Facts about Morocco….

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Photos shown here today were not taken by us.
Before we began planning to travel the world, I had a vague recollection of where many countries were located. Tom, on the other hand, a history and geography buff, was much more knowledgeable. As we’ve continued on, we’ve greatly enhanced our geographical knowledge of the world, still with more to learn. Many of our readers commented that they were surprised that we were still in Africa, while living in Morocco. How often does one take the time to look at a world map to be reminded of that which we learned in grade school? Not often.
 
Although not all of our readers will find these facts about Morocco peaking their interest, we’ve found that many do enjoy a list of facts to jog their memory or update their knowledge as we constantly research, study and explore. 
“They” say that new information is an excellent form of “exercise for the brain” of which both Tom and I can attest, after these past 17 months since we left Minnesota.
If today’s information bores you, we apologize, hoping you’ll return tomorrow for more photos of our time in Morocco. In a selfish manner, we post this today, hoping to learn more from our research about Morocco instead of being limited to our smaller sphere while living in the Medina with an occasional outing outside the wall.
If you’ve been to Morocco and have facts you’d like to share, please comment at the end of this post.  We’d love to hear from you
What is the full name of Morocco?
Kingdom of Morocco (Al Mamlakah al Maghribiyah)
Where is Morocco?
Northern Africa, across the Gibraltar Strait from Spain
What countries border Morocco?
Algeria, Mauritania, Spain (across the Gibraltar Strait), and Western Sahara (which Morocco claims as a territory). The border between Algeria and Morocco is currently closed.
How big is Morocco?
446,550 square kilometers
What is the population of Morocco?
Around 30 million
What language is spoken in Morocco?
Arabic is the official language (the Darija, Moroccan dialect). French is used for business and is considered the unofficial second language of Morocco, Berber dialects, Spanish and English are becoming increasingly more common.
 
What type of government does Morocco have?
Constitutional monarchy
 
Who is the King of Morocco?
King Mohammed VI
King Mohammed VI, current King of Morocco.

Who is the Prime Minister of Morocco?

Abdelilah Benkirane
Current Prime Minister of Morocco, Abdelilah Benkirane.
 

 

What is the capital of Morocco?

Rabat
Rabat, the capital of Morocco.

What are the regions of Morocco?
There are 15 regions of Morocco, and claimed territory in Western Sahara:

  • Grand Casablanca
  • Chaouia-Ouardigha
  • Doukkala-Abda
  • Fes-Boulemane
  • Gharb-Chrarda-Beni Hssen
  • Guelmim-Es Smara
  • Laayoune-Boujdour-Sakia El Hamra
  • Marrakech-Tensift-Al Haouz
  • Meknes-Tafilalet
  • Oriental
  • Rabat-Sale-Zemmour-Zaer
  • Souss-Massa-Draa
  • Tadla-Azilal
  • Tanger-Tetouan
  • Taza-Al Hoceima-Taounate
What are the largest cities in Morocco?
Casablanca

Rabat

Fes

Marrakech

Oujda
Map of Marrakech, Morocco, where we’re living now
until May 15, 2014.

When did Morocco declare independence?

March 2, 1956 – Morocco declared independence from France
When is Morocco’s national holiday?
Morocco celebrates Throne Day on July 30, which celebrates the accession of King Mohammed VI to the throne in 1999.

What currency is used in Morocco?Moroccan dirham (MAD)

This is MAD 100, Moroccan Dirham,  US $12.23, Euro $8.89 (based on today’s exchange rate).

What are the physical features of Morocco?

Although Morocco is often thought of as desert, much of the country is covered by the Atlas Mountains and the Rif Mountains, though the Sahara desert does make up a portion of the country.
What is the Arab Maghreb Union (AMU)?
Established in 1989, the Maghreb Union was meant to unify Morocco (with Western Sahara) Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Mauritania and help with trade and political unity between the countries.The Maghreb Union is currently frozen because of disagreements between Morocco and Algeria.
Who are the Berbers?
The Berbers are the indigenous peoples of the northern Africa. Most Moroccans are of Arab-Berber descent.
What is the major religion in Morocco?
Islam is the majority religion, particularly Sunni Islam. Judaism was historically a major religion in Morocco, but most Jews emigrated elsewhere in the 1950s.

Of course, there are volumes of information one could share about Morocco but with our limited space and time, we offer these morsel today.

Although it raining hard today we’ll plan to go out for awhile looking forward to making new discoveries within the Medina, sharing them all with you tomorrow.

Happy Day!
                                                         ____________________________________________

Photo from one year ago today, March 29, 2013:

An early morning photo of the Caribbean Sea from our veranda as we began to wind down our time in Belize, at that point a mere 11 days away. Although we were excited to be cruising off and on for the upcoming two months, it wasn’t easy to leave. For the post for that day, please click here.

Living in a riad, an unusal experience for us….Artifacts and decor at Dar Aicha…

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Today, we’re posting the 17 mirrors in Dar Aicha which we believe may be used to enhance the appearance of the narrow sizes of some of the rooms surrounding the central courtyard.
Living in a riad, such as Dar Aicha, a house with an open-to-the-sky center courtyard surrounded by all of the rooms of the house, is unusual for many from other parts of the world. 
This and the above photo may look identical, but they aren’t. There is a mirror at each end of the salon one, rectangular as this one and the other arched as in the above photo. These two mirrors are showing reflections of each other. There’s a working TV in front of this mirror in the salon, which we use on occasion to watch world news.
Here’s why we consider a riad to be different from traditional homes in many other countries:
1. When it rains, it rains into the courtyard, leaving puddles at times. It’s necessary to walk through the courtyard when going from room to room. To avoid getting wet we can walk under the second-floor balcony around the edges of the courtyard.
2. During high winds, one feels the wind swirling around the courtyard which at night may be a little intimidating.
3.  Although a riad is constructed to stay cool in hot weather, during cold weather, the interior temperature matches the outdoor temperature.
4. There are literally no exterior windows. Most of the rooms surrounding the courtyard have colored glass windows facing the courtyard.
5.  As is a Moroccan tradition, the doorways to the living areas all have drapes for privacy as opposed to doors that close. As a result, privacy is reduced.
6.  Based on the design of a riad and to prevent water from entering the living areas in heavy rains, there are short steps of varying heights and depths, sometimes one, sometimes two, to navigate when entering and exiting the rooms surrounding the courtyard and all the other areas including the bathrooms. This could be a tripping hazard. We’ve had to remind ourselves to carefully navigate those steps to avoid tripping and flying over the second-story railing to the stone courtyard below. Scary.
7.  A riad is not suitable for disabled individuals for navigating these shorter steps or the steep stone steps to the second level or the third-floor rooftop.
8.  Birds are always flying into the courtyard. This morning there were two pigeons in my dressing room (I wasn’t in the room) which Tom saw fly out. With spring here now, the birds are in abundance, many walking on the courtyard floor during the day. Yesterday, two birds walked into the salon while we were there.
9.  The walls are one meter thick, (approximately 3 feet) impeding the WiFi signal. We’ve found it necessary to position ourselves close to an opening in order to get a decent connection.
The aged mirror in the center courtyard.
 Aged mirror on the second-floor balcony.
 One of the mirrors in our master bedroom.
Another ornate mirror in the master bedroom.
One of two mirrors in the master bathroom.
The mirror over the brass sink in the master bathroom.
Other than reminding ourselves not to trip on the steps between rooms, none of these differences bother us at all. Actually, we find the design of the riad charming and at times entertaining, especially when we can look up from inside the house and see the blue sky during the day and the stars and moon at night.
Mirror in the second bedroom that I use for showering and dressing in the mornings to avoid awakening Tom.
Mirror over the bathroom sink in the bathroom I use in the mornings. The water bottle in the lower left if used for brushing our teeth.
And, of course, we love the birds. I remember how we’d all freak out when a bird flew into our house in our old lives. Now, we simply smile occasionally taking a photo as shown here today.
Taking photos of these fast-moving little birds makes me crazy when don’t sit still long enough for me to get a good shot. This bird was standing on the second-floor railing overlooking the center courtyard.
It is these types of experiences, living as the locals do, that shape our world travels. At times, we experience challenges and frustrations that somehow we manage to work through to our satisfaction. At other times, we pinch ourselves, asking, “How in the world did we end up here?” 
As for Morocco, we have a partial roof over our heads, we’re comfortable, we’re feeling well, we’re well-fed, we love our riad and it’s wonderful staff, and for the next 48 days, at Dar Aicha, we’re “home.”
                                                     ________________________________________________
Photo from one year ago today, March 28, 2013:
With no photos posted on this exact date, one year ago, we selected this photo from earlier in March, 2013.  Please click here for the link.

The trials and tribulations of taking prescribed medication while traveling the world….

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The comments here today are in no manner intended to be any form of medical advice. We are not medical professionals. Please see your medical professional for advice and consultation.
Decorative doors in Morocco are common. Some believe symbols and a beautiful door may drive away evil spirits.
Where do I begin? Here we go, me doing my best to describe a situation that easily may become a dilemma for seniors or those taking medications while traveling. No matter how hard I’ve tried I am plagued with hereditary health issues. Since I was 16 years old, I exercised, watched what I ate, stayed slim (except for a few short periods which I later remedied), and lived a healthy lifestyle. 
I was motivated by fear, watching family members fall prey to diabetes with subsequent amputation and untimely death, morbid obesity, heart and arterial disease, thyroid disease, and the painful condition I changed a few years ago by changing to my restrictive diet.
With my efforts all these years, I have no alternative but to take a few medications, one for high blood pressure. But, let’s face it, millions of seniors over 65 take medications for this and other conditions. It’s not unique.
These doors have similarities that many who designed the riads found particularly appealing.
Over the years, I’ve read how to reduce the necessity for medications for hypertension and have made huge efforts to eliminate the need for the medications to no avail. Invariably, the symptoms stayed steady and I was merely kidding myself that I could function without them. 

Luckily, almost three years ago, I stumbled across a doctor who steered me in the direction of this strict anti-inflammation diet that I’ll follow for the remainder of my life, that that has changed the quality of my life, now living pain-free (except for the occasional pain in the bum right shoulder which I’ll gladly live with). Without this change, we’d never have been able to travel for a two-week vacation, let alone travel the world for years.

In some of the narrow alleys, we could only take photos from an angle as shown.

After the first six months on the restrictive diet, all of my lipids dramatically improved from bad to normal. But, the high blood pressure, entrenched deep within my genes, remained. I have no choice but to take medication, most likely for the remainder of my life.

As described in this site many times in the past, taking medication while on a vacation/holiday is not necessarily an issue. It’s imperative to bring more medication than you’ll need in the event of delays, with the medication in it’s original labeled bottles along with copies of your prescriptions in the event you are questioned. Only once have we been questioned about non-prescription and prescription medications except in Belize. Long story.  Here’s the link.

Two interesting doors..
We’ve posted many times as to how we decided to purchase our few medications through a reputable online pharmacy, a year’s supply at a time, to be shipped to us wherever we may be. When down to a remaining four months of a drug, we place our order.

Alas, an order of a few months ago that we received in South Africa via snail mail, had a problem. Before sending the medication, they contacted me by email, explaining the dilemma. The pharmacy company, ProgressiveRX was unable to correctly fill the blood pressure medication.

The drug in question is Lisinopril with Hydrochlorothiazide.  The pharmacy company only had the drug Lisinopril by itself without the Hydrochlorothiazide, a diuretic used to reduce fluid in the body and subsequently in the blood vessels (simplification). They didn’t have access to the combination drug or the two drugs separately. The combination of these two medications, available in a single pill was the only drug that worked for me after trying many combinations years ago. 

We also noticed exceptional doors while we were living in Tuscany last summer.

What was I to do?  Find a doctor to write a separate prescription for the required 12.5 mg dose of Hydrochlorothiazide and then take the two pills together?  Worrying about running out entirely, I advised them to send the 10 mg. Lisinopril by itself and I’d figure out the rest. I didn’t want to go to a doctor’s office in Africa unless it was an emergency with fears of communicable diseases in such a place.

Taking my copy of the prescription to a pharmacy in South Africa provided no options. hey didn’t carry the drug or a reliable equivalent. Knowing that I’d run out of my old supply in the first few weeks in Morocco, I realized I’d have no choice but to try taking the Lisinopril by itself and see what happens. Within three or four days, I could feel that my blood pressure was high. Many do not feel any symptoms from hypertension making it important to have it checked from time to time.

A serious kitty nap at the base of a tree.

I know many of you will write to me suggesting I don’t self treat. Medical care in many countries is sketchy at best, especially with the language barrier. That’s why we have emergency evacuation insurance. 

In fairness to medical professions in every country, surely, there are fine doctors in most countries. Finding one’s way to them is tricky, can be costly and time-consuming. We didn’t determine this dilemma to be a medical emergency at this point.

With Spring Break on the horizon, yesterday the souks weren’t as busy as usual.

Taking a copy of the prescription with me as we wandered through the souks and Big Square on several occasions we stopped at a few pharmacies, none of which could understand the dilemma. Alas, on Monday, before we started our sightseeing tour, Samir directed Mohamed to take us to a certain pharmacy, outside of the Medina.

The pharmacist spoke excellent English. We left her with a copy of the prescription and a short time later she called Samir, explaining she could supply the separate drug, Hydrochlorothiazide in 25 mg pills which I could cut in half and add it to the Lisinopril dose each day. 

(Oddly, I had packed a pill cutter. We’d never used a pill cutter until our precious dog Willie was diagnosed with cancer in 2011 for which we were giving him Morphine, cutting the stronger doses in half over the few weeks until he left us.  If you’re a dog lover, you may enjoy reading the first blog I’d ever written, during his last days of life, written from his perspective. Please click here for the link. Please scroll through the archives to read from the beginning. Get out your hanky).

Occasionally, we’ve seen a modern-looking spa-type store in the souk, often selling the popular Argan oil, thought to be highly effective in treating the skin and hair.

We ordered a year’s supply to supplement our year’s supply of the Lisinopril and we’re good until we’re in Hawaii next March. Today, Samir dropped off the prescription order for which we reimbursed him. Heartfelt thanks to Samir for his assistance in this situation.

The entire cost for the years supply was US $33.20, MAD $270. I can only imagine the cost of this drug in the US for a year’s supply, perhaps as much as 10 times more. (I could drag out the soapbox for that discussion but I won’t at this time)!

Had she only been able to get the combined drug, I’d have no use for the year’s supply of Lisinopril for which we’d already paid the online pharmacy. Luckily, it all worked out well. 

The rooftops in Morocco are also similar to those in Tuscany.

An interesting fact that we’ve discovered in many countries including Morocco, is that pharmacies don’t necessarily require a prescription for many drugs. However, this could make replacing a drug one accidentally left at a home time consuming and frustrating. Also, some narcotic drugs (none of which we take) may be acquired in some countries without prescriptions which ultimately could result in an arrest if one didn’t have an accompanying verifiable prescription on hand. 

I ask myself, “What could we have done differently to avoid this situation?” Not much, really. Now, feeling like myself again after the addition of the second drug and the recovery from the recent illness, we feel we did the right thing.

The last archway we enter on our long trek to Pepenero.

Traveling long term has its challenges. We don’t have all the answers since we, like many of you, learn as we go. Hopefully, today, if one of our readers gleans a morsel of information from us sharing this story, our efforts are well spent.

Tonight, we’re dining in after a fabulous dinner yesterday at our favorite, PepeNero. OK, we’ll admit it, we’re already doing repeat restaurants. But then again, Madame Zahra’s amazing dinners are surely repeats that we can’t resist.

Tomorrow, we’ll share photos of artifacts from the interior of our riad that we’ve found rather interesting.  Hopefully, you will too!
                                                ______________________________________

Photo from one year ago today, March 27, 2013:

Our veranda in Belize was located at the left edge of this sidewalk.  We couldn’t have been closer to the Caribbean Sea than we were.  For the post from that date, please click here.

Part 1…Sightseeing in Marrakech outside the Medina…

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For those who didn’t have an opportunity to read yesterday’s post, we will be posting a photo from our post of the same day and month, one year ago, at the bottom of each new post, including the link to the older post. This is intended to assist new readers in catching up, if those so choose, if they’d prefer not to scroll through the archives listed on the right side of each daily post.

A lily pad in a pond in Jardin Marjorelle, a major tourist attraction in Marrakech which we visited on Monday.
These turtles lined up in a row made us laugh.It appeared there were different varieties based on their shells.
These two were away from the group. Perhaps, a mom and a baby?

Yesterday, Adil came to Dar Aicha to walk us to Mohamed’s taxi. The complex system of the souk and narrow roads and the fact that taxis generally aren’t allowed in the Big Square made planning a pre-arranged spot to meet tricky for us to find on our own. Mohamed was waiting for us in the square in an area designated for certain taxis.

Tom, shortly after we entered Jardin Marjorelle. Visiting a garden if not his first choice of activity, preferring to experience interesting vegetation in its natural habitat.  I totally agree with him, but was anxious to take some photos.
A guide offered to take our photo in this sunny spot.

Taking shortcuts through the souk that we had no idea existed, made the 10-minute fast-trek through the maze-like streets interesting. Adil’s enthusiastic pace made it impossible to stop for photos along the way. Tom, with his excellent sense of direction, feels confident that he can find that path again enabling me to take photos.

Although not the season for flowers blooming, we noticed a few as we strolled through the garden.
There were several bougainvillea trees in the garden.
With tourists at my elbow, it was challenging having ample room to get quality shots.

After a 20 minute stop at a pharmacy outside the Big Square for a medication issue, we’ll describe in Thursday’s post, revolving around, “Oh, it’s hell to get old” and “The trials and tribulations of taking prescribed medication while traveling the world.” Back to that later.

Cactus that appears as a flower.
This bright blue was used in the theme throughout the garden.

After the pharmacy visit, we were on our way to the first sightseeing stop, Jardin Marjorelle. Riding in good driver Mohamed’s new white SUV in air-conditioned comfort added to the experience. Samir was also in attendance, as our guide, with Mohamed speaking little English.

A Koi pond contained several fish.
Symmetry attracts our eye.
These flowers appeared to be in the snapdragon family.

Jardin Marjorelle is one of the most visited tourist attractions in Marrakech. Intrigued with vegetation, I particularly enjoyed viewing the extensive displays of plants and trees beautifully presented in the garden. 

This cactus reminded us of a common variety we’ve seen in the US.
Interesting groupings.

As much as we would have preferred to identify each of the plants and trees by name as we share these photos, it would have required a more lengthy visit when many of the signs describing the varieties were confusing and difficult to decipher with the crowds at our elbows as we shot the photos. We had no choice but to move along to allow others to take their photos.

The blooms on the various cacti are of particular interest.
Curly cactus.
Ouch!

We have included a link here should you care to search for a particular plant, many of which were cactus.  With the cool winter weather and hot summers,  certain varieties of cactus do grow in Morocco. However, many of those displayed were imported from other parts of the world with a more consistent year-round hot dry climate.

Fuzzy cactus.
Tall cactus.
The blooms often appear as an anomaly.

Most of the sights described for Marrakech in this link include much of what we’ll see when we take a few day trips outside the city mid-April. The remaining tourist attractions include palaces and old buildings, some of which we’ll tour at a later date and share here. As previously mentioned, the mosques do not allow non-Muslim visitors.

It’s interesting how cactus produce their self-defense system.
More eye-appealing symmetry.
The blooms reminded us of miniature pineapples.

After having walked literally every path in the garden, we commenced our tour in the Yves St. Laurent and Pierre Berge display pavilion, who’d purchased the garden in 1980 to save it from being destroyed for the building of high rise buildings. Their dedication and devotion to this art-centered garden are illustrated in some of the photos we’ll share here today.

Although the sun was behind this, we were fascinated with these protrusions.

With a little time to spare we made our way to the pre-arranged location where we’d find Mohamed and Samir ready to take us to a drive through the new city, the upscale Palmeraie area as shown in this map:

This map illustrates the various areas of Marrakech, each with its own unique personality.

The following is a quote from this website, explaining the Palmeraie area of Marrakech:

“The Palm Grove quarter: extravagant villas and jet-set parties

At the risk of disappointing, the famous palm grove of Marrakech has lost much of its luster over the years (drought, uncontrolled property developments) and the image of the green oasis that some may have in mind is only today a distant memory.The fact remains that the palm grove conceals treasures which you can get a glimpse if you stay in one of the sumptuous villas that lie behind the high mud walls that line the roads without giving any hint of the splendors that they contain. 

It’s the neighborhood of billionaires and show-business movie stars but there are also a number of vacation clubs (ClubMed.) and wonderful guesthouses combining 1001 nights decors and sweet lifestyle (most of these villas have magnificent pools).

It should however be noted that the Marrakech palm grove covers an area between 8 and 12 miles from downtown and that commuting may therefore quickly be a major concern – and a major budget item. Staying in the palm grove of Marrakech is not necessarily the best choice if your priority is to explore the city. Conversely, it can be a great choice if you are a golfer and intend to devote most of your stay in this sport. In all cases, it will be necessary to ensure the hotel policy about transfers and shuttles to and from downtown.”

An odd formation, leaning toward the ground.
Bumping into this cactus would be painful!
Peculiar shapes.

The hour-long drive through the area was particularly interesting after spending most of our time in the old walled city, the Medina. It gave us an entirely different perspective of Marrakech as a progressive modern city appealing to travelers seeking a more modern environment and yet still being in close proximity to the excitement and charm of the renowned souks and old city.

Perhaps, one’s individual preference in cactus could reveal something about our personalities. Tom and I both were attracted to the symmetrical shapes.

Samir pointed to various walled homes and exquisite compounds owned by dignitaries and celebrities from all over the world. Three beautiful golf courses are a major draw to world travelers with upscale hotels, condos, and houses surrounding them.

Fuzzy, large grouping.
Various varieties grouped together.
These almost looked like cherry blossoms one might see in the east coast of the US at this
time of year.

Throughout the Palmeraie area, there were numerous herds of camels on the main road. The camels, owned by various vendors, were for hire for tourists to ride through the executive residential area. 

The blooms filled a large area.

We were especially excited to have the opportunity to stop to see a herd of camels owned by a friend of Samir’s that freely allowed us to take photos. 

The Yves St. Laurent pavilion had many of his works of art.
More art on display in the pavilion.
This area was crowded making photo taking difficult.
Tomorrow, we’ll share the camel photos which include a one-month-old calf. Once again, safari luck! Seeing the baby camel had me squealing with delight, trying not to make a fool of myself.
As we departed Jardin Majorelle, we took this final photo.  The cost for two to enter the garden is US $12.31, MAD $100, well worth the expenditure.

Part 2, tomorrow…please check back!
____________________________________________

Photo from one year ago today, March 25, 2013:

Although this wasn’t our photo, we’d posted this one year ago after a tourist had been stung by a stingray at the beach in front of our home in Belize. We’d seen plenty of these in the water during our long walks along the beach during our over two months on Belize. Their presence did have an impact on our desire to swim in the ocean resulting in our spending time at the pool each day. The injured tourist was taken to a local medical clinic provided care for the tourist and she recovered within a few days. There is no antitoxin for a stingray attack. Here is the link to last year’s post.

New feature to our daily postings…Today is a sightseeing day!…A peculiar coincidence…

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Beginning today, we’ll be posting one photo that we previously posted one year ago on the exact day and month. We’ll also include the link from that date, for any of our readers who may have missed it at that time. 

This particular photo will be our chosen favorite from that date and will be placed at the end of each day’s post. For example, scroll to the end of this page, to find last year’s photo with a caption.

We’d appreciate any feedback if this is something you’d like to continue to see by commenting at the end of today’s post.  It’s easy to comment!

We’ve yet to take one of these horse and buggies when we prefer walking in the Medina. Also, we feel uncomfortable with these poor horses working for hours in the hot sun, often without water.

In less than 45 minutes Samir will pick us up for a day of sightseeing. We aren’t quite sure what we’ll see. With Samir in charge, we’re confident it will be a good day. We’ll wind up the day at a restaurant we’ve selected, outside the Medina, returning home after dark. He’ll drop us off at the restaurant at the end of the day and we’ll catch a taxi back after a leisurely dinner.

It was early afternoon when we went to the ATM, which are scattered about the Medina. None of the vendors accept credit cards, although a few of the more upscale restaurants do.

We’d planned this outing for last Monday but my illness prevented us from following through. Now, fully recovered, we’re both anxious to get out. Overall, the sights in Marrakech consist of that which one would find in most larger cities; museums, parks, old buildings, and mosques (or churches, in many other countries). 

Various vendors occupy these “stations” during the day in order to sell their wares. Most likely, the use of these spots is on a “first-come, first-serve” basis, although yesterday, we noticed that several were unattended.

As we’ve mentioned in the past, old buildings in big cities, which we fully appreciate for their design and history, are not in our “bucket list.” There are a few exceptions, such as when we’ll be in Paris from August 1 to 15th and then in London, for the remainder of the month. One can’t travel the world and not see Paris and London. Our travels would be incomplete without them.

This park is next to the entrance of the Medina where it appears many locals, especially the older population, find comfort and rest in its familiar surroundings.

For those of our readers regularly reading our posts, this is not new information. For the remainder, we’d decided last fall to spend time in both cities since we’ll be departing on a cruise from Harwich, England on August 31st.  

The men sitting on the ground in the white shirts are snake charmers. They have five or six snakes they use to attract tourists for a photo op. Neither of us has any interest in interacting with snakes after our Mozambique Spitting Cobra experience in South Africa. Also, in Kenya, we did participate in a snake show which satisfied us both for a lifetime. 

In 52 days we’ll leave Morocco for the island of Madeira, Portugal where we’ll stay until July 31st, at which time we’ll fly to Paris, staying in a hotel with a view of the Eiffel Tower. Then off to London and then, the cruise. It all makes sense based on our close proximity at the time.

Many tourists are seated at these umbrella tables getting semi-permanent tattoos.

Plenty of old buildings are on the horizon. But, it’s hard to think about all of that right now. Instead, we have today’s plans as we strive to live in the moment.

We wandered down several similar streets in the Medina in search of a pharmacy.  I needed to purchase a mascara. We stumbled upon a pharmacy with many designer brands of mascara. I opted for Maybelline (Lancôme, was my favorite brand in the old life) when it’s common knowledge that designer labels are often “knock offs.” Why bother making a “knock off” of these already low priced items? The cost of the mascara was US $9.85, MAD $80. Overall, it wasn’t much higher than it would have been at Target.

Tomorrow, we’ll be back with photos of sightseeing in Marrakech.  Stay tuned for more.

                                               _______________________________________

Photo from one year ago today. March 24, 2013:

This is a weird coincidence!  It was totally unplanned when we decided to post a photo from one year ago to the date. After writing here today, I looked back for a photo to post from one year ago today, and here’s what I found, a photo from, here at Dar Aicha, our home in Marrakech for which we’d just completed the booking. It was one year ago today, that we posted the first photos of our upcoming home here in Morocco.  How odd.  Tomorrow’s photo will be back in Belize. Here’s the link from one year ago.

Planning for the future…Eight months and counting…Family time…

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Taking photos in the souk is a huge challenge.  Islamic law prohibits its followers from being photographed. As a result, the shopkeepers, rightfully so, don’t want to be in the photos. As you’ve seen, we’ve diligently respected this. But, in an effort to illustrate the unique offerings and culture in the old Medina of Marrakech, we hesitantly take photos as appropriate situations arise. 

In seven months we’ll land by a cruise in Oahu, Hawaii, where we’ll stay for 11 days. Tom, a history buff, is looking forward to visiting Pearl Harbor. Staying for this period gives us time to soak in the frenzied atmosphere of Waikiki and Honolulu and then we’re off for six weeks in Maui for sun and surf.

Leaving Maui on December 1, 2014, we’ll fly to the Big Island for 46 days, at first renting one house on the ocean and on December 15th, renting the house next door, a weird coincidence, with neither related in any way to the other.

While walking, I often hold the camera and shoot, getting whatever I can get.  Sandals and shoes are a common item for sale in the souk and the Big Square.

Beginning on December 6th, our adult children and their families will begin to arrive. Long ago, we had suggested a family gathering at our expense to enable the time together while each would also have a vacation in fabulous Hawaii.

Little did we realize at the time the skyrocketing cost of airline tickets anywhere in the US mainland to Hawaii, ranging from US $1300 to US $1800 per person especially during the busy holiday season. Of course, we knew it would be outrageous. We carefully budgeted not only for the cost of the tickets but also the two houses, food, two rental vehicles, and on and on. 

Not all areas of the souk are filled with active shops and tourists. When searching for restaurants, we often find ourselves in a quieter, less occupied area such as this, wondering how these shop owners can stay in business with limited foot traffic.

We’ve just begun the process of booking the tickets, with one of our four kid’s family’s tickets already set and more to be booked in the next few weeks until everyone has a ticket. Within 60 days, the tickets will all be purchased.

Several times each day we check prices. We have apps that are checking for us as prices change.  Not much is changing at this time. We need to wrap this up soon since we doubt the prices will drop to any degree. The fallacy about prices being lower on certain times or days of the week is just that, a fallacy. We haven’t seen any differences during any specific periods.  

This shop was mainly offering these colorful rocks for sale. A few cats were playing among the items for sale.

Of course, it’s predicated by some formulas and schedules the airlines use that is unpredictable. What motives would they have to make us privy to their best pricing? Duh. None. So we, captive audience that we are, keep checking, hoping to save a few hundred dollars here and there.

Dismissing this financial part, we can hardly wait to see our family, our four grown kids, significant others, and six grandchildren. My younger sister Julie, who lives in Los Angeles, may be stopping by for a few days. Having all of us together is exciting. 

Finally, we found the restaurant after another long and winding walk through the souk.

Feeding 15 to 16 people dinner each night is a bit daunting, but somehow we’ll manage. For dining out in a nice restaurant in Hawaii, the cost per person is from US $70 to $100 per person. Guess we won’t be doing that!

Although the closest Costco is 90 miles from our location, I’m sure a few trips in the SUV will be warranted.  What we’ll do about Christmas is up in the air, hard to plan or think at this point. Tree? Decorations? Wrapped gifts for the little ones? We definitely don’t want this period of time to be spent “doing too much” while not spending valuable time together. We shall see.

By the time we arrived at the restaurant, the sun began to set and we both were chilled. For the first time since arriving in Marrakech, we are indoors at a comfortable banquet.

Our old days of “doing too much” are over. This may come as a surprise to those of our readers who personally know us. The focus will remain on the quality of time with our loved ones, not spending full days baking and cooking. The name of the game will be simplicity and lots of fun.

Had the fireplace been lit, we certainly would have sat close to it.  We still haven’t acclimated to the cooler (but getting warmer) weather in Morocco after over a year in hot climates.

This morning as we sit in the salon of the riad in Marrakech, Morocco, Hawaii is a million miles away. But as we’ve seen, especially those of you who have followed us since the beginning in March 2012, all of these booked events are coming up, tumbling over one another. In two months we’ll be settled in Madeira.  At one point it seemed so far in the future.

My dinner, although small, was good.  Carefully, I avoided the raw vegetables. Luckily, they served nuts and olive as an appetizer which helped fill me up.

Over the past several weeks as we continue to research for the unplanned time after May 2015, we’ve decided to add another element to our travels, winging it. With the excitement over the endless possibilities and after having booked over two years in advance, we are feeling knowledgeable enough with our recent experiences to wait until we pin down what is to follow. 

When Tom heard that the chef was Italian he ordered this lasagna which didn’t disappoint. With bread on the side, he was satisfied.

Doing so, in itself, adds a sense of adventure we both welcome. After spending seven months living on four islands in Hawaii, seeing the sites, whale watching, checking out volcanoes, and reveling in the exquisite scenery, we’ll be ready for the next phase of our world travels. 

With the hope to visit all of the continents, with four under our belts, we still have three more to go. But within each of those continents that we have visited, we have so much more to see. One could spend an entire lifetime traveling and still see so little. 

After dinner, as we were leaving, this colorful seating area jumped out at us. Wouldn’t that be a fun spot for a gathering of friends, food, and drink?

We take it at our own pace, in our own way, seeing what appeals to us, sensing no urgency, with no time constraints other than maintaining a level of health that allows us to continue on. 

Being with our family next Christmas will fulfill a longing in our hearts to see their smiling faces once again, recharging us to continue on and, we will.

Tonight, we’ll dine in while Madame Zahra makes lamb for us. Tom, who doesn’t care for lamb, ordered it on my behalf, knowing how much I love it.

Thanks, my dear hubby!  I owe you one!

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Photo from one year ago today, March 23, 2013:

The piece of driftwood decorates the beach by our villa in Belize The sidewalk to the center-left is the sidewalk directly in front of our villa. For more photos, please click here.

The movie, Casablanca…We watched it last night…Another movie for our area…As Time Goes By…The equinox…

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Every moviegoer worldwide is familiar with this poster of one of the most popular movies of all time.

While spending last summer in Italy, we watched the movie, “Under the Tuscan Sun.” In the fall, while living in Kenya, we watched the movie, “Out of Africa,” some of which were filmed in the Maasai Mara where we went on safari.

Last night, we watched one of my favorite movies, “Casablanca,” which Tom had never seen in its entirety.

Play this video to hear the movie’s theme song, “As Time Goes By.”

In each case of watching these three movies, we found ourselves giggling over phrases, scenery, customs, and local architecture, all of which we’ve become familiar with after a period of time in each local.

Rick’s Café Americain actually still exists in Casablanca. 

We downloaded “Casablanca” from Graboid in a digitally re-mastered version which was as clear as it could have been but was still in black and white. Normally, I don’t prefer watching movies in black and white.  Although, Tom doesn’t seem to mind, especially since he’s used to watching war footage. Last night, in a matter of minutes, I forgot it was in black and white and for perhaps my 10th viewing of the movie, I loved it more than ever. 

This line, “Here’s looking at you, kid,” was actually spoken by Rick, four times in the movie.

Although neither Humphrey Bogart or Ingrid Bergman won an Academy Award for their roles in the movie (he was nominated but didn’t) the movie won for Best Picture.

How ironic that we watched this famous Moroccan movie while living in Morocco? How ironic that many aspects of the movie were familiar to us after such a short time here? Of course, there is no doubt the movie was “Americanized” when it was made. How could it not be when it was made entirely in the US?

Police Captain, Louis Renault, was played by Claude Rains.

Once again, we were disappointed to discover that the entire movie was filmed in a studio in Hollywood when so much of the scenery looked authentic. That’s the way of movie making when today many scenes and actions generated by the use of computers, as will be the case, more and more going forward.

The line most people recite from the movie is “Play it again, Sam”which was never once stated during the movie. The actual lines spoken by Rick was, “You know what I want to hear. You played it for her, you can play it for me.” When Ilsa wanted Sam to play the song, she actually said, “Play it once Sam, for old  times sake.”

Movies such as “Casablanca” will slip further and further into the memories of old timers, such as us, as we rapidly move into an age of technology beyond our wildest imaginations only a decade ago. 

Years after its release the movie was “colorized.”  We preferred watching it in its original black and white.

In any case, we both lost ourselves as we watched the movie, chuckling from time to time from aspects familiar to our current daily lives to humorous playful moments contained in the story. At times, we had tears in our eyes and at other times, our hearts were warmed so much that an involuntary “aaaahhhh” slipped from our mouths.

This mosque was shown during the movie, but could have been any mosque here in Marrakech, except for the ocean in the distance. Marrakech is a few hours from Casablanca, which is located on the ocean and is a substantial shipping port in northern Africa.

Then, it was over. We looked at each other and smiled, happy to have seen this together at last. More than anything, we were happy for the experience of sharing a favorite movie. Above all, we were reminded of how happy we are to be sharing this varied life, making our own “movie” of our lives as the scenery really does continue to change and is authentic as it can be.

All scenes in the movie were filmed on the studio lot except for this seen filmed at the Van Nuys Airport in California.

Note: We’ve rescheduled our sightseeing day for Monday. Today, and over the weekend, we’ll be out and about searching for more great photo ops to share with our readers each day. Have a lovely first day of spring for those of you above the equator and lovely first day of fall for those of you below the equator!

Yesterday, both above and below the equator had equal amounts of daylight. Yesterday was the day of the equinox.

Go figure! Who would have thought of this in our old lives? (Oddly, Tom did)!

First outing in days…New photos…On the mend….

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This building, a short walk from PepeNero, attracted our attention. We approached the guard, asking if we could go inside and take a look around. He shook his head, “No, Madame. This is the palace of the king.” We walked away laughing at our “faux pas.”

How did I get so lucky that many wrote to us offering various solutions for my ill health? My sister researched online and found a nearby English speaking doctor in a clinic, a short cab ride away. A dear friend offered to have her doctor call me on Skype for an online appointment.

If one loves cats, Marrakech is the place to visit.
These three cats were enjoying the balmy day next to one another.
The stray cats are fed and cared for by the locals.  We’ve yet to see one that looked unhealthy or underfed.

Many of our friends sent well wishes by email and some posted online. Thanks to everyone for your kindness and concern. A few chastised me for not seeing a doctor, saying so with the most caring of intentions.

Aubergine is popular in Morocco, used extensively in cooking. It’s actually a fruit but is extremely low in carbs and sugar, which enables me to eat it. It is in the eggplant family with a taste and texture almost identical to eggplant. We’ve never seen aubergine in any other country.

As I write this I’m halfway through the six pill dose of Cipro and today, I’m almost completely better, only a little weak from all the lying around. “They,” say that one begins to lose muscle mass within 18 hours of lying in bed (or on a sofa). It takes time to rebuild one’s energy and sense of well being.

This was the first shoe store of this type that we’ve seen in the souk. Most of the shoes follow a similar style, colorful with low heels, mostly made of cloth and plastic as opposed to leather.

Yesterday, we went out to lunch, back to our favorite new restaurant, PepeNero, where we had a fabulous lunch. The long walk was challenging for the first time out in days but, Tom managed to walk at my slower pace. By the time we returned home, I felt refreshed from the good food, the sunshine, and the fresh air.

It’s common to see women holding hands as they walk through the souk or men kissing one another, a friendly acceptable show of affection among friends and relatives. However, men and women do not touch one another in public. Tom hangs on to me since I am always so busy taking photos and not watching my step. Yesterday, feeling a little weak on our first outing in days, I only took a few photos, especially needing to pay attention to where I was walking. The narrow roads are uneven, filled with potholes, grates, and tripping hazards.

Today, the wheels are in motion again as we begin to lock up plans for sightseeing at long last. Honestly, I now know, after getting sick the second day here, that I dragged my feet in wanting to get out at all. Something wasn’t right and I knew it. Arriving on March 1st, I guess I’ve been ill for almost three weeks, forcing myself to do everything we actually did.

Taking a new way back home, we spotted this colorful olive and pickled vegetable area with one display after another of appealing items. Our meals at home include many olives commonly used in Moroccan cooking.

As soon as we hear from Samir today, we’ll start booking our plans. Finally, I feel excited. Tom, of course, has been my usual “go with the flow” guy supportive of whatever I’ve needed. That doesn’t mean that I “run the show.” We both share in decisions. 

This kindly vendor allowed me to take a photo of his beautiful display.  Most Muslim people do not allow photographs of themselves, which we respect when taking photos.  As a result, he covered his face as I took this shot.

It’s raining today, which unfortunately will keep us indoors. Everything is outdoors and it makes no sense to be getting wet while recovering. However, we don’t feel trapped when staying in. 

We’ll easily entertain ourselves researching future travels, playing Gin, reading, chatting, and watching world news on either of the two English speaking news channels, BBC and Bloomberg. Also, we spend time chatting with friends and family on Facebook or via email, never feeling alone or bored. 

After all, life isn’t always exciting, a fact that makes the exciting times all the more meaningful. However, going forward, a little excitement is exactly what the doctor ordered!

Desperate times, desperate measures…Couldn’t wait until Friday…

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Sorry, but this is the only photo we have for today. It’s important for travelers to be reminded not to walk or step onto any grates, manhole covers, or the like when walking in a foreign country. Many years ago, a friend fell into a grate which resulted in a compound leg fracture requiring a US $25,000 fee for an air ambulance ride back to the US from Mexico. That was 30 years ago. Imagine how much it would be in today’s dollars! They had to borrow from family and friend’s credit cards to pay the fee in advance! As a result, both Tom and I do not step on grates or manhole covers which are everywhere in the souk, the Medina, and the streets of Morocco. We ask our readers to consider taking this same precaution, even at home. 

Last night, we became very worried. The illness had escalated. I could hardly walk across the room or pick up my head from the pillow.

Without a morsel of food in 24 hours, unable to eat, we asked that Madame Zahra makes two, three-egg omelets with cheese with unseasoned meatballs with no veggies and no seasonings. For Tom, she added, “chips” (French fries) and bread. An innocuous seasoning-free meal.

When Tom didn’t like his omelet saying something tasted “funny” and with so little of the food suitable for me, I ate both omelets. It wasn’t hunger as much as it was needed. Never in my life, did I eat six eggs in one sitting until last night. My body must have been craving the protein, especially when I gobbled up my share of the meatballs.

The thought of one more bite of Moroccan spices turned my stomach. Somehow, after becoming ill a few days after arriving in Morocco, I now associate the spices with the illness.

Feeling hot and cold all day, left me sweating by 10:00 pm last night and I went to bed with the room spinning.  As I lay there alone (Tom was still downstairs) I realized that Friday was too long a wait to take the Cipro. My plan of letting this illness work itself out had failed. I couldn’t take another day.

I called to Tom from the upstairs railing down to the courtyard below for him to bring me some iced water. I dug out the full bottle of Cipro from the pill bag, holding a large oval-shaped white pill in my hand, praying a three to five-day dose would help. When Tom handed me the ice water, I chugged it down. He tucked me in bed under the comfy covers.

Being ill and lying around for days, I’d already read all of the books on the Kindle app on my phone except for a few non-fiction scientific books I had started and yet to finish. There’s nothing like scientific research to lull one off to sleep. An hour later, the phone fell out of my hand startling me awake. It was 11:45, one hour and 45 minutes after I’d taken the pill.

This may sound utterly ridiculous, but I felt slightly better. The lightheadedness was improved and although my mouth was terribly dry, the feeling of toxic fluids running through my system was greatly reduced. Many may call this a placebo effect. This was no placebo. This was Cipro running through my system sucking up a raging infection. 

No longer did I think about having malaria. I was on the mend. I smiled from ear to ear, easily falling back to sleep and not awakening until almost 8:00 am this morning. Now, I won’t say I’m 100% better, but, I’m 50% better, a sizable improvement.

After this morning’s dose, I still have four more doses to take if I’m going with the three-day regime which the instructions indicate is acceptable if the symptoms have subsided after twice-daily dosing for a total of six pills.  At this point, at noon on Wednesday, I’m fairly confident I will return to good health by the last dose on Friday morning. 

Today, desperately needing to move about, we’re heading out for lunch to the same restaurant we visited last week PepeNero. Ah, who cares about trying something new? I surely could use a perfectly cooked piece of salmon and a few sautéed vegetables. Tom’s chomping at the bit for a Moroccan seasoning-free meal.

Don’t get me wrong, I do like Moroccan seasonings. But, with my illness and our unfamiliar taste buds, the spicy flavors become redundant after so many weeks. Most tourists enjoy the flavors for one or two weeks during their holidays. For the long term, it’s an acquired taste that neither of us has achieved at this point nor do we expect that we will be going forward. 

The long walk to PepeNero today is a bit intimidating. We’ll take it slow, stopping from time to time to take photos. The fresh air and sunlight will do us both good after being cooped up for the past four days.

Soon, we’ll reschedule our sightseeing trip and our upcoming out of town stay for mid-April. For now, I need to get back to doing the taxes and feeling well. Whew! We continue on, dear readers. We continue on…

Still sick…Friday deadline…My dreadful mistakes…

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The moon as we dined across the way from a third-floor rooftop.

This morning after another dreadful night, I’m still ill. The raging case of some type of intestinal bug is playing hell with me. If I’m not better by Friday, I’ll begin a three to five day dose of Ciprofloxin, commonly referred to as Cipro which we have on hand.

As dusk fell, the brightness of the moon became more evident.

I despise the necessity of taking antibiotics and will do so only when in dire need. Now, perhaps the second time in less than a year, I do so hesitantly. So far, we haven’t been able to find an English speaking doctor. 

Tom pointed out this late afternoon moon.

If we did, I couldn’t make the long walk through the Medina to get out to the road to take a taxi. At the moment, I have trouble walking across the room, let alone dressing to go out and riding in a taxi.

A horse and buggy driver awaits his next customer. What a nice sky!

Home care is the only way to go at this time. I realize many will disagree with this idea, but for now we have no other options. I don’t know if this intestinal issue is related to my occasional fever, bouts of sweating and shivering, tiredness and general malaise. For now, I will assume they are related and begin to treat it as one.

The souk is filled with tourist over the weekends, thinning out by Tuesday.

Taking the Cipro will tell all. If after doing so for three to five days and if there’s no improvement, I’ll have no choice but to go to a doctor. Hopefully, that doesn’t happen. 

These sparkly baskets were eye appealing but not practical in their small size and lack of an option for fully closing, making them a target for possible pickpockets. We’ve yet to see any interest in these as we walk past this display when we enter the souk.

Why wait until Friday? After reading what the CDC has to say, I should give it a little more time since in many cases it will resolve on its own but can take up 30 days. Actually, the intestinal thing started after we were here only a few days.

Late afternoon Saturday, before the arrival of the crowds for evening dining and shopping.

Here goes…it was all my fault. I ate all the wrong things when dining out the second day after our arrival.  Here’s what I did wrong:

1.  Salads in almost every occasion when dining out: Salads contain lettuce and raw vegetables washed in local tap water
2.  Salad on first time we ate out made with fresh seafood and uncooked calamari.
3.  First few times out, I ordered beverages with ice. Tap water used in making ice except in fine dining restaurants and nicest hotels.

What was I thinking? I knew better in each of these situations. Any one of these scenarios could be responsible for my illness, or all three. The bottom line, I must further curtail what I order. Why did I fall short of following our own guidelines?

This vendor combined the less popular baskets with spices and other items.

I can only equate my error in judgment to complacency. When dining out in Kenya we stayed with the restaurants at the nicer local resorts who were diligent in avoiding illness for their overnight guests. If guests were to get sick, reviewers would write negative online reviews, affecting future business. Only once, did we eat at a standalone restaurant when I ordered a steak and cooked vegetables and no ice.

In South Africa, the local water was relatively clean, although we drank bottled water, as we often do. When I cooked four or five meals a week I washed raw vegetables in a bowl of purified water. We always dined at local resorts rather than standalone restaurants. But, we were always able to eat salads with raw vegetables without incident.

Many vendors carry a variety of products.

By the time we arrived in Marrakech, I had become complacent. Also, there are some of us traveler that perceive, after a period of time traveling the world, that we become invincible. That was me, a mistaken rationale, so wrong in the assumption. Now, I pay the price.

With 58 more days in Morocco, I’ve promised myself to proceed with caution. No more salads, no raw seafood or cooked shellfish, no uncooked vegetables and no ice in my beverages when in restaurants, which I cut out two weeks ago. (We make our own ice from bottled water at home).

Hopefully, with Madame Zahra cooking, I can begin to heal. Tonight, we asked for cheese omelets, beef tagine and chips for Tom. No spices. 

When one isn’t feeling well, the strong Moroccan spices are especially overwhelming. In Madame Zahra’s meticulous desire to feed me well, she’s prepared three or four vegetables each night along with meat. Eating this much fiber in my current state has obviously been detrimental. For the next several days, I won’t consume any vegetables at all.

The use of these colorful glass bottles is a mystery to us.  In Morocco, many offered items are more decorative than functional.

After an entire day spent lounging and reading books on my phone, lying on the sofa in the salon with two of my bed pillows, another day of the same awaits me, as soon as I post for today.

The photos we posted yesterday and again today, are photos we’ve saved that we’d yet to share, all taken last week before I became immobilized. Hopefully, soon, we’ll be able to return to our regular lives, go on our previously cancelled outing and book our trek to the desert and Atlas Mountains. At this point, everything else is up in the air.

Thanks our family members, friends and reader friends who have written expressing their good wishes for renewed health. This means the world to both of us. And, thanks to all of you for continuing to read our less interesting posts while we’re housebound. 

Note: Samir stopped by as I wrote her this morning.  e suggested that when and if needed, he will arrange for a doctor to come here and he’ll translate. After reading from the CDC”s website an alternate drug is suggested if Cipro doesn’t work. Seeing the doctor will enable me to get the necessary prescription. If I start Cipro on Friday, by next Wednesday, after five days of dosing, we’ll know if the doctor is needed. As always, there’s comfort in knowing we have a plan in place.