6th of October - Morocco - road trip, red soil and friendliness

My final Saturday in Morocco began kind of half spontaneously. The night before I had a bit of inactivity-anxiety. I had though about what one of the guys had talked about the day before. He told me about places worth seeing in relatively close vicinity to Marrakesh and I figured, what the smeck, why not. When will I be back in Africa again? No idea. So I googled it a bit and booked a day trip starting the next morning. I booked it so late, close to midnight, that I wasn't sure it would go through as pickup time was 7:30.
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The whole thing ended up in a waay too short night. All my clothing was used up so I did some old fashioned backpacker's laundry (hand soap and lather in the sink). I decided to try sleep as long as possible and got up at a bit before 7 AM to give myself just enough of time to get my stuff packed for the day. Breakfast time at the riad hadn't started yet, but I thought I'd just figure something out later. Lucky me getting up early enough, because as it turned out my pickup was early too, 7:15. So I skittered around in my room to find all that I needed to bring with me. Contact lenses into backpack, water bottle, sunglasses and a sweater.
The pickup guy drove me to a spot near the main plaza where the rest of the day trippers would show up. I didn't have enough cash to pay for the trip and had to look for a working ATM. The fourth (4!) one I tried actually functioned normally.
When the minibus finally arrived it was quickly filled with screaming Chilean women... well, actually three (but it felt like a buss load) and a young Italian couple.

We were swiftly outside of the city and I soon fell into an observer mode and completely drank in the fantastic, red scenery. At one point I was very surprised to see something that seemed to be a female lion, lounging in a dry river bed with its back to the road, somewhere in between Marrakesh and the mountains. I was so stunned that I didn't get a pic of it. A lion? So far from the mountains? Maybe I was imagining it.... A huge dog maybe? But it looked just right for a lion. I don't know.

Our first stop was in the mountains on a col of a sort and offered the chance for me to grab my first coffee of the day. Really good coffee at that. Two espressos, yummie.
At another scenic spot I took a pic of the Italian couple, so that they got something with both of them, together. The girl then took a pic of me and kept laughing since the wind held my hair in every other direction than with gravity.

The next stop was at an argon oil shop, where grabbed the chance to look at some products and actually bought a little. I received a quick history of the production of handmade oil. I highly doubt that that is the way the oil is made these days, though. The women showing off the process were veeery bored too ;)

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A bit poorer, but all the happier our trip continued toward Aït Benhaddou, through the red landscape mottled with desert bushes and palm trees.

I started noticing my skipped breakfast at midday. Luckily I had a single slice of bread (totally crumbled by now) left in my pack. That became the energy source of the first half of the day.

We arrived in Aït Benhaddou at 13-ish. Our guide didn't really know anything about the place so I had to google it later. The area is nowadays a UNESCO world heritage site and the old buildings are quite interesting. They are made of adobe and I find they look like big sand castles, some having four towers, one at each corner. Some famous movies have sections filmed there, Gladiator for one...

There was a fantastic view from the top of the hill. Aït Benhaddou used to be an important stop in the trade route between Sahara and Marrakesh.

I was very fascinated by this place and was so immersed in looking at everything that I was totally taken aback when Chris and his sister suddenly stepped out of a little house in front of me. Such coincidence.They were wearing backpacks and day-packs, sunburns and smiles. How fun and funny. I would've thought they'd be only halfway on the 1000 Kasbah road by that time.
They seemed to be having a great time. Wow, would've loved to join them yesterday, but, as previously said, wouldn't have wanted to crash a sibling-party, although some people just spontaneously seem like easy ones to travel with. Very sweet people.
After a little chit-chat and a couple of hugs and farewells we went our separate ways and I kept smiling the rest of the day.











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My day trip group had lunch there in Aït Benhaddou before heading to Ouarzazate. That town was really not very interesting. It has a film museum, which I have little interest in. I don't think that anyone from the group went into the museum. Instead some of us headed to the nearby souk. I bought a couple of tiny tajines, took pictures and was happy.

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The trip back went the same route again and I got even more lovely pictures of the red soil, red buildings, people and mountains. The feeling of wanting to just grab my backpack and go walking in that nature was palpable... but not now... someday maybe...

I got back to Marrakesh, feeling completely at ease. I spent my evening at the riad and began preparing for my journey back home.

Home... so strange, feels like I've been away for months...
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This trip has really given me a feeling of needing more travel and to focus on what is important. I suspect, however, that the feeling is based on the people I've met and spoken to during this week. Some I'd really love to meet again. I also want to meet more people, new ones, as well as these ones in their own habitat. I mean, we know that we have some interests in common, that is why we've met in the first place, but how different are we in our everyday lives? How alike or unlike each other are we really? During this week some have been peppery and quick, others silent and unobtrusive, some functioned as older siblings, hearing and taking care that no one was left outside, and some took the lead and set the pace and made sure that everyone kept hydrated and fed. All in all I guess the people in the groups completed each other.

So... what now? Tomorrow I'll head home. It's going to be a long and boring trip. 
I have no more travels planned for this year, so no blogging for a while, at least not travel blogging. I will add some fixed posts regarding different outdoors topics when I have the time. Stay tuned for those...
Also, I need to work on my French. I suspect I will be needing more of it in the future :-)
Well then, Lis over and out!

5th of October - Morocco - hang out in Marrakesh - post expedition blues - we've been to many places, but not enough of them

Many of the WMT group left town already in the morning, heading back to their respective countries and cities, but a handful of us stayed for a while longer. Today we spent our day in the city of Marrakesh doing regular touristy stuff. A few had the time to have breakfast together and chat a bit before some left to go to the airport, the siblings to their Atlas trip and we others prepared for our city tour.

My plan was to check into another hotel today, one that I'd booked months ago, a really nice riad with a pool and lots of space, but I decided to start off with just leaving my things in the room with some of the others, though, and go shopping with them. We headed off toward the center plaza and market with all it's intense shopping hysteria. So much glitter and glam, spice, music, incense, animals, colours, glass, decorations, brass and so on and on. Our goal was the Palais Badia. There were huge stork nests on the walls around the palace, some balancing quite precariously.  The palace was once upon a time the largest building around with large pools of water. It now houses a Minbar, a pulpet where an imam stands for the sermon, from the 12th century. Pics were not allowed though. Under the ruins there were former prison areas with old shackles and chains. In the old times people would get 15 day prison sentences and guilt needed to be proven. If found guilty people were either branded with hot irons or lost limbs.
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On the way back to the market, I visited a synagogue museum. Quite beautiful actually with its deep blue decorations.
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I had set my mind on trying to haggle at the market. I'm reeeally bad at this art and I totally prefer set prices, having grown up in a culture where what you see on the price tag is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Here though, it is expected and if you don't they will tell you to do it. The salesman will actually get disappointed if you don't. I think I did fairly well though. We passed the market three or more times this day. I tried asking for a price, more or less laughing at them, shaking my head, offering my price and they would think it outrageous. We would struggle a bit. I left shaking my head. They'd call me back after a minute and we'd reach an understanding, they made some, I lost some, a win-win/lose-lose situation and both of us more or less happy =)
I got two brass lamps, a brass candle light stand, a seat pouf and a tiny tea pot for Moroccan mint tea (will get the actual tea at home though).

In the afternoon I got my backpack and headed to my other hotel, Riad Viva, a lovely, classical riad with a fountain in the center, beautiful decorations and a little pool on the roof terrace. On arrival I was offered mint tea (surprise), had a wonderful shower and hopped into the pool.
Later I rejoined the others. Two more in the group were leaving in the evening, Sophie and Ben. We had time to go for drinks at the bar we had been to the day before. Jemma and I decided to try some gray wine. We had never heard of it before so we wanted to find out just what the name entailed. Unfortunately we found out why we never have heard of it. I don't think anyone would buy such a thing back home. It tasted .... well it didn't taste, but it had an aftertaste of yeast, as in sake, but without the niceties of the Japanese beverage. The whole thing turned into a joke and somewhere in between poetry got involved. Our wine became a haiku:

"Grey wine, beautiful.
The bottle, the colour, good.
The taste, not so much."
Jemma.

Quotes and poetry became a theme this evening and as we waited to receive the rest of the drinks and mused about the wine bottle Hillary popped the descriptive:

"bottle neck of the bar"
Hillary

Later came:
"We've been to many places, but not enough of them." as we talked about traveling and post expedition blues.

When Ben and Sophie departed, we headed to a restaurant that Jemma had found in her tourist book. A very nice place with lots of decorations and live music. We had a three course meal - the last real one in genuine Moroccan style with small tajine pots for different veggies, large tajines for the hot food and fruit for dessert. We had the worst background music, however. Some 90:ies melted butter pop music.

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As we left the restaurant we bought even more things from the last open shops. We walked through the nightly chaos on the plaza filled with music, blinking lights, incense and people and the group decided to walk me home. They all received farewell hugs and goodnights.

While I uploaded some pictures in the night I decided to follow my adventure guts and googled activities for  the next day. After having talked to Chris earlier I realized I would regret it if I didn't.

4th of October - Morocco - back to sea level

The evening after our hike I had a quite serious headache. Not so that I thought AMS, even though some of the others had been affected to a degree that at least one had to take Diamox (check out the article on Acute mountain sickness to the right). I had just really not been hydrating enough and eating had not been very efficient either due to my allergies. Nothing new though, I always eat a bit differently when not at home, the new factor was the level of activity though.  I went to bed with a pounding headache and woke up at 2 AM with just as much pain. I hit the water bottle with a vengeance and fell asleep again. Luckily the headache had let up by the time my alarm clock sounded in the morning.

Breakfast was a couple of slices of bread and some porridge and a more or less fantastic cup of Peter Larsen coffee. I think I will buy these for every single trip from now on. Sooo nice and so simple !!

We soon gathered the troops again and head off back toward the kasbah in Imlil. We kept a very good pace and people were chatting in small groups all along the way.
The weather was fantastic, just as all our days have been after the first chilly, rainy one. Already after 15 minutes we had to stop and pack jackets and sweaters away. The member of the group that had been the slowest the day before in the snowy terrain headed down in a faster pace than many of us could manage to keep up with. Haha, who would've known.

I spent the first part of our hike in silence, just thinking, relaxing my mind and occasionally listening to what people said with half an ear. I just felt generally good, although I once again considered changing my career completely and becoming a full time traveler ;)

Later I had a long conversation with Peichii (whom we all have been calling Peachy). We talked about traveling and she really has some good travel stories. She told me about being in Japan among other places. Very interesting. I would love to go. We discussed religion and basic common sense and how the two are interrelated. I bet we could've kept this discussion up for hours. It is always interesting to speak to someone who is not agreeing with you. ;)
I talked a bit about Mexico, my favourite travel destination so far.

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When we reached Sidi we stopped for a cup of coffee, juice and tea before continuing. We had some almonds and figs left from our lunch packs and gave them to the owner of the café as we left.
When crossing the last river bed some of us picked a few rocks to bring with us home. There were so many different colours. Green, red, spotted, striped, just beautiful rocks. (Yes, brother, I can hear you sighing as you read this, I did pick a few...)
On arriving at the kasbah we just had time for a quick freshening up before getting all our backpacks and heading down to Imlil. The WMT team had ordered lunch at a roof terrace in the village, salad, chicken and french fries. Now I finally had the chance to talk a bit with Barry. I'm generally, seriously impressed by all these WMT people.

As I've said before, I've met Barry during a previous course. His accident has really made an impression on me and the others. It is very inspiring to meet someone who is a bit passed the worst part of such injuries. I usually only meet people when they are in the middle of it, bloodied, afraid and terrified of the implications of what has happened, thinking that everything is over, but it's not, right. There is a life after an accident too. Just like with so many other things, you have the possibility to affect your future, even if you won't be the exact same person again. but then again, we change continuously whether such incidents happen or not, we get older, slower, learn other ways of doing things. The difference is that an accident will have it all happen at once. The breaks are pushed suddenly and that's what shocks you. I'm very happy to have heard the story of someone who is over the first part of recovery and has the strength to find his way back to what is important to him, as well as to share his experiences and to keep on organizing such huge events as our expedition.

Thinking of Barry's incident, I remember a specific person running after me in the corridor at work one day some time ago. I had treated a close person to them. I received a hug and they told me how important it had been that we had had a clear and calm talk about the implications of the other persons injuries and a timeline of recovery and most importantly hope for the future. Together we had laid a foundation that they could start working from.Making sure that they knew things would get better even though it would be slow going had been important.

Even though I seldom get the chance to talk more with the people I see, there sometimes is a chance to talk to their loved ones and underline the importance of emotional support and lending of strength, even on the days when the person wants to give up.

Anyhow, after the lunch we packed our bags in buses and headed back toward Marrakesh.

 I sat next to Chris, who told me about his plans for the next few days together with his sister. They are heading back toward the Atlas mountains and the south side of the mountain range. Apparently there's a stretch called the road of a thousand kasbahs (I have really not prepared for this trip at all. I know nothing of this country! It's embarrassing...) that they will travel and maybe stay in the desert and trek too. Sounds like super much fun. I got such a craving for more traveling! He suggested I tag along and my mind right away started working on how to make it happen. Would've been super nice to travel a bit more with someone as friendly as this guy, but crashing a sibling party and being all nordic and weird didn't really feel right. (Although in retrospect, I'd have no qualms about inviting ppl with me on my sibling travels...)
I can't let go of the idea of doing more in Morocco, though.

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We got to our hotel in Marrakesh, close to the main souk (market). I shared a room with Martina from Malta (I think) and Marzanne from South Africa. I spoke mostly with Marzanne and ended up inviting her to Denmark and Sweden. Would be great to meet these people again. Oh and family and friends, if you are reading this, I have promised your couches to these upcoming guests. Now you've been warned... Before the evening meal we had time for a quick look at the market.

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The evening was spent on the terrace writing course evaluations, mingling and having dinner. I sat next to Jim, Mike and PeiChii and we ended up having a discussion on Brexit and IVF. I don't know how we ended up there, but it is interesting to hear how the NHS works. I can't really repeat the information here though, I don't remember the details. We also talked a bit about real British food (real British food and not the immigrant cuisine) and weather or not the Britts learned anything from the time they more or less were the Empire of the World. I think the conclusion was "nah, not really". Funny stuff.
Later we went for drinks at a nearby bar. People were being generally really fun. I learned what floss and dab means - Hilarious!!! Jim demonstrated the moves. Too bad I don't have a picture. We're talking stroke level funny.

I talked a bit more with Nigel, our group guide. He is such an impressive and knowledgeable person, climber, hiker, former army dude and just generally a warm person.
Some of the others got a water pipe and sat in a ring enjoying that. I don't do any kind of smoke (especially since my first delivery of "the bad news" to one of my sweetest patients ever. Can't remember their name, but the eyes....)
Aside from that, just a lovely evening that ended with a stroll through the plaza in front of the large market place. It was super lively, filled with people, musicians, snake charmers, street vendors among other things.








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We fell asleep quite heavily in our room where the AC was broken. We are talking heat stroke sleep...