Change of plans…We’re back in Marrakech…A story to tell…More photos from the Atlas Mountains…

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The renowned Kasbah, Kasbah Aït Ben Haddo, located in Dades Valley in the Atlas Mountains.

We’re back in Marrakech one day early. That’s what we chose when we decided to travel the world, the ability to changes our plans without apologies, without rationalizations, and without devising flimsy excuses.

We’re only accountable to ourselves as a unit of two loving, committed individuals whose utmost concern is the happiness of one another. Our own pleasure is derived unselfishly from the joy we observe in the other, making each and every experience worthwhile, even if it isn’t 100% of our own liking.

In order to get to the above Kasbah, we had to navigate across two creeks stepping on these muslin covered rocks. I must say, the distance between each step was about as far as my legs could reach. Luckily, we made it both ways without getting our shoes wet.

The second creek we had to navigate to get to the Kasbah.

For this reason, we ended our road trip halfway through. No camel ride in the Sahara Desert. No second night in a hotel. We stayed true to ourselves and to each other.

Our readers may ask, “Which of the two of you wanted to end the trip early?”

Once we arrived at the Kasbah after a steep downhill climb over uneven rocks and making our way across the two creeks, we were told a movie was in production and we wouldn’t be allowed to take photos. No photos? We left amid the trucks and confusing making the return walk across the two creeks and a long uphill climb back to Mohamed’s vehicle.


We were disappointed to be unable to see the interior of this fortress-like structure.

In our minds, that doesn’t matter. If one of us is not having a good time, the other wants nothing more than the return of the other’s usual sense of well being and contentment. In this case, it meant returning to Dar Aicha, our riad in Marrakech.

Our last look at the Kasbah Ait Ben Hado before we continued on our way.

Some may say this is condescending and patronizing. For us, it’s about being happy, letting nothing short of one of life’s unforeseen tragedies, to impose upon that blissful state of being.

What didn’t we like about this prearranged all-inclusive trip to the Atlas Mountains, ending with a trip to the Sahara Desert, that we decided to cut short?

The drive through the mountains was treacherous with endless hairpin turns on the two-lane road with the necessity of passing slow-moving vehicles. On the seven-hour return drive today, I actually got carsick for the first time in many years.

Oh, we could place blame on the rock hard bed and pillows on which neither of us slept a wink. We could blame it on the beef dinner with meat too hard to chew requiring that every six bites we had to spit out a tangled glob of a sinewy mess into our paper napkins.

We could blame it on the tiny room, a supposed “upgrade” where the towels and sheets were mismatched and threadbare, the toilet paper unperforated (never saw this before), the toilet leaking, and the minuscule bar of soap that refused to lather. Or, we could blame it on the banging drums that started at 10:45 pm to entertain the busloads of overnight guests, while us old-timers thrashed about trying to fall asleep. 

The rock formations varied throughout the area from a dull grey such as this to some of the most vibrant colors we’ve seen since our Blyde River Canyon trip in South Africa three months ago.

In reality, if blame were required and it is not, we can only blame ourselves for these reasons:
1.  Our expectations and frame of reference.
2.  Our unwillingness to spend what would prove to be almost US $1000, MAD $8133, (including tips and beverages) for two nights in hotels and three days on the road and feel forced to continue on, only compounding the angst of this expenditure.

Check out the shepherding dog in the center of this photo. We saw sheep grazing on many different elevations as we traveled.

Why not “stick it out?” Because we don’t have to. That’s the magic of being a grown-up in charge of one’s own destiny.

In our old lives, we may have considered “What will “people” say?”

We were headed to the popular tourist site of the modern village of Ouarzazate (pronounced, wer-ziz-zate). 

In this life, with thousands of people worldwide with whom we’re sharing our story, depicting our daily comings and goings, we decided long ago that many will accept our decisions and many may not. It goes with the territory. 

But, above all, we chose to “tell it like it is” to the best of our ability without hurting anyone or their business by our own occasional displeasure.

 Ouarzazate would be an excellent place to stay for many tourists for a vacation/holiday with its many modern shopping centers, restaurants, and arts and cultural centers.

What did we like about the last day and a half?  Our excellent and thoughtful driver, Mohamed provided perfection. The river view from the hotel and our room were lovely. The hotel concierge, Rashid was helpful and kind. The Atlas Mountains and surrounding villages were interesting and scenic but, not eliciting the awe and wonder of many of our adventures in the past almost 16 months since we left the US.

Yeah, we’re “Hooked on a Feeling” (click link for the song from 1968). Our past amazing past experiences surely have spoiled us, a hard act to follow for future experiences. After Petra, the exciting cruise through the Middle East, the Maasai Mara, and Marloth Park, we knew we ran this risk. 

These swirling rock formations most likely formed million of years ago, made one think these striations were a result of water.

Today, when we returned to the Medina, Adil was waiting for us to help with our bags.  When we entered the riad, Madame Zahra and Oumaima were awaiting us with hugs proudly showing off the usual spotless environment.  We were “home” and it felt darned good after only a short time away.

What do we do from here?  We continue on…with the same hope and perhaps misaligned expectations that we struggled to leave behind during these past 32 hours.  We know that that ultimate high will be ours once again, but not necessarily in the mountains of Morocco.

Tomorrow, earlier in the day than today, we’ll be back with the continuation of our many photos of the Atlas Mountains.  Have a lovely Friday evening!  We plan on it!
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Photo from one year ago today, April 11, 2013:

We opted out of this excursion to Mahogany Bay in Roatan, Honduras to lay on this manmade beach owned by the cruise line which charged for lawn chairs, beach towels and beverages.  Instead, we stayed behind with the pools almost to ourselves without incurring any additional expenses.  For details in Part 2 of the harrowing experience of having our vitamins confiscated, please click here.

Long road trip to the Atlas mountains…Beautiful scenery…Mother Nature did it again…Expectations?

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As we began the ascent to the Atlas Mountains, we realized it was the first snow we’d seen in a very long time.

It’s 5:00 pm Thursday. A short time ago we checked in at the Hotel du Vieux du Dades, Ouarzazate, Morocco after an eight-hour drive through the Atlas Mountains and valleys.

At the lower elevations, we passed many small villages. The higher the elevation, the more modern the villages.

The hotel? Clean, modest. Not what we’d normally choose. But, it’s situated on a river gorge presenting a beautiful backdrop as we sit here now on the veranda, the sound of the rushing water music to our ears.

The sales as a result of tourist trade are what sustains many of the villagers.

As world travelers, having left the US a mere 15 months ago, our expectations when we travel from the vacation home of the month, are outrageously high. After all, we’ve seen exquisite Petra in Jordan, been on an extraordinary Big 5 safari in the Maasai Mara, Kenya, and lived in the free-roaming wildlife area of Marloth Park, South Africa. How does anything else compare?

Periodically, we cross a river or a creek. Many of our photos today were taken through the car window glass as we zoomed by.  I didn’t want to keep dealing with opening and closing the window during the eight-hour drive. Cloudy most of the day, we did our best to take photos.

For us, nothing else can. Nor, as we enthusiastically continue on, do we expect to top those experiences. If we do, we’ll call it “safari luck” and feel grateful. It is from this perspective that we write over these next few days, putting our expectations aside viewing today’s journey through the eyes of travelers perhaps don’t have this outlandish frame of reference.

With the snow melting at the summit, many creek beds and rivers consisted of fast-moving water.

By no means, do we imply that the beauty we witnessed today is any less than the terrain we’ve seen in many of our travels? In many ways, Morocco offers some astounding scenery that many may never see in a lifetime. And, for those who may have seen it, have it etched in their memories, relived in stories and photos they proudly share for years to come.

Of course, I squealed with delight when seeing these sheep along the side of the road. Grass-fed lamb is a frequently served dish in Morocco which we’ve enjoyed every few nights when Madame Zahra cooks for us. Tom, never a fan of eating lamb, actually likes it here for its mild flavor, tasting more like beef pot roast than lamb.

As for the hotel; the room is small, minimally appointed with the barest of essentials. If the bed, pillows, and blankets prove to be comfortable, the water is hot for the morning shower, the WiFi continues to work as well as it is at the moment and the food is reasonably good, we’ll hardly complain. 

The contrast of the clay-colored hills against the lush greenery creating a picturesque setting.

Oh, expectations! Would that they could waft away from our lives to make each new experience blissful instead of wrought with shades of the past?

In some areas, the color of the hills was a deep pink and they were orange in others.

Our goal had been to visit the Atlas Mountains, which we’ve done. Tomorrow, we’ll head to the Sahara Desert to experience the sand dunes and, if we feel ambitious, we’ll ride camels. Saturday, we’ll head back to Marrakech arriving in the late afternoon. 

Many small farms, richly green, dotted the landscape.

Over the next several days, we’ll post our zillions of photos, doing our best to describe where and what we’ve seen. Today, we reached a maximum elevation of 9708 feet, 2959 meters, above sea level, suffering no ill effects. I gasped for air once, when we were up that elevation when we stopped at an overlook rest stop filled with tourists, most of whom were smoking. Smoking is allowed everywhere in Morocco, as is the case in many countries.

The hills and mountains had endless housing areas such as this, with most of the homes occupied, as we determined from clothes hanging on lines to dry.

Another new experience befell us today. We used a co-ed restroom in a public venue, a first for both of us. 

Stopping at a popular overlook, we spotted what appeared to be a soccer field at a local school.

As for the actual driving experience, it was flawless.  Mohamed is an excellent driver for which we made a point of commending him. The two-lane mountain roads were often tricky to navigate when passing slow-moving vehicles and he exercised diligent safety in each instance putting me, particularly, at ease.  Our readers know how I love those hairpin turns, right?

Can you spot the waterfall in this photo of the Atlas Mountains? 

Tonight, Mohamed will also stay at this hotel meeting up with us in the morning after the included breakfast as we begin another day of travel making our way to the Sahara desert while hopefully putting aside those pesky expectations, to enjoy yet another day in our travels.

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Photo from one year ago today, April 10, 2013:

One year ago today was when we boarded the Carnival Liberty in Belize when our bag of vitamins was confiscated by security, none of which required a prescription, all of which may be purchased over the counter. What an experience it was as we were treated like drug smugglers. This never occurred again when we’ve since used or disposed of most of the supplements to lighten our load. See Part 1 for the details by clicking here.

A taste of summer to come in Marrakech…93F, 34 C and sunny…Reminiscent of days passed…In constant motion…

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An out-of-the-way alley.

Yesterday, we made our way through the souk to the Big Square of the Medina to the petit taxi stands. Although too far to walk, each week we’ve traveled to the nearby new city of Marrakesch, as opposed to the old Marrakech of the Medina. 

For the first time in over a month, it felt warm. The sun was shining, the sky was a pristine blue with nary a cloud in sight, as we were introduced to the likes of summer in Morocco, hot and dry. The temperature, although a high of 93F, 34C, it was by no means unbearable.

Typically on Mondays, the souk owners restock their wares after a busy weekend. We’ve found Mondays are good days to go out with fewer crowds.

The short periods of walking in the bright sun in the Big Square, the intensity of its heat reminded me of the morning heat in Marloth Park when I’d drop pellets along the long walk from the house to the main road, dropping pellets in a fashion one would recall from a childhood story, Hansel and Gretel, hoping that “they” would come. And they did.

Another quiet alleyway.

With the intent of drawing the attention of wildlife to the house, I made this fly-pestering trek, day after day, during the five weeks we lived in the Hornbill house until we moved to Khaya Umdani and later, African Reunion. And they came, a memory deeply entrenched in our memories and daily, in my thoughts.

Yesterday, we walked toward the main entrance to the Medina to grab a taxi. As shown there are fewer crowds than usual, Mondays being a quieter day that picks up at night.  We opted to go to a late lunch as opposed to dinner. Most nicer restaurants outside the Medina, don’t open for dinner until 7:30 pm. 

I’ve tried not to carry on about missing Marloth Park too much here. After all, we’re in a different place, one to embrace. And as we so often proclaim, during which time, we attempt to “live in the moment.” Which, overall, we do. 

In Windows 8.1 on my laptop, scrolling on a tile on my home screen several times each day, our photos appear of the visitors that came to call. Each time I see a kudu, giraffe, zebra, or warthog, my heart flips in my chest, longing, remembering.  t’s a happy memory.

Motorbikes dangerously dart in and out of traffic, whether traffic is sparse such as in this location or when it’s bumper to bumper.

Last night, awakened during the night, I heard a sound on the roof. For a moment, my mind went back, wondering which of Mother Nature’s treasures had come to call at this late hour, quickly remembering we are in Marrakech, not Marloth Park. Most likely, it was a cat, as cats are revered in Morocco and roam freely day and night. Their home? The entire Medina.

The petit taxi ride to the newer part of Marrakech gives us an opportunity to see some of the hotels in the area.

Knowing that someday we’ll return to Marloth Park brings me great comfort. I’ll leave it alone, letting it rest, relishing in the memories, the friends who still stay in touch, the crisp memory of the constant sounds in the bush of the birds and the wildlife rustling through the low lying trees and shrubs as they made their way to us, in each of the three homes in which we lived over the three month period.

And now? The dramatic contrast from wildlife to culture? Interesting? Sure. Morocco is unlike any place we’ve traveled. The smells of the Moroccan spices, the sights as we’ve shown in our many photos, the sounds of the flutes of the cobra charmers scattered about the Big Square, and the smoke from the cooking meats attracting hungry visitors from all over the world. It’s all enchanting.

Madame Zahra continues to make fabulous meals for us every other day.  We dine out on the other days.  Of course, I don’t eat the bread or potatoes.  See the photo below for the description of the items on my plate.

In two days, we’re leaving for a three-day outing to the Sahara desert and the Atlas Mountains. Our lives are in constant motion, as today we continue to book more of the flights for our 13 family members to meet us in Hawaii in a mere eight months. We’re more than halfway through. 

Soon, we’ll book our flight and rental car for Madeira, Portugal, leaving here in a mere 37 days. Today, we’ll again go to an ATM to get more cash to pay for the upcoming trip, cash required in advance paid to Samir, our reliable houseman, paid in advance to those who will serve our needs during the trip.

With smaller portions of meat typically served in Morocco at each meal, side dishes are a huge factor in rounding out a meal. Unable to have bread, potatoes couscous, rice, or other grains, Madame makes a variety of vegetables to ensure I get enough to eat. Without prompting from me, she’s figured out that egg dipping slices of aubergine (eggplant) and cauliflower sauteed in olive oil, helps round out an otherwise less filling meal. 

It’s all good. We’re accomplishing exactly what we wanted to accomplish in our worldwide travels; to explore, to discover, to learn, to laugh, to love, and to challenge ourselves. 

And even after we’ve left behind the sources of many of the discoveries we made in new environments, we’re left with the glorious memories and photos we can draw upon at any time, taking us back, as we continue to move forward. 
                                               _____________________________________

Photo from one year ago today, April 8, 2013:

The morning on the day before we left Belize. It, too, was hard to leave. Please click here for details.

The real estate market for vacation homes…How does it impact our travels …A sad horse photo….

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This photo was taken after the sun had fully set on Friday night, not shown in yesterday’s post. Witnessing this coloration in the sky was breathtaking.

The riad in which we’re living, Dar Aicha, is for sale. There was a showing yesterday for which we were giving several days advance notice. It was over in 15 minutes and we were only disturbed for a few minutes, none the worse for the wear.

For the link to the real estate listing for Dar Aicha, please click here.

We weren’t surprised since that was also the case for the house we’d rented in Kenya, which had two showings while we were there.

As we’re all aware, economic conditions have resulted in the devaluation of many homes worldwide, prompting many vacation rental owners to decide to liquidate before the market declines further.

Friday, late afternoon, the tourists arrived for the weekend, filling the Medina and the souk.

In some areas property values have begun to rise once again, currently motivating property owners to sell, taking advantage of what may prove to be a temporary rise in value. Who knows how long this will last or when prices will change? I spent 25 years as a broker and company owner and I don’t have a clue nor do any of the predictors out there in the marketplace and on the news.

As we move from vacation home to vacation home, we discover that some of the homes we’re renting may be on the market. In reality, it’s none of our business if they’re for sale except for two following factors:

1  We aren’t inconvenienced with showings.
2. We don’t have to move out early if the property sells and closes escrow prior to our moving out. Of course, we have signed rental agreements in each case protecting our rental period, but, we all know contracts can be broken in desperate times. (In neither of the above two cases have we thought there was any risk of being asked to leave early due to the integrity of the owners, more than the executed document).

The school bus arrives in the Big Square around 6:00 pm, dropping off the children.

For us, the distressed market has made our travels all the more affordable for these reasons:

1.  Many vacation homes were previously listed for sale that didn’t sell, inspiring the owners to rent them as a vacation home, enabling them to use it themselves from time to time between renters.
2.  Many homeowners of more expensive homes have either lost their jobs or retired and can no longer afford to live in their homes. They move to less expensive or senior housing either managing the vacation rental themselves or leaving the management of their homes in the hands of family members or agencies that typically handle vacation homes.
3.  During the better times in the market, enthusiastic investors purchased homes with the hope of a great future investment. Now, unable to rent the homes full time to cover their expenses, they rent the houses at daily or weekly rates with the hope that the house will be rented consistently which is rarely the case, except for in a few markets, such as Hawaii.

Workers and vendors begin setting up their wares to be marketed in the Big Square in the evening as the tourist crowd arrives, prepared to “shop til they drop.”

When property owners find themselves unable to rent their vacation homes for the prices they ask, at times, they are willing to negotiate for better pricing for us due to our long term commitments. You know, a bird in the hand.

Then, of course, there are the prime vacation rentals, managed by whomever the owner so chooses, that rent for premium prices that don’t budge for long term renter such as us. We can spot these in a minute when observing that the nightly rate is comparable to that which we’d be willing to pay monthly. We avoid even making an attempt to negotiate these in most cases, as mostly a waste of their time and ours.

Had we been able to travel the world in 2003, it wouldn’t have been affordable. The travel market was booming (although it’s now on the rebound) and fewer vacation homes were available.  Plus, the vacation home rental sites such as listed here as one of our advertisers, weren’t as prevalent as they are now. We use all of the major players, many of which are owned by the same company as in the case of HomeAway.com who owns four or five websites.

I always feel bad for the horses pulling the buggies. Some flail around seeming uncomfortable with their bit or harnesses.

Over time, the public has become less suspicious of sending prepayments to property owners they don’t know all over the world. With many sites offering insurance to avoid the risk of scams, many vacation renters freely send payments through PayPal and via credit card without giving it a second thought. 

I can’t say we don’t give it a second thought since based on our being constantly on the move, the insurance would become a prohibitive expense. Paying by credit card or PayPal gives us some assurance. 

But, in the long haul, we’ve prepared ourselves and budgeted accordingly that someday we may pull up to an address and no house it there, just an empty lot, or that the photos were all fakes and the house is a dump.  Yep, this could happen.

We were shocked to see this horse’s bloodied neck obviously from wearing the usual bulky harnesses as shown in the above photo. Thank goodness the owner had put on a lighter weight harness. But it still looked as if it must continue to irritate the poor horse. This was heartbreaking to see.

The likelihood is relatively slim that this will happen, especially when we communicate with each owner or manager through dozens of emails, research the owner’s name online and through Facebook, and read every review at our disposal. 

If and when our instincts send up a red flag, we pull away before sending any money. If suspicious, we’ve called the company that hosts the owners listing asking if there have been any issues.

So far all of our experiences have been good except the first house in Belize where we had no regularly running water. We moved out in a week, losing our first month’s rent which the owner refused to refund. Oddly, this first experience didn’t deter us and we carried on, determined, and full of hope, having had nothing but great experiences since that time.

Another ice cream truck trying to find a good spot to park for attracting the most business. After a few minutes, a policeman told him to move to another location.

With the time from May 15, 2015, yet to be booked as we research the world deciding where we’d like to travel from that point on, we feel comfortable that we won’t have any problem finding desirable homes in fabulous locations.

We continue on, looking forward to leaving this coming Thursday for a three day/two night trip to the Atlas Mountains and the Sahara Desert. Will we ride a camel in the desert? You’ll find out right here!

                                                _____________________________________

Photo from one year ago today, April 6, 2013.

This little table and chairs were on our veranda in Belize. We weren’t kidding when we’ve said we were steps to the beach. Waking up to this view every morning was pure pleasure. There were two padded lounge chairs on the veranda where we lounged every afternoon after pool time. It was heavenly. In 39 days, we’ll have views of the ocean from our veranda once again although much further from the water.  For the story and remaining photos from that date, please click here.

Confusing evening out…Running in circles…Made a purchase in the souk…

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To capture this photo I had to zoom through the restaurant’s railing when the customer sitting next to me grumbled when I tried to stand to take this photo. These trees were at least one mile, 1.61 km, away from our location, perhaps more accounting for the blur. But the color amazed us.

I often mention Tom’s superb sense of direction. When we’re driving or walking I always leave the navigation to him. As a result, I pay no attention to a path we’ve taken in the past and can never retrace our steps. That’s his job as “Chief Navigational Officer!”

The chair of the person sitting next to me in the restaurant prevented me from standing from my seat at the table.  I had no choice but to take this first shot of the sunset last night while seated with this railing obstructing the view.

However, his usual fine skills are left blowing in the wind when walking through the souks of Marrakech. It truly is a maze. Google Maps/Street has not sent their vehicles through the souk to create accurate navigation in which way to maneuver on foot from location to location in the maze of the souk. 

The sunset a few minutes later than above.

Also, the roofs in the souk may have an effect on the satellite images. (The assessment of this is not within my range of expertise so I apologize if I’ve stated this incorrectly).

And then, the sunset, creating this colorful backdrop;

Although a specific location may be illustrated on the map, from our experiences so far, the directions aren’t accurate. As a result, finding our way to the restaurant is challenging, especially when they’re off the beaten path, as was the case for a restaurant we searched last night, Café Clock, #3 on TripAdvisor.

Finding highly rated restaurants in itself is quite challenging when we no longer want to dine in Moroccan restaurants nor do we always want to take a taxi to go out for a casual meal.  International restaurants are in short supply inside the Medina, where any location can be reached on foot, if we can find it.

This little vehicle appeared to be an ice cream truck.

Late yesterday afternoon, with two things in mind, we took off on foot.  We’d carefully checked the map, able to spot the general location of the restaurant. One was to purchase a black leather belt for me and two, to find Café Clock where we’d have a leisurely dinner. 

Finding a location to purchase a belt was as easy as finding a casino on the Las Vegas Strip. There was one after another. We figured it was more practical if we waited until further away from the weekend crowds in the Jemma el Fna, the most popular area of the souk attached to where we live. With fewer crowds, we’d get better service and perhaps a better price.

At this point, is was approximately 6:00 pm in the Big Square.

Our guess was good of the service, not so much on the price. I wanted a belt similar to the one I had in my old life that I wore to its death, tossing it after many years of use. Knowing my preferred style made the shopping easier, a wide black belt, without sequins and jewels on it (I usually prefer simple as opposed to bejeweled items). 

Another criterion was that the belt would fit well enough that it wouldn’t have a long flapping tail, always an annoyance. The end result; a wide, woven leather black with an adjustable clasp in silver. 

The Big Square was beginning to fill with tourists as the festivities of Friday evening began. Fridays are holy days in Muslim countries and the souk is uncrowded during the day. As the afternoon wears on, the tourists arrive for the weekend, and once again, it’s packed.

Along the way to the restaurant (so we thought), we spotted a perfect shop in the souk, selling shoes and belts.  Preferring the shop owner not show me one belt after another, I showed him my preferred style.  He steered us to his backroom where I easily found what I wanted. 

Asking him the price, he said US $30.69, MAD 250. We settled at $ US 18.42, MAD 150. My former similar belt was US $25, MAD 203 when on sale at a local boutique in the US.

The pastry and cooking vendor carts always appeal to me. Tom, on the other hand, who could try some of these, won’t buy one cookie saying none of them appeal to him.

Sure, I could have purchased it for a few dollars less but based on the soft leather which he claimed was “camel leather” (which may or may not actually be camel leather) and the good construction, I felt the price was fair. Tom grumbled that I’d overpaid when the owner left to install the buckle that I was able to choose. I scoffed at him, saying I was content.

Yes, I’ve read all the online comments about not paying more than 50% of the asking price, and then it may be close to fair retail. But, thoughts ran through my head during this small transaction, that we may have been his only sale for the day in this more remote location in the souk. 

The smoke began to billow as the food vendors starting cooking for Friday night’s dinners under the tents.  The smells are amazing.

As a former business owner I can recall, only too well, all the times that clients asked me to lower my fees. It was a painful decision to make when the cost of doing business was so high. It was only after the market failed in 2008 that I had no choice but to coalesce in making the numbers work for clients, a factor that eventually inspired me to retire a few years earlier than I’d hoped.

When the shopkeeper hesitantly agreed to the MAD 150, I felt comfortable True to form, Tom let it go and we continued on in search of Café Clock which was supposed to be around the corner from Le Jardin, where we’ve dined on several occasions.

Still unable to stand freely with the people next to us, I shot this photo through the ornate railing. This vendor had four or five other men with him who would pick up the items while yelling, creating an atmosphere of a frenzy in order to attract buyers. Rather clever, isn’t it?

After walking down every alleyway in the area, after over an hour of searching, we gave up, deciding to go to the Big Square (in the center of the Medina) and find any restaurant whereby the outdoor menu gave us hope for an acceptable meal. As we’ve often mentioned, we prefer to avoid bashing local businesses unless we feel we were intentionally “ripped off.” 

A less than desirable meal could be a result of an off day, a cook being out sick, or the lack of ability of the owners and managers of what appeals to their public, a surprisingly common occurrence worldwide.

We had no idea on the final asking prices on these items that didn’t sell quickly during the frenzied activities over a period of one hour.

We chose a restaurant on a second level with excellent views of the Big Square. Many tourists chose this location for its good view and wine-drinking only as we noticed the waiter looked surprised when we asked for menus.

Tom ordered what was referred to as an “American” pizza and I ordered two entrees after showing the waiter my restrictions list which included grilled chicken chunks and tagine vegetables. I thought he fully understood:  no sugar, no starch, no rice, no potatoes, no wheat, and no grains, clearly illustrated on my food list on my phone. He didn’t.

A closer look at the pastry cart.  Yum…

My vegetable tagine arrived, half-filled with potatoes (which I removed) and my plate of chicken arrived with a side of rice (which I also removed) and chips (French fries) which I gave to Tom. 

Tom said his pizza tasted like frozen pizza which I’d never made for him in our 23 years together. Surely, they’ve improved over the years. But, he ate the chips, the bread, and the pizza (I kept my mouth shut over his carb-laden unhealthy meal) when he hardly likes any available foods in Marrakech. Who eats fries with pizza? 

Moroccan women are not involved in the aggressive selling techniques utilized by men. Most women selling products do so sitting on the ground in the Big Square, not inside the souk. We’ve only seen two women selling in the souk shops, neither of which attempted to get us to make a purchase.

After dinner, we headed to an ATM to get cash for the halfway mark tips for the staff which we’ll present to them today, explaining more will follow before we leave. 

Today, we’ll stay in while we continue to shop for airline tickets for our kids and grandchildren for Hawaii at Christmas time. So far, we’ve purchased five tickets with eight more to go which hopefully we’ll have completed over the next 60 days. Rates change several times a day as we continue to check back every few hours.

We have more good photos than we can share in one day. We’ll be back! BTW, this morning I received an email from Café Clock with their hours of operation which I’d requested yesterday before we tried to locate them.  They’re sending us a map. We’ll try it again!
                                                    ____________________________________

Photo from one year ago today, April 5, 2013:

This photo is from of one of our last night’s out in Belize with Tom ready to tackle this giant Marguerita when we were out to dinner from our next-door neighbor Bill, a friend we’d made while in Belize who was also from the US, formerly living only about 35 from our old house. Small world. For the story from April 4, 2013, please click here. 
Note: My computer had the wrong date resulting in my mixing up the photos from the 4th and 5th. The above photo is from April 4, 2013. Tomorrow, we’ll correctly post the photo for April 6, 2013, and we’ll be back on track. Sorry for the confusion.

The seasons come and go and then come back again…What?

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Map of the equator illustrating our odd seasonal changes over the past almost eight months.

Something funny dawned on us yesterday when Tom was proofreading our post. (Yes, I know. We do miss some errors. It just goes with the territory of writing every day).

Anyway, back to the dawning. This revelation was odd to us. 

When we left Italy in the Summer on September 1, 2013, we flew to Kenya, where it was almost Spring. Three months later on December 1, 2013, when we left Kenya, we arrived in South Africa, where it was still Spring.  By the time we left South Africa, it was during their Summer. On March 1, 2014, we arrived in Morocco when it was almost Spring again, which will last the entire 75 days we’re here.

In a span of 7.5 months, we’ll have experienced the following:
Italy:  Summer (except for the first 5 days)
Kenya:  Spring (except, for the first 20 days)
South Africa: Summer(except for the first 20 days)
Morocco: Spring (except for the first 20 days)

Our bodies don’t only adapt to the varying climates in seasons in many parts of the world, but, also in areas where the seasonal changes are less evident such as in tropical climates.

We’ve certainly avoided winter (cold weather) as much as possible, which was our original intent. Although during this recent period, there’s been a variance of 62 degrees. Talk about our biological clocks being set and reset for the seasons! 

The human body easily adapts to seasonal changes although some have difficulty adjusting developing such conditions as SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) as described in this link from the Mayo Clinic.

Fortunately, for us, we’ve had no difficulty adapting to these changes other than time changes we’ve encountered as we’ve moved from location to location. When we arrived in Morocco, the two-hour time difference from South Africa was more noticeable than the longer changes where, after a few nights sleeps our biological clocks adapted. 

The one or two-hour changes, resulted in awakening too early in the morning, no matter how late we stayed up at night. On some of our past cruises, we experienced one hour time changes night after night, resulting in the necessity of adapting day after day. I won’t say it was difficult to adapt although we did struggle with getting enough sleep over the time period.

The equator, coupled with the course of our travels has resulted in the vast seasonal variances. Less of this would have occurred had we stayed either above or below the equator for the entire period. 

Living in Morocco we’re in the throes of a cool, wet spring season. Who knew that Morocco, a vision of hot arid deserts, would require us to use a heater when indoors while wearing two shirts with our legs covered with fuzzy afghans? At night, we’re covered with a fluffy down comforter topped with two additional blankets. I wish I’d have kept a few of those hoodies and sweaters that we gave away.

And now, as the weather warms here, we look forward to our remaining time in Morocco being warmer. In Madeira, half of our time will be in Spring and the other half will be in Summer. From there and for some time to come, we’ll be north of the equator and in mostly warm climates.

Here is the information we found online from this website regarding seasonal changes.

“March Equinox

The March equinox occurs when the sun crosses the true celestial equator – or the imaginary line in the sky above the Earth’s equator – from south to north on a day between March 20 and 23. In other words, the sun moves north of the equator during the March equinox.

During the March equinox, the length of the day is about 12 hours and eight to nine minutes in areas that are about 30 degrees north or south of the equator, while areas that are 60 degrees north or south of the equator receive daylight for about 12 hours and 16 minutes. Regions around the equator have a daylight period of about 12 hours and six-and-a-half minutes during the March equinox.

The March equinox is an important event in many calendars, as it coincides with a variety of cultural events, religious observances, or customs.

June Solstice

The June solstice is also referred to as the summer solstice in the northern hemisphere and the winter solstice in the southern hemisphere. This is the time when the sun is at its furthest point from the equator – it reaches its northernmost point on a day between June 20 and 22, and the Earth’s north pole tilts towards the sun.
The June solstice is also known as the northern solstice because it occurs when the sun is directly over the Tropic of Cancer in the northern hemisphere. This is the longest day for those living north of this latitude. North of the Arctic Circle the “midnight sun” can be observed, while locations south of the Antarctic Circle do not receive any direct sunlight.

September Equinox

The September equinox is also referred to as the autumnal, autumn, or fall equinox in the northern hemisphere. It is known as the spring or vernal equinox in the southern hemisphere as countries including South Africa and Australia enter the spring season. It occurs on a day between September 21 and 24 when the Earth’s axis of rotation is perpendicular to the imaginary line connecting the centers of the Earth and the sun.
During the September equinox, the sun crosses the celestial equator and moves southward. At this point in time, regions around the equator have a daylight length of about 12 hours and six-and-a-half minutes. Read more about the September equinox and customs and holidays associated with this event.

December Solstice

The December solstice is also called the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere and the summer solstice in the southern hemisphere. It occurs on a day between December 20 and 23. At this point, the sun appears directly above the Tropic of Capricorn, and the days are shortest at locations north of the Tropic of Cancer. South of the Antarctic Circle, the sun is now visible 24 hours per day.

For us, the weather is significant with one of the main reasons for leaving Minnesota was the bitter Winter, short Spring, and Summer, and precarious fall season when it often snowed. Shoveling snow and snow blowing in one’s old age wasn’t appealing to Tom nor was walking and driving on icy roads appealing to either of us. Many seniors break a hip falling on the ice in Minnesota winters. It was a life we chose to leave behind.

For now, we’re planning our trip to the Atlas Mountains for a few days. We’re hoping to leave within the next few weeks, breaking up our time in Morocco as we’ve done with short trips in Kenya and South Africa. At this point, we leave Morocco in six weeks. 

Today, we’re heading out for the afternoon for a late lunch, a walk through new areas of the souk, and the Big Square, hoping to soak up a little warmth of the sun along the way. After all, Spring is in the air. Again.
                                                                   ___________________________________________________

Photo from one year ago today, April 3, 2013:

This photo of me was taken as we winded down our time in Belize. I worked out at the health club at the resort next door to our home by paying a small monthly fee. There have been no nearby health clubs in the past four countries and I’ve learned to exercise at home. I prefer the health club or workout room atmosphere and hope to find one in our next country. For the link to the post from one year ago, please click here. 

How does it feel having household help?….More photo outside the Medina…

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As we left the restaurant on Monday, we walked the newer area checking out other restaurants in the area, reading their menus posted outside.

It’s raining again today making it necessary to cancel our plans to go out.  Impossible to use an umbrella in the crowded souks to avoid poking a passerby in the eye, we’d get wet as the rain soaks through the open slats in the ceilings of the souks.  Not our idea of a pleasant outing, we’ve decided to say indoors.

After exiting the souks its necessary to walk through the Big Square only adding more of a likelihood of getting soaked.  The last time we went out in the rain, my shoes were soaked from being splashed by fast moving motorbikes and being shoved into puddles by less than courteous tourist crowds.

Hey, this is the nature of living in the Medina which we accept graciously.  Content to stay in today we look forward to another great dinner made by the loving hands and heart of Madame Zahra, assisted by Oumaima and later Adil who serves at dinnertime.  We appreciate their generosity and diligence to our service.

This looked like a quaint French restaurant but, after reviewing their menu, there were few options we’d have chosen.

For us, having “servants” (excuse the word) would never be a preferred way of life.  At times, we’ve heard others say, “If I won the lottery, I’d want people to wait on me.”  Not us. 

Although, most of my working life I did employ a helper to tackle the big weekly cleaning and many live-in nannies when my two sons were young. I was a single mom for nine years, owned a business and had no family in town to help.  Other than those circumstances, I’ve never thought of or desired service staff as we have available to us now.

Over the past almost 23 years that Tom and I have been together, we’ve never minded the day to day cooking, dishes, tidying up after ourselves, laundry and making the bed. 

It’s spring in Morocco now with flowers blooming.

With our dear past cleaning helper in Minnesota, Teresa, coming to clean once a week, we had it all under control. We felt fortunate to have the help but, we always cleaned up before she arrived, removing any clutter, making it easier for her to work.

We do the same here at Dar Aicha.  We leave no clutter for the staff to handle picking up our bath towels, changing the empty roll of the TP, clearing our stuff off of counter tops and placing all of our dirty clothes in the designated laundry bags in each of the two bathrooms we use (I have my own bathroom to avoid awaken Tom in the mornings if I arise earlier).

When we first arrived, it felt awkward to get up from the dinner table and not to clear the dishes.  In a short time, we accepted it as one would when dining in a restaurant, never giving the dishes a thought.

Flowers cascading down a wall.

We never ask nor do we expect the staff to “wait on us” during the day.  If we need something, we get it ourselves.  We make our ice cubes using the trays provided, make our pitchers of iced tea and refill our glasses as needed, never thinking of asking for assistance.

Madame Zahra and Oumaima clean the house seven days a week arriving around 9:00 am when we’re always up and dressed for the day.  The stone floors are all washed from room to room, no less than twice a week.  They clean our bathrooms from top to bottom daily, replacing soaps, TP and tissue as needed.  The entire riad is always clean, dust and dirt free.  It’s hard work which we fully appreciate.

After we’ve eaten dinner we’re sensitive to getting up from the dining table as soon as we’re done with our meal. The three of them stay until the table is cleared and the dishes are washed, often until well after 7:00 pm.  We usually have dinner at 6:30.  We’re well aware that we’d like for them to be able to leave as soon as possible to enjoy what’s left of their evening.

This is a Vietnamese restaurant with the menu written in Arabic and French. 

Once a week we pay Samir for the meals we’ve had during the previous week at a rate of US $24.56, MAD 200 per dinner for the two of us.  Halfway through our time here which will be next Monday, we’ll generously provide tips for all of them and then again prior to leaving.  We’ve found this show of appreciation midway through our stay is important for their morale, especially when our typical stay is considerably longer than other guests.

Are we getting tired of not being able to cook? The only thing I miss is having our usual coleslaw with dinner.  Tom misses the homemade pizza.  I’m sure that within a day of arriving in Madeira we’ll be off to the grocery store to buy the ingredients to make both of these and more. 

Do I miss doing laundry?  I haven’t done laundry since last summer when we lived in Tuscany from June 16th to August 31st making it seven months since I’ve done a load of wash and hanging it outdoors. 

This is a laboratory which patients visit for various blood and medical tests.

Always a proud laundress acquiring good skills over the years in the careful handling of stains, white and delicates, I must admit I do kind of miss it.  I used to do laundry daily, taking a weird sense of pleasure in the feel of the warm clothes coming out of the dryer, the folding and putting it away. 

Now, all we do is put away our neatly folded clothing left on a cloth bench upstairs near the bedrooms, everything perfect and folded more neatly than I may have done in the past.

How do we feel to have people around us for over 10 hours a day?  Many days, we’re out for almost half a day.  When we don’t dine in, which is approximately every other day, they do the usual cleaning in the morning leaving by noon with the remainder of the day to spend as they choose. 

Many apartment buildings line the main roads.

As for days such as today, when they’re with us all day, we don’t mind at all.  Adil is in and out a few times each day. After cleaning, Madame and Oumaima spend most of their time in the kitchen preparing the food, occasionally resting in a little room off of the kitchen.  While we’re dining they stay in the kitchen closing off a curtain to the dining room providing us with privacy.

The sweet sound of Madame Zahra’s voice when we hear her talking on the phone or to the others, reminds us of Julia Child’s voice, high pitched and tender.  That sound will be etched in my mind forever, as truly music to my ears.

Tonight, dining in on this day of heavy rain, I just heard the front door close as Madame took off covered from head to toe to purchase the food for tonight’s dinner at the shops she and the locals use, assuring the freshest of products. 

Once we entered this small shopping area where we purchased our nuts and cheese, it reminded us of a Walmart store.  With many open nut stands appealing to tourists in the Big Square, it is tempting to purchase them there.  But after purchasing a small bag of pistachios, at US $18.42, MAD 150, which were unsalted, we prefer to purchase salted nuts for one third of the price at the grocery store. Also, with my recent illness, we are especially careful in not purchasing any food from open stands exposed to the elements, insects and possible unsanitary conditions. 

All of the local produce is organic, although not certified and the meat, grass fed from local farms. 

The chickens are particularly interesting, as is usual in true free range organic chickens…there’s lot less meat on them when they aren’t being fed grains and chemicals.  When I can clean off a leg bone in two bites I smile knowing this is good chicken.

The local farmers can’t afford to use all the chemicals used in US farming.  Recently, we discovered that 80% of the world’s pesticides are used in the US. Oh, I won’t get on this soapbox today but, perhaps another day.


It was surprising to see a familiar brand name store.

We’ve adjusted to their assistance and their presence, feeling grateful to have these kind, caring and special individuals tending to our needs.  It’s truly an experience we’ll always remember, adding to our repertoire of the unique episodes in our continuing journey to see the world.

It’s all good.


I tried to get a photo of all of the Seven Pillars that represent the original builders of the city of Marrakech.  In the fast moving traffic, this was all I could capture. 

____________________________________

Photo from one year ago today, April 2, 2013:

We posted this photo of the beach in front of our home in Belize on the day there was a problem with the city water, leaving us without water for showering, flushing etc.  For the full story from that day, please click here.
 

A day outside the Medina…An exhilarating dining experience…Stumbles along the way…Negotiating taxi fares…

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We were pleased to find this upscale Italian eatery open during lunch hours, our favorite time to dine.

No matter where one travels, whether in their home country or away, we all occasionally encounter unpleasant experiences. We’re always grateful that above all that we’re safe, in good health, and at the end of the day, able to return to a lovely environment, our home away from home, in this case, Dar Aicha which couldn’t be more perfect.

At noon yesterday, we took off on the 20 to 30-minute walk (depending on the crowds) to the main road outside the Medina, where the “petit taxi” area where the gold-painted little cars wait along the road to take tourists to their chosen locations.

The name of the game is to negotiate the best fares. It helps to know what those fares “should be,” which we did, having taken these routes in the past. We needed three cab rides in one day:

It was a beautiful day, sunny but not too warm.

1.  L’annex Restaurant (all indications on their website indicated they were open for lunch on Monday.
2.  From L’annex Restaurant to Marjane Mall’s grocery store to purchase nuts and cheese for the next several weeks.
3.  From Marjane Mall grocery store back to the Medina (the Big Square) for the return walk to Dar Aicha.

From our past experience, we anticipated that each fare should be around US $4.91, MAD 40 for a total of US $14.73, MAD 120 plus tips. None of these locations were far but it’s slow getting through the busy trafficked streets with cars, horses and buggies, carts with donkeys, buses, motorbikes, and pedestrians, all of which appear to be oblivious of one another.  How the traffic moves so quickly without endless accidents amazes us.

Yesterday, while on our way to the restaurant.

Our first taxi driver refused the MAD 40 we offered for the ride until we started walking away. At that point, he told us to wait while he took off for a minute to grab another taxi driver that agreed to take the MAD 40 for the trip to the restaurant. Off we went, in the tiny vehicle. Most of these cars either don’t have working seat belts or they are inaccessible, making buckled up unlikely.

Arriving at the restaurant, the driver turned and looked at us, in French explained it was closed. Online, everything pointed to a Monday lunch from 12:00 to 3:00 pm. Well after 12:00, we realized they were closed. I had tried calling several times getting a message spoken in Arabic, with no option of leaving a message. I’d sent an email to their listed, reservation only to have it bounced back. We took the chance and went anyway.

There was a photo of Morocco’s King Mohammed VI on the wall in the restaurant.
Paying the driver we decided that we’d walk until we discovered a restaurant open for lunch. It was a beautiful neighborhood, leaving us feeling totally safe.  It wasn’t long before we stumbled upon the Italian restaurant, L’Ultimo Bacio Restaurant surprisingly rated #19 out of 506 restaurants in TripAdvisor. Hopefully, after we posted a glowing review yesterday they’ll move up to a much deserved higher slot when readers read our review.
This photo was taken from my seat at the banquette.

Reading the menu posted outside, we were certain we’d each find something suitable. Walking into the attractive trendy designed space, we were seated at a banquette, where we often sit with Tom always insisting I take the padded seat. As I sunk into the most comfortable seat I’ve experienced since “my comfy chair” back in Minnesota, I’d have been happy if the food was mediocre.

Before even ordering, I said to Tom, “Let’s come back here.  This is wonderful!” The ambiance was inviting, the service impeccable and the food, divine.

Tom enjoyed checking out the pleasant décor in the restaurant.

Carefully reviewing the menu, I noticed a few options that could work for me with a few adjustments. Taking out my food list on the phone, I handed it to the waiter, who actually spoke some English. Immediately, he pointed to a few options, the same I’d considered and we were good to go. Tom ordered the lunch special which is shown here in photos.

The meal was superb, one of the best we’ve had in Morocco. The owner stopped by during our meal to check on us. Later, when we were done, he spent considerable time chatting with us in his Italian accent, good English. This simple touch adds another level of enjoyment to any dining experience.

Tom’s complimentary appetizer of fried mozzarella cheese.

Languishing over our meal the time flew by and finally, we were ready to leave, our bellies full of great food and our hearts filled with appreciation for a blissful dining experience. Our bill was US $30.08 including tax, plus tip, much to our delight. We had no alcohol or dessert, only adding a one-liter bottle of still water which we shared, as usual.

Afterward, we walked the neighborhood checking possible future dining options with most of the menus posted outdoors written in French, which I can read, or in Arabic, which I cannot. When we were ready for petite taxi #2 of the day, we stood on a busy street near the curb. 

We’ve found that “calling” a taxi limits the opportunity to negotiate to leave one stuck with whatever fare they ask. Flagging one down, we peek our head in the window, first asking, “How much?” at which point the negotiation begins, rapidly going back and forth to finally settle on a number. Each time, Tom and I decide in advance which of us will do the negotiation. It gets very confusing if more than one of us is involved in the process.

Tom’s starter included in the lunch special, cheese pizzas with hand-rolled crusts.  He said it was better than pizza he’d had while we were in Italy.

In two of three of yesterday’s cases, the drivers started at US $12.28, MAD 100, finally to end up at US $4.91, MAD 40, a typical price for this distance. For those who don’t like to negotiate when traveling, they may be in for a rude awakening finding themselves paying two to three times more than necessary for taxi fare. 

For us, using taxis frequently, we must remain diligent in our pursuit of a reasonable price for the area. In the US, the fare would be almost $5 before getting out of the driveway. It’s all relative, based on going rates for the area.

Flagging down a petite taxi, we were on our way to Marjane shopping area’s “supermarket” (as referred to in Africa in general). When the driver pulled up to the strip mall, it wasn’t the Marjane mall where we’d previously shopped. The driver insisted there was a “supermarket” in the center and for us to walk three doors down to it. 

Tom’s entrée, pasta with meat sauce.

We couldn’t figure out why he didn’t drop us closer to the door to ensure we were at a supermarket. When we saw a few grocery carts in the parking lot, we decided we’d accept this location, after trying to explain to the non-English speaking driver that this wasn’t the Marjane Mall we’d visited in the past but a strip mall with a similar name.

Once in the store, similar to a Walmart, we went about finding the few items on our list. As we approached the bulk foods area I took a photo of the huge open bins of various frequently used grains, for sale by the grams.  Immediately, a well-dressed man wearing a store name tag approached me, telling me I’d have to delete the photo in his presence.

Of course, we don’t want to make trouble. I showed him the photo as I deleted it. I guess we didn’t realize that it was inappropriate to take food photos in a grocery store. Tom put the camera in his pocket while we proceeded to shop for our few items.

My delicious entrée, chicken breasts with a light garlic and cream sauce made without starch or sugar, and the accompanying layered grilled vegetables layered with fine cheeses.

As we proceeded to pay at the register, their credit card machine wasn’t working.  We waited for at least 15 minutes, as other shoppers using cash were scooted through the line. I’d seen several ATMs in the mall knowing if necessary we could get more cash to pay for the items, totaling US $135.53, MAD 1104.  Finally, the manager brought the checker another portable device that worked and we were on our way with our groceries in a cart.

Now, we needed to find our third and final taxi of the day, none of which were in sight in the parking lot. Heading the long walk to the main road, we flagged down the third taxi. I asked” (It was my turn), “How much to the Medina?”

“One hundred,” he said.

“Too much!” I said, walking away.

“Fifty,” he said.

“Forty,” I followed. He waved his arm for us to enter with our groceries. As soon as we were situated, he turned to us and said “Fifty to the Medina!”

“No!” I bantered. “You agreed on 40!” He shrugged in agreement on the 40. Bait and switch. It went downhill from there. He spoke little English and indistinguishable French.

A buffet of various vegetable appetizers might be a future option for me with a side of some form of protein. This looked delicious in person.

After driving for a few minutes, he took off on a side street stopping the car, saying, “Excuse me, madame, two minutes.” 

Tom and I looked at each other wondering what this was about.  He turned off the car and exited, leaving us sitting there stupefied. Tom could see him talking to a man on the street. Do we jump out with our groceries, taking off on foot, or wait out this peculiar scenario? We decided to wait for the two minutes.

When he returned, he apologized to me (the negotiator in this case) again and we were back on our way.  Within another minute, he turned on the radio to an Arabic-speaking station turning up the volume as loud as it would go. It was earsplitting and nerve-wracking. We looked at each other with the same realization,  he was “getting back” at us for the MAD 40. What else could it be?

The intimate décor would definitely be romantic at night.

Luckily, in 10 minutes we approached the square, Tom handed the driver the MAD 40 with no tip and no word.  We exited the taxi as quickly as we could, left to navigate the busy road with fast-moving traffic while carrying our four bags of nuts, cheeses, and a few toiletry items. 

Need I say, we were relieved to be back at the Medina back on our way to Dar Aicha. We’d been gone for five hours. 

After almost a five hour outing, we headed back to the Medina.

Our dining experience at L’Ultimo Restaurant…stupendous. Our taxi experiences…not so much. But, we were safe, well-fed, and had a pleasant evening ahead of us, playing Gin (Tom’s beating me in the fourth country in a row), watching a few recorded shows, munching on our nuts, and generally, grateful for yet another day in the life.
                                                  ____________________________________

Photo from one year ago today, April 1, 2013:

A year ago, we ordered the Sony camera from Amazon.com with these accessories.  We didn’t receive it until weeks later in April 2013 and, we didn’t begin to use it until sometime in May.  For the story and specs on the camera, please click here.

Chilled to the bone…49F (9C this morning)… What do we wear?…Only women will get this!…New photos!

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This cat found comfort sitting atop the seat of a parked motorbike.

One of the aspects of traveling the routes we’ve chosen has been to avoid cold weather. When we researched temperatures this time of year in Morocco, we’d never expected it to be as cold as it’s been.

Luckily, the sun was out again as it filtered through the slats in the ceiling of the souk.

Keeping in mind that we’re almost living outdoors with the open courtyard, the largest room in the riad around which all other rooms are situated, it’s not unlike living in Kenya in the outdoor living room instead, with the unbearable heat, humidity, and mosquitoes.

This shop’s specialty was hand-carved wood chess boards and pieces.

Definitely, I’d rather be chilled than in scorching heat and humidity. Its a lot easier to bundle up than take off clothing to cool down which hardly seems to help at all.

Clothing shops are popular in the souks as tourists strive to bring Moroccan styles back home. From what we’ve seen, the locals buy their garments from shops in the side streets away from the tourist areas at more affordable prices.

The trouble is, we have a few warm items with us having not planned for such chilly weather. Tom has one lightweight zippered sweatshirt and I have two long sleeves warm BugsAway shirts, one white, one pale green, which I seem to switch off every other day. The 70 washings guaranteed to maintain the bug deterrent features of these two shirts will be washed away before I ever get to go on another safari. 

Bangles and the little pots are commonly sold items.

The only other long-sleeve items we have are our two long-sleeve BugsAway cotton safari shirts which we each often wear when we go out under our jackets of which we each have two, one parka and one slightly heavier weight.

One could get confused trying to decide on pairs of sandals with endless affordable offerings from around the souk. 

In Kenya, after donating more of our clothing I left myself with only a few pairs of jeans shorts to wear during the three months in South Africa. After wearing them every day they began to wear out and I noticed the fabric thinning, wearing through at certain points. One was awfully low slung and the other not as much.

Colorful small tables used in home décor.

As a typical woman in my old life, I’d have gone shopping, trying on 15 pairs of shorts, to end up purchases a few for the new season. Since we’ve been gone 17 months without shopping, I currently have a dilemma.  Styles have changed, sizing may have changed and its no longer as simple as going online and purchasing a few pairs of shorts to be sent when they may not fit. 

Pillows in Morocco are filled with very heavy durable material making them rather heavy. With the numerous pillows where we sit in the salon, we’ve found it difficult to move around, they are so heavy.

You may think…go shopping! Ha! I dare anyone to find a pair of jean shorts in Morocco, respectably long enough to go out in public at age 66, that fit properly when most women’s pants are typically low slung anomalies. Now, I can live with a bit of a low slung pair of pants but not those with a zipper only as long as my thumb!

Leather handbags, carryon bags, and other travel bags are popular in the souks.

Knowing we’ll be receiving a box of supplies while we’re in Madeira for which we’ll be adding the new camera when it comes out on April 20th, now is the time for me to figure out a solution to include in the box.

Several shops comparable to a boutique type store are found in the various courtyards between the souks, as in the case of this store where we spotted this bronze horse.

Why only jeans shorts? They are durable, can be worn several times without looking ratty, don’t wrinkle and above all, are comfortable. I donated all the khaki shorts I’d originally included in our luggage after wearing them only a few times. For me, jeans are my first choice for long pants, capris, and shorts. Style was long ago sacrificed for practicality and comfort.

Bead and jewelry making supplies.

Looking online for a few hours, I became frustrated, feeling that I’d never get a pair of shorts that would be guaranteed to fit. Of course, I put my little brain to work on a solution. Boom! As often happens during the night, I had an idea.

Almost every day, except for washing day, I’ve been wearing a pair of Old Navy jeans that I love. I’m not an easy fit; tall, relatively lean and with overly long legs, a 35″, .89m inseam. Try to find that in a country where the average woman’s height is 5’2″, 1.57 m! Old Navy has always had jeans that work for both my size and height. 

Cute puzzle made n the shape of camels.

Yesterday, after unzipping my pants, Tom read off the labels on the inside of my jeans including the style name, style number, and the size. Immediately going online to Old Navy, I was excited to find they still carry the exact same style and size. On sale for US $49, MAD 399, each they were down to US $34.50, MAD 281 each. I ordered two pairs in varying shades.

When they arrive in a few months, I’ll cut one pair off for shorts and the other pair for capris, rolling up the ends into narrow cuffs. Having done this on many occasions with old jeans, I have no qualms that I can easily do this again using one of the few pairs of sharp scissors we have on hand.
The dark, busy souk is a challenge to navigate when crowded with locals, tourists, bicycles, donkeys with carts, hand-pulled carts, and motorbikes.

Problem solved. I placed the order for the two pairs of jeans and a few more dressy looking tee-shirts suitable for dining out. My total order was US $101, MAD 823, with free shipping to our mailing service in Nevada, USA.  Of all things, an hour later I received a coupon for US $40, MAD 326, as a reward for my purchase if I was willing to spend another US $100, MAD 815, between now and May 5th. Hopefully, I can convince Tom to use this credit for himself. 

Of course, anything new we receive requires disposing of an equal weight of things we already have to keep the weight of our luggage acceptable to airline standards. Fortunately, I have already planned what I’ll toss before we’re ready to leave Madeira on July 31st.

This is what I should be admiring as opposed to cookies I can’t eat.

In the interim, I will continue to wear the heck out of the clothing of which I plan to dispose of. Tom also wears the same tee shirts and button-up shirts over and over, as you’ve seen in our photos with a plan to wear them out as well. Yes, I get sick of looking at his same tee shirts, although clean, day after day, as he most certainly does mine.

Who’d ever thought we’d be planning and contemplating the long-term wear-ability of a pair of shorts or a tee-shirt? In our old lives, if a tee shirt looked worn, it became a rag or was plopped into the trash with nary a thought. Now, I can spend 10 minutes looking at a tee-shirt with the intent of determining its fate…keep or save…keep or save.  Ha!

We giggled when we saw this traditional phone booth.

In a funny way, I enjoy this triviality of our lives. Fashion-forward in my old life. Fashion free in my new life. I think I like it better this way.

Today, we’ll be going outside the Medina with more photos to share tomorrow. I’d hoped to take a video of the birds flying inside the house early this morning. Alas, hardly any birds flew inside this morning although I was waiting with camera in hand. Perhaps, another day.
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Photo from one year ago today, March 31, 2013:

A year ago today, we were living in Belize and it was Easter day.  Having few photos from our old lives when neither of us enjoyed taking photos, I’d posted a few older dessert photos on that date, including this butterscotch pie I’d made for Tom using 12 egg whites for the meringue and a homemade rolled crust. I have posted this photo in the past and apologize for the repeat if you’ve seen this before. This link will take you to that date and other desserts from our old lives, including Tom’s custom-made retirement party cake.  Please click here for the link.

A day in the life…Not as laid back as it may seem….

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Yesterday, as it rained inside the house, Madame Zahra handed us an umbrella so we could go out to dinner. With the crowds in the souk, it’s not easy to walk around with an open umbrella fearful of poking a passerby in the eye. It was a trying 45-minute walk to the restaurant as we maneuvered the many puddles, all the while getting soaked from the spray from motorbikes whizzing past. It was cold, 13C, 55F. By the time we reached the restaurant, my shoes were wet and my toes were numb. 

This morning, awakening at 6:00 to the loud sounds of birds flapping their wings and squawking to the heavens in the center courtyard, I was ready to jump up and look out the bedroom door, knowing they’d fly away the second I peeked out. 

As soon as we entered the restaurant we cozied up to this flaming heater, seeking a little warmth, after the long walk through the rain-soaked souk.

Reminding myself to bring my camera upstairs tonight, I’m determined to get a photo of their rambunctious mating rituals with spring in the air. The loud squawking can’t possibly be pigeons which we often hear at a lower tone. If nothing else, I’ll video the sounds to share here tomorrow. It’s absolutely unreal!

Once inside the restaurant, closing off this door to their courtyard, we were able to warm up enough to remove our jackets while we had dinner.

Instead of getting up I grabbed the novel on my phone’s Kindle app and lost myself in reading for the next two hours, finally bolting out of bed, almost feeling guilty for lounging so long.

Do we retired (or in my case, semi-retired) folks ever get over the feeling that there’s something that “must be done now” in order to stop feeling a sense of obligation or responsibility? Isn’t retirement about “retiring” from those dreadful feelings of self-imposed pressure to constantly be productive?

Excuse the blur as I took this photo of a ceiling in the souk while on the move through the dense tourist crowds who were shopping in a frenzy on a Saturday. This type of roof is typical in the souks resulting in rain dripping on us as we walked with little space to open the umbrella. Many of the vendors dragged their merchandise inside their tiny shops or covered them with plastic.

In deep thought as I overlooked the drying out courtyard after days of rain, I reminded myself of a few things, applicable at this time: I don’t have to clean, do laundry, take out the trash, cook or do dishes. Gee…how stress-free can it get? 

All of us, deep within our core is shaken from time to time with the reminder from the habits of many years of getting up and going to work, only to come home to added responsibilities. That’s over now.

The colorful entrance to a mosque inside the souk.

The only responsibility I have at this moment in life is to make myself presentable for the day (now down to 20 minutes flat), keep track of our finances, and blissfully write here each and every day. 

Don’t get me wrong. Writing here each day is not as simple as sitting down and banging out our recent activities and thoughts. It requires careful planning, researching, and a constant search for photo ops, not always an easy task. 

This is the ornate architecture above the colorful door of the mosque as shown in the previous photo.

Overall, it’s no less than a six-hour a day “job” that we both take seriously. Tom, as my editor and sharing equal time in research, joins me in the incessant scanning of our environment searching for stories and photos.  However, we love every moment, even when on an occasional morning, for a moment, I may think I’ll skip a day…and don’t…I can’t…I want to do it.

Without this, we’d travel the world taking an occasional photo, writing a repetitive series of emails to family and friends, leaving memory after memory stuck only in our heads, and on “camera uploads” in Dropbox. 

Often when passing these bakeries with amazing looking desserts and cookies, I encourage Tom to try something so I can live vicariously through him. Alas, his picky taste buds prevent him from trying a single cookie. Good thing I have no alternative but to maintain my restrictive way of eating, sans sugar, starch, and flour or I’d have gained a substantial sum of weight while here. Then, my limited clothing supply would no longer fit. I suppose for Tom, in this case, his picky eating habits serve him well.

With this, we need only click back to a year ago or two to be reminded of the glorious, or otherwise, experiences we had along the way, with stories and photos, reliving it over and over again. Add the joy of knowing that thousands of readers all over the world are sharing this adventure with us, catapults us to another level of pleasure we can hardly describe.

Even the prospect of generating enough revenue from the links on our site that hopefully, more and more readers will use, at the same pricing offered on the original websites, to defray it’s maintenance costs and perhaps a few other related expenses, adds a level of enthusiasm that only my long-ingrained entrepreneurial spirit can hardly dispel as we travel the world.

Tom refused to stop to let me ogle another sweet morsel as I shot another bakery display in passing.

Oh, would that our grandparents had left us a legacy such as this that we could wrap our brains around, knowing from whence we came, even if only to a small degree, that for us may explain the wanderlust in our hearts and the willingness to share it with others.

No, it’s not always exciting and thought-provoking. At times, it may even be dull and repetitive. But, for us, the joy continues as we share the mundane, the tender, the exciting, and the quiet contemplative times of our lives as we move from one country to another filling our hearts and minds with the knowledge, the wonder, and the constant longing, for more.
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Photo from one year ago today, March 30, 2013:

On this date last year while preparing to leave Belize, we illustrated how we scan our tax deductible receipts and safely dispose of the paper with no shredder on hand.  Please click here for the link to the rest of the story.