Friday 31 December 2010

Moroccan crossing

Beautiful day-long visit of Fez medina left us amazed, loaded of local products and exhausted. I'm still the best subject of jokes about getting lost but now everyone knows me. Also after my Moroccan outfit, which may be made public at some point.

Never-ending ride from Fez to Marrakesh today.

Going across the mid-Atlas, pit stop at the Moroccan Swiss city of Ifrane, posh ski resort, when Allah sends snow; then lunch at Khenifra, allegedly the city with the most beautiful women in Morocco (none was around to check).

Chakib took the occasion to explain that the frontier police uses monkey squads against drug smuggling. Didn't say if they wear the fez hat while on duty.

He also explained that baby girls get earrings at the beginning of their... career. We're still a bit wondering.

Asked whether, after Tunisia took Craxi in the 90s, Morocco would be willing to take some other Italian prime minister, Chakib politely declined, thanking us with the typical Moroccan gesture of the "umbrella".

For the rest of the ride, the possibility was explored for a tour member to seduce the tour leader via the use of pistaches.

New year's eve dinner in Marrakesh tonight.

Yalla yalla

20 hours trip with aborted landing as if playing 'Air Control', here starts the new African adventure, close-by. Welcome to Casablanca.

The start is immediately blessed by good luck, in the form of a half kilo post-christmas-dinner bird poop.

Afterwards, meet Chakib, our local guide. Non-stop talking while taking us from a place to another, telling old jokes and incredible stories about his country, where cities have at least 1 million extra inhabitants than official figures and where Islam empowers women and teaches sex education.

There must be something with African guides and their making up stories, remembering Isack 'o pallonaro.

But he came to rescue me after I got lost in the middle of the Fez medina, the highlight of the day - the rescue action as much ad the medina itself.

To be continued...