|
Morocco, A Visual Journey
Morocco, A Visual Journey
For reasons that are still not clear to me, it’s been hard to capture the complex feelings of our recent 2-week+ trip to Morocco. In many ways, we loved it yet it was also very challenging, overwhelming in its intensity, partly because of the very aggressive hustle and constant startle of its surprisingly traditional culture. As a photographer, it was often difficult as there was often a strong negative reaction to photographs being taken. Not always, but often enough to make it uncomfortable. Yet we were buffeted from this by having a driver for the 2 weeks we were away who was a gem, and whose companionship made our trip a much more personal one had we gone on our own. I wanted to see the very popular sights and cities in Morocco, and having a limited time, I wanted to hire a driver who would be with us for the entire trip. I looked for a company to provide this service, but this wasn’t as easy as I thought; what I ended up with was a series of agents who provided total service – booking the hotels as well as providing a driver. It may very well be possible to find a driver alone but I wanted the reassurance of a travel agency. After contacting multiple agencies, I chose a small, family-run operation that compromised with me and who agreed that I would books some of my preferred hotels while he would book the others. And provide a driver for our entire stay. Our itinerary: Arrive, Casablanca, travel to: Rabat - 1 night Chefchaouen- 2 nights Fes - 3 nights Merzouga- 1 Desert - 1 Boumaine Dades - 1 Ourzazate - 1 Marrakech- 2 Essaouria - 1 Marrakech - 2 This gave us a “sampler” tasting of some of Morocco’s highlights, and though it was a lot of driving, I was glad to have the range of experiences that we had. We loved our driver, his companionship made the trip. We made many small stops along the way, and got to know Morocco through his eyes. |
We flew into Casablanca, and drove directly to Rabat, Morocco’s capital city and a surprisingly pleasant city to start the trip. We stayed in the small but sweet Riad Zyo within the medina which we explored in the afternoon. In contrast to the medinas we visited later, this was a relatively relaxed experience and very much a local shopping district. We also visited the Kasbah of the Udayas and the Andalusian Gardens, later visiting the Hassan tower and Mausoleum of Mohammed V. A good first day!
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...e1b29e7d2.jpeg Riad Zyo https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...44c48aa34.jpeg In the Medina https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...31ac9534e.jpeg In the Medina https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...eab579dd1.jpeg Mohammed V Mausoleum https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...6a34e3c49.jpeg At the Mausoleum https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...6e42934a8.jpeg View from the Mausoleum |
Hmm, and these are resized! They still are large, at least on my desktop!
|
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...4fc7fe7e4.jpeg
With our wonderful driver, Salem Karaoui |
A few more from Rabat...
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...0ec92d30e.jpeg In the Kasbah https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...2667ab2d7.jpeg Somewhere in the Medina https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...a2575a2dc.jpeg The water view |
Lovely photos. Keep ‘em coming.
|
Thanks, althom! I'm working on it! I'll post as soon I can! I'm thrilled to know that someone is actually looking at them! :)
|
Based on my own experience reading and writing trip reports there is strong interest among many infrequent posters in hearing both what you liked and what you didn’t like about your trip. I know I look forward to both.
|
Hi, x-country,
i will comment about places as I go along. I thought I was pretty clear that some of the things we didn’t like were the overwhelming and intense retail culture and the intense reactions by some when we were photographing, which I mentioned in the first post, and have commented on other threads as well. It colors the trip in many ways. On the other hand, we had wonderful experiences, many of which are thanks to our lovely driver. The overall impression of Morocco, having visited such diverse places, was one of color and texture. And that was wonderful. |
A few more from Rabat, just because....
We enjoyed our visit to Rabat - in many ways it is a gentle introduction to Morocco, not nearly as intense or dramatic as our visits later to Fes or Marrakech, and has some lovely sites to visit. We had just arrived so we couldn’t yet compare, but in retrospect, we found it a worthwhile stop. https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...330d372cc.jpeg In the Medina https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...a2f987416.jpeg The modern Medina https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...4cb946aff.jpeg The Andalusian Garden at the end of the Kasbah https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...dccf3c830.jpeg Doorway |
Your photos, as always, are beautiful!
We were in Morocco at the same time as progol. We spent a month mostly on our own. I share the same feelings that she has expressed in her OP. I thought the culture overly aggressive and hyper masculine (my husband's words not mine.) All of that got very tiring esp spending a month in the country. Our time in towns & cities was spent in the medinas primarily. It is a beautiful country, wonderfully photographic and many of the people we met were enjoyable and kind. |
Thank you for posting this, Progol.
Very much enjoying the photos, and interested in your general impression of the country. Who took the photo of you and the driver? Where was it? Agree---a great driver (anywhere) is so much more than that role, and gives friendship and great one-on-one insight into a place! |
yestravel and CaliNurse, thanks so much for the lovely words about the photos! More to come when I have time.
yestravel, the description of the culture as hyper masculine really captures it, doesn’t it? Walking through the medinas was definitely challenging at times! CaliNurse, we stopped along the road driving through the Mountains where we stopped at an overlook. One of the vendors that Salem knew took the photo of us. The nice thing was that he knew all the vendors along the route. |
Thank you Paule. I will be following along with great interest. Morocco is a country I hope to visit, although I've put it off as I feel like the hyper-aggressive culture you described may make for a stressful holiday. The challenges with photography don't help either.
|
My pleasure, tripplannner! I do think Morocco is a very worthwhile to visit. Having such a lovely driver definitely made it a very personal experience, and going from sea to mountains to desert in 2 weeks was amazing!
I'm glad you're enjoying this - it's good to know that there are others who are following along! |
From Rabat, to Chefchaouen, by way of the coast
We spent the first night in Rabat because it would be easier drive to Chefchaouen. Salem suggested that instead of driving inland, we drive north toward Tangier, stopping first in Asilah, then seeing the Caves of Hercules and Cape Spartel before driving eastward Chefchaouen. Asilah is a pretty town along the coast, known as an art hub, with a medina enclosed in the well-preserved 15th Century ramparts and gate built by the Portuguese, with lots of murals on the walls. From there, a stop at the Caves of Hercules, a subterranean series of caves open to the Atlantic; the opening is said to be in the shape of Africa. This is also the location of Cape Spartel, where the Atlantic and the Pacific meet. We didn’t really find the caves to be noteworthy, but we both were thrilled to stand at the meeting of the 2 great bodies of water. There’s something magical about these type of intersections Photos to followers |
In Asilah (mostly inside the Medina)
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...3d064e63e.jpeg Outside the Medina Inside the Medina https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...8ff903dc4.jpeg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...6b218dbf1.jpeg https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...1534381a0.jpeg https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...659cef9b6.jpeg https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...645300381.jpeg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...65cff3c3a.jpeg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...d5a834898.jpeg |
|
And now, Cap Spartel. It's not the type of place to travel out of the way to visit, but it was a place we were glad to have seen.
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...28b0ab506.jpeg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...9d8d50eb4.jpeg https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...261c9ad7f.jpeg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...71d77fbb9.jpeg https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...9e9eb5413.jpeg |
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention our driver/guide, Salem (Salam) Karaoui, who runs a small travel company, Moroccan Family, with his brother. I’ve posted his name elsewhere, so I don’t want to be accused of aggressive hustling here (!), but I can’t recommend him highly enough!
https://moroccan-family.com/ |
Love seeing Asilah in the sunshine and with lots of people. We were there as a daytrip and it poured rain and then drizzled. It was fairly deserted.
|
Hi,
Thank you so much for sharing! I have been waiting for your report as we are traveling to Morocco towards the end of the year. Your pictures are beautiful! I noticed you did not use Berber Space as your driver/guide. I have been in contact with them to be our transport as our itinerary is very similar to yours. Now I will also contact Moroccan Family. I have already booked most of our hotels/riads. Looking forward to reading and seeing more about your journey! :) |
Live2Travel,
i used Berber Space as my original agent but he contracted with Salem of Moroccan Family to be the driver. I’d recommend going directly to Salem as he was wonderful and you don’t need to go through Berber Space as he does not do the driving anymore. Yestravel, so glad you’re enjoying the Asilah pix! It was a gorgeous day and fun walking around the medina. We were told that in the summer, it gets really crowded but that day was fun to stroll and get a taste of the town. |
Thank you!!
|
I especially like the photo of the checkers game. But all of them are gorgeous!
|
Live2travel, glad to help!
althom, I’m glad you’re enjoying the photos and thank you so much for your sweet words! |
progol, I'm very much enjoying reading about your experiences and impressions of Morocco. All much enhanced by the addition of your lovely photographs. Your use of light really enhances the complex patterns and geometry of Moroccan design!
I look forward to your next chapters! |
rje, I’m pleased that you’re enjoying the impressions of my recent trip to Morocco and especially in your very kind words about the photography! Thank you!
And more photos to come.... |
Hi progol!
Really enjoying the photos and details. You're right, IMO. As engaging as Morocco is (and we loved it), there are certainly things that present a challenge as you go. Sometimes just walking down the street can lead to a surprise interaction with someone |
So glad that you're enjoying the photos, CC! It's fun reliving the trip as I post these photos. We did love our trip, and really enjoyed the chance to experience such a range of places. There were lots of "Wows!" along the way, and sometimes hard to take it all in. And yes, there were many times walking along a street would bring a surprise or strange interaction with someone..... or something!
|
We had driven as far north as Tangier, but didn't really have the time to stop in the city. By that time, we were really ready to drive on to Chefchaouen, known as the Blue Pearl. There are many theories as to why the city is painted blue, but rather than rehashing what others have written, I'm posting a good site for those of you who are interested:
https://theculturetrip.com/africa/mo...cos-blue-city/ It's not as if Chefchaouen is the only town with blue walls in the medina; we saw that both Asilah and Rabat had blue walls, too - it's just that Chefchaouen is VERY BLUE! It's a pretty town, but in all honesty, it's about the fact of its being blue that makes it such a popular place. And everywhere we went, there were lots of people taking lots and lots of photos of BLUE walls ands steps and whatever else. There is one spot that is very popular - you'll all recognize it when you see it - and there were actually people lined up to take THAT photo. And yes, so did we. I asked my husband to take a photo of me on these steps -- and it's definitely one of my favorites: https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...72ebed69ea.jpg The VERY popular spot to take a photo in Chefchaouen - take a number and stand in line for this shot! |
But back to Chefchaouen - we stayed 2 nights in a very charming and traditional riad, Riad Cherifa, very comfortable, excellent breakfast, excellent service. There really is not much to do in the town other than wander the medina and take lots of photos, and poke around the shops. We discovered a very traditional marketplace which we loved. There is a waterfall at the end of town which is nothing special -- although we enjoyed watching couples coming buy to have their photos taken. I'm not physically able to hike, so wandering into the Rif mountains was not an option. So though I'm happy enough we saw Chefchaouen, I wouldn't rate it as one of our favorite places. And if I were forced to make a choice, say, between Essaouira and Chefchaouen, I can now say it's a no-brainer - Essaouira wins by a mile. Still, Chefchaouen is very visual and makes for lots of fun pictures.
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...445bda27ba.jpg https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...e7f7a5ee07.jpg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...a03cc39889.jpg Little boy blue! https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...fdb3679063.jpg https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...bd480f74d7.jpg https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...90176a518e.jpg |
|
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...31f9daa505.jpg
Place Outa el Hamam, a main plaza in Chefchaouen https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...2426b5e1fe.jpg View taken from the Kasbah https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...58ed2d127a.jpg View taken from the Kasbah |
And here I was, in a rush to get to Chefchaouen, and I forgot to post the shots as we were beginning to drive through the Rif mountains....
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...9bc3ae8492.jpg Driving through the Rif mountains https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...2ab27fa863.jpg https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...1a3229033b.jpg The unofficial "entry" to Chefchaouen https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...6d427d59bc.jpg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...47c8c8ea4a.jpg "Let me in!" |
Thank you for everything!!
Your pictures are really beautiful, so colorful!! The picture of you on the steps is absolutely amazing! “I am not physically able to hike”.....You were able to manage Chefchaouen as I heard it is very steep? |
Live2Travel, glad to help! And both my husband and I felt that COLOR was the theme of the trip!
About managing Chefchaouen and physical problems - I was able to manage the town because I could stop and rest if I needed to; the medina is hardly on an even plane, but there's one longer street with many smaller streets running up and down off of it, so it was manageable. Taking a hike, which requires more constant uphill walking, would be a problem for me. I did get tired at times, but I could stop and rest (or shop!). The location of where that photo of me was taken is one you'll see frequently in pieces about Chefchaouen! |
The photo "Driving through the Rif Mountains" with its peaks, sky, clouds, green fields is spectacular !!!!! Sooo beautiful!!
(Oddly enough , it's almost the spitting image of one I took at a farm on the South Island of New Zealand.) |
Thanks, CaliNurse! Funny that it reminds you of a New Zealand photo! I do think Morocco is diverse, but somehow I suspect, it’s probably a teeny bit different than NZ!
|
| All times are GMT -8. The time now is 06:48 PM. |