Posting photos

Just learning how to post photos...  Here we go.

Itinerary (preliminary)

March 20 JFK,to Casablanca, arriving 6:25am, 3/21.

Essaouira March 21-24

(pronounced ‘essa-weera’, or ‘es-Sweera’ in Arabic)

Drive rental cars; est. 5 hours (350K)

Possible stops on the way:

El Jadida: Portugese city, cistern, port

Oualidia: on the beach, oysters

 http://www.araignee-gourmande.com/#!/ 

Essaouira:

Riad: Les Matins bleu

Hotel LES MATINS BLEUS
22, rue Draa 44000
Essaouira Maroc

Téléphone/Fax:

(00212) 524 78 53 63(00212) 524 78 53 63

Parking: Place Hassan

Essaouira:City highlights:

·       The ramparts

·       The port

·       Art galleries

Possbile day trips

North:

Cap Hadid,

Cap Beddouza 25K N of Safi

Safi: colline des potiers,

South:

Tamanar, argan oil and goats, Co-op Amal (village de l’arganier)

Coast: Cap Sim, Smimou “super little souk” Sundays, Tafelney, hoseshoe bay

Marrakech, March 24-26

176 K from Essaouira, est. driving time: 2-3h

Riad: Bouganvillier

Adresse : Derb Ben Amrane Nº5, Riad Zitoun Lakdim
Marrakech / Médina
Tel. : +212 (0)524 391 717+212 (0)524 391 717
Fax. : +212 (0)524 391 717+212 (0)524 391 717
Mobile. : +212 (0)661 170 222+212 (0)661 170 222 / +212 (0)666 40 60 60+212 (0)666 40 60 60

Marrakech highlights:

·       Jemaa el Fna & souks

·       Majorelle Gardens,

·       Menara Gardens with reservoir view

·       Ville Nouvelle

·       Katoubia Minaret(known as the most perfect Islamic monument in Africa),

·       the El Badi Palace, Saadian tombs

·       Ben Youssef medersa

·       Jewish quarter, bitoun synagogue

·       Bahia palace

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6 day DESERT ADVENTURE

MARCH 27 -  APRIL 1

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Fez, April 1-4

Riad: Dar El Hana

22 Ferrane Kouicha

30200, Morocco

+212 676-286584+212 676-286584

Highlights:

Medina

Kairaouine mosque

tanneries

Artisans

Walk to tomb of Merinids

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Chefchaouen:  April 4-6

180 -190 K from Fez, transport by Fez riad van

Riad: Dar Gabriel

On arrival in Chefchaouen leave your car or taxi outside the city walls and enter the lime washed blue medina on foot via the gateway called Bab Souk, turn left, walk about 100 metres - Dar Gabriel is up the first little street on the left hand
side.

Hotel phone number - 00 212 53 99 89 24400 212 53 99 89 244

Highlights:

quartier el Andalus

Pl. Outa Hamman, Grand mosque 16C, octagonal minaret

 

• The medina

• The waterfall (Ras el Maa) to the east of the medina

• The ruins of an old mosque (Jemaa Bouzafar), on a hill behind the waterfall,

• The hill of the Hotel Atlas is a good viewpoint on the town and the valley, especially on sunsets. It can be reached from the south gate of the medina (Bab el-Ain) by climbing the road coasting the medina on the west side until the east gate (Bab Souk), and then uphill, crossing the old cemetery on a rocky path.

1-2 hr hike to summit Ech Chaoua,

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TANGIER, April 7-10.

From Chefchaouen 107K, est 2-3 h. grand taxi

(Marge and Phyl have a dinner date in Tangier 4/10)

Rent a car 4/9 to return in Rabat or Sale

Tangier hotel: Rembrandt

Hôtel Angle bd Pasteur et bd Mohamed V Tanger Maroc

Tel : +212 5 39 93 78 70+212 5 39 93 78 70

Tangier highlights:

• Terrasse des Paresseux, boulevard Pasteur,
• walk the beachfront Avenue Mohammed VI
• Café Hafa; view of the straits.
• American Legation Museum
•  the souk on Thursday or Sunday, Rif mountain women in their colorful costumes
• St. Andrew's Church(English Church).

·        Museum of Moroccan Arts & antiquities (closed tues) good view of straits

• Hercules Cave (Grottes d'Hercules)
• Cape Spartel, Cape Malabata lighthouses

Possible day trip:

Tetouan

Highlights:

Artisan school

Spanish architecture

Archeology museum

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Larache: April 11

From Tgr 87K

On the way:

Asilah, 46K S of Tgr

old Porguguese port, walk ramparts

Church: St Bartolome: only church allowed to ring bells

Larache Riad: La Maison Haute

Maison Haute, 6 derb Ben Thami, LARACHE

South of Larache

Approx 40K: Moulay Bousselham and the Merja Zerga lagoon; birding

Lixus: Roman ruins

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RABAT/ Sale April 12- 15

From Larache: 80K

On the way: Near Kenitra: Mamora forest (cork oak)

*drive E from Kenitra to Sidi Yahya el Gharb, then take R411 toward Sidi Moussa el Harrati to get impression of area’s beauty.

Rabat/Sale Riad:

Rabat highlights:

Oudaia gate and musée Oudaia

Tomb of Mohammed V, the Kasbah

Chellah Necropolis. 

Andalus Garden and Café Maure

Mellah, Jewish traditional homes

Train to airport.

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Books

Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits by Laila Lalami

A Year in Marrakesh by Peter Mayne 

Lulu in Marrakech by Diane Johnson

Dreams of Trespass: Tales of a Harem Girlhood by Fatema Mernissi

Trip Preparation

How did March get here so fast?! I guess  I need to move beyond reading about Morocco (my favorite way to prepare for a trip) to actually considering what to pack.