MOROCCO: MY FIRST TIME IN AFRICA

Last year, exactly this same time, me and Bruno were backpacking and hitch hiking in Morocco for 5 weeks. This is our almost neighbor country and we didn’t have the chance to visit? That’s it, let’s go in the beggining of 2014, our first travel of the year.

The cool part of Morocco is that you can go by boat so we didn’t have an exact date. We decided to leave 2 days before, it was weird. Basically we packed a mini backpack, our friends drove us to Faro for a drink at night. We partied until 6am and left to Spain by bus to then get a ride from a ride sharing website to Algiras port. We arrived Morocco late afternoon, a completly different continent, actually my first time touching Africa.

TIPS TO HITCH HIKE IN MOROCCO

When planning my backpacking trip to Morocco I didn't think about hitch hiking because mass media and society made this stereotype that Morocco is a dangerous country to travel, so imagine get in a car of a stranger...

It's true that transportation is cheap and generally (out of touristic spots) Morocco is a cheap country to travel but if we can save money and travel longer, if we can meet more moroccans and exchange cultures, why not?! 

As soon as we arrived we felt safe. We asked several locals we made friends with and everybody said is safe to hitch hike in Morocco. So, what are we waiting for? Let's do it! By my 5 weeks experience I can tell you is the real adventure, you never know what will happen during and next the ride. Read the tips, if you have any question please ask in the comments so everybody can acess and we can start a discussion. 

CHEFCHOUEN - BLUE TOWN (PART II)

I decided for a Part II for Chefchouen just because these pictures I took are so pretty that have to be shared. Chefchouen is a most go in Morocco but we were unlucky to be there exactly on Easter Vacations so the place was crowded with international tourists (especially spanish) and moroccan tourists. Did I mention before that I don't like to travel in places packed of people?

CHEFCHAOUEN - BLUE TOWN [PART I]

 Remember when I said that would stay one month in Morocco? With 300€ I could actually stay at least 6 weeks. Moroccans (especially from the South) invite you to sleep in their houses, feed you and even give you money (!!!) but we don't accept, that's not the point. When you hitch hike and Couch Surf you save so much, enough to travel much more.

But I'm tired of Morocco to be honest. I mean, I'm having a great time but there's no fix price, you even bargain for food, seriously! Also there are many moroccans out there that seem to be your friends but in the end all they want is to sell you something. Worst! They can give you something as a gift and in the end they ask money for that. Very important: Not everybody is like this, we met many many nice, kind and friendly moroccans. Feels that in the South people are nicer maybe because is far from big cities?

SAHARA DESERT EXPERIENCE

Being in the Sahara Desert was, without any doubt, one of the best moments of my life. The feeling of silence, of non life, far away from any electronics and the busy life out there was speechless.

We decided to go to Erg Chebbi Dunes in Merzouga to enter the desert. We knew we had to book a tour and be a tourist for few hours :D The agency we found was asking 400 DH (around 40€)

for the pack: riding a camel one hour in the desert until the camping site, watch the sunset from the top of the dune, have moroccan dinner, sleep with the stars and come back in the morning riding a

camel and at the same time enjoy the sunrise and breakfast in the hotel where we leave our backpacks. We bargained so hard that we paid 500 DH for both. It's crazy that we are spending around 5€/day and suddenly 40€ in one click. 25€ sounded resonable. Common! Being in the South of Morocco and not experience the desert? We'd miss something.

THE ROCKS HEAVEN

Asking locals or people who host you is always the best way to go to this treasure places you couldn’t find in Travel Guide Books. Tinghir was in our route but as soon as some moroccans said that Gorges du Todra (15 km from Tinghir) is a better spot to stay we changed our mind. And did pretty good.

AIT BEN HADDOU - TRAVELING IN HISTORY

Ait Ben Haddou is located 30 km away from Ouarzazate (known as “The Gate to Desert”) and part of UNESCO World Heritage, protecting those 500 years old mud made houses (kasba in Arabic) from erosion and destruction. In the past was the spot where caravans would stop when traveling between Marrakech and the Desert.

MAGICAL OURIKA VALLEY

After Essaouira we didn't really have a plan. When this happens we just let the Universe helping to follow our way. Zakaria suggested to hitch hike from Essaouira to Agadir, thru the coast and stop in 3 villages and after go to Paradise Valley. we thought it was a brilliant idea but soon we understood it wasn't the best idea because it's hard to hitch hike to the village which means taxi drivers trying to rip you off. I guess would be a good plan if you have a caravan or a car and camping tent.

Ourika Valley came to our mind. We left Essaouira (we went back just to sleep one night) and got a ride to Marrakech, the driver was heading to Casablanca but he was super kind and brought us exactly where we wanted. From Marrakech we took a dirty local bus to Ourika. It was dark already and the only Hotel was pricey for us so we asked a boy if he knew any cheap hostel. He called his father and among many arabic (or berber) words, he said "You are welcome in my house" Bonus! Thanks Universe :)

MOROCCAN ARABIC JOURNEY

No, no my dear readers I won't be boring and teach you arabic in this post :) Just think that the language is another culture aspect interesting to learn and want to share my arabic experience so far. By the way, did you know that arabic language is spoken in Morocco, Algeria, Egypt, Syria?

I'm thrilled when traveling in a country with a completly alphabet. First time was in the train station when we arrived Prague (Czech Republic) while InterRailing, there were many signs but no translations so we felt a bit lost with a feeling of adrenaline at the same time.

Then I been in India and wanted to learn sanscrit, like it's very easy to learn, yeah, yeah right. Greece was also fun to see all those weird characters.

SHORE TO SHORE FESTIVAL PARADE

We are in Essaouira right now and seems we made a good choice for a place to relax. The city is pretty chilled with a nice Medina (comparing with Marrekech is way smaller but is more open, feels more fresh), beach, portuguese castle (geeez portuguese history is all around) and it's mostly famous for kitesurf and windsurf pratice.

I love when I'm in a foreign place and there's a festival or a traditional party going on. I heard that Essaouira offers many festivals, esp. during Summer. It's a cultural and artistic area, just look around you and you see paintings, music, theatre around you.

RABAT AND CASABLANCA [MOROCCO]

Kasbah (means castle) des Oudaias

Morocco is the Land of  No Rules. If you are organized, like pontuality and not really flexible, you're gonna have a hard time backpacking in Morocco.

Maybe that's the reason why so many people just pay a travel agency and come on a tour? I dislike tours: with the money they ask for a tour I can do many many things and I don't like the idea of having someone telling me what to do or where to go. The worst is that you don't really get to know the culture because you have no time to talk and do things with locals. In the other side having a guide in historical places is handy to understand what's go in on around us. But there you go, each person has their way of traveling, as long as they travel I’m happy :)

TANGIER AND ASSILAH [MOROCCO]

This is my first time with my feet in Africa, which means I have been in all 5 continents! Yey! Go Girl! But... Morocco is not Africa for me. When I think of Africa I think of what is so called "Black Africa" so I'm not 100% conviced I've been in all continents. Let's plan a Trip to South Africa or Madagascar or Cape Verde! Ok take it easy you may think. I'm in Morocco and I don't wanna be anywhere else right now.

TIPS TO ORGANIZE A TRAVEL ON A BUDGET (PLANNING MY MOROCCO TRIP)

Two months in Portugal is wayyyy too long, but there's always a good excuse to stay longer: a friend birthday party, my 30th anniversary, finish the Etics, Culture and Environment in People Course and now we gotta stay until Carnival which is a real blast, everybody on crazy and funny costumes, brazilian music, a lot of singing outloud, dancing until the sun rises. And next day the same, during 4 days. Doesn't it sound like a gypsy wedding party? ;)

For a long time Morocco is on my travel list and finally it's gonna be real, after Carnival.

My passion of traveling is not only when I'm already there, enjoying the landscape, the different culture, the gastronomy is the whole process: Planning, Being there and Reflection.