Travel

Driving under pressure

April 15, 2007

The blackness of the desert sky and the way dimmer stars wink into vision until the whole dome is covered with lights is as wonderful as ever. But to get to this point we had a day of minor efforts. First to pick up the hire car; no big deal, really, but delivered with an [...]

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We’ve got to get ourselves back to the garden

April 14, 2007

The Majorelle Gardens may well be one of those places you have to see before you die, at least if you like colour and light and plants. On my previous visit it was December and eight in the morning and I had the place almost entirely to myself. This time it is April and high [...]

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An endless story

April 13, 2007

Our room was all tasteful dark wood and rich shades of reddish purple. Beaten bronze basins and the biggest bathtub I have ever seen outside the Piazza Farenesi. Turned out, next morning, that I could stretch out completely flat in it. Rested, refreshed, ready for anything; off we went to the Jamaa el fna. Would [...]

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Sea of Tranquility

April 13, 2007

The contrast between inside and outside could not possibly have been greater. total calm, beside a still, illuminated pool with barely moving palms. A fresh pot of mint tea. Forms to fill in. But also, instantly, nothing to do. The anxiety of not knowing what was to become of us melted into a feeling of [...]

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Anxiety attack

April 13, 2007

Slightly scary to be alighting at the Jamaa el Fna with no idea of where the hotel is other the “near the Jemaa el Fna”. Two tourist policemen had no idea either. A boy outside a shoe shop sent us in what turned out to be completely the wrong direction, but smiling. With only the [...]

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Arrival

April 12, 2007

No taxi touts? Unthinkable. Not a single shady individual asks where we are going. And the rank, when we get outside, is strangely deserted. A guy asks where we are going. We tell him. “You can take the bus. There is a strike. they are on strike.”

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Swiss army idiot

April 12, 2007

Pen and paper is all one needs to keep a journal. But to publish those thoughts these days takes the inter-tubes. Despite the plethora of cyber-cafés in Morocco, I decided to go with simplicity and blog my thoughts in unreal time, one week late. So here goes. Not a great start. Having bought a new [...]

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