2007 - Post-Graduation Mediterranean - Day 13

Day 13:

- Very bright breakfast on terrace. Spanish music.
- Decide take hike up mountain. Got supplies (bread, guy put money on it. Remember small bread bakery in Fes medina). Changed to sleeveless as soon outside city walls. City =stops= after wall.
- Holes in wall to pass through all along it. Few people outside walls.
- Decide take village rate.
- Walk by garbage fire on slope with people, goat, children on it. Being sold weed.
- Follow path into village through pot plantations. Afraid to take pictures. Path ends at hotel!
- Returning, met a local in van, with kid smoking in back (long bong/pipe). Give directions and offer ride "very clost but not easy" (french).
- Decide to tackle mountain straight up. Ran into trail and climbed to saddle.
- Felix and I go to top. Too high! Chauoen so far away! look small from up there. Come back down to sit below rock with Lori and eat bread and drink water. See the silver spinning thing in sky.
- Lori cannot see it and almost had bonoculars. Beautiful view of mountains and lakes.
- Lost path on way, popped into pot field around corner. "need to better mark parths in Morocco"
- "pot field or precipice dilemma"
- Notice if down precipice, more fields.
- Didn't see any guards or farmers around.
- Walk through field. "uh... Mark?" see broken irrigation line and water streaming out. Fix it hecticly. expression on face. Later notice line connected to sprinklers below. Wonder if anyone noticed. - felt foot catch on something.
- Later commented it was like a Harold and Kumar movie.
- Walked briskly through fields to arrive at another precipice. Dead end, so climbed down a stream bed with spikey plants everywhere.
- Nervous near road, scared of possible guards. Felix very nervous again.
- Relief when get to road but still tense. Smiled at a farmer close by. Dog follow, more people.
- Relief when walk a distance and nothing happen.
- A shepard's sheep herd baaed and followed up a bit. I looked back at man and walked slower. Goats stopped near bend.
- Long walk and some good views. Throughout entire day saw wheat/pot fields dotted with poppies and women working wheat fields.
- Offered week within one minute of walking through city gates.
- Sunburn, effect until Nice.

2007 - Post-Graduation Mediterranean - Day 12

Day 12:

- Bus to Chauoen. Bought tickets day before but realize we left one day early from Fez.
[waiting for Andre in airport]
- Beautiful mountains and clouds skimming the top. See Chauen at base of mountain.
- Enter hostel in beautiful medina. Beautiful new rooms inside as well. Give us own room but no lock. Blue walls, road outside.
- Lots of laundary.
- Terrace see mountain and towns and ruined mosque. Sunset on mountain spectacular.
- Bought nuts at suggestion of some British. Ate nuts and dates on terrace at night. Crows, donkeys, rooster, dog sounds.
- Beautiful square and octagonal minerets. Much better fed cats. PC the pregnant cat of hostel.

2007 - Post-Graduation Mediterranean - Day 11

Day 11:

- Breakfast where can peoplewatch. Saw the saddest mule! Sad eyes, trembling lip. Like cartoon.
- Hired tour guide.
- Tannery: nice views of pits and houses behind it.
- Carpet: amazing to see the double-knotting and amazing colour changing silk rug.
- Bought 3 rugs. 1400/1200 each to 700 each. Still I think is high price. -> Since offered 600 in Rissani. Huge price difference there.
- The walk through Mella. Children selling picked prunes, swarmed, pictures, pear/postcard. -> Guy took crushed pear. when I was thinking of giving it. when write "get it" on postcard. Confused everyday in Morocco!
- Lori also bought camet seat for 700. I warned too high as 350 asking in Marrakesh for similar. See 19 euro in Granada.
- Had dinner at same place after meeting Hank and Joy. Joy and Lori go to girl hammam.
- Walked around, but not find what Lori wanted.
[sitting in Albycin facing Alhambra]
- Joy and Lori tell of hamman. Tile floor, boob rub, cold water down underpants, door banging, we were horrified.
- Went to hammam. Bought black soap. "Ali Baba" to Hank.
- One local guided up in French. Hank translated. Changed, walked in to room and lied on floor to warm up. Scrape off dead skin. Uring smell near entrance.
- The ceiling was cool.
[on bus to Madrid]
- Old man get me and Felix. Lie on tile floor, sort of smelly. Massage like the ones (Turkish) seen on TV. Strange noises and twisting/stretching. The back bend holding hands and feet. Scrub, hold arm up while scrub under. Unexpected face scrub. Smelly abrasive cloth. Dump water... etc. After done, he stuffed cloth in side of underwear and walk out. I rinse with warm then cold water. Use old tomato can. Hank walked in and say his guy can't find his soap, see it with us.
- Short period of confusion then walk out. I forgot the shampoo and soap.
- Hand tells someone saying happy to see others experienceing other culture. "all the same/brothers"

2007 - Post-Graduation Mediterranean - Day 10

Day 10:


- Met Nabil in morning. First hesitant due to tout experience, but he was very nice.
[Terrace Chauen, last night]
- Saw mosque ruins, mauseuleam of king. Person reading Quran down near King.
- Long walk, embassies. Felix and him talk of US ("liars").
- Cella.
- Eel pond: one possibly live eel, many small fish and a dead bird. "I thought they were bigger than that"
- Many storks and other white bird. Beautiful valley. Fake palm (antenna) -> 3 prongs on top.
- Got to train tracks 1 min before train arrived. Train packed, stood until major transfer station.
- Met little kid and an older man who talked in French. Both from Meknes.
- Walk from station, group of school (girls) heckled and swiped and pinched. Found hotel Cascades (town backdrop and mountains) just inside of Bab Bou Jaloud. Beautiful view from terrace. See gate and mosque and hills.
- Met Tarik, Nicole, Ryan.
- Took, walk around. Very long medina. Slightly less touts. Narrower and more hectic streets.
- Ate at the recommended sandwich stall (spleen and beef). Their recommendation.
- Nicole had tight pants and showed shoulders. Heckled and hit on. Many problems. She was like Maria Panagopoulous.
- "It's not a tumour"

2007 - Post-Graduation Mediterranean - Day 9

Day 9:

- Wake up, almost lost in medina for breakfast. Took taxi from medina to train station.
- Train to Casa, saw hills, cactus fences.
- Saw Hassan II. Amazing to see people still create wonders in modern day. Fountain room was favourite.
- Sat along ocean while waiting for mosque. Atlantic, kids swimming, kid borrow bonoculars. See mosque through that is cool.
- Train AC and heating problem.
- Japan, konichiwa, arigato, Jacky Chan. Starving kitties.
- Cab driver short tour. Rick's cafe. Palm picture.
- Got Lori's tickets.
- Post cards and train to Rabat.
- Arrive Rabat, protest in front of parliament. (told is common)
- Stately buildings, wide palm avenue. Obvious capital look.
- Hotel very good, TP, etc. Dissappointing terrace. new -> Borrowed tape from door.
- Tape from door handle.
- Walked around medina. ery different feel. Nice to have few touts. Ate at cafe Jeunesse, very typical, grungey, cheap, but good food and view.
- Bought corn... like Chinese corn. Strange bucket of water, chose not to dip.
- Walk, man ask for money then corn. Give... 2nd man want. Give to 1st man.
- Bought fruit, man approach and talk about Chinese youth. I was very confused.
- He was called away by the call to prayer. "C'est mon dieu..."
- Bought snacke and went ot bed.
- Walked around kasbah at night. Blue and white, expect like Chauen.
- Beach. Orange juice stand. Cactus. Boardwalk. Bunch of teens and picture of "Japonais"

2007 - Post-Graduation Mediterranean - Day 8

Day 8:

- [sitting at terrace at Chauen]
- Walked around and visited the madrasa and museum. Amazing detail in medrasa. Museum: good lighting, the 3 fountains, light and music. Sat for long time.
- Tannery. Smell not as bad as I thought. Walked among the pits. Afraid I'd fall in. Didn't use mint sprigs much.
- 200 dh asking for tour, immediately accept 10dh.
- Ate lamb head and brains in square as well as 2 kinds of soup.
- Waited fo rLori at corner. Walked around the mosque.
- Many donkeys, smoke, smell, garbage.
- Met up with Lori and walked to hostel. (3 Brits in same room).
- Ate tripe and cake and tea.
- Felix snoring. Lori and I both poked from both sides.

2007 - Post-Graduation Mediterranean - Day 7

Day 7:

- Bus to Marrakech at 830. Drive through Atlas. Amazing views. Some snow on mountains.
- Evenly spaced bushes. Windey mountain roads. Saw a "donkey parking lot" near a market town. Got eventually greener. See clouds ahead an dbecame somewhat overcast after Atlas.
- Amazing red mountains, green trees, blue sky. Rocks held percariously over road on obviously eroded soil. Can see rocks blocking erosion in some places.
- Walk to Medina. Had problem finding hostel since map and web names different.
- Flooded by touts due to looking helpless. check in, tout yell at us due to not give money, continues next time we see them too. Assigned hostel room by checking each one. No lockers. Waked around and saw the souks. The square amazing. People set up food stalls near sunset. Food people try very hard to sell. First very nice then mean. "sissy boy," "crazy man", "promise." Tries many food stalls, sausages, snails, soup, etc.
- Visited the palace (ruined one) climbed through ruins. Feel like explorer.
- storks, pipes, tiles.
- Beautiful lantern shope at night, but man in chair with gangreen... juxtaposition. Made me think of beauty an dhorribleness of society, life, etc. Possibly due to lack of sleep, but was a very deep moment fo rme. Throught about all night. Sent postcard, visited terrace. Call to prayer very impressive in such a place.