Moroccan high~ Part I

An impromptu trip it was
and a fuckin' good one!
Morocco proved to be so different
from everywhere we've been to
it really opened up my eyes..
So first we flew straight to CASABLANCA

our 4 different passports

STOP sign in Arabic!

LUNCH TIME
A simple casual meal by the beach
became a true experience
at least a 'first' for Melinda lol.

Melinda's sheep's brains!!!
we didnt know wat it was when she ordered. heh heh
it was all soft n tofu-like..

my prawn stew..

Off to the pooool
this modern seaside capital of Morocco
amazed us with its modern landscape,
beautiful palm trees lining streets filled with bungalows..

having some gawky fun~

Dinner time
Alberto n Ivar were so distracted
as they were anxiously waiting for their hash.. lol

Moroccan local beer

Next day we took a 3-hr train to
MARRAKECH
we've heard so much abt it
we had to see it for ourselves..

the minute we arrived in our cool hotel
the drunkards didnt hesitate for a beer!
of cos Melinda had to check out their bar lol..

the weather was DESERT KINDA HOT
woooo~

First stop: DJEMMA EL FNA Market!!
one of the biggest mkts in the world
it's a huge square filled with acrobats,
snake charmers, traditional performances..
it was hectic n busting with life.

with the natives,
dressed in their traditional costumes!
Ivar threw them 20cents or sth,
n they refused to accept the tiny offer. lol.

huge assortment of dried nuts/fruits
we tried dates from their typical Palm trees

Ivarr with a monkey!

snake charmers
-it was funny how the minute
they see u snappin a pic,
they run towards u asking for money...

Lost in the SOUK
disarrayed alleys of stalls
making us go dizzy

Sheep's head!
a local delicacy

Us lookin alil puzzled, n intimidated
as the over-helpful Moroccans brought us
ard the dirty alleys looking for their infamous Tanneries..

this was probably one of the most memorable part of our trip
true sight of their city, their way of life, their poverty
it made me marvelled n mystified by the authenticity..
i wld never forget wat i saw along the way...

the livestock kept in a typical home
ready to be fed to its owner

Finally we got to a TANNERY
a local place for processing animal's skin
from raw scraping it off an animal
to fabricating it into a piece of leather.
it all takes place in this here...

we were surrounded by pits n holes
of pigeon's shit, pool of chemicals
and a pungent smell of colorings..

we were given mint leaves to overcome the smell

a donkey at work

the leather products at the end of the process

Moroccan goods amaze me
so much colours, textures n varieties!

Chillin' out at a rooftop cafe
sippin' some Arabic mint tea
ah finally some fresh air
n a good view of the market..

As evening falls over the bustling market..

As night falls,
the food market opens for business
we cld see stalls n stalls of exotic delicacies
one of them Snails...

Most of them..Sheep's head
it was a waste we didnt try it!
we missed out on it the nxt nite

DINNER - COUSCOUS
wheat rice flakes cooked with wintermelon, lamb..
a typical Moroccan dish
that Ive had many times,
bt never in true blue Moroccan style!

these Tajines are stews
made by several hours of cooking

Night falls
drinking time!

BREAKFAST

Menara Gardens
I'd read abt it,
bt it wasnt anything I'd expected..

Alberto n his animal instincts..
he's even patting a camel?!

On a CAMEL RIDE!!!
ok these camels were tiny
as compared to the one i rode in Turkey
so it proved to be much less intimidating..