This image almost got me into trouble. You are NOT meant to photograph men/or women in uniform!
A shrill blast from a whistle brought our coach to a halt as we passed this group and I immediately knew that I was at fault. I had been taking pictures out of the coach window and one of the officers had spotted me doing so. I will give him credit as it was through a closed window and the bus was moving!
I was asked, politely to exit the bus and to join the officer as he walked me around the vehicle asking me where I was from and how long I had been in Morocco. He seemed satisfied that what I had done was out of ignorance of the local laws and after a chat about soccer, he allowed me to get back on the bus with a cheery “Enjoy Morocco”.
But I could not quite let it go and I asked if I could have a selfie with him…and he agreed with a smile.
I think that he might have been bored and I was an excuse to interact with a group of tourists. Anyway it all worked out well and we were allowed to continue our journey without me languishing in a local prison cell. I wished that I had asked his name as he was most courteous and treated me in a way that made me feel welcome…albeit like a visitor who needed to have the rules explained.
If Norway is known as the land of the midnight sun, then Morocco must surely be known as the land of rallies… This vehicle was part of one of three that be ended up being in the middle of.
The Maroc Classic Rally – La Route du Coeur is “THE” benchmark for rallies in Morocco. The 2024 edition offered a renewed route as well as breathtaking landscapes and thrilling moments, both at the wheel as a passenger.
This is the type of traffic jam I don’t mind sitting in…
The rally takes participants through the Sahara desert and the high peaks of the Atlas. It looks like they also take in major roads so that ‘regular’ folk like us got to drool over the various makes and models of iconic brands like Porsche and Ferrari.
The are around fifteen special stages to complete and the timing is done to tenths of a second to satisfy enthusiasts of the discipline while remaining perfectly accessible to novices and beginners. Luckily for the drivers of such low-slung vehicles, the route is 100% paved and is open to both beginners and more experienced drivers.
A playground in the middle of the desert? Not really as there is a coffee shop/ restaurant and souvenir shop just out of shot on the right.
People seem to have mixed views about wind turbines. Although the energy is much needed, do the pros outweigh the cons?
How do they work? How wind turbines work. Wind turbines use their blades to collect the wind’s kinetic energy. Wind flows over the blades creating lift (similar to the effect on airplane wings), which causes the blades to turn. The blades are connected to a drive shaft that turns an electric generator, which produces (generates) electricity.
And no, this is NOT a mirage, this is a man-made dam.
This is the Hassan II dam near Errachidia on the road to Merzouga.
Named after Hassan 11, who, following Morocco’s independence from France, his father appointed him as the first Commander in Chief of the newly founded Royal Moroccan Armed Forces in April 1956. The same year, he led army contingents to victory after defeating rebel militias during the Rif revolt.
FYI: The Hassan II Dam, also known as the Sidi Said Dam, is a gravity dam on the Moulouya River about 13 km north of Midelt in Midelt Province, Morocco. It has a maximum storage capacity of 400 million cubic meters.
Volubilis is one of the largest and most important archaeological sites in Morocco, with the remains of settlements dating from the pre-Roman to the early Islamic periods. It was the capital of the Mauretanian kingdom under the reigns of Juba II and Ptolemy (A.D. 25 to 40).
By the 11th century, Volubilis had been abandoned after the seat of power was relocated to Fes. Much of the local population was transferred to the new town of Moulay Idriss Zerhoun, about 5 km (3.1 mi) from Volubilis.
We were scheduled to take a tour here but the rain had turned the site into a mud bath and none of us had the correct attire, so we took pictures from the side of the road, where we could stay dry and clean.
If only every gas station did NOT have one of these…
Jimmy Buffet (American folk singer/songwriter. 1946-2023) coined the phrase “It’s 5 o’clock somewhere”.
After seeing washing in places that I never expected, could I paraphrase that by proposing “It’s always a laundry day somewhere”?
The blue city… Chefchaouen. Why The Blue City I hear you ask?
The most popular theory is that after WWII, when the Jewish community in the area grew as people fled Nazi persecution, blue was painted on the walls, floors and steps as a religious practice, to represent the colour of the sky and connect the city to heaven and God.
This could be the set of a dystopian movie. And seeing that Morocco often features in modern movies, that could be a possibility. But in fact, I believe that is a mining operation of some sort.
Timing…
One of the problems when shooting out of a moving bus. Not an easy exercise as I would only see the horse and cart at the last minute and the equipment I was using left a lot to be desired when it came to taking ‘action’ photographs.
But, as the adage goes, “A good workman does not blame his tools”, so I persevered until I eventually got what I was looking for (that image has been featured in another post, hence it not reappearing here.)
Our motorcycle escort.
This was the company we utilized for our tour.
There were issues along the way, but nothing that could not be resolved on the spot. It did give value for money and if Morocco is a bucket list destination then the tour host, Linda, will give you that in spades.
As I have said many times before, if you go with no expectations then you cannot be disappointed. All my wife and I require is a comfortable bed, reasonable connectivity, hot water(most of the time) and a breakfast that sets us up for the day. On this trip, we almost had a full house of requirements. Those that were lacking, we accommodated and smiled. Making it all part of the overall experience and adventure.
Travel is the proud winner of this prestigious award from the digital British lifestyle magazine Luxlife. The award is in the category Best Travel & Experiences Blog 2024 – South Africa
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