Morocco

Leaving behind the cold of Norway, we flew to sunny Morocco and spent 10 days bouncing around.  We decided to forgo an expedition to the Sahara, as most of the 2-3 day trips involved several hours of driving crammed in a minivan, and not much time spent in the desert, and we’ve spent time in the desert before.  Instead, we stuck to a few of the cities and attempted to slow down our pace.  As each area is so unique, we’ll use one word to try to sum up the essence of each city.

Chaos.  Utter chaos.  Cars, bikes, motorbikes, donkeys, horse-drawn carts, cats, and pedestrians all vie for position on the roads.  And the motorbikes don’t yield to anything or anyone.  The maze of streets in the old, walled medina is home to a massive outdoor market (called a souk), where it’s possible to purchase anything from earrings to baskets to calf hooves.  Each product has its own section.

For instance, there are a few streets on which only jewelry is sold.  Another handful of alleys make up the carpet section.  Then, there’s the smelly live chicken area.  At the heart of this maze lies the main square Jemaa el Fna, which is a teeming with juice stalls, snake charmers, used (stolen?) mobile phone hawkers, and buskers.

The one oasis of calm in the city is the Jardin Majorelles.  The garden, once owned by Yves Saint Laurent, is a quiet, peaceful area, with a museum painted in bold colors.  Marrakech is a maddening city, but it’s exactly what we expected from Morocco, and the reason we came here.

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Chefchaouen- Blue

All the buildings in this mountain town are painted different shades of periwinkle, sky blue, indigo and aqua.  The blue color is meant to repel mosquitos and also ward off heat in summer.  But whatever the motivation behind the paint, this azure town is a photogenic delight.