A Travellerspoint blog

Morocco :South and Marrakech

A travel in order to discover the magic of Morocco of the South, between casbah and desert.

1° Day: Bologna/Marrakech.
Departure from Bologna for Marrakech. When beginnings to fly over Morocco, the thing that leaves astonished you, is the quantity of green that you see. When it approaches to you Marrakech, you see the contrast beautifulst: the green that fray with red of the earth and the background of the chain of the Atlas with the innevate tops. We pass the night to Marrakech and we are useful for giving one sbirciatina to the public square Jemaa el Fna: one show of colors, lights and sounds. The full public square is of people, a continuous show, but tomorrow we begin the tour for which leave all this for the return.

2° Day: Marrakech/Ouarzazate.
We begin the travel towards Ouarzazate, crossing the valico Tizi n' Tichka, with 2.660 mt of altitude. The landscape is extraordinary : an ignited green illuminates mountains and it is melted with the colors of the flowers. The landscape ollows between high mountains of the Atlas with anchor the snow on the summits, some forest and much green. Incredible is as the Marocco is in one magic of colors in this period. We see villages isolates to you to on mountains and always close to water course, so that the life of the villages can be active. While we approach ourselves Ouarzazate, the green one leaves in order to make place us the colors of the desert. The travel is hard, nearly 5 hours of mountain road in order to cross the Atlas. Ouarzazate is a small country in Goes them of the Dades, to on the Sahara. In the vicinity of the country there are some cinematographic studies where they have been, and come turns to you today, numerous films. In the afternoon we visit the Casbah di Ait Haddou : here it seems that the time has stopped years ago. A surrealistic landscape with one magnificent kasbah to seem a sand castle. Incredible a full landscape of colors and is as the colors change second to every that the sun cove. In order to catch up the kasbah, it must cross a river, organized with sandbags in order to make the guado and the children of the village, help us. The construction of the Casbah is of earth, straw and beams of palm, much fresh one and adorned of signs, than then we will discover, that every casbah he has various signs in how much determine the trubu' pertaining.
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3° Day: Ouarzazate/Tinherir/Erfoud.
In the morning we visit the Casbah di Taourit, one magnificent beauty. We leave for Tinherir crossing Goes it them of the Dades. Along the road there are villages encircles to you from enormous palm groves. To late morning, we arrive to the Throats of the Todra: two high reefs 300 mt, separated between they give approximately 20 mt. The rich zone is of streams and palm groves. We leave in the afternoon for Erfoud, wait for to us approximately 200 km of road under one temperature of 35 degrees. The travel is in how much also the conditioned air of the bus does not work, but the show that introduces to our eyes repays us of all and the fatigue disappears in a moment. To Erfoud it begins the Sahara, we see small sand dunes with palms, clouds of sand that are raised. We find one temperature of 40 degrees. We take jeep and with our Berber guides us incamminiamo for approximately 30 km before arriving where he begins the desert. From here, still approximately 70 km, until arriving to Dunes of Merzouga. The show of the Sahara leaves us without words. We take the camels in order to arrive to the high summits more of the dunes, the scene is fantastic , the maestosity of the Sahara, the Algerian border that we notice to the horizon. We wait for the sunset on dunes with to our Berber guides and the colors become fantastic. We leave the Sahara with the night, a sky with a myriad of stars that seem near thus from being able to take them with the hands. To Dunes of Merzouga there is a camping where you can to eat themselves and to sleep in it stretches Berber, we wanted to be stopped, but the presence of persons of a sure one eta', has not allowed this us.

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4° Day: Erfoud/Zagora.
We pass to the morning to Erfoud, visiting a laboratory where they come extracted fossils from cliffs and facts of souvenir but also the tables. To Erfoud there are many fossils and this e' one of the resources of this small country. We visit the casbah of the citta', largest, where many children, made curious from our presence, follow to us for all the distance. In the afternoon departure for Zagora: they wait for to us approximately 300 km of road, the greater part in means to the desert, with one temperature of 42 degrees. We cross Goes it them of the Draa, the great river of Morocco,with approximately 100 km of palm groves. We visit the Kasbah di Alnif, encircled from an enormous palm grove in which they come it cultivates also grain and trees to you from fruit. We visit also one kasbah that is transformed for half in hotel, but however to natural, and with the single ones 15 euro to the day, can to have the average pension. We arrive to Zagora the evening. Zagora is a small country with fort influences Algerian, the inhabitants are mistrustful with the aliens and the guide advises us not to exit.
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5° Day: Zagora/Ouarzazate.
It begins the return travel and we resume the road for Ouarzazate. Here we visit the cinematographic studies and some kasbah where they have been turn you of the films. A great nest with 2 cicogne surpasses one kasbah. We stop a bit in the small village, cordial timid people is but, pass with they a little time then we make the road in order to return on foot in hotel, crossing the village with the buio, an incredible calm, no light, only the noises of the animals and the water.

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6° Day: Ouarzazate/Marrakech.
The tour is ending and we return to Marrakech crossing of new the valico of Tiz n' Ticka. We arrive to Marrakech in the late afternoon and the impact one with the public square Jemaa el Fna, after the calm, and the beautifulst seen landscapes,is till now devastating: we find ourselves dipped in a myriad of people, you play, you smell. A this bad impact remains us a bit difficult, is felt nearly schoked. The tour with the group is ended but hour I have 1 week in order to discover Marrakech.

MARRAKECH.
Marrakech, at the last, it is no then much large one like city. Marrakech is divided in 2 parts: the new part where there are the greater of the hotels the Medina and and part zone rich, the ancient city. The Medina begins with walls them of the city, that they encircle all the several Medina and doors are the Babs, in order to enter and to find themselves in the true Marrakech. From the known door more, it finds the famous Mamounia hotel, attended from rich people. While you cover the tree-lined avenue for to arrive to Jemaa el Fna, you see to notice the Kotoubia, the placed side by side from the minareto and preceded rose' mosque from a great park.
In Marrakech, there is the beautifulst garden Majorelle, a botanical garden where it finds all the possible plants, characterized from the construction of an intense blue. Interesting to see, is the ancient school Cranial Medersa Ibn Youssuf, where is tauch the Corano to the boys. The imposing construction is, with bathtubs of water and the rooms for the boys who vary of aspect to second of the preparation degree that they had.
The Palace of the Bahia, is found in the Medina, it is the beautifulst one riad, where you can admire the beauty of the Arabic architecture ceilings decorates to you, garden. The Tombe Saadiane, situated in the Medina, also here with beautifulst Arabic architecture, water bathtubs, the Fontanas.

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Jemaa el Fna: it is the point of attraction and meeting of the city. Here it finds the personages more strange who improvise shows of dance, acrobatics, plays, singstories, charmers of snakes, people to write. You find yourself here in a surrealistic world and the scene of the public square changes during the hours of the day. After the 16 the benches of eating (no good for we to eat) and the air is fuel of smoke from cooking. Jemaa el Fna is from the souk, a maze of tight narrow lanes where it finds of all and where passes men with mules, men in bicycle or small engines, the all in the tight narrow lanes, than many times you must be stopped in order to make to pass the mule with the caretto. The souk they are uniforms to fields, there is that one of the craftsmen, the weavers, the cinciatori of skins, the slippers, the stoffe, the spezie etc.
From the other side of the public square premises with panoramic terraces are several, where you can eat or drink optimal you and admire the life of the public square.

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Two weeks are flown in this magic of Morocco, between spectacular landscapes and folklore. I have travelled alone in the week to Marrakech and must say that Morocco is a calm country, I moved myself taking taxi with Moroccan persons, went alone in turn for the city or the souk, is of day that of evening, and I must say that nobody has never disturbed to me.

Posted by Kamar 06:47 Archived in Morocco Comments (0)

Cairo.

This is a travel that I have alone organized, has reserved from here only the flight and found a small hotel to the Cairo, zone of Heliopolis, for means of a friend Egyptian. The Cairo is the largest city but endured it accustoms you to its rhythm; to move to you alone is not a problem, finds single taxis ovunque and with 10 pound (approximately 1.50 euro) can be moved for approximately 25/30 km, if you make drafts in the satisfied outskirtses only 2 or 3 pound. Also being foreign, to the Cairo nobody annoys to you, nobody couples you for the road. If you have need of whichever thing, you ask the women and they are endured much kind ei yours confront. The center of the Cairo, that is Down Town, is a lot crowded, in order to arrive to us in taxi employs to us approximately an hour, the roads are fuel of cars and their way to guide is absurd: the rules like from we do not exist, the star-light red never come respected, to cross the road on foot can turn out an arduous enterprise, must make much attention in how much they difficultly are stopped in order make you to cross, for which council to make one sanitary policy before leaving.

My travel begins having like base the hotel Royal Crown in Heliopolis, small hotel, pretty, cleaned up but with the problem of the warm water only to the morning soon and after the 9 pm. Council to at least take a hotel to 4 stars, therefore you will not have the problem of the warm water and the current, in my hotel when there was the warm water lacked the current.

As far as eating the single thing to which making attention it is the water, for which only water in bottle or drinks sluices, not to use the ice. You can drink calmly the warm drinks ovunque. I have eaten from all the parts and I have not had problems, the important is that is cooked food, nothing of raw. I have eaten also the peak and in i they Mc Donalds without problems. These are the zones that I have visited organizing to me alone.

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KHAN EL KHALILI.
This immense bazaar is a center of vital importance for the commerce of the disparati kinds more. Leaving from the mosque of El-Azhar, in the heart of the city of the Fatimidi, and penetrating themselves in it crowds alleys to you, is possible to acquire of all, from the spezie to the woven ones, the objects in wood inlaid to those in blown glass, from the monili in gold to the carpets, scents, objects in silver, branch, brass, spezie. Here there is a particular atmosphere, it smells to it, the colors take to you.

MIDAN TAHRIN.
It is the heart of the modern city, the point in which converges the main lines of communication of the Cairo. Here the Museum Egizio, important political centers is found, cultural centers. Beautifulst public square, always affollatissima, to all the hours. In the roads round it finds the greatest ultra modern storees of apparel to clean the shoes.
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MIDAN RAMSES.
This is an other important public square, famous node of traffic and for the great statue of Ramses, high approximately 10 meters: spectacular. The public square is close to the railroad; with the train you could be moved in the near cities but for we impossible what is one, the trains is affollatissimi, is people that travel with the cages of the polli, difficult to find a place to seat, for which I advice against to move itself in train.

CAIRO TOWER.
It is the symbol of of Cairo modernity: high 187 meters, offer one evocative vision of the Cairo until seeing the pyramids. The tower is found to Gezira, small isolates in means to the Nilo. Salting to the 16° slowly you can make photo of great effect, especially of night. To the 14° slowly there is the revolving restaurant, for which you can eat and admire the beauty of the Cairo.

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CITY Of the DEAD.
From cemetary mamelucco came transformed in densely inhabited area. The lack of lodgings and the poverty line have made of this zone a crowded suburb where the tombe they are used like rooms. This zone is not much recommendable one in how much lives deprived of hope people here more, for which, if you want to visit it, it is test not to go alone but it makes you to accompany from someone of the place, can ask whichever tour operator for the Cairo.

MOHAMMED MOSQUE.
It is found to the inside of the Citadel.It is dictates also alabaster mosque. From you have one seen here panoramic on the Cairo, you can notice in distance the pyramids.

NAVIGATION ON THE NILE:
To go around on the Nilo with the boat. I have left from the center of the Cairo and I have gone back the Nilo for two hours, then pause to MOTAKA, ancient citizen where he finds great contradictions: the lussuose villas of emiri Arabic placed side by side to a lowest level of the life of the local population.

GIZA.
The pyramids... sfinx... the show that it finds in front of your eyes is impressive, the maestosità of the pyramids, the sfinge that it really seems to give the guard to this immense show... Not there are words in order to describe the emotion that takes to you when you see all this.

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EGYPTIAN MUSEUM.
It is in the zone of Midan Tahrir. Creed that all we know that this is one what absolutely not to lose, but it demands time for being visited a lot is immense. Not to lose it knows them to them of the treasure of Tutankamon, its funeraria mask in massive gold is one unforgettable show.
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Posted by Kamar 06:27 Archived in Egypt Comments (0)

Egypt : from Smarm el Sheikh to Taba

This time, we want to take a trip to Egypt, Red Sea, in an area not crowed from tourism, looking for the peace so we decided to serve the coast from Sharm el Sheikh to Taba with base in Nuweiba ( around 200 km far frm Sharm ).

Arrived to Sharm, waits for us a travel of two hours in order to catch up Nuweiba; we make in jeep, the road is in means to the asphalted desert but. The landscape is beautifulst, is in means to mountains of the desert, sees of the villages lives to you, camels to them origina nature, free dogs, understood also to see the carcass to us of some dead camel. To half road we see the camel larger of the world! Yes, it is a full of rocks formation that seen from far away has the shape of a great down camel... the games of the nature! We arrive to Nuweiba and we lodge to the hotel Domina, small hotel with bungalow. Before unravelling the suitcases we go to see the beach :sand, with palms, wild. From the beach the profile of Saudi Arabia, a beautifulst show seen to the morning is noticed at daybreak between the thousand shadings of red yellow and of the colors of the sky. Nuweiba is our base and from we will make all the coast here.

NUWEIBA
It is uniform in two distant parts between they some kilometers. The part with beaches and the hotels is Nuweiba el Tarabin, while the zone with the port and the village of Bedouins is Nuweiba el Muzeini. On the coast of Nuweiba many places are found where to lodge spending nearly nothing, it is not necessary to make reservation. The beach is large, with palms. In the sand it finds many crabs with their lair, the beautifulst sea and for little the tourism the possibility is had to see fish various, type the snakes of sea, razze, and if six lucky person you can meet also the dolphins. In the country there are only little storees, nothing discotheques, nothing local nocturnes but one immense peace. The local population is much cordial one. Towards evening you see the beach to still crowd itself of the Bedouins whom they fish, in ancient way; to times we have gone with they to fish the small cuttlefishes, then one beautiful grilled on the beach with they.

DAHAB.
It is found to approximately 100 km from Nuweiba, with beaches golden. In the country there are many shops and small restaurants where it can be eaten of the optimal fish. The country is much characteristic one, the handicraft costs less than to Sharm and from the excursion to Abo Galum can here be made, where beautifulst coralline barrier is one.

TABA.
It is the last country before catching up Israel. It is found to approximately 100 km from Nuweiba. The road that door to Taba is costeggiata from the sea from the shadings blue-turquoise. Along the road the spectacular bay of Fijord is found: one deep similar bay to the Norwegian fjords. Continuing, after a short feature the water small lake salmastra of Sun Pool, situated in one is caught up species of natural amphitheater to little steps from the boot topping. From Taba the Pharaoh' s Island is caught up, to approximately 200 meters from the coast, encircled completely from coralline barrier; here the waters are indeed crystalline and on the island the castle of Saladino can be visited.
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These are the cities that we have visited, but have made also excursions in the entroterra, easy to go from these places.

MONASTERO OF SAINT CATERINA.
It is hard in how much a part of night in order to catch up the top, but when to the dawn admires repaid panorama six of all. The monastero is like one religious citadel with buildings of rare beauty.

COLORFUL CANYON.
It is caught up in jeep, between sabbioso and full of rocks desert. It arrives, makes a walk to you of approximately an hour dipped in mountains, where the cliffs I assume of the particular colors, from the yellow to the red one and the erosions of the time have formed of the designs. To the end of the walk a warm tea from the Bedouins.
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OASIS OF AIN FURTAGA.
It is arrived to Us in jeep crossing a sands dune zone low and stony plateaus, where they are looked at frequently stretches to them of the Bedouins who live to the margins of tourist Egypt. After to have asked the permission, it can be visited the oasis and drink with the Bedouins the habac, an aromatized tea. Here there is an incredible peace, the world has stopped itself and makes one hard work to return out...

There would be from writing to the infinite and however the words cannot take the place of the images, in order to understand the feeling that test to visit these places, must is to us. I have visited Egypt in wide and in along but sincerely these places they are those that more me are remained in the heart, the beautifulst memory of places where, fortunately for we, the mass tourism has still not arrived.

Posted by Kamar 06:04 Archived in Egypt Comments (0)

My trips

Hello,
I will write here about my trips.
I hope it can to be good :)

Posted by Kamar 06:28 Comments (0)

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