The unparalleled Moroccan hospitality was immediately evident on arrival to Marrakech. Hussein, our taxi driver, gave Sam his traditional Berber hat and took our picture. (The Berbers are the indigenous people of North Africa.) We were served mint tea and an assortment of snacks upon arriving to our Riad at 11 PM. Adam, our host, even offered to make us dinner. Breakfast the next morning was mind blowing, as you can see from Lindsey’s face.
We enjoyed our first Tagine — a North African stew of spiced meat or vegetables slowly cooked in an eponymous clay dish. Most of the ingredients are locally sourced from vendors like this within the Marrakech Medina (old, walled city).
These are our lovely hosts at Riad Porte Royale in Marrakech. From left to right: Adam, Amal, and Rachida.
The modes of transport around the Marrakech Medina range from donkey and horse-drawn carriages to luxury vehicles. In the medinas we found dozens of fresh-squeezed fruit juice stands. We also found an entire section of the market dedicated to local olives.
We found this alley of brass and copper lanterns as we explored the souks, a magical and manic marketplace within the Medina. Afterwards, we visited the ruins of the Badi Palace for a more tranquil atmosphere. However, there is nothing more tranquil than being inside a Riad, a traditional house with an inner courtyard or garden. Here, Sam enjoys fresh-squeezed orange juice in our Riad’s pool.
We then took a three-day guided tour to the Morocco’s interior, including the Atlas Mountains and the Sahara desert. These are some of the small villages and mountains we passed on the way.
We had a dynamite crew (hailing from Vermont and the Philippines) on our tour from Marrakech to Fes. Here we are atop the cinematic town of Aït Benhaddou where more than 20 movies have been filmed including Gladiator and Lawrence of Arabia. Part of the tour apparently included dressing up in typical Berber outfits.
Here are a few traditional Berber rugs in Aït Benhaddou with the Atlas Mountains in the background. The crew with our driver (Abdul) and our tour guide (Yussef). He shared behind the scenes footage of Gladiator 2, which he recently helped film.
We visited an oasis with dates growing in an old river bed between the old and new town. The old town is made exclusively of earthen clay architecture.
The next day we hiked through Todra Gorge and the agricultural fields of Tinghir with Hassim, a local guide.
The next stop was the Sahara desert. We rode dromedaries, the one-humped cousin of the camel, through the dunes of Erg Chebbi. We stopped halfway to our camp to watch the sunset with our new friends from Vermont, Gabby and Keith.
Our dromedaries performed some sort of desert dance at sunset.
The guides like to take smoke breaks along the way. This was a particularly photogenic one at sunset. After we arrived at the campsite, the guides took our friends for some much deserved R&R.
Lindsey has a complicated relationship with the dromedaries. She thought they were cute after the sunset ride. The next morning she was tipped off when she attempted to get on (Sam’s fault, oops). Her relationship with the creatures was further strained when another dromedary wiped its spit on her leg. The final straw was when Sam’s dromedary whipped his urine-soaked tail and sprayed Lindsey in the face.
The dunes at sunset and under the stars.
Our campground in the Sahara.
It was an early morning to make it back across Erg Chebbi for the sunrise.
We never knew what animals we would encounter on our road trip. We stoped for mules and dromedaries crossing the road; we saw herds of sheep grazing in the foothills of the mountains; and possibly the most exciting were the monkeys in the Atlas cedar forest…
Lindsey feeding the monkeys peanuts.
Fes, founded in 789, is a labyrinthian medieval Islamic city with 9,454 cobblestone streets and alleys and 300 mosques. The palace gates are a major attraction due to their architectural beauty. Equally fascinating was watching the coppersmiths hammering their wares in Place Seffarine. Bring ear plugs!
You never know what you will get yourself into in Fes. We found ourselves in Al-Attarine Madrasa, a Quranic school. The late early afternoon light cast fun shadows on the intricate architecture.
Fes is known for its tanneries, which have been in use for over 1000 years. Not pictured here is Sam stuffing mint leaves up his nostrils while he walked between the odoriferous vats. The pungent odor comes from the pigeon droppings, cow urine, and quick-lime used in the traditional tanning process.
The view of Chefchaouen from the Spanish Mosque, which sits on a hill overlooking the city.
A few pictures of us in various spots throughout Chefchaouen.
Most stairs in Chefchaouen are elaborately decorated. The owners charge people to take photos on them. We called it the “influencer tax.”
The “Veganoo” was our favorite Tagine in Morocco. It was a colorful mix of peppers, spinach, pumpkin, zucchini, dates, avocado, and roasted almonds. The ZaZa — a Moroccan avocado milkshake with caramel sauce, fruit, and Oreos— was the most unique desert we ate. Locals typically eat this to break their Ramadan fast.
Lindsey’s enjoyed walking through Chefchaoun because it was much more calm and easy to navigate compared to Marrakech and Fes. We enjoyed the majestic Rif Mountain backdrop. Everywhere we turned revealed another historic spot. This is a community oven that has been in use since the 15th century.
This is where our infamous Hamams took place. (Read Sam’s experience for more details and a good laugh.)
Catch ya next time, Morocco!