After an exhausting day of getting out of Egypt, then struggling with an extremely inefficient train ticketing system, we eventually got a cab from the airport and were promptly ripped off. Immediately; here was the first example of swindling of many we would have. There are signs posted at the taxi stand with the standard rates; it said 250 Moroccan Dirham (~ $30) to downtown Casablanca. We confirmed the price with the driver, got in, and 5 minutes down the road he said that because it was dark out they charge an extra 50%. What?? This was a new one. but what could we do? We were too exhausted to come up with a contingency plan and we were already underway so we paid him, and it annoyed both of us. The taxi drivers here are the worst. Many have meters but refuse to use them. That evening after making it to Rick’s Cafe (from the movie Casablanca!) we were quoted 60 MD to take us the 3 km home. Eventually we found another that would use his meter and it ended up being 12 MD. Even if it is just a couple of dollars I don’t like the feeling of being taken advantage of, or the constant question in the back of my head of whether we’re paying a fair price.

Anyway, we had arrived safely out of Egypt and into fabled Morocco. First, in case there is any doubt, Morocco is HOT! Literally over 100 degrees. There is no sleep with air conditioning (which we have been subjected to twice).

We did not do much in Casablanca; there isn’t much to do apparently, as it is more of a business capital and not a touristic or cultural one. We got a train to Marrakech in the early afternoon after breakfast at a cafe selling Lavazza espresso and omelettes. It is somewhat shocking to see the strong French influence here, and I’m very grateful that Jonathan speaks french!

We shared our first class train compartment with a nice french family, arrived in Marrakech and took another taxi (not as bad this time but we still got in and out of one car before getting a reasonable offer) to the Medina. A medina as I understand it is an area of bustling shops and alleyways, pretty touristic but a lot of fun. After walking for awhile with our packs on we found the riad I had booked for the night, and then had to wait 45 minutes while I tried to manage being extremely overheated. The hot tea they served us while they cleaned the room did not help. The cold beer Jonathan found for me did.

We spent the evening walking around. I wanted to see the Bahia Palace but it had closed at 4:30. The cities here are unlike anything I’ve seen before. Enormously tall walls surround sections of the city (like the medina), and also important structures like the palace. So when you’re walking sometimes you come against a wall and just following it around and around until you find a way to get back to where you thought you were headed in the first place. It renders a classic movie-type feeling of bright alleyways, surprises around each corner, and excitement as you dodge bicycles and motorcycles bursting around the bend.

We ended up in el Fna plaza, the famous square where we saw pet monkeys, storytellers, musicians, henna, and snake charmers. It was a lot of fun to wander around and see these classic and exotic acts and eat exotic foods. Jonathan convinced me to eat snails; ground snails cooked in some delicious spicy broth.

Amongst all of the amazing things around us, I was turned off by the aggressiveness of nearly everyone performing or serving. Restaurants hire people to basically stop and heckle you to try to convince you to eat at their food stall. If you take a picture of a drummer or a snake charmer one of his cohorts instantly puts himself in front of you with his hat out, demanding a tip. I was also SHOCKED to see women (presumably from the US and Europe) walking around in more revealing clothing that I would ever wear at home. I know I’m a modest dresser but still; sports bras with bare midrift, short short skirts and shorts, thin crocheted tops, strapless dresses, etc. I had not expected it and was very put off, especially after being in conservative Muslim areas for the last week and a half. These things combined with the sweltering heat put me in an odd mood, and after paying double for the only beer we could find (again, swindled because the local beer ‘on special’ they charged twice as much for as the other beers actually listed on the menu), we retired to the riad and an air conditioner that didn’t work.

We woke up early with the intention of getting an early cab to Imlil, a small town about 90 km south and a gateway to hiking in the High Atlas. We had vague directions to the grande taxi stand southwest of the medina and spent an hour walking around before finding it. Once there we finally had some luck; three cabbies started playing off each other and we got what we thought was a good price. We didn’t realize that we would be sharing the car with 4 other passengers, plus the driver! It was a long drive crammed in the back but a fun experience.

We arrived in Imlil, found a good hotel where we could leave one of our bags with a room booked for the following night, and away we went. I had thought that we would need to hire a guide but it turned out perfectly to make the way ourselves. We were headed for Jebel Toubkal, which peaks at 4167 m (13,671 ft), making it the highest point in North Africa. The first day we hiked about 10 km with almost 5,000 ft of climb in four hours, plus a one hour lunch break in a small village half-way. There we were alerted to the local saga; 3 goats had become stuck on a steep ledge on the canyon wall across from the lunch spot 4 days earlier. One had tried to jump down just and broke a leg or its neck before we got there and we watched as two men climbed to the crying body and efficiently cut its throat. We left joking with the cook that lunch tomorrow would be very fresh!

We overnighted at a refuge in the mountains, in a place similar to a Camino hostel but more expensive. The place and the base price were fine, $11 for a bunk, but Jonathan and I were both annoyed at all of the add on prices. 10 MD for a shower, another 10 to use the kitchen plus 10 an hour for a gas burner. 10 for coffee. 10 for a bottle of water. 30 for breakfast. 50 for dinner. It added up, but was still cheaper than a night off of the mountain. Neither of us slept very well, and were off again early for our summit attempt including another 3,150 ft climb. It was harder than we both expected, with loose scree scrambling and a false summit. We were both feeling the high elevation, but the feeling and the view upon our final stumbling steps to the top at 13,671 ft (4,167 m) made it worth it.

The descent was long and hard on our legs, although my knees feel good! Probably thanks to Jonathan who brought his trekking pole all the way from Boston for me to use. We have retrieved our second pack safely and are staying in the mountain town of Imlil tonight. The next phase of the adventure starts tomorrow morning; the Sahara!!