some of which have Orange groves in them now.
Train to Marrakech
Sitting on the train with Joan, both of us reading our iPhones. Next time we must remember a book to read when it is inappropriate to bring out the phone.
We Chose to travel by train in Morocco and picked First class as it is only slightly more expensive than 2nd class. 6 to a carriage instead of 8. We sat by the window which was great for photos but cooler as the window didn't close completely.
It was a quiet train ride to Marrakech. We are in another first class carriage and sharing with only 1 other person. We have a few hours for a bit of work photos and blog posts but instead we are spending our time basking in the sun as it streams in the window and read books. A gruesome murder tome for Joan and I am reading a romance as usual. (Goodness and light are the requirements for a world I jump in to voluntarily)
We just realized we will be arriving in Marrakech earlier than expected, around 10:15am and we have decided to go to see the market and the Bahia Palace^ we should have time for both.
Casablanca
We arrived in Casablanca at 4:30am and so used to unlimited data in Europe we had not prepared our route to the hotel. This gave me a few minutes of concern on the train. How close is the station to the hotel? How plentiful were taxis at 5:00am? What do we do at 5:00am?
As we arrived in the station we connected with the ONCF Wifi and answered all of our questions before stepping outside. We were 3.2 km from the hotel. Taxis were waiting to take us, and we could check into the hotel early and get a nap before sightseeing^
I woke up slowly, I guess 4 days before seeing a bed will do that to you. We walked down the Main Street to another train station Gate de Port and it was lovely three levels with many lovely sitting areas, restaurants and such. We sat and read a while, all we had to read was an Irish guide book and we spent some time discussing our preferences for our time in Ireland.
We went for a ride on the Casa Tramway the local commuter transportation, like the skytrain in Vancouver. Like home it was quite straight forward in a Y shape with one arm to the University and the other to the Beach. We, of course, took the arm to the beach, spent a couple of hours^ wandering around and we got some food and then hopped back on the Tramway before sunset and returned to the hotel.
We had an early night, enjoying the luxuries of the 4* bathroom we repacked and were in bed early. We got up at 5:15am to catch the 6:40am train to Marrakech.
Riding the rails to Casablanca
March 26 -5- Train
After Joan and Kathy's adventure in the Moroccan mall, We returned to the train station across the street. The rain, by this time, had stopped but I was glad I had put on the warmer clothes.
We arrived at 9:05pm and our train was not yet ready for boarding so we watched a man play with a kitten and a leaf from a nearby plant. I told Joan that as we had no internet we had to watch the kitten video IRL to waste our time.
We got on the train, window seats for both of us in a first class compartment but we didn't know you could turn off the lights. I promptly fell asleep.
I got 5 hours of sleep, the first five, while the lights were glaring and the man who decided to join our car took/made 9 noisy calls throughout the night. As soon as it was quiet, Joan and I were able to stretch out and lay down, the light went out (we found a light switch) sleep became elusive. The night train stopped at all the little stations along the way. We left at 9:55pm and we were expected to arrive at 5:30am.
Joan and Kathy's Moroccan Mall Adventure
We got to the train depot at 6pm for the 10pm train, but the train station was right across from the Hilton hotel, Hilton hotel residences and the Tangier City Mall. So . . . We went to the mall.
Thought we might take in a movie, but we missed the 5pm show and the next showing for all the movies was 7:45pm too late for us. So we walked around the mall, which to me is the same as walking through any mall. Except for the giant stuffed animals being ridden by both adult and child! There was also a cool entertainment area, games, go carts and a baby sitting area.
We hung out in the food court which besides having KFC and sushi and Pizza Hut and the other standards it also had a Cale Kiosk with 3 types of chocolate cake and a chocolate pie.
Finished will the "Joys of Shopping" we headed out down and around all three floors and out the front door only to discover that the Bilbao rain had followed me. As I was dressed for hot sunny Morocco and not cold rainy Morocco I needed to change, luckily I carry my suitcase on my back. So up we went, back to the top floor where I unpacked, made a more appropriate wardrobe choice and repacked. Dressed warmly and prepared for rain we headed to the train.
Tour with Sayid (Con't 7)
The view down onto Tangier was almost worth the price of the tour. This photo does not do it justice! Sayid was an enthusiastic tour guide. Our mix of English, French, Spanish, with a bit of Arabic thrown in made for an interesting informative and sometimes humourous tour.
We thanked Sayid as he dropped us at the train station, he was concerned that the tour was too short and wanted to take us around for another couple of hours, however we wanted to buy our tickets and get some food before our train to Casablanca.
Tour with Sayid (Con't 6)
We went for a tour at the Moroccan Presidential home, but they were closed and didn't want to let us in. Coincidentally neither did the Saudi consulate.
Tour with Sayid (Con't 5)
We also continued out to the look out at the top of the hill to a tower lighthouse.
Where two seas collide 🌊🌊🌊
From ancient-classical-history.yoexpert.com we learn that:
The Strait of Gibraltar is a narrow opening between the continent of Africa and Europe. It is located between Spain and Morocco and connects the Atlantic to the Mediterranean Sea. The mountains on either side of the strait are called the Pillars of Hercules because according to the legend of Hercules, it was created by Hercules in order to complete his tenth labor. The first nine labors of Hercules were based inside the Mediterranean rim, however, the tenth labor took him beyond the outer limits of the known world to a territory no Greek had ever seen.
For his tenth labor, Hercules went all the way to the Spanish Peninsula, where he had to bring back the cattle of King Geryon, a three-headed monster. Destroying the Geryon to capture his cattle was half the challenge. The other half was getting there. To reach King Geryon's cattle, Hercules had to venture beyond the Mediterranean Sea into the Atlantic Ocean, but one massive obstacle stood in his way: the mountain range that joined the continent of Africa and Europe and which sealed off the Mediterranean Sea from the Atlantic Ocean.
Hercules decided not to go around the mountain; he instead, went through it. He split the mountain into two with one blow from his sword, passed through the narrow strait, found Geryon's cattle and brought it back. This part of myth was created to explain how the Atlantic and the Mediterranean were joined. The cliffs on each side are forever linked to Hercules and were known by the Ancient Greeks as the Pillars of Hercules. The Northern pillar falls in the continent of Europe and is known as the Rock of GibraltarNo one knew, then, what was beyond them. To the Ancient Greeks, it was not only the gateway to the unknown; it was a portal between reality and myth. Having gone and come back only increased the reputation of Hercules.
They also tell us: It is also interesting to note that the vertical lines on he Dollar sign, which has its origins from the Spanish Dollar, represent the Pillar of Hercules.
www.britannica.com tells us the names of the twi pillars:
The northern pillar is the Rock of Gibraltar at Gibraltar, and the southern pillar has been identified as one of two peaks: Jebel Moussa (Musa), in Morocco, or Mount Hacho (held by Spain), near the city of Ceuta(the Spanish exclave on the Moroccan coast). The pillars are fabled to have been set there by Heracles (Hercules) as a memorial to his labour of seizing the cattle of the three-bodied giant Geryon.
Tour with Sayid (Con't 4)
Continuing our tour we were heading North towards the lookout over the ocean where the Mediterranean meets the Atlantic.
But before we got there we met a man with camels and went for a ride.
Joan was very amused by the guy leading our camels he kept repeating Oh My God, Oh My God! Joan thought he was repeating the tourist pleas as they got up and down off the camels, I just thought he was repeating after me . . . while mounting I almost fell off.
Tour with Sayid (Cont'd 3)
On the way into the caves.
Tour with Sayid (Cont'd 2)
Wikipedia says: The Caves of Hercules is one of the most popular tourist attractions near Tangier and is located 14 kilometres (9 mi) west of Tangier in Cape Spartel, near the summer palace of the King of Morocco.
The cave has two openings, one to sea and one to land. The sea opening is known as "The Map of Africa", it is believed that the Phoenicians created the sea opening which is in the shape of Africa when looked at from the sea. There are also some markings on the wall in the shape of eyes, that are said to be made by the Phoenicians, which make up a map of the local area.
The cave itself is part natural and part man-made. The man made part was used by Berber people to cut stone wheels from the walls, to make millstones, thus expanding the cave considerably.
Tour with Sayid (Cont'd 1)
First stop was the Grottes d'Hercules.
Tour with Sayid
Joan met me at the virtually empty airport with a car and driver in tow. Joan met Sayid at the ferry and as he was driving her to the airport to pick me up she talked to him about a tour around Tangier. He was very enthusiastic and called an English speaking friend to translate for him and make sure he got all the details correct.
Arrive in Morocco
You
I didn't realize I was tired while waiting for the flight, however I must of been as I sat down on the plane and promptly fell asleep. I think we landed in Tangier, however I don't recall taking off or landing, and once again the people on the plane were very aggressive in lining up. I was in seat for C and there were at least 27 people in front of me before I had the chance to stand up. We walked up to customs and there was no one ahead of me. No other planes had landed, no lineups at all, but when I walked up to the customs agent he told me I had to fill-in and arrival document and I hadn't done it. I got sent to the back of the line. Once I got back to the front of the line I went through customs without one question being asked, or my saying one word. Very unusual. But I have a really cool Moroccan stamp in my passport. Joan arrived on the 2:30 ferry from Tarifa and was waiting for me in the virtually empty airport. Turns out there was strict security at the door and only people with boarding passes get into the building in the departures and people waiting to pick people up can come in in arrivals.
Madrid
I spent an hour trying to figure out what I was going to do. Formulate a plan!
What do you do when you only have four hours in the city before you have to head to the airport, it would be great if the four hours was not before anything opens. After much deliberation I left my bag in the locker and hopped on the subway into the centre of Madrid near the Royal Palace. I got out of the subway at the Opera station which had me coming up into Madrid in the Plaza de Isabel II. I have three hours downtown at 11 I am going to print out my boarding pass at an Internet café and then hop on the train back to the bus depot it was 45 minutes from downtown to the bus depot and 45 minutes from downtown to the airport, however I saw it is only 10 minutes but Uber to the airport from the bus depot so I left my bag at the bus depot and I'm willing to go back !!
Arriving in the Plaza de Isabel II it felt like it was 5:30 in the morning, it was in fact 8:10 but dawn was breaking and there was no one around. The morning birds were singing the plaza was empty just a few coffee places open and the only people on the streets were people going home from the bars. The train was full with revellers heading home at the end of the night.
I found an audio tour app and am heading towards monastery that sounds fascinating. The monastery opened at 10am so I went exploring in the meantime.
At 9:30 in the plaza mayor and the restaurants are being opened, tablecloth's are being put on and as it is Sunday it looks like there's going to be a market under the covered walkways around the edges of the Plaza. The plaza is large and throughout history with used for concerts, gatherings, beheadings and eventually as a marketplace. It burnt down and was rebuilt, and was renovated many times over the last 500 years and its current incarnation is a large square apartments on the outside. I was listening to the audio tour says it's a Philatelic and Numismatistic market.
Very cool!!!
I ended up returning to the monastery at 10am: The Monasterio de las Descalzas Reales and I went on a tour it is an amazing cloistered convent.
Wikipedia says: The Monasterio de las Descalzas Reales, literally the "Monastery of the Royal Barefooted", resides in the former palace of King Charles I of Spain and Isabel of Portugal. Their daughter, Joanna of Austria, founded this convent of nuns of the Poor Clare order in 1559. Throughout the remainder of the 16th century and into the 17th century, the convent attracted young widowed or spinster noblewomen. Each woman brought with her a dowry. The riches quickly piled up, and the convent became one of the richest convents in all of Europe. Stunning inside and I will post photos of my post cards when I get a chance.
Once the tour was finished it was time to find an Internet café to print out my boarding pass. €15 fee if you haven't printed out your boarding pass before you get to the flight. Ryanair!
I was on my way through Madrid to the only open at 11 AM on a Sunday, however I soon realized my day was leaching away from me so I went straight to the bus depot. Surprisingly I found an Internet café directly above the subway and my boarding pass for $.50.
I went to get back into the subway, was about to buy a ticket and I was told that the airport subway line was closed due to construction. Time was short and I was unsure about the alternate route so I went upstairs and caught a taxi. The lovely female taxi driver, I'm not sure if I have ever had a female taxi driver before, charged me the set price of €30 and dropped me off at the airport.
And I mean literally dropped as I fell out of her cab knees first onto the sidewalk. My shoe got caught on a backpack strap and my feet remained in the taxi the rest of me left. I fell at the feet of four very kind gentleman who were not expecting that at all. But they helped me up and I was off to re-organize my bag before going through security.
On my way . . .
Left the office at 1:10 for. A 2:35 flight - didn't mean to leave so late - just lost track of time. Ran down to the train 1 min to the YVR train. 2 people ahead of me in security and grab some chips and water on the way to the gate. Slept a few hours up front. Now am trying to get back to sleep with 3hours 10minutes to go. Been awake over an hour already.
I didn't get much more sleep. But was awake for Paris.
Downtown Paris for 4 hours then time to head back to the airport for my flight to Bilbao. I am now starting to get tired.
Dozed while waiting for my flight then out completely on the plane. I think we took off but not 100% sure. But we did disembark in Bilbao. So that worked.
Rainy rainy rainy Bilbao. Midnight bus to Madrid. Must find something to do . . .
On the plane ✈️
It will take me 3 days travel to meet up with Joan on the 26th in Tangier, Morocco 🇲🇦.
But I am on the first leg now. Vancouver to Paris and 8 hours in Paris before my continuing flight to Bilbao. From Bilbao I will take a Midnight bus to Madrid and fly out of Madrid on Sunday to Morocco.
I will post photos in the first gallery as I go. but now that I am on the plane it is time for sleep!!!
😴😴 💤 💤 😴 😴 💤 💤 😴 😴