ON SECOND THOUGHTS, PERHAPS PIGS CAN FLY....

Our caravan of one heads west towards the coast and the beachside fishing village of Essaouira.

The journey is broken up with a stop at the Cafe Atlas, yet another opportunity for the world's best latte quest to be tested - the search continues.

The quest continues!!!

The argan tree is endemic to south west Morocco and throughout antiquity has been used by Moroccans. It produces a small, firm fruit with a thick peel/pulp around an almond shaped (and tasting) nut,

which produces argan oil, high in vitamin E and fatty acids and used as both a skin treatment and cooking oil. These days argan oil is an extremely expensive beauty product (also used in the manufacture of perfume where, because of religious beliefs, no alcohol is used)

I tried this - it's not working!

Que??

manufactured by hand by women's cooperatives

who manually gather the fruit from the trees. It wasn't always this way! It so happens that goats love to eat argan fruit which pass through their digestive system whole and get excreted. Traditionally, the indigenous Berbers would gather the nuts from the goat droppings, crack them open with stones, roast and grind the seeds inside to extract the oil;

these days, manually harvesting the fruit means that production no longer involves goat excrement but, amazingly, the other labour intensive steps are still followed. You may well ask, "but how do the goats get the fruit from the tree in the first place?". Logical really - they climb the trees!

It's simply not possible to describe the initial reaction to looking out of the bus window and seeing trees populated by goats - without doubt one of the most bizarre things I've seen in my life (Photo Testimonial: nothing has been photoshopped or doctored in any way!).

The UNESCO listed fishing port of Essaouira (formerly Mogador) is one of the few surviving fortified towns in Morocco and our kasbah is brilliantly located across the road from the beach and a 10 minute stroll to the medina..

The fortress dates from the Portuguese occupation in the 1500s,

and the 18th century Medina is superbly preserved with cobbled streets and secluded alleyways, whitewashed buildings and distinctive blue doors.

Hmm, not sure what the safety record's like

Don't blame us if they haven't arrived - we sent them!!

Coffee that helps you understandShakespeare?

The lattes are getting worse!

The daily fish market is something to behold,

and thuya wood products abound (this is the region it comes from),

but Moroccans come here for the magnificent beach. Due to the constant breeze (more like a gale) which keeps temperatures significantly lower than inland, it's a windsurfer's delight, despite the iciness of the waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

What else do you expect to see on a beach?

It works better on water

Windy did you say??

LAHCEN! Super guide out for a morning beach stroll.

There's ample opportunity to go quad biking or horse riding, although having the equine monster stand on Buzzy's foot as he dismounted wasn't really part of the plan!

Mogador is the perfect place for us to share our final night together and we have a royal feast within the walls of the Medina at a restaurant that defies description - it was a Fawlty Towers experience in all the good ways.

Chilly enough to buy a windcheater

 Back in Marrakech, we bid our farewells to Richard, Chiquita, Luke and Joel, as well as to Lahcen who was making the 240km journey to his village and a seven day break; he was a lovely man, an excellent tour guide, very knowledgeable and proud of his country and its heritage. In the afternoon, we freshen up in the oasis

Who says Don Legsy never goes in the water!

and decide to have afternoon tea at one of Africa's, indeed the world's, finest and most exclusive jewels (yep, right here in Marrakech) - Hotel La Mamounia.

Must be well paid to dress like that!

This decadent oasis is the playground of the rich and famous (and the LegsyBoys!), was Winston Churchill's hotel of choice (the Churchill Room contains several of his personal effects), and is where Alfred Hitchcock, devised and started writing the script for 'The Birds'. We took out a second mortgage and relaxed in the afternoon sun with some delicious iced drinks and treats.

Decisions, decisions

That night we again took in the fading light from Djemaa El Fna before getting lost in the souks and catching a ride back to our hotel in a taxi driven by a Sterling Moss wannabe.

Spot the satellite dish!

Five wise men

Traditional African musical instrument - the banjo!

Our last day and we take a walk to look at the beautiful Theatre Royal 

and directly across the road, the Marrakech Train Terminal. Although there is no such train named the Marrakesh Express, there is a train that comes down from Casablanca just as Crosby, Stills & Nash sang ("caught the train from Casablanca heading south...charming cobras in the square...would you know we're riding on the Marrakesh Express"; the song was based on such a journey made by Graham Nash), and this is where it arrives.

Catch the Marrakesh Express here

We find a 'western' oasis on the way back to cool down, but sometimes life's a disappointment!

Should be 'S' House!

Nope, not even close!

 Nearby is evidence of the recent elections - polling booths painted on the walls.

We make our final trip to the market square to meet up with a lady who proceeds to lead us down winding alleys to the Hammam Rosa Bonheur, for the relaxation experience of Aimee and Liam's lifetime.

We relax with some Berber whiskey and then are led away to divest ourselves of our clothing (the complimentary strip of cloth given to westerners that serves as a loincloth is barely large enough to conceal one's modesty!!).

A hammam is the Moroccan equivalent of a steam bath and is an important part of every Moroccan's daily life.  Being bathed in hot water from head to toe by a total stranger takes some getting used to, especially as she wasn't concerned in the slightest about what bits she washed! Black soap was applied and allowed to permeate the pores of the skin before an exfoliating glove is used to vigorously scour all the dead skin off the torso and limbs, and some bits I never thought could have dead skin!!!! Seriously, it's a great feeling. Next, a ghassoul mask (a clay mask made from mineral endemic to the Atlas Mountains, it's hypoallergenic, full of magnesium, calcium and potassium and apparently absorbs excess grease and impurities from the skin) is applied to the face left to do its work, and it's fair to say that our faces were glowing afterwards; Don Legsy looks 20 years younger. We then have a complete body massage for 75 minutes, the masseur using copious quantities of argan oil in the process.

The whole experience was utterly exhilarating, the kids loved, and it was a perfect end to a sensational holiday.

Morocco has been on our Top Five Places To See, and it didn't disappoint. A couple of pertinent observations:
It probably is best done with a guide, given the language restrictions (unless you happen to speak Arabic) and it's very handy to have someone close by to assist with cultural differences.

Local taxis are a sight to behold - and ride in.

No aircon - go figure!

Smokers section at the airport - works a treat!!!

Whilst it's big cities are developed, they also contain significant parts that maintain a lifestyle that has been the same for centuries, it's not like holidaying at home and you need to be prepared for unusual situations. There are 35 million people, many of whom are multi-lingual, a life skill we desperately try to instill in our children and a skill which many of us as adults don't possess (the more one travels, the more one realises that it's English speaking countries that struggle the most with bilingualism).
Above all, this has been a great lesson in life for Aimee and Liam. When we first planned the trip, they were worried because school friends (and even some teachers) told them it was a dangerous place to go to, a conclusion based purely on religious perceptions/misconceptions and not experience. Happily, A & L have learnt about Islam in their religious studies and understood the general religious philosophy of Moroccans so that they did not feel compromised in any way (except for the snake charmer!). Morocco is an Islamic state, but they are Sunni Muslims, moderate and tolerant by any measure and as one of our city guides explained, the more militant strains are not permitted in the country. They have a king (who they adore) who accepts that there are western influences permeating Moroccan life which shows up in their attire and tolerance of others, e.g. drinking alcohol. We were very pleased that the kids were able to draw their own conclusions, feel safe, and the subsequent chats with friends at school should be illuminating! Sorry about the soapbox, but we feel quite strongly about the subject.

Thanks Lahcen

Thanks Morocco, we had a ball. Yarhumka Allah, and Bissaha.