I Just returned from Morocco
Morocco is an exotic gateway to Africa; its mountains, desert and coast are populated by Berbers and nomads, and its ancient medina lanes lead to souqs and riads. The Mountains & Desert, from Saharan dunes to the peaks of the High Atlas, Morocco could have been tailor- made for travelers. Lyrical landscapes carpet this sublime slice of North Africa like the richly colored and patterned rugs we lusted after in local cooperatives. The mountains – not just the famous High Atlas but also the Rif and suntanned ranges leading to Saharan oases – offered simple, breathtaking pleasures: night skies glistening in the thin air; views over a fluffy cloudbank from the Tizi n’Test pass. On lower ground, there are rugged coastlines, waterfalls and caves in forested hills, and the mighty desert. The Traditional Life in varies terrain may transform your dreams, but it shapes the very lives of Morocco’s Berbers, Arabs and Saharawis. Despite encroaching modernity, with motorways joining mosques and kasbahs as manmade features of the landscape, Moroccan people remain closely connected to the environment. The nomadic southern ‘blue men’ brave the desert’s burning expanses in robes and turbans, with mobile phones in hand. Likewise, traditional life continues – with tweaks – in the techniques of Berber carpet makers; in date cooperatives; in medina spice trading; and in the lifestyles in ports. Ancient Medinas, often exotic, sometimes overwhelming and always unexpected, these ancient centers are bursting with Maghrebi mystique and madness: the perfect complement to the serene countryside. When you hit town and join the crowds, you follow a fine tradition of nomads and traders stretching back centuries. Walking through Fès, the world’s largest living medieval Islamic city, and the carnivalesque in Marrakesh. was breathtaking. Moroccan Activities for us included: Meeting the Moroccan people. Drinking mint tea; watching the world go by with the locals; hiking up North Africa’s highest peak, riding across the Sahara Desert in Jeeps, camel trekking, shopping in the worlds 5th largest shopping mall, getting lost in the medina, and sweating in the hammam. Between these activities, you can sleep in the famous hotels rooms, relax on panoramic terraces and eat a Rick’s Café in Casablanca.
Get going!
