I have only just got back to Marrakech after 3 day hike with guide in mountains - was a bit hairy as they don't often do these hikes in winter - and had to cross mountain pass at 3000m - quite alot of snow and ice - and weather started to get a bit nasty - guide seemed to be getting a bit agitated as I wasn't as quick as him of course - what does he expect - he does it for a living - I run up and down a few stairs now and again but rarely in a blizzard!
He kept saying " soufflè , soufflè Ok" - well I thought - what are you on about you silly Berber - we've only just had breakfast ( superb crepes with honey) why should I want to eat a soufflè - anyway turns out he was enquiring as to whether I was breathing OK - well of course I wasn't - we were 2500m up struggling through snow, icy rocks, freezing wind .
But apparently altitude sickness can be a problem - plus of course the cold - it was bitter - must have been minus 10 ish and on top of the pass the wind was extreme - completely iced my glasses up - had to take them off as couldn't see a thing - anyway fortunately I am at the peak of fitness - due to my strict regime of healthy eating, regular exercise and abstinence of alcohol - so managed to keep breathing which I tend to find generally prolongs life, and I never actually felt cold at all. I had invested in a good pair of thermal gloves which were a godsend plus the key of course, apart from communication is layers, you must have plenty of layers - anyway the old Berber eventually dragged me over the top of the pass and then we descended pretty quickly - I was pretty knackered when we got to the gite - fairly basic accommodation but superb local food - the best tajine you will ever have- and plenty of constant hot tea - toilet left alot to be desired - but that's another story.
Anyway overall it was a good experience - superb scenery - and we passed through lots of mountain villages where life is very basic - now I am back to some sort of civilisation - checked Spurs website for update - lucky old Arsenal , also listened to world service this afternoon for FA cup commentary and news (didn't hear any news about liverpool!)- have booked a three day tour starting 7am tomorrow - exploring an area I haven't seen and heading for desert for short camel trip and overnight in Bedouin tent! ( Merzouga - south east of country )
Have also checked the BA website and unfortunately my flight is ok at present - have found another reasonable hotel here for 6 quid room only ( fleas extra)- well situated - might visit the Hammam tonight for good soak in hot bath.
It's tajine for supper ( no suprise there then)
Saturday, 27 January 2007
Wednesday, 24 January 2007
Mown down by a Muslim
Back in Marrakech and just been mown down by a moped - suprised it hasn't happened before really - they are all over the place - my fault entirely - looked right instead of left - poor woman did her best to miss me - but caught my calf - and then came a cropper herself - very embarrasing - I helped her up - told her to look where she was going next time - then fled the scene before I was garroted by the baying crowd.
It's a bit unfortunate as I have just hired the services of a guide and mule for a 3 day hike in the mountains - I expect my legs to be knackered at the end - not the start !
It's a bit unfortunate as I have just hired the services of a guide and mule for a 3 day hike in the mountains - I expect my legs to be knackered at the end - not the start !
Sunday, 21 January 2007
Peddlars and Hustlers
I have been mobile for the last 3 days( if you call a Fiat Panda being mobile) and have been exploring Southern Morocco . Am in a town called Zagora not far from edge of Sahara - consequently everyone here wants to sell you a trip on a smelly flea infested camel.
The scenery has been incredible and ever changing - the mountain roads were a bit hairy - not many vehicles on the roads - but the ones that are, are maniacs - mostly big merc saloons which they use as "grand taxis" taking people between towns.
No sooner do you stop and get out of the car -thinking that there isn't anyone around for miles - a shifty little arab will appear from nowhere to relieve you of some of your Dirhams.
As a rule whatever price they say - I divide by 10 - which tends to annoy them - but out of the cities the prices are more realistic - so when Abdul ( they are all called Abdul) quoted 500 dirhams - 32 quid! for this knife - I start laughing - he says - give me best price - I say 50 - he almost chokes - after about 10 minutes - I walk away - and eventually get it for60 dirhams - about 3.75! - so a good bit of business - probably for him also - keep him and his missus in couscous for a few weeks!
The second knife wasn t quite so straightforward - cost me a pair of trousers and 2 t shirts!
Everyone you meet here is after making some money out of you - so consequently you cannot trust anyones friendliness as genuine - they all have a cousin who has a shop or a camel!
I got treated to the roadside breakdown scam yesterday - they flag you down - their car has bonnet open - they ask for lift to nearest town - I gave the guy the benefit of the doubt - as he left his friend at the roadside with the car - but turned out that Abduls family run business in berber jewellery etc - so get to the town - he says - " oh I like to give you Berber hospitality - come and have mint tea with my family as my thanks for help " - spent next 10 minutes saying no thanks - in 3 different languages - he was a very upset Berber - was Abdul - I seem to have upset a few along the way - had to eventually pretend to come to his shop - just to get him out of the car - then got back in and drove off. Mint tea in a shop means severe earache and a hard sell - and quite tiresome.
Everyone is also a tour guide - and attach themselves to you at every opportunity - after 10 minutes of saying NO GUIDE - NO DIRHAMS they are still there and eventually you have 3 options
a) strike them to the ground and render them unconscious.
b) do a Basil Fawlty fainting routine
c) go along with it and argue over how many dirhams to give them at the end.
- it tends to be option 3 as a rule - everyone has a living to make I guess - so its no big deal.
Today it was market day in zagora - and there was big business in goats and sheep - they tie their back legs together - and lift them up from behind and then push them along in front of them - and at a glance it looks a little suspicious - but I will give them the benefit of doubt...
good fun watching it all go on and trying to sneak the odd photo.
talking of photos - taking far too many - but am managing to get the cyber cafes to copy them off camera and burn a Cd - going rate about 60p for that - it takes a bit of explaining -
CAMERA - PHOTOS - COPY - USB -CD seems to be pretty universal - my GCSE french O level is doing me proud on the whole and picking up a bit of Arabic along the way - although not up to the level of " are you shagging that goat?"
The scenery has been incredible and ever changing - the mountain roads were a bit hairy - not many vehicles on the roads - but the ones that are, are maniacs - mostly big merc saloons which they use as "grand taxis" taking people between towns.
No sooner do you stop and get out of the car -thinking that there isn't anyone around for miles - a shifty little arab will appear from nowhere to relieve you of some of your Dirhams.
As a rule whatever price they say - I divide by 10 - which tends to annoy them - but out of the cities the prices are more realistic - so when Abdul ( they are all called Abdul) quoted 500 dirhams - 32 quid! for this knife - I start laughing - he says - give me best price - I say 50 - he almost chokes - after about 10 minutes - I walk away - and eventually get it for60 dirhams - about 3.75! - so a good bit of business - probably for him also - keep him and his missus in couscous for a few weeks!
The second knife wasn t quite so straightforward - cost me a pair of trousers and 2 t shirts!
Everyone you meet here is after making some money out of you - so consequently you cannot trust anyones friendliness as genuine - they all have a cousin who has a shop or a camel!
I got treated to the roadside breakdown scam yesterday - they flag you down - their car has bonnet open - they ask for lift to nearest town - I gave the guy the benefit of the doubt - as he left his friend at the roadside with the car - but turned out that Abduls family run business in berber jewellery etc - so get to the town - he says - " oh I like to give you Berber hospitality - come and have mint tea with my family as my thanks for help " - spent next 10 minutes saying no thanks - in 3 different languages - he was a very upset Berber - was Abdul - I seem to have upset a few along the way - had to eventually pretend to come to his shop - just to get him out of the car - then got back in and drove off. Mint tea in a shop means severe earache and a hard sell - and quite tiresome.
Everyone is also a tour guide - and attach themselves to you at every opportunity - after 10 minutes of saying NO GUIDE - NO DIRHAMS they are still there and eventually you have 3 options
a) strike them to the ground and render them unconscious.
b) do a Basil Fawlty fainting routine
c) go along with it and argue over how many dirhams to give them at the end.
- it tends to be option 3 as a rule - everyone has a living to make I guess - so its no big deal.
Today it was market day in zagora - and there was big business in goats and sheep - they tie their back legs together - and lift them up from behind and then push them along in front of them - and at a glance it looks a little suspicious - but I will give them the benefit of doubt...
good fun watching it all go on and trying to sneak the odd photo.
talking of photos - taking far too many - but am managing to get the cyber cafes to copy them off camera and burn a Cd - going rate about 60p for that - it takes a bit of explaining -
CAMERA - PHOTOS - COPY - USB -CD seems to be pretty universal - my GCSE french O level is doing me proud on the whole and picking up a bit of Arabic along the way - although not up to the level of " are you shagging that goat?"
Sunday, 7 January 2007
No - I don't want to buy a carpet!
Well here I am in Marrakech - wandering the alleys and backstreets of the Medina ( the old walled city) I am staying in one of the famous riads - which is an old townhouse designed around a central courtyard with all the rooms coming off it. The courtyard is open to the elements - and the houses are 2-3 storeys high with a roof terrace. Most of the riads are down alleyways deep in the old city with massive old doors and crumbling exterior - but are fantastic inside - with fountains and mosaics and massive plants etc.
Mine is very comfortable - and they serve alcohol ( and sometimes a little bowl of nuts!) - so what more could I want ( ok - sky tv, complimentary Daily Mail, bacon for breakfast.....)
First night I head for dmaa el fna - a famous square in the middle of the medina - which is full of street entertainers, moth eaten monkeys, comatose cobras and a whole medley of Chico lookalikes trying to relieve you of your hard earned Dirhams ( WHAT TIME IS IT!!)
At night - it is also filled with food stalls - all manned by slick streetwise operators vying for your business - one of whom, once he had found out where I was from proceeded to shout out all the names of famous chefs - Jamie Oliver, Gordon Ramsay and so on - god knows why - I've taken to telling everybody that I am from Belgium - it saves alot of hassle - know one knows anything interesting to say about Belgium - including myself.
Mine is very comfortable - and they serve alcohol ( and sometimes a little bowl of nuts!) - so what more could I want ( ok - sky tv, complimentary Daily Mail, bacon for breakfast.....)
First night I head for dmaa el fna - a famous square in the middle of the medina - which is full of street entertainers, moth eaten monkeys, comatose cobras and a whole medley of Chico lookalikes trying to relieve you of your hard earned Dirhams ( WHAT TIME IS IT!!)
At night - it is also filled with food stalls - all manned by slick streetwise operators vying for your business - one of whom, once he had found out where I was from proceeded to shout out all the names of famous chefs - Jamie Oliver, Gordon Ramsay and so on - god knows why - I've taken to telling everybody that I am from Belgium - it saves alot of hassle - know one knows anything interesting to say about Belgium - including myself.
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Colourful locals
A magical moroccan Chameleon - my jacket was red before he climbed on my shoulder!
