Morocco

Ait-Benhaddou, Morocco. This photo sums up the Morocco vibe very well. And if this scene looks familiar it's because several Hollywood directors thought so too - it's been in a bunch of movies. Most recent in a long line of films are The Last Temptation of Christ, Gladiator, and The Mummy. The movie 'Alexander' had just wrapped up shooting before our visit and scenes for Game of Thrones were also shot here recently. This is actually a real town; people do live and work here, but the darker-brown, newer-looking buildings in the distance function more as a movie set.

Near Erfoud, Morocco. The snow-capped Atlas Mountains can be seen from great distances in this part of Morocco.

Fez, Morocco. The lively main market in the city's medina (old quarter). I didn't realize until this trip where the word "tangerine" comes from. It's where this fruit originated, just up the coast in Tangier. See the kind of valuable knowledge you can pick up while traveling!

Marrakesh, Morocco. The smoky back-alleys of the Grand Bazaar at Marrakesh (left). These alleyways just twist and turn and branch off in every direction; getting lost is a certainty. But no worry : there are young kids back here who make their living by escorting lost tourists back out. I should know, we had to do it - a few times.

At least this cat wasn't lost. Cats are everywhere in this country; I don't think I've ever seen so many in one place. And no dogs. I asked a local why and he told me simply : "The prophet Mohammed liked cats". I think he was serious...

Fez, Morocco. The next time we complain about our jobs etc we should give a thought to these poor souls. This is a leather tannery, right in the middle of the city of Fez. Raw cow hides go into the vats for softening, bleaching, and coloring. These vats are full of really strong chemicals and the stench is overpowering even from 3 stories up, where this photo was taken. Imagine having to wade waist-deep through these tubs all day long like these poor guys do. And if the chemicals are strong enough to break down cowhide, imagine what they do to human skin. This may be one of the worst jobs ever - one of the guides said health issues are constant and workers tend to die young. I didn't see anybody working here that looked very old.

Marrakesh, Morocco. Hustle & bustle aside, the cities have a lot of beauty too... Here's the minaret at the main mosque in the Marrakesh medina.

Maroc or SoCal?

Taghazout, Morocco. Morocco has a coastline that is very much reminiscent of southern California : same hills, semi-desert, rocky coastline, waves, water temperature. But then you come across one of these and you realize you're not in SoCal anymore.

Side note : So growing up as a surfer on the east coast of Florida we would sometimes wonder, "ok, so if we just paddle straight east till we hit land, where would that be?". The answer is right here. This spot is at the same latitude as Atlantic Beach Florida. It'd be one hell of a long paddle though; 4,200 miles according to Google Earth.

Self-portaits.

Sahara desert, Morocco. Nothing beats an early morning camel ride out into the Sahara desert. Deserts are normally considered to be scorching hot places but in the early dawn hours this place was absolutely freezing! The dunes in this sunrise photo are misleading : they look small, maybe even like footprints in the sand. But each one is 2 or 3 stories tall, and the big one that we're on is about 500 feet high.

Sahara desert, Morocco. Our camel-drivers for the sunrise trip into the desert. Thankfully they brought along some hot Moroccan mint tea on this freezing morning!

Eastern Morocco. Another bit of distinctly Moroccan scenery : An old Moorish fort in the foreground and the Atlas Mountains in the background. If you like mid-east style travel with a French flair, then Morocco may be for you!