Morocco ⵜⴰⴳⵍⴷⵉⵜ ⵏ ⵍⵎⵖⵔⵉⴱ
- Donotbelievemejustwatch
- Aug 15, 2019
- 6 min read
„Walizkę zapakować – rozpakować, zapakować – rozpakować, zapakować, maszyna do pisania (Hermes Baby), paszport (SA 323273), bilet, lotnisko, schodki, samolot, zapiąć pasy, start, odpiąć pasy, lot, kołysanie, słońce, gwiazdy, kosmos, biodra spacerujących stewardes, sen, chmury, spadające obroty silników, zapiąć pasy, zniżanie, kołowanie, lądowanie, ziemia, odpiąć pasy, schodki, lotnisko, książeczka szczepień, wiza, cło, taksówka, ulice, domy, ludzie, hotel, klucz, pokój, duszno, pragnienie, inność, obcość, samotność, czekanie, zmęczenie, życie”.
Ryszard Kapuściński, "Wojna Futbolowa”
My trip to Morocco will always remain special in my heart.
Not only because it was my first time visiting an African country (and definitely not the last one), but also because of all the mixture of extreme feelings that this country has aroused in me.
To begin with, frustration and agitation when urban transport ceases to move because of Rama. Anxiety when the taxi driver all of a sudden stops on the side road and gets out the car and starts to walk toward the boot (it's pitch black outside); or nervousness when mi amiga suddenly rides off into the sunset (it's not ideal to get lost in the tiny streets of Fez medina); through a totally opposite feeling- the delight of Mother Nature and appreciation of every encountered pebble, waterfall, and dune; or admiration for the unique architecture of the Moroccan medina exposes various influences - Berber, Arab, Andalusian, and French.
However, what my heart fell in love with was the hospitality, kindness, and sympathy from (almost) all the local people and travelers who we met on our way.
The best word to describe my feelings toward Morocco will be longing, longing for the endless adventure and the unpredictability of this place.
6 unmissable places in Morocco
1.) Sahara Desert
The unquestionable number one are the dunes in the Erg Chebbi Desert in Merzouga- it is a region where you have the pleasure of meeting Berber Nomads. Its dunes reach up to 150 meters high and move gently all the time. It doesn't take small effort to scale the dunes, we finally got to sit down on the highest one and feast our eyes with the view of the most beautiful sunset I have ever seen in my life. sun setting. It was indisputably an unforgettable experience.
2) Atlas Mountains
Toubkal (ⵜⵓⴳⴳ ⴽⴰⵍ ), the highest peak not only of the Atlas Mountains Range but also of all of North Africa, is rising proudly from the north over Marrakesh and the desert plains from the south, four thousand meters high. Hiking was on my bucket list for a while now
but due to challenging trek to the summit, lack of proper hiking shoes and experience, we decided not to risk it and we skipped the trekking trip. Luckily, it turns out that we were crossing the Tizi N Tichka pass of the High Atlas Mountains (2260m) enjoying the view of the mountainous road on our way to Merzouga. At least, I've got an absolutely perfect reason to come back to Morocco!
3) Essaouira ⵚⵡⵉⵔ
Essaouira's Atlantic winds attract windsurfers from all around the world. A proverb says: good wind in your sails and plenty of adventure, so as you already know us, being adventurous is our second name, we have tempted to try our strength in breaking waves. Great fun! Essaouira, (also known as Assawira or Mogador) is calmer and cooler than in the chaotic and polluted Marrakech, the sellers are kinder, less intrusive, sometimes even drowsy...
Dozens of years ago, crowds of children-flowers used to come here to simply relax. For all those decades, this city has become a beloved city of hippies, everything here flows with a different rhythm, and from my point of view, not much has changed since.
4) Marrakesh ⴰⵎⵓⵔⴰⴽⵓⵛ
Marrakesh is located at the intersection of important roads in the southern part of the country. It is the 4th largest city of Morocco, but trust me, it feels busier than London. Marrakech, also known as a Red City, it has more African than Moroccan vibe than other cities in the north of the part of Morocco. According to a local Berber legend, when the Kutubiyyah mosque was built in the city center, so much blood was poured that all the walls, houses and roads turned red. This legend is easily understood by looking at the sunset at the red walls surrounding the medina and the houses standing here.
It attracts a lot of buyers from the surrounding plains and tourists from all around the world who want to admire its numerous monuments and one of the most famous market in the world and that's exactly what we did. Most of our time we spent wandering around Jamaa el Fna Square, and venture further into the medina (Old Town) to explore its labyrinth of traditional souks. I guarantee you, your eyes will want to buy everything. Don't forget to bargain! When night falls, Jamaa el Fna bursts at the seams.
How would I describe the colors of the city, the smell of the spices, the aromas of perfumes, the taste of local dishes, the Arabic culture of good exchange, the nightlife, if I could use only one word?
Intense, in every sense of the word. :)
PS: The Moroccan weather +40C have killed us (or our devices?), so we haven't taken any pictures in Marrakesh... that's sound like great reason to come back!
5) Chefchaouen ⴰⵛⵛⴰⵡⵏ
500 years of blue, but why? One popular theory is that the tradition of painting everything blue dates back to the Jewish community that settled there in the 15th century. The color mirrors the sky and reminds them of God The second one says the blue keeps mosquitos away and prevent malaria.
What do to in such an Instagram-able place? It speaks for itself!
The best thing to do in “Blue Pearl” is to wander through the city's medina and admire the picturesque scenes that unfold around each corner and down every staircase. Visit the souk, shop at one of the many little bazaars and watch the sunset from the rooftop restaurant while sipping another mint tea.
A curiosity for smokers: you’ll come across local guides who offer hikes to located nearby cannabis fields.
6) Fez ⴼⴰⵙ
Fes is a town of 9,000 streets & 40,000 dead ends. Each street is full of ubiquitous squeezing mopeds, holy cats, openwork decorations, old buildings, huge gates in the shape of the Berber flame and locals who want to exchange you for 5,000 camels. What's more, the streets are full of light, dust, narrowness, loud calls from sellers and unstoppable noise. The oldest Medina in Morocco is known for its hard work, often working literally on the street (e.g. forging wedding pots, making henna tattoos or gutting chickens).
The Leather Tanneries is a place not to be missed while visiting Fez. In order to find it, you need to cross dozens of narrow streets in the medina, find a shop with a view of the tannery, steep stairs to climb to the first floor and go through the entire store lined with colorful rugs.
Wandering in tiny medina alleys is one thing but finding your way out of the Moroccan labyrinth, or worse, finding my partner in crime, who left me in the middle of nowhere, is a more challenging task. Fes has taught us that even if nothing goes the way you expect and all your plans are sunk, just allow it to happen.
From a retrospective, I can happily say that I'm glad we got a chance to experience intensify and authenticity of this Moroccan city.
PS: I wish someone has known that before- a local guide is a necessity in this place.
I do love Morocco for endless mint tea and shisha, for the sky where the milky way can be seen with the naked eye and where you can gallop on a horse on the shore of the ocean, for the carefree local people and ubiquitous hospitality.
I am grateful for the chance to meet travelers with whom I can carry an infinite conversation about our traveling experience and get more practical advice than any traveling blog can offer me. Often we bond between each other like nobody else.
I am thankful for the opportunity to meet local people who have proven me (once again) how important it's to be open to new experiences which might be associated with personal challenges. Although, in my opinion, that is the main factor which adds excitement to your trip.
Big thank you for my dearest friend Luna, who I met while traveling in Panama, for another trip full of unforgettable moments, for the millions of hours of fun spent together, and for the support during having upset stomach after consuming tagine of unknown origin.
Thank you for being the most annoying travel buddy ever. Love you to bits.
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