No need to send out SOS messages or rescue workers... we are alive and well despite our total disappearance for the past 5 days. We've been in the bowels of Morocco... having fun and working hard. Usually, at some point in the
event, Bill releases us to our own travel instincts and makes us find our
own way (including plotting transportation, hotels, routes etc.) across
several countries ... at a very fast pace. An exhilarating - but exhausting - leg, we had to plot from Morocco to Gibraltar then through Spain and
on to Portugal. Five days ago, Bill
opened the leg in Marrakesh, Morocco and we had to make our own way – following
our own path and strategy-to-get-the-most-points-along-the-way. There were dozens of possible paths. And lots of red herrings and tempting but
dangerous off-shoot options. The trick is picking the most points-rich route while on the run.
And then … the best announcement … we could
team up with another pair of competitors for one country AND rent a car in one
of the countries. We did Morocco – by car
– and with team Order and Chaos (Quick reminder, they are the team of doctors
from California. Salvatore – or Sal - is
a head and neck surgeon as well as world expert on Escher wood prints and
fossils. Super smart. Vi is an emergency room doctor
with tons of interesting stories from working on medical crisis teams after national
disasters … think Sudan, Haiti, Nigeria…). Our double team sounds like the start of a bad joke… “2 doctors and 2 lawyers walk into
a bar…”
We so enjoyed this leg. This trip is exponentially more fun when we
can share the experiences with other people: seeing their reactions, hearing
their observations, appreciating different perspectives. Sal (Order) and Vi (Chaos) were a true
delight… working hard and providing comic relief when most needed.
Sal and Vi are also blogging and their blog posts are very witty and
insightful… https://teamorderandchaos.home.blog.
Going into this difficult travel leg (it is a Par 6), Rainey
and I still in first place but not by much. We need to win this leg to ensure a victory. I was tired and we actually had the conversation of.. should we take it easy or ramp it up and go hard. We chose the later because the personal growth of this trip is when you test yourself, push yourself WAAYY outside of your comfort zone and wait for the magic to happen. There is an amazing world out there ready to charm you ... you just have to give it every opportunity. So, we took off running… I can’t
remember the last time we got more than 3 or 4 hours of sleep as we have been walking, running, hiking and biking our butts off.
We completed over 100 scavenges this leg, so here are
just the highlights:
Henna tattoos: Where to get the best Henna tattoo in the Marraskesh souk (50 points)... apparently the spice store. Who knew?
Ballooning:
Points for a hot air balloon ride over Marrakesh (100)… we were up at 4:30AM and in the air as dawn broke. Our balloon pilot was a gorgeous Russian young woman who handled our balloon (and the quirky wind that morning which left the other balloons grounded) like a true master. There must be a story there as well as to how she ended up in the back end of Marrakesh... !!!
Dance, dance, dance fever: We
have watched belly dancing, flamenco and even danced ourselves (because it was
International Dance Day and there were points at stake)
Casablanca:
Competition points for going to Casablanca: 370
Charm points: 0
For a city with a very cool name and an almost mystical
reputation, Casablanca totally underwhelms.
Actually, it just SUCKS. If anyone ever offers you a free ticket to Casablanca, turn it down and visit the Jersey Shore instead. Casablanca is shabby and run-down. It's like a moldy éclair (once fancy;
now nasty). Only interesting scavenge
here was to go to Rick’s Café from the movie “Casablanca” (OK… it's a replica of
Rick’s Café that was painstakingly re-created by a somewhat crazed American woman and #1 fan
of Ingrid Bergman who cashed in her 401(k) and moved to Casablanca to live her dream). There is even a
piano so Sam can play it again “for old time’s sake.”
Best Boot Story:
We came back to our car from the yucky market in Casablanca to find a yellow
boot on our car. We all looked at each
other with horror… hours of delays and bureaucratic haggling lay ahead .. plus probably some impressive fine. There went our
ranking in the competition. We would lose this leg. Urghhh.
But
then ... the nearest shop owner yelled down the street for Harem. And here came Harem ... sauntering up with the boot key… and a request for money from the tourists. Aah… I get it now... it's a scam.
But not a very good scam. Harem
needs to go to Advanced Trick-the-Tourist school as he only asked for $3 (that’s
not a typo… THREE DOLLARS) to release us from bondage. Harem does not
understand world economics or what the tourist market will bear on this topic
(I’m thinking at least $40 per boot).
But 5 minutes later, and a few dollars lighter, we were back on the road. Crisis averted.
Minarets: I
think we have seen every Minaret across the whole of Morocco. I'm totally over minarets. They are ALL tall and rectangle. Hey Islam... Jazz it up a little ... How about an oval one? Or a circle?
My favorite was the Chellah Necropolis in Rabat. Giant storks now live and nest all over the
decrepit minaret... because why wouldn't you let your 11th century treasure just get shit on by large birds? In the US, this would be a national treasure (or at least as well visited as the pretend Noah's Ark in the middle of nowhere)... in Morocco it has "gone to the birds."
Kasbah in Rabat:
This was one of the unexpectedly charming and WOW scavenges. I've never even heard of Rabat, Morocco (my ignorance since it is the capital city) but it is a nice, French-influenced city with wide streets and cafes. The Kasbah
is a delightful warren of alleyways and homes and a few shops all within a
walled area next to the sea. Everything inside the Kasbah is painted blue and white (this theme will be repeated at the Blue City the
next day… so remember it).
At sunset, we stopped at a Kasbah café and had mint tea and
cookies – served by a man who was unexpectedly dressed like a pharmacist (no
idea why).
Meknes’ wall: Meknes is a tiny city / more like a village between Rabat and Fes. We stopped there on our drive to Fes because it was a point-rich haven. One challenge was to stand ON what surrounds the city of Meknes… not an
easy feat as the city walls are – as you can imagine - purposefully tall and
impenetrable.
But we found a rooftop café that was built right against the wall. I climbed over the banister - and onto the city wall - for a quick photo. Since I'm terrified of heights this was a “Do Not Look Down” moment. But Rainey (Mr. “I always follow the rules and this does not look safe or legal”) would not do the pose … so out I went. No pain, no gain.
Meat market:
The Meknes meat market is a pit of blood and stench and gross-ness. This poor man’s job is to slap an entire dead
cow onto his back and haul it into the market ... over and over again ... all day. He was drenched in blood
and guts. There may be worse jobs in the
world, but I’m struggling to think of one.
Square performers:
There was 100 points for doing a 10-minute street performance in a town
square. Sal and Rainey set up shop in
the center of Meknes. Rainey juggled
white socks (bought moments before in the market) and then rocks (for
variety).
Sal was a full repertoire
performer: doing mime, juggling,
interactive play with passersby and even
a thoughtful and carefully executed “look at how my thumb disappears”
number. It was hysterical. The looks on people’s faces was priceless. You know the one … the “what are these crazy
tourist people doing now. We may need to
call the authorities” look. Throughout
the next several days, one of us would spontaneously start giggling at just the
memory.
Fes Souk: Rainey and
I went to the Fes souk probably 8 years ago and left with a negative impression of
Morocco in general and Fes in particular.
The constant heckling and harassment from shop owners and over-crowded
alleyways made me feel uncomfortable and even a little unsafe. Since then, Fes has totally cleaned up its
act. The Fes-El-Bali (Old City) is now a charming and fascinating experience. We were allowed a hire a guide (usually tour guides are against the competition rules but Bill made this specific exception) which was a life saver as he nimbly
led us through the souk labyrinth and directly to all the interesting stuff.
The Souk is divided into areas and each area specializes in a different craft
or type of wares. I liked the dyeing area … where they use a variety of natural pigments to color and treat clothe and thread. Look how interesting: when you put the wet thread into this green
sludge… it comes out purple. Fairy dust
and magic is my scientific explanation.
Chouwara Tannery:
After bleaching the cow hides in vats of pigeon poop (which helps explain
the unbelievably AWFUL smell of the tanneries), these men work all day in the blazing sun
violently beating color into the leather. They stand in knee deep concrete pits filled
with toxic chemicals and stomp on the hides like Lucille Ball and the
grapes. This scene was eerily similar to
the Dhoubi Ghats in Mumbai …(raise your hand fellow India lovers who get this obscure reference). This is also on the list for Worst Job in the World.
Honey Alley:
An entire alley of shops selling only varieties of honey. We got to taste test 4 different kinds from
giant vats. They were each totally different and distinct in flavor… crazy, huh? My favorites were lavender and
orange.
Chefchaouen: Since that name is impossible to pronounce,
this city is known as the Blue City because it is … well … BLUE. By mandate, every house must be painted some
shade of blue and white (although Greek Isle Blue seemed particularly
popular). Somehow the cheesy effort
works. This was the night where you got
50 bonus points if you slept at a hotel that cost less than $50. We got below that with a tiny room on the
third floor (no elevator) of a funky hostel with a blue hued exterior and a kaleidoscope
of colors inside. No luxury, but not awful.
OBSERVATIONS
Bountiful Bees: Bees may be dying elsewhere ,
but in Morocco they are alive and well and swarming the street food sweets
(which are all dripping in honey anyway). But
don’t worry, when you buy a treat, they just brush off the stuck-on bees and
wrap it up for you. A few extra bee wings stuck to your sweets? Just added flavor.
The colors of Spice:
The most colorful and smell-enhancing stalls in every Souk are the ones
selling spies. Dozens of different kinds
… in giant barrels. Who needs this much spice in their life? I still have that gnarly shaker of garlic salt
- that I bought in college - in my pantry.
Moroccans must bathe in this stuff.
And you have to appreciate the presentation skills.
Road signs: No
idea what the Exclamation Point road sign means… but we saw a lot of them. Universal symbol for "An Oh-Shit-Moment is Ahead"??? Beats me.
Camel Décor: Pay attention Madison Avenue.. The Moroccan Souk vendors have definitively established that you will sell more camel meat if you
prominently display a severed camel’s head at the front of your shop (said no one ever).
