Meandering Around Morocco

If you follow me on any other type of social media you'll probably know by now that I spent the past 10 days in Morocco (if you don't follow me on my other social media sites, get your A into G and follow me now - Facebook, Instagram, Twitter).  In regards to Morocco though the sun was shining, culture was blooming and the colours were indeed vivid.

I started the journey off in Marrakech travelling onwards to the Saharan desert near Zagora and M'hamid.  These first few days were surreal for sure because the sites that I saw were completely picturesque.  With views of sand dunes upon sand dunes and experiences like huddling around a brightly burning campfire in the middle of the desert, it really was a dreamlike venture.  Amidst all of the beauty we also had time to check out how Moroccans created their intricate pottery items which seemed terribly tedious to me however, I guess that is exactly why it is all so magnificent.

The exceptional view of the Saharan desert!

Campfire in the desert kind of vibes *thumbs up*

After being in the desert for a few days we headed on through to Tinghir and then Fes.  Unfortunately there wasn't much to do in Tinghir however there was definitely plenty to do in Fes!  Fes, being the living medieval city, was one of the most interesting places to visit and had a good deal of sites and things to do.  From learning how silk scarves were made manually to learning how they put together a stunning mosaic table (super difficult by the way -- the workers had to have 10 years of experience behind them in order to have that job), Fes was probably one of the most hard working places I came across in Morocco.  There is however one thing that stood out for me in Fes, and I'm absolutely sure it would stand out for anyone - the Leather Tanneries.  The powerfully pungent smell that hit you as soon as you saw this site (image below) almost made you dislike the place but after learning a little more about it I was simply in awe of the workers and how hard they worked.

The infamous leather tanneries!

                                                                    Yes this is a bowl of snails.... 

A panoramic view of Fes

Next up, after Fes, was Rabat and then Casablanca.  In Rabat we checked out a few of the most famous sites in Morocco including Mohammed V Mausoleum, the Hassan tower and the remains of an unfinished mosque (image below).  After receiving a tour from a local for these famous sites we drove off to Casablanca - the largest city and the main port for Morocco.  While in Casablanca we had the opportunity to see one of the largest mosques in Africa - Hassan the II Mosque.  The mosque itself was one of the largest buildings I've seen (apart from the Eiffel Tower) and the location that it was set in was stunning!

Mosque of Hassan II in Casablanca

Unfinished remains of a mosque in Rabat

After Casablanca we headed over to Essaouira and then on to Marrakech.  Essaouira was by far one of my favourite cities in Morocco and somewhere I would even consider living.  It reminded a little of Australia while at the same time being completely authentic to Morocco.  There were beaches, markets and plenty of restaurants to eat in - it was a brilliant combination of relaxation and city-feels. After Essaouira we drove across to Marrakech which was sadly our last stop in the tour.  There was no disappointment with Marrakech especially when it came to the market square where there were plenty of winding alleyways lined by numerous souks (marketplaces) selling authentic textiles, jewellery and much more.  The evening before the tour ended we spent our last dinner sitting on the balcony of a panoramic restaurant watching the sun set over the market square.  It really topped the whole experience off!

Essaouira's stunning sunset the night before we left!

 The market square in Marrakech                                The sunset in Marrakech

In the middle of Marrakech's food stalls

Before I finish up this post I just want to quickly shout out to the other Aussie's and Kiwi's that were on the tour with me - thanks for all being great human beings and for keeping the conversation extremely interesting..... (hah!).

The gang + the tour guide! :)