In order to keep up with the times changes, we were instructed to advance our clocks by one hour on most nights on the way to Spain. As we headed to Morocco we were instructed to retard our clocks by one hour. Our arrival at Casablanca was delayed by one day as rough seas held us up outside of Gibraltar, our refueling stop. When we arrived in port we immediately boarded a bus for Marrakech. Our first stop was the Jardin Majorelle. These gardens were created by Jacques Majorelle, one of the most important plant collectors of the early 20th century. Yves Saint Laurent later acquired the property and restored the gardens. Lunch of braised lamb shank tagine and an eggplant salad followed. Vanilla yogurt in small glass jars was for dessert. We then moved on to the medina, Jemaa el Fna Square at the height of the day. This area was filled with hundreds of souks, small open air shops selling local crafts, scarves, clothing, foods, jewelry, lamps, anything and everything. Several stalls just had one man with several old tires where he was making various pieces from them. One man was carving a spindle as he spun it with his bare feet on a rod. Another stall just had mint, at least two cubic yards of mint, for the tea. The market area was loud, relentless, a total cacophony. Snake charmers and monkey handlers sought our attention and our cash, as did drummers, stringed instrument players, orange juice sellers and spice merchants. It was totally wild and dirty; beggars with their babies sitting on the ground, bicyclers came along right behind you. I do not think I can really convey the scene. Many of the students felt afraid in the frenzy. We spent about an hour in an herbal medicine shop sitting on wooden benches among hundreds of jars. The owner explained how many natural substances are used for curative purposes. Most of us bought some samples to try. We moved on to see Palace Bahia. As in Spain these are Arab design structures, gorgeous cedar ceilings, gilded and painted. The patterns in the tile work are geometric. No design can include a human or animal representation as only God can make those.
We later checked into our overnight hotel. We could have a drink there but many places, including the restaurants we went to, do not serve alcohol in keeping with Muslim practice. If you drink you should not pray for 40 days. That is because the angels will smell the alcohol on you and not hover near you. Praying after drinking is “like pouring water on the desert,” useless. That night we went to Chez Ali, somewhat like an Arab Disneyworld. We had a full dinner including a small meatball and fried egg appetizer, a chicken & vegetable couscous, and huge plates of fresh fruit. This was followed by a horse show that featured riding acrobatics, guns blasting, and indigenous musicians.
On the second day we drove into the Ourika Valley of the High Atlas Mountains, where the Berbers live. We went to one large but simple home where a four generation family has lived for 200 years. It had two levels, dirt floors and an outhouse. We were treated to mint tea and homemade bread with butter, honey and olive oil accompaniments there. I gave two small girls pens and paper which they used immediately. We then continued to drive through the red mountains, making a few stops for pictures and purchases. We went back to the medina in Marrakech for lunch and shopping time in the markets before departure. Bargaining is fun but really quite a skill to develop. One of the professors gave a quick session on bartering before we reached Morocco.
The third day Hóg and I stayed in Casablanca. This is the third largest port in Africa after Cape Town and Alexandria and the largest city in Morocco. We got an early start with three student friends. First stop was the La Mezquita Hassan II, a new mosque built in only six years, 1987-1993. This is a huge mosque, the main room alone has 57 Murano glass chandeliers. Muslims are to pray 5 times a day for 10-15 minutes at a time. They can do this wherever they are but many get to the mosque, over 105,000 on Fridays. Once a week they should be cleansed in the baths at the mosque. Women pray in a separate area of the mosque. After a tea stop we began our walking trip through the rest of Casablanca. We managed to be picked up by an unauthorized guide who made the day for us. He took us through the old medina, and into the food stalls. These could be as large as a stall selling all kinds of dried fruits and nuts or as small as a mat on the ground with a man selling 20 carrots and part of a squash already cut into family sized pieces. These market areas were smaller than in Marrakech and without the music and acrobats. We went on through the city to see other sites, find a shop that I was looking for, replenish our liquor (in a tiny shop that we never would have found), and then on to lunch. Lunch was in a very nice French-Arab restaurant. French and Arabic are both spoken in Morocco. Our guide ate with us. He confessed to smoking hash and at times missing prayer because his friends twist his arm and get him to drink! At the end of the day we learned that he is not an authorized tour guide, not a big surprise. We had paid him for the service and bought his lunch. He had to pay a bribe to the Tourism Police because he should not have taken us around. Just another day in Morocco.
As we left the port of Casablanca we hit very rough water. Again some furniture was relocated and a few people were hurt, but some because they were being reckless. I managed to stay in my seat this time but had a job to do to reset things in our room later. Last night we had dinner with our extended family. They are Nichole, Amanda, Elise, Penn, Collin, Grace, Emily and Ashley. We had a birthday cake to celebrate two birthdays, Grace’s and Malachi’s. Our walking and talking grandson is one now! Today we are on our way to Namibia. We have stopped for refueling in Dakar, Senegal. Since I had lunch on the deck in the warm sun I can say that I had lunch in Dakar, though, in fact, no one is allowed off the ship. The brief time here will allow for a more comfortable daily-while-at-sea yoga session; the balancing will not be as difficult as it usually is when we are rocking. We have crossed the Tropic of Cancer and are headed for the equator. Today is Neptune Day, no classes while we all make the crossing, some will shave their heads. Hóg has been growing his hair for the event. Once we cross, we are no longer polliwogs; we are shellbacks.
We later checked into our overnight hotel. We could have a drink there but many places, including the restaurants we went to, do not serve alcohol in keeping with Muslim practice. If you drink you should not pray for 40 days. That is because the angels will smell the alcohol on you and not hover near you. Praying after drinking is “like pouring water on the desert,” useless. That night we went to Chez Ali, somewhat like an Arab Disneyworld. We had a full dinner including a small meatball and fried egg appetizer, a chicken & vegetable couscous, and huge plates of fresh fruit. This was followed by a horse show that featured riding acrobatics, guns blasting, and indigenous musicians.
On the second day we drove into the Ourika Valley of the High Atlas Mountains, where the Berbers live. We went to one large but simple home where a four generation family has lived for 200 years. It had two levels, dirt floors and an outhouse. We were treated to mint tea and homemade bread with butter, honey and olive oil accompaniments there. I gave two small girls pens and paper which they used immediately. We then continued to drive through the red mountains, making a few stops for pictures and purchases. We went back to the medina in Marrakech for lunch and shopping time in the markets before departure. Bargaining is fun but really quite a skill to develop. One of the professors gave a quick session on bartering before we reached Morocco.
The third day Hóg and I stayed in Casablanca. This is the third largest port in Africa after Cape Town and Alexandria and the largest city in Morocco. We got an early start with three student friends. First stop was the La Mezquita Hassan II, a new mosque built in only six years, 1987-1993. This is a huge mosque, the main room alone has 57 Murano glass chandeliers. Muslims are to pray 5 times a day for 10-15 minutes at a time. They can do this wherever they are but many get to the mosque, over 105,000 on Fridays. Once a week they should be cleansed in the baths at the mosque. Women pray in a separate area of the mosque. After a tea stop we began our walking trip through the rest of Casablanca. We managed to be picked up by an unauthorized guide who made the day for us. He took us through the old medina, and into the food stalls. These could be as large as a stall selling all kinds of dried fruits and nuts or as small as a mat on the ground with a man selling 20 carrots and part of a squash already cut into family sized pieces. These market areas were smaller than in Marrakech and without the music and acrobats. We went on through the city to see other sites, find a shop that I was looking for, replenish our liquor (in a tiny shop that we never would have found), and then on to lunch. Lunch was in a very nice French-Arab restaurant. French and Arabic are both spoken in Morocco. Our guide ate with us. He confessed to smoking hash and at times missing prayer because his friends twist his arm and get him to drink! At the end of the day we learned that he is not an authorized tour guide, not a big surprise. We had paid him for the service and bought his lunch. He had to pay a bribe to the Tourism Police because he should not have taken us around. Just another day in Morocco.
As we left the port of Casablanca we hit very rough water. Again some furniture was relocated and a few people were hurt, but some because they were being reckless. I managed to stay in my seat this time but had a job to do to reset things in our room later. Last night we had dinner with our extended family. They are Nichole, Amanda, Elise, Penn, Collin, Grace, Emily and Ashley. We had a birthday cake to celebrate two birthdays, Grace’s and Malachi’s. Our walking and talking grandson is one now! Today we are on our way to Namibia. We have stopped for refueling in Dakar, Senegal. Since I had lunch on the deck in the warm sun I can say that I had lunch in Dakar, though, in fact, no one is allowed off the ship. The brief time here will allow for a more comfortable daily-while-at-sea yoga session; the balancing will not be as difficult as it usually is when we are rocking. We have crossed the Tropic of Cancer and are headed for the equator. Today is Neptune Day, no classes while we all make the crossing, some will shave their heads. Hóg has been growing his hair for the event. Once we cross, we are no longer polliwogs; we are shellbacks.
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