TravelStream™ news feed for member billybull on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/billybull en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Mon, 20 Jul 2009 06:01:01 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/billybull/2/1248083831/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/billybull/2/1248083831/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/billybull/2/1248083831/tpod.html Mon, 20 Jul 2009 06:01:01 -0400 Tour of Egypt and Nile Cruise

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Kom Ombo, Egypt

Another blistering hot day as we sailed on to Edfu to visit the Temple of Horus. We left the boat again very early morning to miss the heat of the day and hopefully, most of the crowds. However, by 9am the heat was searing , so God knows how it would feel by mid-day, but by then we would be back on the boat and hopefully having a dip in the pool. Our mode of transport today was by Calesh – a horse drawn carriage and it was brilliant being driven through the hot, dusty streets and catching the breeze. We arrived at the temple, along with half of Egypt, or so it seemed. Obviously everyone was out early to escape the heat of the day. The Temple of Horus is one of the youngest, important monuments in Egypt. This is the place, according to Egyptian myth, where Horus, the falcon headed god, avenged the murder of his father Osiris by killing Seth. Horus was conceived after Osiris' death, and it was only following the hardship of collecting his body parts by his mother, Isis, that Osiris was sufficiently resurrected to give life to Horus. The unity of Osiris and Horus — Osiris was often understood to continue existing by his son — climaxed when Horus finally tracked down Seth and killed him.

Construction of the temple began in 237 BCE by Ptolemy 3 but not finished until some 180 years later by the father of Cleopatra.
We wandered around, taking endless photos – it was all very stunning. It wasn't until I returned home I discovered what a filthy camera lens I had. Hey ho!
Then Taso, our guide directed us towards an area where there seemed to be some sort of violent rugby scrum going on. Apparently, at the centre of this mass of undisciplined bodies, was the Barque. Set in the deepest chambers of the temple, the wooden barque was used to carry the central Horus statue during important festivals. There was almost fever pitch amongst the Spanish group, everyone fighting to get near enough to get a photo. I had no idea what to expect but thought it must be worth trying to get a look at so joined the mass of writhing bodies, barging arms, grabbing hands, occasionally holding my camera aloft in the air towards the general direction of the mysterious barque. I was getting quite excited now, so great was my anticipation. One by one my group members dropped out, exhausted by the heat and the sheer struggle to try to push to the front. Not me – by now I was like a terrier with a bone, absolutely determined and with one final push I found myself at the very front with the barque in front of my eyes. When I tell you that I was disappointed to say the least, you can assume it was one of the biggest let downs ever. Not entirely sure what I had expected but this small, wooden vessel wasn’t it. I snatched a quick photo, took a deep breath and forced myself back into the crowd which was still pushing forward. The group were eagerly awaiting my report as I emerged from the throng but the most eloquent response I could manage was "It was pants." I’m sorry but I thought it was and certainly not worth risking life and limb for. An ice lolly was required so we strolled across to the little cafe, and purchased the most welcome ice lollies while admiring the various attractive photos on the Malborough cigarette packets for sale. Then Taso asked me if I had managed to see the replica of the barque. Replica! All that grief and it wasn’t even */>% *@ authentic!
Returned to the boat and relaxed on the sun deck and in the pool while we sailed to Kom Ombo. Temperature getting higher and when the group disembarked to have a look around the temple I decided to have a couple of beers and just relax on board. It was a small temple which I could admire from the comfort of my sun bed while the group toiled and sweated up the hill to look at it in closer detail. Amused myself watching the hawkers and sellers from the cluster of multicoloured stalls set up along the quayside , trying to trap any tourist daring to walk past.

That evening we went up on deck to watch the ship going through Esna Lock. Fascinating experience. A few more drinks later and I retired to my cabin and fell asleep watching the reflection of the moonlight on the Nile out of my cabin window, as we sailed through the night towards Aswan. Beautiful.


]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/billybull/2/1247866936/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/billybull/2/1247866936/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/billybull/2/1247866936/tpod.html Sat, 18 Jul 2009 16:47:54 -0400 Tour of Egypt and Nile Cruise

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Luxor, Nile River Valley, Egypt

Day 4 Tues 9 Sep 2008

Alarm call at 3.45 am and off to the coach for a hot air balloon ride over the Valley of the Kings at sunrise. The Valley of the Kings was made famous in 1922 by the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun by Howard Carter. There have been many theories why this site was chosen as a Royal burial site. According to ancient Egyptian theology, a good tomb would be a place which could be considered to be the best possible "bridge" to the underworld. At the Valley of the Kings, the world almost comes to an end. Nothing grows here, and the climate is hot even through the winter. Hence it is a very obvious symbol for death. The rocks could quite easily be dug in, allowing for canals into the underworld. Also the desert is a perfect storing place for corpses. Over 60 tombs have been opened so far but estimates have been made that there are probably between 100 -150 in total.

We assembled in the foyer, bleary eyed. It transpired that most of us had been up and down to the bathroom during the night, and we all blamed that disgusting train. A good dose of immodium was required as the realisation dawned that being up in the air in a hot air balloon was not a great place to be if you were taken short. Brings a new meaning to the phrase 'crop spraying!'

A quick speedboat ride across the Nile to the West bank, then into the minibus to head towards the Valley. The sight that greeted us was magical. Over 20 hot air balloons in various stages of inflation, silently moving in the dawn light. We climbed into our basket and were greeted by the pilot, sporting a Blue Peter badge, who proceeded to give us the safety drill and a demonstration of the landing position. Must admit, I wasn't looking forward to the landing, after experiencing a very hard landing several years previous in England. Due to the unpredictability of the English weather, it’s almost impossible to control where you land exactly. The jeeps just follow the balloon and see where it ends up, and we ended up drifting into the side of a very large hill, just managing to clear power lines at the last minute which was pretty hairy. The pilot shouted at us to adopt the landing position, and the next thing I knew , we crashed into the hill with such force. The sheer jolt of the landing sent a massive shockwave of pain up my body. It honestly felt like every bit of my insides were just hanging down, and that feeling lasted for over a week. I prayed this landing would be kinder.

By now the Valley was buzzing with eager tourists climbing into their balloon baskets. Finally we set off, the sheer heat from the gas flame hot on my head and shoulders. Always wear a hat on a hot air balloon trip! We rose silently into the sky, the braying of donkeys drifting up from the sleepy valley below. With perfect timing, the sun started to rise over the Nile, a truly breathtaking scene. Our pilot pointed out various places of interest as we drifted over the ancient burial site. Truly the best way to see the Valley of the Kings. 45 minutes later it was time to descend towards our designated landing area. All was going well until I noticed we were slowly drifting away from it. Apparently a slight breeze had got up and was taking us off course. Suddenly the guys who were waiting to pull the basket to land were racing through the fields of sugar cane to try to catch the basket, while the pilot was shouting orders to them. On we drifted with them in hot pursuit until their feet suddenly started sinking into the ground. The fields had turned to thick mud near the river and they were up to their calves in the stuff. Undeterred, they removed their shoes and carried on wading into the mud, while we were busy laughing at the scene and hanging out of the basked taking photos of them! Still, they got a good tip at the end of it so all was well. Finally they managed to grab the basket and, still wading through the mud, managed to guide it towards the landing area. The bottom of the basket was only about 10" above the sugar cane.

Safely grounded, the pilot presented us with our certificates and t-shirts and it was a tired but happy bunch which made our way back to the boat, Domina Emilio. The boat we should have be on, was unavailable and we were really happy about that as we were upgraded to this beautiful 5 star vessel. It was beautifully furnished with wonderful cabins and a swimming pool and sundeck. The only downside was that we only on it for 4 nights instead of 7.

I was still suffering with the dodgy tummy so skipped lunch and went to bed for a couple of hours. Emerged later to relax on the sun deck but lasted about 30 minutes – it was over 40 degrees and unbearable to sit in. It was beautiful though when the sun went down and we sat drinking on deck in the moonlight.
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Luxor, Nile River Valley, Egypt

Up at 5 am and took one last look at the wondrous sight of the pyramids looming in the early morning haze before departing for Giza train station. The traffic even at this time of the morning was horrendous. No lanes, road markings, traffic lights etc - just a free for all and a hell of a lot of horn honking. Saw one car drive straight into another on a roundabout. His windscreen smashed, there was glass everywhere but nobody did or said a thing. They just drove off as if nothing had happened! According to our guide, the driving test in Egypt basically consists of reversing through a course of traffic cones and that's about it. Explains a lot!


I would be lying if I said I wasn't just a bit worried about the train journey to Luxor today. I've seen the kind of trains that run in these countries and the Orient Express they ain't. Visions of those trains in India where half the nation seem to be hanging off the sides and roof, crossed my mind. My mind was eased somewhat when Taso informed us we would be travelling 1st class. After all, it was a 10 hour journey. Waiting on the station was entertainment in itself. There were people everywhere and in the midst was a family sat cross legged on the floor eating their breakfast. A train pulled in on the other side of the platform and we watched in amazement as they unloaded luggage and dragged it across the tracks onto the opposite platform. No Elf and Safety here then.



Our train arrived and guess what? Orient Express it wasn't. It was absolutely filthy, we tried peering through the windows to look inside, as it pulled into the station, but they were too filthy to see in. Entered the 'First Class' carriage and it was absolutely vile. The seats were actually very roomy and comfortable but the material was almost black with grime. Soooo glad I had decided to wear my pure white cotton top for the trip! The seats were two on one side of the aisle and a single seat on the other side. Luckily I had a single seat. Two of the guys were in seats at the front of our carriage facing the wall. Their window had been absolutely shattered so they had no view for the whole of the journey. I was lucky, the outer glass of my window had been shattered but they had removed the broken glass so I could admire the view. A mural of some cattle was on the wall in front of the guys, so that was all they had to admire for the whole 10 hours. I felt sure a couple more cows would be added to the mural before we reached Luxor, or at the very least, the existing ones would be coloured in through sheer boredom!



The tracks ran alongside a river for much of the journey and it was good to view the countryside and village life as we passed through. Sue had bought a huge water melon and she shared this out amongst the group, it was delicious and thirst quenching. As the train was so disgustingly dirty, we could only imagine the state of the toilet. We decided to limit any drinking to the minimum to avoid using them for as long as possible. 5 hours into the journey, one of the girls had to go, so she entered the toilet and immediately reeled back, gagging. After coming back and dousing her scarf in perfume and wrapping round her face she went back in. I didn't need to ask what it was like in there, her face told me everything. I spent the next few hours watching endless Egyptian men using the toilet and praying I wouldn't have too. Finally, after 8 hours I could hold out no longer. Scarf doused in perfume I charged into the toilet and nearly threw up. Likening it to an explosion in a chocolate factory may be exaggerating but it was not far off. The floor was covered in newspaper just soaked in urine and other unmentionables. It seems people just went anywhere as long as it was somewhere in the room. I did the quickest wee I've ever done in my life and got out of there. An absolutely hideous experience. If that was 'First Class' I shudder to think what 2nd Class was like.


Finally, 10 hours later we arrived at Luxor station and drove straight to the boat. It was a beautiful 5* vessel called the Domina Emilio. We had fallen lucky here because the small boat we were due to use was still being refurbished so we had been upgraded to this one which boasted a swimming pool and Jacuzzi on the top deck. Couldn't wait to get to my cabin and have a shower. My cabin was beautiful with a huge picture window and fantastic bathroom.
Enjoyed a delicious dinner and a good few glasses of wine before hitting the sack. It had been a tiring day and we had to be up at 3.45 tomorrow. Holiday? More like boot camp!


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Cairo, Egypt

Wake up call at 7.am for the group breakfast at 8.am. As if I needed waking. I dragged myself out of the pool of sweat called my bed and quickly showered. The room was still like a sauna. Should have sweated off several pounds in the night but my clothes told me otherwise - dream on. Had the most bizarre incident in the night when my mattress was moving underneath me, in a wave like motion. I actually looked underneath the bed but of course there was nothing there! It turned out later that several others in the group had experienced the same thing. Weird. There was me hoping George Clooney had dropped by!
Met the rest of the group at breakfast, there were 19 of us, a mix of ages and nationalities which always bodes well. Seemed like a really nice crowd.


We got on the coach for the drive to the Pyramids, chattering away and trying desperately to remember everyone's names. The heat was already unbearable and it was only 9am. A short drive and we were standing in front of the pyramids. Unbelievable! They are literally on the outskirts of Cairo, with just a row of shacks separating the area of bedrock surrounding the pyramids from the residential area.
We stood there in complete awe. The Great Pyramid of Giza (also known as Khufu's Pyramid), the Pyramid of Chepren and the Pyramid of Mycerinus. The Great Pyramid was built as a tomb for 4th Dynasty King Khufu. This site is the only remaining member of the seven wonders of the ancient world, and its magnificence is breathtaking. The Pyramids are the main part of a complex, including two mortuary temples in honour of Khufu and three smaller pyramids for Khufu's wives. Almost 4,600 years old, it took 20,000 men 20 years to build them.


The Great Pyramid consists of 2,300,000 blocks; average weight of each block is 2.5 tons. Some blocks weigh 15 tons. The Project Management for this site must have been miraculous. It took the best part of 2 years for our British workforce to build a small bypass near my workplace and they still didn't get it right because its cone city every other month where they keep digging it back up!
We did the tourist thing with the photos and then paid money to actually go inside the pyramid. We were wilting by now and I was so looking forward to escaping into the cool burial chamber deep inside the pyramid. Silly me. Apparently the way in is also the way out of these wonders, and as I waited by the entrance, the sight of people re-emerging from the bowels of the Pyramid, I was gobsmacked. People that had gone inside just 15 minutes earlier, looking perfectly normal, were coming out looking as if they had just trekked the length of the Amazonian Rain Forest. Beetroot red faces, hair plastered round their faces, dripping with sweat, and clothes that looked as it they'd just been for a swim in them. I moved towards the entrance and realised that you had to pass through a long, dark corridor only a metre high, which dropped quite steeply and then rose upwards in to the chamber. Bent double, we stumbled through blindly, feeling the heat rising all the time. We also had to keep stopping to let the outgoing visitors squeeze past. Finally we were in the burial chamber. Nothing there of course as all of the pyramids had been ransacked by thieves. Inside the Great Pyramid are three chambers, the lowest chamber was never finished. The middle chamber was for the Queen and the highest chamber for the King. In 1993 a new chamber high in the Pyramid was accidentally discover by a German Scientist. However, it may never be opened as a corridor would need to be built to access it. One wonders what lies inside - maybe the tomb of King Khufu?


I didn't hang around in the burial chamber for long, it was stifling, so we returned the way we came, bent double, and emerged into the glorious sunshine, looking, no doubt, as wretched as the people who had emerged before us. We then made our way over to the building housing the solar boat, which was built to take the Pharaoh on to his next life. It was discovered totally dismantled and took 14 years to re-assemble to its former glory of 43m long and 6m wide. Very impressive and well preserved.


Next stop was the Sphinx. The purpose of the Sphinx is not clear but common belief is that it was built to protect the 2 Pyramids. Some believe that it has the face of Pharaoh Chafer, who commissioned it, as the features are very similar to other statues of him. It's a very impressive statue, standing 20m high and 60m long. Its eyes are 2m high.
It was then back into Cairo to visit the Egyptian National Museum which has over 136000 items on show. Taso gave us a picnic lunch to eat en route. Pitta bread filled with falafel, a paste of bean, nuts and herbs, and some fruit. I loved this museum, absolutely fascinating. The highlight being the Tutankhamen treasures - out of this world. A total of 5,000 articles were found in his tomb, including the famous death mask. On display are also the coffins and sarcophagus. I also loved the mummified animal exhibition, which had a huge variety of animals - crocodile, rams, monkeys, fish etc but the funniest ones of all were the cats. Their body and limbs bound so tightly together so that no limbs were visible, they resembled skittles with cat's heads. Didn't get as long as I would have liked in this museum but it's a definite must see. Apparently they are building a new museum in Giza, near the Pyramids, to replace this one and it will be state of the art.


We stopped at a grocery shop on the way back to the hotel, to buy food for our 10 hour train ride to Luxor tomorrow. Not much choice in the shop, no nice bread, fruit or cheese so ended up buying packets of biscuits, crisps and cake and vowing to have a good breakfast before we leave. Back at the hotel there was just enough time for a much needed dip in the pool before we went out to a famous Egyptian restaurant called Felfela. There appeared to be a very ornate tree growing in the centre of the restaurant. It was adorned with shells, stones and ceramic flowers and made a wonderful centrepiece. The menu wasn't vast but the mezze was good and the mango juice was so full of fruit, you almost had to eat it with a fork! No alcohol served as it was Ramadan. I really need to watch out for this next time I travel to a Muslim country. Still, it's a good way of keeping down the alcohol intake. As the waiters cleared our table, the stray cats that had been lurking underneath while we were eating, were happily tucking into the remains of a meal on the table next to us!
Was feeling tired and looking forward to a good nights sleep in a nice cool room but no prizes for guessing that I returned to my room to find the air con was still blasting out hot air. I told Taso who said I would be given another room. It was a pain packing everything up again but I just couldn't face another night in that sauna. The new room was much smaller but blissfully cooler so I showered and then, due to the lack of alcohol, I decided to have a cuppa to celebrate. Plugged my trusty little travel kettle in - and promptly blew the air con! There was no way I could tell them what I'd done as I wasn't supposed to use a kettle in the room so I was destined for another sweaty, sleepless night. Hey Ho! I lay on the bed, glistening with sweat and desperately tried to sleep. Next thing I knew, heavy furniture was being scraped across the tiled floor of the floor above. Great! I lay there; hoping that it would stop but an hour later it was actually getting worse, accompanied by hammering and sounds of cable being threaded through steel air ducts. It was now 1am and I was by then, deranged with anger and lack of sleep. Throwing some clothes on, I marched out of my room, got in the lift and pressed the button for the 6th floor, and was amazed at the sight before me as the lift doors opened. At least a dozen Egyptian men were working up there, obviously refurbishing the floor. They froze, mortified by the screaming banshee in the lift, hair askew, no makeup who was shouting "What the hell are you doing? Its 1am for God's sake!" Most of them pretended they didn't speak English, as I was ranting at them but one managed to deny that they were working. Bearing in mind he was holding a saw at the time, it just didn't quite ring true!
I stomped back in the lift and descended to the ground floor and reception. Taso was sitting down there with some other men and I just let rip. He was very apologetic and promised to get it stopped which he did. By then I was too stressed out from all the aggro, coupled with the lack of air con (my fault), that I couldn't get to sleep anyway.
Still, at least we move on to Luxor tomorrow.

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Cairo, Egypt

Set off for Heathrow after a stressy evening and sleepless night, all because I had left everything until the last minute. Trouble is, I tend to get a bit blasé now where travelling preparations are concerned. Gone are the days when I planned everything with military precision. Was still doing laundry at 11pm last night, of things I wanted to take and then couldn't find my travel insurance docs. Shortly after midnight I found them, so downed a very large liquer as way of celebration, and hit the sack. Spent the next 3 hours tossing and turning waiting for hubby to arrive home, which he duly did at 3.30am, slightly the worse for wear.
I then spent the rest of the night worrying if he would be in a fit state to drive me to the airport!

It had taken me over 3 hours to pack and the end result was obviousl - well over the baggage allowance. How the hell do these airlines imagine that 20kg is adequate for a 2 week trip. That takes care of my makeup and toiletries only!!! What about the clothing and 15 pairs of shoes????? Anyway, at least the journey to Heathrow was uneventful, only interspersed with the usual insults from the driver, directed at any other road user in sight.
Checked in at desk 13, pleased to be relieved of my giant pink suitcase, not to mention the hideous screaming brat who was behind me in the queue and who had just about succeeded in perforating the eardrums of everyone in Zone C, from the comfort of his buggy. When, I wondered, will the airlines come to their senses and begin stowing all kids under the age of 5, in the hold with the luggage, so that we can enjoy a screech free flight!

Was very much looking forward to meeting the rest of the group, it's almost as much fun as the holiday itself, meeting new people. Never enjoy the meal on the plane so headed for TGI Friday for my favourite Jack Daniels BBQ chicken meal before boarding. Divine! First flight with Egyptair, and when the meal arrived it was pretty much as expected but I did like the little box of dates, nicely wrapped and the Tutenkhamun nutty chocolate - nice touch.
Pleasant enough flight to Cairo airport where I met with some of our group. Would be a total of 19, but some had arrived the day before from different destinations. Was quite amusing waiting for our cases by the luggage carousel, to see a lone suitcase handle, minus the suitcase but still sporting the airline tag, going round and round. No sign of the suitcase it had once been attached to! Out tour guide was called Taso and he seemed a real sweetheart. Checked into the Pyramids View hotel at Giza which was basic and pretty grubby. Had looked it up on Trip Advisor and the poor reviews didn't disappoint. Got to the room and it was dark outside. Pulled back the curtain to peer into the darkness of our surroundings and wondered with some annoyance what the huge building was in front of us. 5 seconds later my travel weary brain kicked into action and it dawned on me it was one of the pyramids! Unbelievable! I started shrieking and dancing round the room with excitement. Always imagined the pyramids to be in the middle of the desert but here they were, so near to the city.

Started feeling really hot and realised that although the air con unit was working, it was blowing out warm air despite being on the cool setting. It was late and there didn't seem anyone around at the desk who may be able to look at it so I turned the unit off and spent a sleepless, sweaty night in the unbearable heat. Why is it that I always seem to get the room with the dodgy air con? Would see Taso, our tour guide, first thing in the morning, to get it sorted. We were here for 2 nights and I couldn't put up with it for another night. Burn baby burn!

]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/billybull/1/1217946300/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/billybull/1/1217946300/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/billybull/1/1217946300/tpod.html Tue, 05 Aug 2008 10:26:15 -0400 Tour of Morocco- Imperial Cities, mountains and desert

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Marrakech, Morocco

Woke up again to brilliant sunshine and enjoyed a leisurely breakfast alone on the hotel balcony, which overlooked the Mosque of Koutoubia with it's 77metre minaret, and the hauntingly beautiful backdrop of the snow capped Atlas Mountains. Was nice just to watch the world go by without having to be on an agenda any more. The group had departed at some God forsaken hour this morning so it was just me and Marrakech now.

Decided to spend the day sightseeing by hopping on and off the open topped buses that navigated the city. Highly recommended as you can't really get lost and it's a cheap way of seeing the sights. Caught the bus by the square and first stop was the Saadian Tombs where the Saadian Royal Family are buried. In 1677 Moulay Ismail erected a high wall to protect the site. As I arrived, the entrance gates were adorned with the now familiar stork's nests. There are two main mausoleums here, where 66 children, wives and concubines of the Royal Family are buried.

Hopping back on a bus, my next stop was the Menara Gardens, recommended for it's tranquililty. En route, I became involved in conversation with an Indian Optician from Toronto. It transpired we were both basically cramming the sights in one day. He was travelling on to enjoy a yoga holiday in Agadir of all places. Of all the charismatic, beautiful destinations Morocco affords, the choice of the concrete jungle which is Agadir, was bizarre. He was very pleasant, good company so we decided to continuing sight seeing together, swapping travel stories as we went. The day passed pleasantly enough, and inevitably we ended back at the square.

It was when he asked to take out to dinner that evening and offered to 'unblock my chakras' that I knew it was time to escape. He took some shaking off but I persevered and was able to enjoy my last night in Morocco alone with my thoughts, reflecting on the whole trip.
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Marrakech, Morocco


A miracle happened today. 14 days after we had arrived in Casablanca to begin our tour, Liz's luggage finally turned up. Just in time for her departure tomorrow when she would be heading for her Antarctic trip. I can only admire the way she took the whole miserable episode in her stride, it would have ruined most people's holiday. No such luck for Anya, apparently her luggage finally turned up 3 weeks later when she was back in Toronto. Nice one BA!

Marrakech is situated near to the Atlas Mountains, and it was wonderful eating breakfast on the hotel terrace, next to the Minaret, admiring the snow capped mountains in the distance. It's important to realise that Marrakech has never been Arabic; it is a bastion of Berber culture.

As it was the group's last day before they returned in the morning, (I was staying an extra day), most of us decided to return to the souk for some last minute shopping. God knows where I was going to put any more shopping - throughout the trip I had bought, silk throws, a rug, jewellery, ceramics, shoes, handbags and God knows what else.


Djemaa El Fna Square is not known for it's beauty, but what it lacks in architecture, it more than compensates with atmosphere. There are more than 60 little carts lined in a semi circle round the square, all selling fresh orange juice. The juice is absolutely divine, a welcome treat in the heat. As the afternoon turns into evening, the juice sellers move off and as if by magic, food stalls appear in their place. The food is cooked from scratch, you just have to point at what you would like, and then you eat at long tables set up in the square. Excellent food and it's no surprise to see that it's a popular eating place for Moroccans and Tourists alike.

We spent the morning exploring the souks, I ended up buying a camel bone frame mirror in a traditional Berber design. An absolute bargain, thanks to my relentless haggling skills. Saw an hilarious little wind up train set for sale, set up on the pavement. Instead of a train though, it was Osama Bin Laden on a camel being closely pursued by George Bush in a tank! For some reason the seller wouldn't let me take a photo but a managed a distance snapshot when his back was turned for a split second. Blurred, but you can just about make out what it is.

We lunched at the Agana restaurant, on the balcony overlooking the square. A great location for people watching, but mediocre food. More shopping in the afternoon, before having henna tattoos on our hands. Seemed like a good idea at the time but after a week or so, it just ends up looking as if you have some sort of nasty skin disease. Very artistically done by a Moroccan lady, using a syringe, the secret is to dry it with heat if possible, for a longer lasting tattoo. Thought I was clever by going back to the hotel and blasting it with the hair dryer for ages. It just meant I had this hideous, diseased looking hand for at least a month after I returned home, and could have written a book with all the wise cracks it generated.

Our final dinner together that evening was in the square, in the outside food dining area, and what a beautiful meal it was too. The variety of food was marvellous, if somewhat a little too adventurous for me in some areas. Rows of goats heads etc, waiting to be selected for the oven. I chose my final Tagine (what else?) - lemon and chicken, and it was perfect. A final stroll around the square, watching the fire eaters, acrobats and story tellers, before heading back to the hotel for a late night farewell drink, or 6, and to say our goodbyes.
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Marrakech, Morocco

Day 13 - 4 January 2008

Woke to glorious sunshine - the very day we were leaving Essaouira. Typical! Would love to visit this place in the summer, very charming. We said our farewells to the smiling receptionists and boarded the coach, heading east towards Marrakech. A short stop was made at a women's cooperative, where the produced and sold beauty products made from almond oil. These women are all divorcees or widows and as such, outcast from society and left to fend for themselves. The cooperatives help them to support themselves, so we purchased various lotions and potions and carried on towards Marrakech.

We arrived late afternoon at the Hotel which was opposite the large minaret and very close to the famous Djemaa El Fna Square, a perfect position for exploring. We sat in reception waiting for Mohammed to give out our room keys. I was always the last one to be given my key, so I sat down, praying that this room would be acceptable. Amazingly enough, he announced my name first so obviously my warning to him about a decent room had been heeded. I would be staying here for 3 nights, a day longer than everyone else, as I had booked too late to get the return group flight. The room was fine, a little dark, but warm and comfortable. What a relief for me and Mohammed! We had some free time until dinner so I decided to walk to the famous square, which was literally 5 minutes away, and have a wander around.

What a wonderful place. Once seen, never forgotten. It was bustling with people and traders, story tellers, snake charmers, dancers, acrobats and goodness knows who else.
Behind the square lay the souks, fantastic little alleyways, full of shops selling just about everything. I wandered around for a while, just soaking up the atmosphere and getting my bearings. It was a magical place for sure and I fell in love with it. Strolled back to the hotel and came across an ice cream shop selling just about every flavour you could think of. Stuffing my face with cookies and cream icecream, I walked back to my room thinking it doesn't get much better than this.

We had travelled a lot today and were very tired so some of us decided to eat at a funky Italian restaurant next to the hotel for convenience. There were two very attractive young blonde women, who were obviously an item, sitting near us and quite frankly it was a wonder we got served at all. Trying to distract the waiters from staring open mouthed at the girls as they were kissing and stroking each other, so that we could order our meal, was nigh on impossible. Then Jeff appeared with Jane, still looking very peaky after his stomach upset. He had hardly eaten for the past few days and decided that he was now ready to face some pizza. Thankfully, one of the lovestruck duo went to the washroom and this brief interlude allowed us to get the attention of the waiters, and place our order.

Jeff was very much looking forward to his dinner and when the waiter arrived with a massive pizza, his face lit up. Then, as the smell hit his nostrils, his face turned white and rushed out of the restaurant, leaving us to finish his meal for him. He just wasn't ready to face it after all. We enjoyed our meal while the waiters enjoyed the free show conducted by the women on the next table and everyone was happy - apart from Jeff that is.

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Essaouira, Morocco

Woke up in the cold bedroom to hear the wind whistling through the gaps in the windows. I'd been so looking forward to walking along the beach here but it was out of the question. I quickly showered and applied my make up in the dim bathroom. On a visit to the washroom later in the morning, I discovered that the bad lighting was not great for applying makeup. I looked like Ronald McDonald!

We met for a very pleasant breakfast deep in the bowels of the hotel and decided to spend the day shopping and investigating the Medina, which is a UNESCO World Heritage listed city. At least in the narrow streets of the Medina we would be sheltered from the wind somewhat. This Medina is home to many small arts and crafts businesses too. First stop was the jewellery souk, where, after much bartering I was able to secure a beautiful silver necklace and earrings made in a traditional Berber design. Eight of us began the trip but as the morning wore on we invariably drifted apart, lured by the many beautiful shops which beckoned, and I found myself alone with Cara. It was a crisis situation; my alcohol stock was none existent. The last of the wine was polished off last night in an attempt to divert my attention from the damp, musty smelling room. Eventually we stumbled across a small 'off licence' and stocked up. Our bottles were wrapped in newspaper and then placed in a plain black plastic bag, as is the way in Morocco. Alcohol is available to buy but it is done so in a very discreet way.
Then it was time for lunch so the hunt was on for a suitable restaurant. Essaouira harbour is full of wonderful stalls selling all kinds of fresh seafood and this would have been a great place to sit and eat on a sunny day, but in a force nine gale I had visions of my face being plastered with pieces of prawn where the wind had blasted them off the fork as it approached my mouth. Not an attractive proposition, so the hunt was on for a suitable warm, dry restaurant. I always try to avoid eating at restaurants that have pictures of their food on the outside menu boards. Choosing a dish this way guarantees disappointment when it arrives, looking nothing like the picture. Or are these menu boards some sort of learning aid for the chef? Either way, it's enough to put me off. There were several of these photo menu places around the main square so we began looking down the side streets where we found an appealing menu on the side of a doorway, so we went in. It turned out to be a small guest house and we were sent up a few flights of stairs and sat a single table, the place was empty. We were surrounded by piles of dirty bed sheets left on the floor. Still, we were warm and comfy so decided to stay put and I'm glad we did. Despite the unglamorous surroundings, the meal was delightful, hot, tasty and reasonably priced. We continued shopping for a while then parted and I decided to walk along the ramparts by the sea. It was still very windy but at least the rain had stopped. The sea was angry and I abandoned plans for my beach walk. Not surprisingly, Essaouira is renowned for it's kite surfing and wind surfing, aided by the powerful trade winds. It was a beautiful beach and I imagined how wonderful it must be to enjoy hot summers days here. Ironic that we had enjoyed good weather all the trip and now at the seaside, it was awful. The two women were still without their luggage and their wet weather gear would have come in handy. Liz was starting to get panicky now as she would be joining her next group soon for the Antarctic trek and all she had were the clothes she stood up in!
That evening we all went to a restaurant that The Aussie Cliff Richard recommended, which had good food and even heating! I warned Mohammed if I didn't get a warm, decent room when we arrived at Marrakech, he would be speaking in a high voice. I waded through yet another tagine whilst enjoying a heated discussion with Kim and the Aussie Cliff Richard as to whether women should or should not wax their intimate areas. Perfect dinner table conversation! Ran back to the hotel in the pouring rain, back to my cold room with cold water and no heating but had a smile on my face as I pulled the covers around me, knowing that I would be out of here tomorrow and on the road to Marrakech. Fantastic!



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Essaouira, Essaouira, Morocco


Opened the door to go to breakfast, only to be greeted by the pungent stench of sewage. The whole corridor reeked. At the same time Jane appeared from her room. 'My God - the drains must be blocked, it smells awful' I said. 'It's not the drains' she said. It's Jeff. He's got a bad stomach - he's been up all night. You must have heard him'. I certainly did. Breakfast over we board the coach for the long drive to Essaouira. It wasn't a totally healthy coach I have to say. Jeff with his head in various carrier bags for most of the journey and the rest of us, at various stages with the cold, were sniffing, coughing blowing noses etc! Hey Ho! Despite this, we were all in good spirits and looking forward to reaching the coast. We headed south, leaving the desert sands behind us, and made our way up the winding roads and deep gorges of the High Atlas Mountains, capped with snow. Still enjoying beautiful sunshine but chilly air. The scenery was wonderful and we stopped a few times to take photos. We drove up and over the mountains on the Tizi n' Tichka pass, built by the Legionnaires, this is the highest vehicular pass in Morocco. Some parts of the road were very narrow with sheer drops so it made for a few nervous moments, but exciting, nonetheless.

We stopped for lunch and then carried on towards Essaouira. As we left the mountains behind and were on the road to the coast, I witnessed one of the funniest sights ever. Goats in trees! Mohammed had told us we would see this and to be honest, I thought he was pulling my leg. Obviously not.

At last I caught sight of the sea and was ecstatic. Having lived by the sea all my life, I miss it terribly when I'm away from the coast. Typically though, the weather changed abruptly. We arrived at the beautiful seaside resort of Essaouira to be greeted by wind and rain. Walking through the small streets, we arrived at the Hotel Souiri. I hate to say it but it was a dump. Central position but that's was the only plus. Yet again I was the last one to be allocated a room and no prizes for guessing it was on the top floor and there was no lift. Got to the top floor and it was freezing, doors leading out to the roof terrace were open and the wind was fierce. Essaouira is nicknamed the Windy City and by God it was living up to it's name. Entered the room and my heart sank - it was dreadful. Hideous large orange flowered wallpaper and tatty, green painted furniture and it smelt damp. Again it was poorly lit, with just one dim light and there was no heating. Two nights in this dump! I was getting fed up with this now. I was prepared for basic rooms but for the amount I had paid for the trip, I expected to be warm at least. Still, the two receptionists were very friendly, with smiles that lit up the room.

We couldn't wait to go and investigate this town, despite the rain. A beautiful walled fishing town with fantastic restaurants, famous for the seafood, and wonderful shops. The harbour with it's array of blue fishing boats is very pretty and the long, sandy beach with it's crashing waves is a favourite with surfers. Despite it's popularity with tourists, Essaouira still maintains a sense of conservatism. There are more veiled women here than in other cities and the streets don't seem to have changed for years - very charming. The ramparts, complete with rows of cannons, offer great views over the ocean. It all seems very wild and interesting. We made a mental note of where the shopping areas were before we went back to change for dinner. That evening was spent roaming the wonderfully colourful souks, thinking about what we would be buying tomorrow as we had the whole day to do as we pleased.

We came across an Italian restaurant too and all piled in to enjoy pizza. What a treat! Plenty of alcohol later, we staggered back to the hotel and thankfully I was too drunk to worry about the hovel I was staying in.
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