Midnight at the Oasis - but do the Camels know the words?.....

[Pushka]

I know the feeling! Really cheeses me off. Have you got your con-freres together and put it to the tour people that you don't want big sit-down lunches?

Today was just a brief cheese tasting and quite pleasant and quick. But damnably hot.

Still on Rabat. We visited the Kings Palace. He wasn't in residence. Not much to report really. He has one wife who is a professional and two children and the male will inherit the crown.



Still in Rabat we visited this charming settlement and close to the sea. Lots of photo opps. The Kasbah.







Yes I bought one and yes it was hot and delicious.

 

[Pushka]

But then.
Yesterday afternoon was pretty torrid.

The drive from Rabat to Chefchaouen took about five hours. Some of our fellow travellers hadn’t been to India before and were pretty shocked by what they saw along the way. To us it all felt quite familiar.

The traffic ranged from good to absolutely execrable.

By the time we finally arrived at about 8.30 pm everyone was pretty well whacked. Luckily, we still just managed to catch the last of the sunset, around 8.38.

Gorgeous.








But even though we were running about two hours late, the hotel still managed to make check-in a drawn-out affair.

We all had to fill in forms, despite having pre-checked in through Luxury Escapes.

By the time we finally got to our rooms it was about 9.30 pm, knowing we still had dinner to get through before we could call it a night.

The view from the rooftop bar however was spectacular.







Dinner was a set three-course meal, with a couple of dishes that apparently needed to be ordered 24 hours in advance.

We all managed to find something we’d be happy with. The food was fine.

There was a band playing right next to our table, but we were all far too tired to appreciate it. We got through dinner, skipped the alcohol, and escaped to our rooms looking forward to a shower.

Except ours was cold.

They’ve already tried to fix it twice. As I write this, there’s someone in the bathroom having another go. Oh. An angry phone call and now someone has joined in and is now drilling. Joy.

 

[Pushka]

This morning we had a sleep in. Other than the call to prayer which was confirmed by all to be 4.19am. Not leaving until 10am.

Breakfast. Huge. Then even more dishes were brought. Great view though.







Then off to the land of Blue.

 

[Pushka]

First tranch. We were dropped off near the main area and gradually worked our way down to the Kasbah. Gorgeous. Spied some interesting things to buy but we weren't supposed to stop along the way but go back later.











The first Communal oven. It hadn't been started up for the day yet but still very very hot inside.









We heard several reasons why the Blue. To make it more attractive in Summer. The blue is a deterrent to Mosquitoes. The blue makes the homes cooler. And someone just started painting their house in blue. A bit of everything. Blue is also used to signify privacy and used to prevent strangers from entering.

 

[Pushka]

Remember I said our guide looked like Obama?

 

[Pushka]

Leather shoes. We are visiting a tannery in a couple of days. Gulp.


Gorgeous spice pots.




The number of colours tells the men when a woman is single and available to court.






Chefchouen means watch the two horns. These peaks are the two horns.



Bakery. We were given samples. And the bees were helping themselves.

 

[Flyfrequently]

Lisbon had one more surprise for us.

We were sitting outside having dinner, surrounded by football fans, good food and that wonderful World Cup atmosphere, when everything changed in an instant.

A fight broke out just metres away. We've seen several here to be honest. And lots of angry men shouting pushing and shoving. And this one too looked like another heated argument. They got right to where we were sitting outside.

That was our cue.

We abandoned our table and headed for cover while the argument continued for some time. Eventually some larger person separated the two and they moved back up the street still yelling.

We returned to the table and the staff told us there had been a knife in one guys hand poised to use. Oh. Right.

Five minutes later the main protagonist returned. He bent down to pick up a package about half the size of a brick. The drugs drop.

Within a short time people were back eating, glasses were being refilled and the football was back on the big screen, as though nothing had happened.

It certainly wasn’t what we’d expected from a night out in Lisbon. But honestly there is a bit of an undercurrent here. There is an area behind the hotel where maybe around 100 immigrants, all males, seem to be there both day and night. It's hot. People are drinking. But you will hear angry voices on the street, always men, at any time of the day. We are on alert.

Last night we saw a volunteer van delivering food to the homeless. I slipped away from MrP and gave one of them a donation, didn't say anything and walked away. Next thing all the volunteers were told and were cheering. It seemed the right thing to do. Hopefully it made the volunteers realise that everyone else appreciates their work.

Yes, we were surprised to find pockets of discomfort in Lisbon @Pushka
We were walking (me hobbling) to a restaurant only 600 metres from our hotel but needed to turn of the main drag to go up a back lane with very shady looking characters, not at all far from Praca de Rossio., maybe 100 metres.

Didn't feel at all comfortable so did a u- turn, spotted McDonald's and called Uber from there - best €2 spent !
Restaurant agreed, best to get Uber home especially as it was dark.

Really enjoying your TR, am days and a country behind!

 

[Pushka]

Ok. Up to lunchtime yesterday. We were supposed to have a goat cheese tasting with honey and nuts and a walk through. What we got was a plate of three slices of goat cheese, a bread roll and put outside where it was hot. Experience rating - 1/5. Then there was a walk offered which was 40 minutes both ways but to a fountain. Three of us girls opted to go back up to the shops while those brave went on the ‘arduous’ walk. Ha. Ours was back up those blue stairs and not get lost. The walk turned out to be a cushy walk through the lower shops then on to a peaceful water area. Their walk took 20 minutes. Ours wasn’t so pleasant but we did get to revisit the shops and two of us bought a kaftan. I love mine. Not sure if I’ll wear it at the Sahara desert or not. But will wear it at home in summer. And it’s actually made in Morocco

We met up with the group then headed back to the hotel for a rinse and repeat meal. We were going to meet at 6.30pm for a drink at the rooftop bar. Except. Chefchouen is a dry town. But we had a bottle of gin in our room and enjoyed our pre dinner drink.

Pot is everywhere apparently as people smelled it. I can’t smell pot. I was oblivious.

Sleep then 4.15am the call to prayer that lasted for ages that was followed by a big cat fight that set off the dogs that woke up the roosters. We were up early.

This morning an early start as we headed to Fes where we just arrived.

 

[Pushka]

Today started with a four hour drive to arrive at Volubis, the ancient Roman city as part of their climb to domination in this area. The Roman Empire was huge. Its size contributing to its downfall.



IIt was hot with little shade. One traveller is fading rapidly. It’s almost like she didn’t read the itinerary.



Main family meeting area.




The plumbing mechanisms were exceptional.
Olive grinding mill. Their main industry.



Building dedicated to the God.



The main forum.





The Romans also exported all the animals like lions etc to fight at the coliseum. Sad times.

 

[Pushka]

Today was one of those days that turned out to be far more interesting than I expected.

The Roman ruins is definitely one of those places where having a good guide makes all the difference. Ours was an excellent historian who somehow managed to make a pile of very old stones feel like a real town full of real people.

It's in the middle of nowhere so why the Roman's arrived here is just confusing.

At one stage I was chatting with someone about Turkey and Kusdasi and those fabulous ruins and he joined in and added much more.

The thing I hadn’t appreciated was just how Roman this part of Morocco once was. It’s easy to think of Morocco as Arabic and French, but for a few centuries it was very much part of the Roman Empire. They built proper roads, grand houses, olive presses, baths and some amazingly intricate mosaics that have somehow survived all this time.

Then came the earthquake in 1755. I’d always associated that with Lisbon, but it reached all the way across to Morocco. Much of Volubilis was badly damaged and what remained gradually became abandoned, leaving behind the remarkable ruins we walked through. It was one of the highlights of the trip.

Onwards. An amazing lunch to follow.

 

[Pushka]

The road was incredibly difficult. So many 'we got this' momentts when in reality we didn't.

That's a two metre drop




At 100 kmh




And so many of these.

 

[Pushka]

And just some interesting scenes on the first 3 hour drive. Did I mention we spend so much time driving?



Somewhere here

 

[Pushka]

Ok. Now watching Morocco play France in soccer. More about the amazing lunch tomorrow. Currently in Riad Fez. What can I say. It's amazing. Relais et Chateau and Michelin. Just like our lunch. Stunning. A teaser on lunch.