Sunday, 23 April 2017

9 Days In Morocco

I spent the Easter holiday exploring Morocco. It would have been rude not to visit Morocco while I am living in Algeciras considering it's just a short ferry ride away. It was a jam-packed 9 days full of adventure that truly felt like a trip of a lifetime. We packed in the "top things to do in Morocco" (according to our guidebook) in our limited time. This meant traveling hundreds of miles by train, grand taxi, car, coach, camel and foot. It meant exploring a wide range of environments from beaches (Tangier) to snow peaked mountains (Atlas) to rocky and sandy deserts (Sahara) to bustling cities (Marrakech). It gave us the opportunity to climb Mount Toubkal (4,100m high - altitude sickness unfortunately meant I could only reach 3,800m) and ride camels over the sand dunes in the Sahara. We visited a number of small Moroccan towns and villages across the country that varied hugely in their architecture and terrain. Among all this excitement we met fantastic and interesting people from all over Morocco and all over the world.  

Nine unforgettable days.

Chefchaouen - The blue city in the Moroccan mountains

Some very different Moroccan architecture near Ait Benhaddou

Selling traditional Moroccan rugs and carpets

My first visit to Africa

Todra Gorge with my tour group

A Moroccan lady at work in the commune farms

Riding camels in the Sahara desert

During the long hike to our refuge at Mt Toubkal

The hike had stunning scenery of the valleys and mountains - complemented with mules, streams and waterfalls

Marrakech - the mosque and minaret where calls to prayer would be shouted across the nearby area

Sunrise in Tangier