Our trip to Morocco was conceived as a way to visit our nephew, who is currently serving in the Peace Core. Initially we considered planning the trip ourselves - but soon realized we could not confidently decide on which cities and sites to visit, let alone which accommodations in what neighborhoods, how to navigate and get around in each location or the whole country for that matter! With an eight day window to see and learn as much as we could about this fascinating and mysterious culture my wife started looking for travel websites that specialize in tailored solutions and luckily stumbled upon KimKim. What a game changer!
Within minutes of her first inquiry -confidence and excitement replaced ALL of our confusion and anxieties.
From the first conversation, Ali was friendly, patient and helpful, describing multiple options in multiple combinations and all directions -north, south, east and west, coast, desert, mountains, etc., this country has it all! He described many exciting excursions and experiences, all in organized and thoughtful detail. We were flying in with my wife's brother and his wife from Paris with the idea that we would meet up with their son in Fez near his "Peace Core" assignment. Ali was even happy to secure separate arrangements for our nephew to be picked up in his small village and brought to our hotel in the city.
Upon arriving at the airport, the unique culture, the architecture, the sounds and even the fragrant air was apparent and intoxicating - this was going to be an adventure!
Starting on the right foot KimKim assigned to us the always smiling and exceedingly kind and respectful "Mohamad" as our permanent driver (and new friend) for our entire 8 day romp. This young man would turn out to be our constant connection to this vast country -an incredible ambassador to Morocco and it's sense of values and welcoming spirit. After clearing customs, we were immediately greeted by our smiling new driver, welcomed by name in perfect English and escorted to our comfortable, gleaming new mini bus, and whisked off to our hotel in Fez.
After spending the afternoon settling in at the hotel, Mohamad picked us up and drove us to our first authentic Moroccan meal (a birthday dinner kindly arranged for by our extraordinary trip handler Said) at the beautiful rooftop restaurant "L;Amandier Palais" overlooking the Old City of Fez. It's hard to say what was more incredible - the food or the view. Either way - the stage was further set for the humbling sense of hospitality and more exciting mysteries ahead!
After a night cap at an equally beautiful, very modern boutique hotel bar (suggested by our server) we called day 1 "a very good first impression" and slept like the royalty we were being made to believe we might be! ;)
After an incredible buffet breakfast of Moroccan delights, mint tea and maybe the best plate of eggs I've ever eaten, we were greeted in the lobby by our trusted ambassador Mohamad and our new local guide to the city of Fez "Hamad".
It was immediately clear that Hamad (short for Mohamad) knew his city (and by all appearances, everyone who lived there) very well! with the help of our driver, He took us on a whirlwind tour around the outskirts and towering walls of the entire city, helping to orient us to this vast and beautiful ancient metropolis. He shared his fond impressions of his King and the palace walls and gates that dominate much of the architecture you see immediately outside the Old City and medina. Though, once inside the walls is where the real excitement begins. The medina was unlike anything a humble Westerner like myself might have imagined. The narrow alleys and passageways are almost indescribable. Averaging maybe 8-10 feet wide at most, under 2-4 stories of walls, windows and other structure - lined with shop, after shop, after shop, then another alley to the left, then another secret route to the right, all filled with activity, chatter, animal sounds, deals being haggled, children playing, laughter, music, tv's, birds flying over shoulders, and air so thick with smells good and bad you swear they're holding you up! -This maze of amazement is nearly impossible to comprehend when first encountered. Don't try too hard. It will catch up to you eventually. This experience for me was less about seeing as it was feeling. A total immersion into all things ancient, rich and mysterious. This is Morocco of old. This is history.
I won't try to describe the details of Old Fez any more than I have as I believe (like life) we will all experience those details very differently. I will say this: Do not be afraid. Be alert and aware as you can for the obvious reasons of not being crowded out by a passing donkey and cart, or losing your companions or guide... but don't be afraid... the smiles are warm and real. The locals know your there, and why. Let them have the dignity of sharing their culture -and maybe even a chance to share their wears with you. And yes... haggling is expected, and actually more fun than you might think... Just approach the subject as if you were trying to sell your old lawn mower to your neighbor! i.e - don't take it too seriously. Everything is inexpensive. If you paid a little too much... add the experience to boost the value! Have fun!
Moving on...
One of Ali's suggestions while planning our trip was to ride camels and spend the night in a Bedouin camp in the dunes of Merzouga (in the southeast of the country) on route to Marrakesh. Per the website photos and other reviews we all agreed this was a must and this leg did not disappoint! Though it is a long drive from Fez to Marrakesh (think California is roughly the same size as Morocco... so... San Francisco to L.A.) the country is stunning and much more diverse than any of us imagined. Leaving Fez you begin to ascend up into hills eventually becoming an alpine forest full of baboon like monkeys everywhere. Our driver stopped to give us a closer look and we were instantly approached by men and children trying to sell us bags of peanuts to feed the monkeys, when suddenly a large one snatched the bag up for sale leaving all involved cracking up and the monkey beaming with content. A short while later we stopped for a breather in a University town of Ifrane, known for its giant stone carved lion in the middle of town. Further research tells me the lion was carved by a soldier during WW2 to commemorate the last of the wild "Atlas Lions", which was shot near here in the 1920's. Mohamed proudly informed us also, that this was considered the "cleanest" city in all of Morocco. Between its alpine setting, beautiful yet austere architecture and the name of the nearby hotel (Hotel Chamonix) you would be forgiven if you thought you were stretching your legs in Switzerland.
As you then begin to descend into the desert valley you really begin to understand the vastness and diversification of this intriguing country. Flanked to the west by the snow capped Atlas Mountains, the road begins to drop into the beautiful and mysterious desert and dunes ahead. Our able driver, determined to get us to our desert camp before the sun sets succeeds with time to spare as we pull into Merzouga to meet our Bedouin hosts who will drive us deeper into the dunes and our Arabian adventure. We pile into 4x4's that will take us another 30 minutes or so deep into dunes that I never realized are so big and awe inspiring. Truly another world - past or future - hard to tell.
We arrive at the most elegant "glamping" experience you could ever imagine, with individual tents complete with king sized beds, working lights, toilets, sinks and showers. They even have USB outlets to charge your phones!
Once we settled in for a quick freshening up... we were invited to climb on board a group of large and noisy camels. Our Bedouin hosts first tied our traditional style turbans, then helped us "saddle up" atop our individual camel and walked us even deeper into the dune paradise. A little while on we dismounted (be prepared - lol!) then climbed on foot in the cool sand up the crest of the highest dune in sight to watch the sunset! Just in time to watch the day end in the most surreal setting this somewhat worldly traveler has ever witnessed. If you love any movies that have the great desert landscapes... this moment will make your life richer for living it!
Back at camp dinner is being prepared while your hosts treat you to a surprisingly very "western" list of refreshments and cocktails (with plenty of ice!) and a raging bonfire in the most romantic setting anyone could design.
Dinner does not disappoint and after, the chef comes out to join the staff for a traditional drum circle/song/chant that should not be missed.
If it's possible, the desert is even more quiet at night than you might imagine, and the stars and moonlight lay a diamond like haze over the already alien landscape that force the world (and earth) to be rethought -if only to give you any hope of remembering your normal life. I'll leave you this advice... Do not miss this. Get up in the middle of the night and step out of your tent. ...you may never get another chance at being this close to heaven.
The next morning we all slept in as if by divine intervention, and reluctantly bid farewell to our hosts and their paradise.
Another day of driving west through the mostly a barren landscape of the Dades Valley we arrive in what can best be described (correctly or not) as an Oasis. The Riad Ksar Ighnda cannot be described better I think. This hotel near our morning destination - the infamous Ait Benhaddo - is simply magnificent in its abililty to take you back to another century and mindset. Its opulence is subtle, its details simple yet breathtaking. As a songwriter in my youth and an architect by profession - I had "I wish I'd written that" moments all evening over dinner, and "I wish I'd built thats" over breakfast. Truly one of the most tasteful examples of manmade architecture and design I've ever witnessed.
Just a mile or so from the riad is the World Heritage site of Ait Benhaddo. A centuries old walled village made famous in movies like Gladiator and HBO's Game of Thrones. The village is dripping in history and is still occupied by families who's descendants have lived here for millennia. Our guide and his brother who live here as their ancestors did beamed as they shared photos of their participation as extras in both productions I mentioned. As we are all big fans of both it felt good to make such a fun (if not strangely modern) connection with these handsome men with huge movie star smiles! Movie fan or not -This is another must see in a country I'm realizing is full of them.
After saying our farewells to history we began our relatively easy 1/2 day drive to Marrakesh. "Easy" being relative depending on how you feel about heights. Driving over the Atlas Mountains is extraordinary. Having a professional driver, especially one as good and capable as our Mohamed made the experience even more breathtaking as it allowed us all to simply gawk at the awesome surroundings. That is most of us. Mohamed's spirit seemed to shine even brighter on this leg as he shared his own dreams of some day retiring with a few humble sheep in this place. As he pointed down into the valley below during a rest stop to say "that little plot would do", I sighed and thought "yeah it would". All those moments on our massive adventure covering hundreds and hundreds of miles all came down to pointing at this one magic little glade on a small terrace just above the valley floor. That would do.
What to say about Marrakesh?
We've been to Fez... so big doesn't necessarily impress anymore.
But there is something... but what is it?
Oh I know! Snakes!
Yes, SNAKES!
Every age appropriate westerner has some sense of what "exotic Marrakesh" might be... and chances are it involves some vision of hoards of people pressing through more people, surrounded by mystical sounds of magic flutes and hissing snakes. Well... we're all right! - and It's amazing!
But it is so much more.
Yes it's crazy busy and bustling in every corner of every street and alleyway. It's absolutely electric with energy and the exotic. Yet, it's also very sophisticated. Gorgeous came out of my mouth so often I began to feel I was placating my own perceptions. This place could take weeks, months or even years to truly get a handle on... but what I got immediately was this is humanity at its most revealed and mysterious at the same time. Shockingly raw in this corner... unbelievably decedent in this one... and I haven't moved an inch. If you like extremes - you're going to love this place.
Our lodgings at the Elegancia Riad Boutique were exquisitely appointed and managed. The staff appeared to be everywhere at once, every request replied to "with pleasure". Absolutely 1st class in every way.
After a great day with our city guide Henine, a young woman who expertly shared her favorite parts of the city we took another free day to shop and explore on our own. Marveling at the richness of the wears and culture just then catching up to each of us. This country happens fast. But the experiences seep in slow. So don't be surprised if your memory seems to be on delay while you visit. It's coming. In fact it's still coming to me as I write this many days after returning home and to my normal every day life.
That may be the real beauty and allure of Morocco... It's ability to take you in and give you all your brain can saturate in the moment - then secretly, quietly offer you more. Like a good mint tea... the longer you brew... the richer the flavor.
To all our new friends in Morocco... shkraan jzylaan.
Chris, Eve, Arline, John and Max
United States (Cleveland, OH and San Francisco, CA)
