I highly, highly recommend reading In Arabian Nights by Tahir Shah (not to be confused with The Arabian Nights: The book of a thousand nights and a night translated by Sir Richard Burton...also good) if you're interested in learning about Morocco AND the story in your heart.
3/30/25
We left CB to drive to Estes. It snowed a bit overnight.
3/31/25
I went for a morning backcountry ski with Lisa Foster at Hidden Valley. We ran into Aaron Reichardt, so we skied with him 2. We did 2 laps up in the bowl. Lisa has started a new youtube channel, so she filmed me for some of it. You can watch it here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYnVz7pi_x0
In the afternoon, Elisha, mom, and I hiked up to half-frozen Gem Lake out by twin owls.
4/1 Mom drove us down to Denver where we caught our Air Canada flight to Montreal. Then it was an overnight flight to Casablanca, Morocco.
4/2
We arrived early to the Casablanca airport. We took a train into the city center where we hopped off and walked indo the medina and through the souks. They were mostly empty, being morning. We stopped at supermarket to grab some food and then walked to the gitan Hassan II mosque (so huge!) where we took a tour of the magnificent building. It's one of the largest mosques in the world and can accomodate 105,000 worshippers (25,000 inside and 80,000 outside in the plaza). In the winter it has heated floors! It sits in a beautiful location out on a peninsula with the green ocean surrounding it. From the mosque area, you can also see the large Casablanca lighthouse.
It started raining and we headed to a fancy mall for lunch. We then headed to the train station to catch a train to Marrakech, but we had to wait a long time (several hours) as the trains were all booked up. We eventually got a train and made it Marrakech. Upon arrival, we checked into our hostel and then had a good dinner of Tagine with olives and mint tea from a tiny little place in the souks owned by a very nice man. Cats are EVERYWHERE! and so friendly.
4/3
We started the day with breakfast on the terrace of our riad hostel that had nice views over the city and the snowy mountain in the distance. We started the day off by walking to the Djemaa El Fna (place of death in Arabic). We explored the the square with its snake charmers and monkey wranglers. We walked to the main mosque and then had 2nd breakfast on a terrace overlooking the square (also with nice views of the snowy mountais). We walked through the medina (walled city) and explored souk after souk (narrow passageways) with their carpets, lamps, curios, oils, spices, etc for sale. We visited the spice, blacksmith, and dyeing souks. We also walked by some other mosques. We went a bit outside the main part of the medina and visited a souk area more for locals, like a flea market. We excited the medina through the city walls and walked along a road where people were selling very old (and perhaps often reclaimed from the trash) wares on the sidewalk.
We then went back to the hostel and took a nap in the hostel courtyard. After the rest, we explored more souls. We got tours of the spices and dyes, including "moroccan vicks". We watched an amazing sunset with smoothies from a terrace overlooking the Djemaa el fna.
We then went down to the square to feast at the food stalls where we had Tagine and Tanjia (so yummy! especially Tanjia). At the meal they give you bread, olives, and mint tea. In the square, especially, the food people are fairly aggressive to try to get you to eat at their place. For dessert we had khunjul (Moroccan spiced tea) and ginger cakes. We then walked around the square a bit, looking at street performers and storytellers. There are also people selling random wares, snake oil salesmen, and difference chance games setup.
4/4/25
We had breakfast on the terrace and then moved to our new hostel (Riad Jennah Rouge), which is a cool and ornate riad. It was through a cool, winding passageway to get there. Easy to get lost! Google maps/Maps.me certainly help to navigate. When I first visited Morocco (in 2008), there was none of that GPS, so you just wandered around lost and then could pay some kid a few coins to get you to your hostel or whatever.
We took a public mini bus to Ourika and then a taxi up the steep, winding road, full of rockfall to Oukaimeden ski resort. We were going up there to ski, but unfortunately, just like Colorado, they were having a warm and dry year, so the snow had melted early at the ski hill. We walked around enjoying the views and laughed at the ski in/ski out "condos" made out of stone. Also the "ski bums" wearing snow pants and now selling geodes and bracelets.
I tried on some skis and rear entry boots for a photo op before heading back down the hill. A tree (cherry?) with white flowers was in full bloom. We took the bus back to Marrakech and read while lounging up on the terrace. We had dinner at the Djemaa el fna (Tanjia, soup, sweet pretzel, dates, egg & potato sandwich, spicy tea, ginger sweet, and nutella/banana crepe.
4/5/25
Today we started our trip to the High Atlas. We took a taxi to Imlil at the base of the mountains where we met our guide Said (Say-eed). We rented crampons, had some mint tea, and then headed off our on our trek.
We started out by climbing a pass (Tizi n'Mzik--2480m = 8,136 ft) above Imlil where we had a picnic. I then climbed up a small peak with nice views of the snowy mountains and the desert. We then descended into the Azzadan Valley to our gite (homestay) at Azib Tamsoult (2250m = 7381 ft). Along the way we stopped at a small little shelter where a solitary man served us mint tea. The gite was in a cool valley with terraced agriculture and goats all below steep, snowy mountains. We read on the terrace and then at night again after enjoying a dinner of Tagine and soup.
4/6/25
We hiked up a cool gorge where there was a pretty waterfall coming down onto ice. Then it was a beautiful hike up 2 passes (tizis), with the high pass being Tizi 'n Aguelzim at 3540m (11,614 ft). We then climbed a bit more to summit Jebel Aglzim (3650m = 11,977ft). We had a picnic there with amazing views of the snowy High Atlas as well as Jebel Toubkal, our eventual goal. We did some glissading and then crossed some deep snowfields as we made our way down to the Toubkal base camp (3207m = 10,519 ft), which is situated in a beautiful and snowy valley.
I tried my best to find skis there or have mules bring some up from Imlil (so that I could ski on my 7th Continent), but had no luck =( We hung out reading in the mountain hut and had dinner of soup and tagine.
4/7/25
The Gators played in the Final Four in the middle or our night, and there was obviously no way to watch them. Sleeping was in a crammed bunk room where everyone got up at 3am. They were SO loud and rude, which was annoying since our wake up call was at 4:30am. I couldn't believe people would talk so loud and turn the lights on when others are sleeping.
After breakfast, we started at about 5:15am after donning crampons. We hiked up the snowy ravine to reach Tizi (Col) Toubkal, passing all of the other groups along the way (My training for the Grand Traverse wasn't for nothing I guess =/ On the col, the horizon was a fiery red. We continued on to the summit of Jebel Toubkal (4167m = 13,671ft), arriving before anyone else, so that we had the summit to ourselves as we watched the sunrise. There were great views looking down on the snowy high atlas and towards the desert. It was very cold at the top, so we headed down and did some glissading along the way.
We had some tea at the refuge and then headed down a different way than we had come. We had lunch at the cute and tiny village of Sidi Chamarouch, with a river running right through it. Next, we hiked by the village of Aroumd, which was cool with how it was built on a hill with snowy peaks in the background. Back at Imlil, we had drinks on a terrace with mountain views after walking around town. Getting service in Imili, I learned that the Gators had won their game and would be playing in the National Championship!! We then took our ride back to Marrakech.
Back in the Marrakech medina, we checked into our new hostel (Juli's) and went out on the town for dinner at a hole-in-the-wall Tanjia place that the Moroccan king had visited. Delicious!
4/8/25
Woke up to find out that Gators had won the National Championship!!!!!!
We spent the day exploring more of Marrakech. We visited the Mellah (Old Jewish Quarter), Jewish cemetery, Bahia Palace, and an old ruined palace. We had cold drinks in a square, watching people and horse drawn carriages go by. We got a tour of a spice shop and all the spices. At the Dejma al fna, I tought some people how to do the gator chomp and took videos with them. It was pretty funny. Back at Juli's we had more cold drinks on the terrace. Dinner at a new place and big/cheap crepes for dessert (8 dirhmas = $0.80).
4/9/25
Another tasty breakfast from Juli. We then took a bus to Essaouira, a coastal town. We explored inside the city walls (Medina) and climbed up the ramparts for ocean views. There were lots of happy cats here b/c of all the fish around. We walked to the port where there is a mess of blue fishing boats. We walked through the fish market where they were selling shrimp, huge lobsters and crabs, fish of all kinds, including various sharks (even epaulette sharks), and stingrays. We had a lunch of fresh caught fish (sea bass). Unfortunately our bus back was almost 2 hours late, so we got into Marrakech late where we had a late Tagine and Tanjia dinner.
4/10/25
Today we started our desert tour. We piled into a sprinter van early in the morning and then headed up over a pass in the Atlas to reach Ait Ben Haddou. We had a tour of the really cool Kasbah there, but the tour was slow and annoying and the guide wouldn't let us go by ourselves. So during lunch I went back and had a better time (all the tour groups were eating lunch so it was empty) and visited some viewpoints and walked in the river. Ait Ben Haddou is famous for being a place several movies/shows have filmed there, including Game of Thrones and Gladiator.
Back in the van we passed through Ourzazate and drove through the valley of roses and the road of 1000 kasbahs. There were indeed lots of cool Kasbahs around. Then we headed into the Dades Gorge, which was really cool with unique rock formations, dramatic cliffs, a river, and cool towns and Kasbahs perched on ledges or nestled in canyons. We stayed at a pretty nice hotel. Super windy overnight.
4/11/25
After breakfast we hopped in the van and drove to the Todres Gorge, which is a steep and narrow canyon with a creek running through it. We did a short hike, then we walked through some date palms (palms lined the valley) and walked through the narrow streets of a small village to a ruined Kasbah. Then it was mint tea in a carpet shop where we learned about all things carpet. We continued driving past more villages and Kasbahs until making our way into the flat desert (the Sahara!). Eventually we saw the big orange dunes ahead. We loaded into the back of a pickup truck and drove towards the dunes where we met our camels and berber camel herder.
We hopped aboard our camels and went for a relaxing and scenic plod across the dunes. It was very beautiful (and quite windy with the sands shifting around). At the base of the largest dune, we got off the camels and climbed to the top. From the top it was endless dunes do the south. We then rode camels to our Berber "camp". We were staying in luxury tents that even had a toilet and shower and the biggest bed I've maybe ever slept in. But we did find a scorpion in the tent.
We had a nice buffet dinner and then listened to Berber and Gnawa music by the fire and did some dancing. It rained at night, as crazy as that is. Supposedly in this part of the desert it only rains 4 or 5 times a year. We'd learn that a couple days later it would actually the snow, the first time it had snowed in over 13 years.
4/12/25
We woke up and got on the road towards Fez in the rain. It quickly started to rain hard. We saw flash floods and had to drive through flooded washes, which seemed rather sketchy. It continued to rain as we worked our way up the barren and dramatic escarpment. Waterfalls were coming off the cliffs everywhere. Rivers, which I think are normally dry, were swollen. Eventually, we hit trees as we drove above about 5,000 feet. We made a stop to see some Barbary monkeys (some people were feeding them to get close).
Next, we stopped in Ifrane (the "Switzerland" of Morocco), with its trees, green grass, gardens, and buildings with pitched roofs that look European. It was pouring rain, but we walked around a bit outside and ate a Belgian waffles. We also visited the lion statue which pays homage to the last Barbary Lion killed in the area. We then drove onto Fez, arriving at dusk.
Our hostel was a super cool Riad with a fountain in the center of the courtyard and cool lanterns and stained glass window. They also have 3 cute and very friendly tiny kittens.
4/13
We took a tour guide in the morning to explore the ancient medina and the small souks and passageways of the old city. THere are 9700 streets inside the city walls, some as narrow and dark as the narrowest slot canyons in Utah. We visited a tannery, a silversmith, and a carpet shop, where we saw them weaving on the looms. We also visited some viewpoints of the city and had some fresh-squeezed OJ. The OJ is incredibly delicious right now as the oranges are in season. After lunch we explored the souks on our own and visited the university and its mosque. It's one of the oldest universities in the world. We walked out to the "middle" city and walked to the palace and its famous gates. On the way we walked through a beautiful garden. In the evening we explored the souks some more and then had a confrontation with a guy who acted like a friend, but then wanted money in the end. You should have seen Elisha argue with him! We had a nice Tagine dinner and crepes by the blue gate.
4/14
After the big and delicious breakfast, we hiked up to some ruins and a large mausoleum via a cemetery for great views of the city.
We then caught a bus to Chefchaouen. It was an interesting drive through rolling green hills before arriving to the Riff mountains. We walked from the bus station up the steep hill to our hostel (Riad Baraka), within the medina. It was a bit rainy, but not too bad. We had dinner at a good and cheap place where the proprietor was really nice.
We walked around a bit exploring the "blue city" or the "blue pearl of Morocco". Chefchaouen is famous for its blue buildings--painted blue perhaps to ward off the evil eye (muslims), b/c of peace represented by the blue sky and ocean (jews who previously lived there), or to keep away mosquitos.
4/15
We walked around the narrow, winding, and very blue path of the Chefchaouen medina. Lots of cats!! It's a cool contrast between the bright oranges and blue walls.
We did a couple carpet bargaining sessions: 1. You walk in 2. They give you tea v3. Small talk 4. Carpets are pulled out. 5. Which do you like? 6. Select ones you like. 7. Only then are prices offered. 8. Bartering 9. More small talk. 10. Settle on a price
We eventually bought a carpet and blanket from Abdullah. He was very nice and sincere. He walso had these hilarious sayings and anecdotes and quips. When I asked him if he sold any magic flying carpets, he told me "When you buy it and take it home on the airplane, it will be a flying carpet". We eventually the price down from $300 to $80 for the carpet + blanket.
The orange juice in Morocco has been amazing, and we enjoyed several glasses of fresh squeezed juice from our favorite juice stand (run by a super nice deaf man). Also, we've been enjoying the to-go hot cocoas for the chilly, drizzly days from a nice man in a little shop. We hiked up to the Spanish Mosque viewpoint and had Moroccan "tacos" for lunch.
There was a really sweet homeless looking man who had secured some sardine fish. When he arrived to the alley we were in, all of a sudden cats were jumping down from the roofs everywhere. Something tells me he does this often.
We laugh because most of the me wear jelabas around here. Jelabas are hooded robes which look like what Star Wars Jedi Knights wear. So we're always pointing them out and saying "As-salamu alaykum. May the Force be with you!
In the evening, we ate at our favorite budget place with the nice proprietor of the restaurant. We then went to cafe clock for fruit smoothies while we enjoyed live Oud music (nice sound). We hadn't seen any alcohol on our entire trip, but we had heard that there was an underground speakeasy place to get some. We found it and walked into the smoky bar where we got beer to go in a black bag.
4/16/25
I got up early and enjoyed walking along the blue streets all to myself with a hot cocoa to go on a chilly morning.
After a delicious breakfast (oatmeal with fruits and fresh juice and pastry), we took a shared taxi to Akchour where we started a hike to Akchour waterfalls. The hike was scenic through a beautiful, mountainous canyon that had dense foliage along a beautiful turquoise river. We saw lots of flowers and some monkeys as well. There were lots of small cascades along the way, but the final high waterfall was just stunning, crashing from way up high into a turquoise pool below. We had some mint tea at the falls, cooked by folks there, and then headed back down the canyon.
I did some cliff jumping in some nice pools on the way down. We then hiked up to "God's bridge," which is a natural bridge a thousand or so feet above the river. Back down at the bottom, we had fresh OJ before taking a shared taxi back to Chefchaouen. When we got back to town, we found out that the hostel we were going to stay at had lost our reservation, but we were luckily able to go back to Riad Baraka. We had dinner in the main square by the Kasbah and then did some shopping. Elisha bought a cool lantern from a metal worker.
4/17
We got up early and took a shared taxi to Tangier. A kid in the back was vomiting from the winding roads.
At Tangier we wandered around the medina a bit and checked out the castle and city walls. We had a last Moroccan lunch before boarding a ferry to cross the Strait of Gibraltar to Tarifa, Spain.
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