Morocco

*We know these women have stories to tell, we only wish we spoke the same language.*

We are often asked where our favorite place to travel has been. Morocco quickly jumped to the short list (shared by Iceland, Romania, Norway, Albania and Baja). The natural scenery is varied and stunning and the culture rich with art and ancient architecture. We have also rarely felt so welcomed by the people of a country. Every conversation starts with “Welcome to Morocco” and “How are you?.” From the old medinas and artists of Fes and Marrakesh to the laid back oceanside Essaouira, the granitic Atlas mountains and the red stone deserts, Morocco has incredible and interesting cultural and geographic diversity..

Morocco was the perfect jumping off point for our journey down the west coast of Africa. It felt like a hybrid of the European culture we have become accustomed to over the past two years and the African life we will be adjusting to. The cosmopolitan centers are modern and chic but historic lifestyles developed over centuries are still very evident. The Marrakesh medina personified this with cell phone stores next to stores with savory spice bins. Scooters and donkey cars fight for space on the narrow walkways with pedestrians and baby strollers. It felt chaotic yet was a carefully orchestrated dance ensuring safety for all. A predominantly Muslim country, we became used to the beautiful call for prayer throughout the day.

This was not a standard overlanding trip for us as we had a family group of eight coming together for the Christmas holiday. So for our first two weeks in Morocco we were staying in Airbnbs and guest houses before we said “goodbye” to family and headed south on our own. We also made the decision not to take the time to drive into the eastern region this trip. With the awareness that we would be driving through deserts as we headed south, we decided to save the time. Our schedule tension at this point is making it through Cameroon before the really wet season when the roads become basically impassable.

*Our three week route through Morocco - more urban time than we usually do, but fun with family.*

Highlights:

Chefchaouen- reputed to be the most beautiful town in Morocco, the blue city lived up to expectations

Fes - wandering the medina and meeting the artists plying their trades - weavers, coppersmiths, leather tanners, ceramic artists and painters

Essaouira - watching the activity in the busy fish market and learning about the lifestyle from the fishermen

Aït Benhaddou - wandering through this historic fortified village along the old caravan route

We arrived with the truck and our daughter, Claire, on the ferry from Algeciras, Spain to Tanger Med. Disembarking the ferry, we were surprised by how quiet the port was. Passport control was taken care of on board the ferry so we only had to pass through customs. We handed over our standard US registration piece of paper for the truck as proof that our vehicle was registered in the US and watched as the perplexed customs officer looked at it and shook his head. He told us to wait and disappeared. Meanwhile, one of his colleagues came over and started chatting with Andy about our plans and looked at the map on our hood. The map was a standard download from some online site and had a dotted line separating northern Morocco from the Western Sahara region. He instantly let us know that the map was incorrect, there should not be a line, it was all one country and asked for a pen to correct the error. We handed him a green Sharpie and he colored in the country of Morocco, eradicating the dotted line and making it whole.

*Our hood map with Morocco colored in - Andy had attempted to scrub off half of it before we thought to take a photo*

Forty-five minutes later, our original customs officer re-appeared and we were given a card with a scan code to document that our vehicle was approved to enter the country.

Despite what we had heard about others’ experiences, our vehicle was not searched or x-rayed and we were not asked about insurance (which we had through our German insurance company Tour Insure).

We were on our way.

*Only services we saw at the port, friendly youth in purple vests selling Inwi sim cards. We purchased 20 GB for 20 euros, they installed it and made sure it worked.*

Our first stop was the gorgeous famed blue mountain town of Chefchaouen. Painted a cheerful periwinkle blue, the town radiated warmth and hospitality. We arrived at night and were relieved that the hotel had a back courtyard for us to park in - and we fit through the gate!

*Our guest house, Torre Hadre. We rented out 6 rooms for our large family group. Kind staff, excellent breakfast and a beautiful rooftop terrace.*

*We love a balcony view that allows us to make sure our home on wheels is still safe.*

*With the rest of the family arriving later in the wee hours, we took off to explore the streets - equally atmospheric at night with everything closed.*

It may be a little bit of overkill but what follows is a ton of photos of blue buildings and alleys, Dawn was a little obsessed.

*Main entrance gate into the old medina*

*Streets of the souk lined with goods for sale*

*Central square of the old town, blue buildings galore and the mountain view in the background*

*We hiked up to the old mosque above town for the view. Andy’s sister Hope and our daugher Claire’s boyfriend Nick also now in the mix*

*So happy to have our three kids Trevor, Nicholas and Claire with us*

After three days of blue immersion, some of us got back in the truck and rest in a taxi van to head to Fes for Christmas.

*On the road - biggest hayloads we have ever seen*

In Fes, we booked a full riad in the old medina through Airbnb. It was a beautiful old home with rooms around a central courtyard. We found the only downside to riads in the winter is that the shared spaces are open to the outside. Perfect for 10 months a year, but slightly chilly in December. We just wore our coats at breakfast and were fine.

*Our Fes riad - a traditional Morccan home built around a courtyard*

*Traditional Moroccan dinner served our first night in our Fes riad*

*The medina was a maze of activity and our riad hidden away - just a door in an alley as many of them are.*

*Dawn’s cousin Helen now joined the group. A merry heart goes all the way.*

*Learning the fun and good nature behind bartering a good bargain*

*Our oldest son, Nicholas, premier medina navigator– we all just told him where we wanted to go and followed him*

*Daughter Claire with her boyfriend Nick, a couple always up for adventure*

*Tractor carts exactly the width of the lanes bring goods in and out of the souk (market), along with donkeys*

*We appreciated the distinctive features of the mosque minarets, always the highest point on the architectural horizon*

*Our navigator waiting for everyone to catch up*

*Bringing soda into the convenience store*

*Every street had a story, architecture, design, its own feel*

*The doors - everywhere - magnificent! Andy threatens to do a door-only blog someday - he has about 100 photos . . .*

*Our Christmas Eve activity - family cooking class! At Palais Amani - an elegant palace with a garden - you walk through a dark cramped alley, duck through an old door and all of a sudden you are here.*

*But before we cook we all have to shop for our ingredients at the souk*

*And then we have to take a break in the best and smallest tea shop in Fes - best mint tea ever*

*Getting down to business cooking our Christmas Eve dinner - Moroccan Tagines*

Andy and I had visited Fes five years ago and remained entranced with its history of arts and craftsmanship, and the twisting alleys of the ancient medina. We purposefully chose to have Christmas day in Fes. The second time round, we still felt the same.

*Christmas day walking tour - oldest continually operating university in the world -University of Karueein founded in 859*

*Oldest copper artist in Fes - still going strong*

*It’s Christmas day so Andy has to try on the most festive thing he can find in the leather shop. We all vetoed its purchase.*

*Berber man weaving traditional blanket*

*Beautiful mosaic fountain in the medina*

Christmas in Fes was the perfect Moroccan day, wandering the medina, taking in all the art and artisans, a traditional tagine lunch, followed up by dinner at The Ruined Garden, a cozy gourmet restaurant close to our Riad.

Our next stop was Casablanca. A large, modern city, it didn’t hold the interest for us that other places did so we opted for just one night.

*The sun sets on our evening walk in Casablanca*

*Hassan II Mosque - one of the largest in the world*

One night in the big city was perfect for us, so onwards to another charming destination, Essaouira. A port city on the coast, the city is protected by 18th century ramparts and features a small but intriguing medina alive with locals and tourists. We really appreciated the sense that the medinas in Morocco were fully still alive - unlike some of the old town areas in other countries. They were obviously still inhabited by Moroccan families living and working, using the communal bread ovens, conducting their daily lives as always. Most of the time we felt that we were in the minority as tourists and that locals were the majority of the pedestrian (and scooter, motorcycle and donkey) traffic.

*Artisans set up in the inner courtyard of the ramparts*

*Town is built along the rocky shoreline*

*Trevor and Nicholas climbing the rampart walls*

*Nicholas finding the right beanie in the souk*

*One of the most fascinating aspects of Essaouira for us was the fishing port - boats and fish galore*

*Choosing the fish for lunch - you buy the fish then take it to one of the nearby grills to cook it for you*

*Cats everywhere - Claire making friends*

*When in Morocco . . . we had to do it, touristy but fun. Surprisingly rough ride, and we discovered camels make hilarious sounds*

After relaxing at the beach it was time to head to our next big city- magical Marrakesh. Just the name conjured up so much mystique for us. But also a cloud of danger- our heads were full of rumors of pickpockets and scammers galore from our fellow travellers and friends. None of that was true for us. Our large group managed to navigate the medina having friendly conversations with the people who lived there and the merchants with no trouble at all. Well, except for arrival, even with our relatively compact truck it was difficult to navigate the tight streets leading up to the medina where our riad was. But once we were parked in a friendly staffed parking yard next to our riad, our time was stress-free.

*View from the windshield - moving slow*

The medina in Marrakesh had a different flavor than those of Chefchaoen (very laid back and blue), Fes (very old, intricate and full of arts) and Essaouira (small and cozy). Scooters and motorbikes were more prevelant and the crowds were more intense. We found wandering in the mornings to be more pleasant.

*One of the many gates into the old medina*

*Laundry time at the riad! Our brilliant hostess helped us find spots for everything to dry*

*Much as we love a good tagine, taking a brief break from Moroccan food to go Italian at Pepe Nero - most excellent*

Then, on the road again! Our group slowly shrinking back as people return to their regular lives. Next stop, the Atlas Mountains and the town of Oukmeiden.

*Stopped off for groceries in Marrakesh first and were so hungry we just dove in right away in the parking lot*

*Trevor, our official group photographer in the Atlas Mountains*

*Nicholas always climbing to the highest spot*

*Claire just going with whatever the day brings*

*For us as a family, the mountains are always the happy place*

*Posing for the next Elsbree family indie record album cover*

*The sun goes down on the Atlas Mountains*

The town of Oukaimeden itself was fascinating. There was evidence of some recent investment in newer homes and condos (probably associated with the ski resort, although it was January and as you can see, no snow). But there was also a strong traditional Berber presence.

*Older infrastructure across the road from where we were staying*

*View up the valley to Toubkal National Park*

*Posing the truck in front of the tallest peak, Mount Toubkal*

*Thinking about the journey ahead as we say goodbye to everyone*

From Oukaimeden, we said goodbye to most of the family, keeping Trevor for a last night to explore Ouarzazate, knows as the gateway to the Sahara.

*Exploring the Ouarzazate Kasbah at night*

Of all the places we went in Morocco, Ouarzazate felt the newest, like most of the town had sprung to life in the last 30 years. It rises out of the desert in colorful oranges and pinks, brand new and shiny. Maybe this is because it is home to the third largest film studio in the world (with the first two being in India). Pretty much any desert film you can think of has been partially filmed here (The Mummy, Gladiator, Game of Thrones . . ). So we decided we better visit Atlas Studios and check it out.

*Sarcophagi used in The Mummy at Atlas Studios*

*Egyptian set used for Asterix and Obelix, Mission Cleopatra*

*Trevor listening to the guide’s stories at Atlas Studios*

Our last stop with Trevor was Aït Benhaddou - a magical fortified town built of earthen clay.

*Incredible architecture of* *Aït Benhaddou*

*Watching the storks on the minaret during lunch*

And then there were two. We dropped Trevor off at the Marrakesh train station, and headed south. We spent our first night outside of Taroudant, an engaging place to explore. Much as we adored our time with family, we definitely feel the simplicity of our life in the truck as a contrast to moving around a country with 8 people, in and out of Airbnb’s.

*Running into our first “wild” camels (they were on their own in the desert but we hear that actually all camels in Morocco are domestically owned)*

*Red sand everywhere, feeling like the Sahara*

*Stopping off to explore Tiout Kasbah (the Moroccan version of a fortress)*

We spent our next night in Tafraoute, a new metropolis rising out of the desert. With the surrounding hills and palm trees, it reminded us of Joshua Tree in California.

*Camping at our next stop, Camping Tazka, access to laundry and water facilities*

*Posing by the blue rocks . . . (painted by a Belgian artist)*

*Stopped by Tiznit to see the historic mosque*

Camped on the bluff above the ocean at Nid d'aigle, a lovely camping area with lots of paragliding. Dawn sporting socks given to her by Ingrid, the kindest Austrian farmer overlander. Ingrid heard that we had some unpleasant experiences in her home country and wanted to make up for it so gifted Dawn with hand knitted socks. It is extraordinary the people you meet on the road.

Leaving Tiznit, we prepared for the beginning of a three day, 16 hour drive down the Western Sahara region of Morocco. We had already been schooled (by the immigration officers upon entry into Morocco) that the region was fully part of Morocco but knew it had a complicated history with a bid by the people living there for independence. We were not sure what to expect in terms of police checks, etc. We stopped off at towns along the way, noting the unique character of each but did not feel inspired to linger long. Tarfaya and Laayoune seemed like standard urban centers so we literally drove on by.

*Blue and white architecture of formerly Spanish Sidi Ifni*

*Learning to navigate the customs and language of buying food in the outdoor markets*

*Wild camping along the coast on the way to Laayoune*

*Complete with stone seats to watch the sunset*

*Free water fill up at the ice factory in Boujdour. Running it through our filtration system, just in case.*

*Usually these signs get Dawn excited but then nothing appears*

*Western Sahara coastal road was a whole lot of this*

We spent our last night in Morocco at Hotel Barbas, a modest guest house an hour north of the border. In all, the drive was long but uneventful. Police checks were frequent but they simply asked for our passports, often took pictures of them, asked where we were going and waved us on. We had a stack of fiches(standard document used to give basic passport and identity information throughout areas of Africa) ready to go and were almost disappointed that we were never asked for one in Morocco. It seems that the procedure had switched to taking photos of our passports which makes sense. The police were always courteous and friendly.

Exiting Morocco was a little more complicated! It took an hour with multiple confusing lines and office checks (but staff were super helpful in guiding us) and we did finally get a full x-ray of the truck. But all successful. We were sorry to say goodbye and leave portions of this stunning country unexplored, but looking forward to what Mauritania would bring. Always another adventure to be had. Thank you for reading!

Mauritania

Andorra, Spain and Portugal