Top five favorite places in Morocco

5. Essaouira

Essaouira is a surf/kite boarding town in southern Morocco, with a hippy twist to it. Visit the medina for fresh seafood, go quad biking down the beach and sand dunes, or just get lost in the charm of the old fishing town. The harbour is great for photography. Fisherman are busy repairing boats, building new boats, and delivering their catch. Only thing I disliked about the town was that one of the biggest markets here is shark fin soup. Every day fishermen head out in small blue boats to catch sharks only for their fins. Such a waste. The soup tastes like shit anyways. 100 million sharks every year are killed for such traditions. If you couldn't tell, nothing pisses me off more than this tradition.

4. Fes

The thing that I loved most about Fes was the medina. It's a must if you plan to visit Fes and Morocco. It's the biggest and most preserved medina in the country. You really feel like you are back in time. If you appreciate hand maked crafts, then bring your wallet.
Try not to get lost walking the streets, but if you do, don't worry just try and soak up the experience. Surprises lie down each pathway. If you still can't find your way out. Just pay a local kid and he will be happy to show you the way out.

3. Chefchaouen

Chefchaouen is a quiant mountain town with lots of charm. One of the most photogenic places for photography. The town isn't very touristy so you don't get hasseled like you do in bigger cities. Plan on at least two days here. It's fun just walking around the many back streets.


2.Marrakech

Marrakech is a must to visit. It's square can keep you entertained for days. The place is the cleanest big city I visited in Morocco. The performers, story tellers, snake charmers, and fortune tellers will try and suck you for all your worth, but it's still a great experience interacting with them.
If you keep an open mind and not let them get to you, you will have a great experience. Don't miss out on the food in the market for KFC or McDonnalds. The square food is amazing and very cheap.
You will get plenty of experience haggling in this town, and actually wish this was the way it worked back home. Haggling is an artform that you only get better at over time.

1. Atlas Mountains.

I loved the Atlas Mountains. The small towns tucked in along it's range,will leave you with the experience you wanted when traveling to Morocco. In the winter a blank of snow covers the tops of the largest peaks and makes for great back drops for photography. Buy yourself a Jellaba and blend into the culture. You won't be disappointed with the Atlas mountains.

Leaving safety. Heading Across the Sahara Desert.

Actual warning by US Embassey in Mauritania

U.S. Embassy Nouakchott, Mauritania
Warden Message - Security Reminder
September 23, 2010

The U.S. Embassy in Nouakchott is issuing this Warden Message to remind U.S. citizens of the continued threat of attacks against Western targets in Mauritania and throughout the greater Sahel region. Al Qaeda in the Lands of the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) has shown continued interest in attacking western citizens in Mauritania, and has claimed responsibility for the kidnapping of seven foreign workers, including five French nationals, in Arlit, Niger on September 16, 2010.

During the past week, Mauritanian forces have engaged in military operations against AQIM elements in northern Mali. It is likely that AQIM will seek to respond to these operations by attempting retaliatory attacks. U.S. citizens should maintain good personal security practices and remain aware of their surroundings at all times, including always locking their homes and cars, varying routes and time of travel, and avoiding drawing attention to themselves. When going out, they should avoid being part of large, highly visible groups of Westerners, and should be particularly alert when frequenting locales associated with Westerners.

After spending a few days in Marrakesh,we are leaving today to head towards Western Sahara and then on to Mauratania. I'm requested to stay off my blog for about a week or so after we leave Morocco, because we will be traveling through some dangerous areas of Northern Africa, deep into the heart of conflict. For our safety the driver doesn't want anyone knowing where and when we will be traveling. Wants our route to be unknown. Our travels have been changed twice since beginning our trip and can change again any day. All depending on recent events down south. As we leave Morocco we will be traveling through some of the most dangerous countries in the world at the moment. Travel in Western Sahara has been tense since the recent killings a few weeks ago, between the Moroccan army and some protestors in Western Sahara. Western Sarahans want to break away from Moroccan control, so political unrest is making things tense. Mauritania is a hot bed for terrorist groups including Al Quida and reports have them planning a terrorist attack somewhere in the country. All western travelers have been requested to avoid all travel through these countries.

Week Two: Morocco. Rabat to Marrakech

The second week of my trans-African trip has taken me from the coastal towns of Rabat and Casablanca, inland to the roman ruins of Volubilis, away from "crazy Muhammod" and his druken rants at our bush camp, over the high peaks of the Atlas mountains and along it's rain shadow, deep into some canyons, and back over the Atlas mountains, to the touristy town of Marrakech. I like big cities, but get sick of the smell of burning trash and shit in the streets, having to frogger your way across busy streets, and avoid getting run over by every mode of transportation possible. The past week it was nice being away from all that and finally bush camp out in the desert. I wasn't impressed by Casablanca, haven't seen the movie but I heard it was a romance classic. Things must have been different in the 1930's.

I've been impressed by Marrakech so far. It is a bit more of a tourist town, but because of that the streets around the main square are cleaner. At the moment I have found a nice cafe with a great lookout to watch the madness go on, below in the square. It's like a people watchers heaven. Like having a car, bike, motorcyle, and horse race, all at the same time, and then choking the course with pedestrians donkeys, carts, and shops. Forget American football, this is entertainment. I'll try and explain what's happening.

It's a sunny day, normal madness in the square. Beggers on the prawl, guys ready to pick pocket you somewhere out there, street performers in full outfit, crowds gathering around different performances. Mule drawn cart overloaded with fruit makes it's way through the square, makes it past the speeding truck, around the old man barely getting out of the way ......oooooohhhh almost broad sided by three guys on one scooter. Traffic backs up causing some other bikers to try and be heros, almost going head on into the next truck overloaded with stuff, coming the opposite way. No one even seems to care that they almost wrecked.

Next a single white tourist with fanny pack makes her way across the square, like a baby caribou seperated from the herd, predators move in from all directions. Older men with hands out, begs for money, people in markets scream out trying to attract her into their market like a trap door spider, "my friend, come, to look is free", a snake charmer captures her attention for a moment, "5 Dhuram for nice picture of snake", she hesitates to photograph the king cobra but after watching the assholes kick around the pile of snakes trying to get them to strike, she continues. But forgets to pay for the photo he follows after her demaning money.

Next, a group of tourists make there way through the crowd like buffalo, using the safety in numbers approach, heads down moving fast. The predators come in packs, three guys with monekys on leash try their luck, guess the back flip the moneky did wasn't impressive enough, the group ignores the monkeys and pushes on. Two guys from the market holding necklesses rush out to greet them, oh they get by them as well, four darker skinned people in local dress start beating drums around them, they ignore them, one last challenge, ahead lies the old crippled lady............ and they make it. Good move, wish I could see that in instant reply.

Next, two stray dogs now enter the square avoiding traffic, avoiding the donkey cart with a very beaten down, depressed looking donkey, they meander there way around performances, make there way through the crowd to the middle of the square, they sniff around probably looking for scraps, they could be rabid could have flees noone knows . I get distracted by a old white man yelling at the snake charmer because he just threw the snake over his shoulders, with out him wanting it. He points his fingers yells something, then stomps off with his wife.

Now back to the dogs, still moving through square. One stops.......squats and takes a huge dump right in the middle of the square and no one seems to care. Yes, the great city life of a third world country.

Seriously, you could spend hours watching the madness, which I plan on doing. It's even more fun walking through it. It's better than the shit back home that's on tv.

Things do calm down a bit at night. It's too cold for the snakes so they disappear. The square makes a transition like a play changing it's back drop, from performances and selling cheap stuff to setting up for dinner. The food in the market is excellent. Just make your way down the different stands selling food and try not to get annoyed by every owner trying to persuade you to eat at their place. If you feel brave, try the sheep's balls. I definetly wasn't feeling that brave.

Yes, It's traveling at it's best. If you hate being harassed this isn't the country for you. But if you like to haggle and like seeing a culture way different than back home, you will love it. The shopping is amazing. I definetly recommend Marrakech.

Heading over a pass on the Atlas mountains The Atlas mountains are high enough to have snow on them, some more than 3,000 meters high. A few ski resorts are scattered about. Because the Atlas Mountains are the higheste mountain range in Northern Africa it creates a rain shadow for eastern Morocco. Eastern Morrocco reminds me of a mix of southern Utah and death valley in California.

Bush Camping in Eastern Morroco.
Local kids using us as television


Photogenic town used in the movie gladiator.

Dance party with some locals.

Roman Ruins of Volubilis. Largest Roman ruins in Morocco.

Cheering on the snakes to bite the snake charmer. I seriously was annoyed with these guys, wanted to go smack them around. They tossed and kicked around these snakes like toys.

Best view is from the top of the truck as you travel down the road.

Our driver and tour leader enjoying lunch in the rain.

Todgha Canyon. Worth vistiting.

Main Square in Marrakech, before Sunet.

The Grand Mosque in Cassablanca. Hiking in the mountains.

Rick's Cafe. Made Famous in the movie Cassablanca. There are lots of these Cafe's in town claming to be the real one. Like Ray's pizza in NY

Morocco Cueta to Fes

Traveling through Morocco so far has been like traveling back into time. Donkeys, camels, and goats walk freely in the streets, houses are created out of brick, most no more advanced than the ruins of their past. Their artwork is both stunning and beautiful. Today's Morocco is changing fast, but still has lots of culture left to share.

The people so far have been very friendly, the northern mountain sides more lush then I ever could have imagined, and the quiant towns filled with as much culture as I have ever seen. Some towns have been like a time capsule, preserving the past.

The first town I camped in was a cute mountain town, called Chefchouen. The town reminded me of the beautiful photogenic towns on the Greek islands. No doubt having been influenced with the same Mediterranean style of small meandering streets, with many levels, ocean blue doorways and windows, stunning arches, and white adobe walls. I could spend a few days walking the streets photographing the buildings, but instead I as engulfed with a more amazing experience.

As I walked through town early in the morning, I noticed every house had a sheep tied up in the front, like a family pet. As the day went on though, I watched family after family killing the goat and together preparing it for their meal. As you look down over the small town tucked into the mountainside, every building top, back yard, and street corner, had a family preparing a goat. It was a religious tradition that every Muslim in the world celebrated on that day. So many goats where being killed that the streets were running red with blood, even though they are very careful keeping the place clean. It was an amazing experience to watch each family member having a different, yet important job in the process. It wasn't easy watching them slit the throat of the goat and watch him die, but it allowed me to realize how easy we have it back home. From talking to locals, they said that it was a tradition followed since Abraham gave their God, a goat as a gift. So every muslim kills a sheep in that honor and shares it with family, friends, and even the poor. Noone in the country goes hungry on that day. Some families let me photograph the killing, some waved their finger and told me to leave. Either way it was an amazing experience to have witnessed.

From Chefchouen I continued through the Rif Mountains and made my way to the large town of Fes. If you love Moroccan pottery and rugs, mosaic tiling, and high quality leather, you would love this town. The Medina, is one place in town you have to visit while you are here. Without a guide you would easily get lost in the maze of streets, but it's the maze of seeminly endless streets to travel down that make it such an experience. It made the streets of Venice seem easy to navagate. If you want to get a feel of what life was like hundreds of years ago, for Moroccans, it has been preserved in this place. I have never seen anything like it on my travels. So much goes on it that part of town. Keep your eye out for mules and carts racing down the narrow streets. Markets full of anything from spices to meat parallel the streets. Tiny businesses are run in closet size spaces, Mosques are on every other corner. After a few hours you feel like you are really back in time.

Another tradition I couldn't miss is relaxing in a local Hammam. Similar to a spa, you visit it to relax and clean your body. You sit in a big steam room full of other Muslims and wash your body with only buckets of warm water. Once you clean your body and open your pours you have someone scrape your body to get rid of any dead skin. I have to admit I didn't go as far as having someone scrap my body, becaue every guy in the room was using the same luffa . I was feeling completely out of place, but it was a pretty funny experience. I got just as many stares walking in my shorts and towel for an hour through town, to make my way back to the camp ground.

Driving over the Rif Mountains



The local garbage truck
Sheep tied in front yard before being killed.

Business in the Medina

Local kids playing soccer in an open parking lot.



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Traditional sandals.

Traditional way of making leather. Looks like hard work

Looking out over the Medina from a roof top


Family skinning a sheep
Markets are a fun place to visit in Morocco

local transporting some hides from all the sheep that were killed.

Gibraltar

It's taken a while to send off another blog, because I have been traveling through the mountains of Morocco. Finally found some wireless Internet, at a nice hotel in Rabat.

My trans Africa trip started off with some excitement. While on approach to the airport in Gibraltar, a freak wind gust and rain storm almost sent our plane twisting into the ocean. Great flying by the captain and a last second thrust of the engines sent us climbing back into the sky. It shook up the passengers pretty good, I had a great view of the ocean since I was sitting on the wing and could have sworn our wing was pretty close to touching water. I was told the airport is the 5th dangerous airport in the world, because the huge rock face, which the town of Gibraltar surrounds, creates challenging wind gusts that bounce off the cliff face. Plus both ends of the runway drop off into the water. On the second approach we landed safely and the passengers all started clapping. I was excited because if we couldn't have landed on that approach we would have to fly to another airport and I would miss out on Gibraltar.

Gibraltar is a small point of land at the bottom of Spain, measuring only only 6.8 square miles.  It is controlled by the UK, because of it's location along the entrance of the Mediterranean Sea.  To enter the colony, you have to actually cross the airport and active runway, making it the only airport in the world where pedestrians can walk on an active major runway.   A four lane highway cross the airport making it unique.

Gates on both sides, let people know about incoming planes, like an incoming train. Sometimes police have to force people off the runway who aren't paying attention and are to busy taking pics of the incoming plane. I heard of one story in which a man thought the run way was a parking lot and drove down the runway parking at one of the terminal gates.

Click this link for Top 10 most Dangerous Airports in the World

At the base of the rock of Gibraltar is the town.  30,000 people pack into a small area.   There are lots of great stores and restaurants, but the most amazing feature of Gibraltar is the huge rock.   The locals just call it "the rock" or "Gib" for short.  It once was called Mons Calpe, one of the Pillars of Hercules.

It's a short hike to the top, that gives you stunning views of the surrounding area.  You can see the African Continent in the distance on clear days.   Those who are less adventurous can take a tram to the top.   Where they can explore caves,  photograph the only wild monkeys in Europe, or visit the gift store.  

Gate for the cars and pedestrians, so they don't cross when a plan lands or is taking off.

Monkeys have taken over the look outs. Brought over as pets from Morocco,  they now live on the mountain side.

You can take a tram to the top, a taxis, or you can walk. Walking was more fun, but as you can see isn't the easiest way to the top.

Gibraltar from the ocean as I was heading to Africa


Panoramic of Strait of Gibraltar. African continent on the left, Europe on the right.

Trying to find the Ice in Iceland

Iceland is about the size of the state of Kentucky. It is the world's 18th largest island. Lies just below the Arctic circle just east of Greenland, on the mid-Atlantic ridge, where two plates are spreading. Although it is called Iceland, warm currents keep the temperatures higher than would most areas this far north. So the island isn't completely covered in Ice like you would think. The rumor goes that the first Scandinavian who sailed to the island came across some frozen sea ice, so he named it Iceland. There are glaciers and ice fields on Iceland, which could have helped with the name sticking, but warmer winters keep snow fall from accumulating.

Greenland to the north which is covered in ice thousands of feet thick, is said to have been given it's name as a trick to get people to visit it. Iceland is highly volcanic, experiencing an eruption on average about every 5 years. They say an eruption could happen on the biggest volcano on the island any day now. Early in the year a volcano eruption on the island disrupted flights throughout Europe.

The capital of Iceland is Reykjavik. pronounced, Rey k javik. It's a very beautiful town with lots of cute shops. One of the smallest capitals in Europe, it has lots of European charm. The first day was rainy and stormy, the original forecast was for it to stay like this all week. But the next day the skies cleared.
Reykjavik's tallest building and biggest church. Old whaling ships, rusting in the harbour. Whaling has been a big tradition for Icelanders, but pressure from other nations have all but eliminated it. Some whales are still hunted but only a small percentage of what they used to take. So no need for the Sea Shepard.



To get a real feel for Iceland you have to drive through the country side. It's landscape is as rugged as they come. The highlands are mostly devoid of life. Only small brush and tundra grow. Rocky lava beds stretch for as far as the eye can see. Not the best place to want to hike.Because of the volcanic activity hot spots are all over the island. Strokur geyser is the most famous in Iceland and one of the world's tallest, just shorter than Old Faithful in Yellowstone. It erupts every 5-10 minutes in one big blow, so you get lots of chances to see it. The English word geyser originated from the Iceland Geyser. The great geyser in Haukadalur valley is the oldest in the world.
Pictures from my point and shoot camera, don't capture the power of the eruption. Just before the water is sent skyward, a huge water bubble forms that is impressive to photograph. I captured much better pics with my professional camera. File sizes are to big on my professional camera.


View from path leading to the Geysirs.
A lot of Iceland is flat, The country side torn and molded from the powers of fire and ice.





Gullfoss Water fall.




Wind made the spray from the water fall, freeze to the path leading to the falls, making it a fun ride down.



Although, there wasn't much snow, it was still cold. The air temperature was below freezing and a constant 30-40 mph wind made it nippy.
Driving along the southern part of Iceland.
Very beautiful scenery.


One of the most popular sites visited in Iceland is the Blue Lagoon. The bluish waters have attracted people from all over who want to bath in the mineral rich waters. The water is excellent for people who have psoriasis. The lagoon isn't a natural occuring lagoon rather the product of a geothermal engery plant that uses the heated water from the lava just below the surface to produce electricity, then dumps it out in a pool. A few locals began swimming in it and relized what a great thing they have stumbeled upon. The secret didn't last long. Now the lagoon is a full out spa with restuarant and swim up bar. On a cold day you definetely have to go for a soak. Just rub the mineral rich glay,which they provide to you, all over your face and sit back and relax.
This area of the lagoon isn't open for swimming. The cooler temperatures allows you to see the beautiful blue color. The side you swim on was very steamy, since the air temperature was below freezing. If you want great photos visit in the summer when the air is warm.



While the air was below freezing the water was a relaxing 98-102 degrees. Enjoying the warm waters on a cold day.
They have puckets of white clay, that you can cover your face with, good for the skin.
The lagoon has one big pool with smaller pools connecting to it. Steam baths, showers, and saunas surround the area.




Iceland uses geothermal energy to produce electricity.

Steam rises from a hot spot on the island.


Coastline south of Reykjavik


I didn't get to see a lot of Iceland. Wish I had more time. I definitely want to come back see more of the north and eastern parts. I did get to try puffin for the first time in my life. It was actually really good, at least with the sauce I had on it. Oh and to answer the questions I keep getting from my guy friends. The girls in Iceland are hot, and like outsiders.