Casa: Big City Living

So it's been a month since I have written my last blog entry and, to say the least, lots has happened. However, first I will try and recap my trip to Morocco before starting in with my adventures in and around Amman.

To say the least, Casablanca is very different from the rest of Morocco, it is a much more urban, European, and modern city than the remainder. It has a very nice (new, costly, and controversial, as well) tram that runs through the centre of the city and some of the main suburbs. It is somewhat more expensive than the city buses (6 vs 4 Dirham - 0.82 vs  0.55 CAD). For me it was most definitely worth it as the buses were always stuck in traffic, overly cramped, and did not have as clear a route.

One major issues during my time in the city was my lack of wifi. The "false advertising" of many (many, many) restaurants and cafes which advertised that they had wifi, only for you to find out that either they did not or it was "temporarily" out of service. After wandering downtown for a good while, I finally came upon a quite nice cafe that did actually offer wifi (they even directed me upstairs where the wifi actually exists). The crucial need for the Internet was primarily because rather than staying at a hostel - the choice wasn't spectacular, costs weren't considerably cheap, and I wanted to try all types of accommodation - I had booked a room in a personal home via Airbnb. However, I still needed the details of how to get to her apartment and for that I needed wifi! After finally having a shawarma and sweet mint tea - apparently a weird combo, according to the look I got from the waiter - and getting a last email, I set off for the more residential area.

I managed to stuff myself and pack into a tiny (Peugeot?) petit taxi and make myself relatively understood, we set off in the right direction. We managed to understand each other enough to make it to the right block, but I decided to hop out and find my way down the smaller streets on foot - to get a better feel for the area and to not waste time/money in a cab. Might I mention, I was in a rather quiet area in the evening so it was a little less comforting than in busier areas during the day. In any case, I found the apartment building (photo of the front, quite handy) after walking to and fro a few times. As I was quite tuckered, we had a brief discussion about ourselves and then I made myself at home and went to sleep! Despite a lack of Internet and no breakfast, it was quite a nice change to have access to a kitchen and washing machine!

The main site that I took the time to see and admire was the - also controversial, new, and expensive - Hassan II Mosque. Although I missed the interior tour (set times for non-muslims), I took a good chunk of time to admire it from the outside including entertaining the stray cats. I was also tired and slightly under-the-weather so it was much more tempting to sit down outside in the sun than wander around inside trying to admire more architectural endeavours. It is a very impressive complex (it is several buildings, an open plaza, and a seawall) that provided a nice relaxation spot, good people watching, and neat designs.

Although being renown for its name and the associated movie - plus all that I missed - Casablanca is not as great as other cities throughout Morocco. The market is overpriced, less authentic and has a limited selection; the city is modern and crowded; and there is a greater disparity in wealth between the rich and the poor. Nevertheless, there is an energy that I hadn't found elsewhere - even in Marrakech - that was quite nice to be around. On my last night in the city, I sat on the centre square bench (despite being tired and needing to pack), which turned out to be quite interesting. After sitting down alone (small benches), a girl sat down next to me and seemed to be somewhat upset. I think, but am not sure, that I guy was following her and she wanted to rid herself of him (remember, security in numbers for women in Morocco). I sort of figured this as there was a guy kind of circling around our bench. Eventually, I asked if she was alright and she said yes. Then she was texting and eventually a guy showed up and she headed off. So it seemed like a closed affair, at least in the immediate situation.

I thought my company had ended for the evening, as it was already more than I had planned. Then someone came asking for money, but dealing with it as well as I do with sale people (despite my empathy for the homeless, and animals), a guy came over to tell him to leave me alone (and then give him a coin or two when he understood him), asked if he could sit down. We ended up having quite an in depth and lengthy chat (a hour or so) about a variety of topics, but in the end I realized it was like many conspiracy theorist thoughts - the Illuminati, God's existence, and quite a number of other topics. To say the least, he had his ideas in place and had done quite a bit of reading and research. It was an interesting conversation, but I was thankful I could honestly say I was leaving the next day and that I had to go home to pack. It didn't help I was rather chilled and in need of a bathroom.

The next morning, I packed my stuff once again, but this time in preparation for air travel (carry-on and checked luggage restrictions, versus carrying preferences). I waddled once more to the tram for a smooth ride to the train station - there is a very clear view of the slums on the way through the city - where I bought a ticket from the electronic machine and waited for the impending train (40 minute ride to the airport). It wasn't the most comfortable ride as I ended up standing with my pack on, it was easier than trying to place it and not whack people with it. Although not being completely sardine-packed, it was a definitely crowded and the ridiculous amount of luggage per person made the compartment quite stuffed.

Once we arrived at the airport, things were relatively straightforward despite not being allowed to check-in online beforehand due to my departure country. The only hold up was when passport control did not want to grant me permission to leave as I was not holding a visa for Jordan. As soon as I spoke with the manager and told him - with a decent amount of confidence and conviction - that I could acquire a visa on arrival, he cleared me and signed my form.

The flight to Cairo was uneventful and seemed rather short, despite a flying time of around five hours. The overnight stay in the airport was not particularly enjoyable, but it was the alternative to arriving in Jordan in the wee hours. After getting a small bottle of red wine, I found a spot in the warm, but busy hallway (the other was freezing) and settled in for a rather unrestful night. I can definitely say that I received a good number of stares from the wine, but I just tucked my ear buds in further and pulled my toque over my eyes and went back to sleep for an hour. Slightly demoralizing, I found another section that I had not found on my wanderings that had benches sans bars, which I could have laid down on. Upon boarding, I definitely stood out as one of the foreigners. The others being Asian tourists destined for Petra; apparently, that is a common event, tourists flying into Jordan only to see Petra, and maybe Wadi Rum. Once again an uneventful flight, but at least both flights fed me! One of the few times I've been homesick (others I've wanted to be elsewhere, but not necessarily homesick) was when we landed in Cairo and I realized we could be anywhere, including Ottawa.

My goal this week - outside of study, eat, workout, sleep, repeat - is to catch up on my blog posts: an overview of Spain & Morocco, an introduction to Amman, a review of Tel Aviv, and an update to life in Jordan. Here's hoping that within the next week or so, I will have caught you all up to my adventures and misadventures so far!

-Alex

Tiny elevators make for squishy travelers.

My room in the apart.

At Hassan II Mosque

Outside view of the tram and a station.

The modern and swanky tram!

The central train station

The ride to the airport.

My lovely bottle of wine!

Sitting & waiting overnight in Cairo airport.

Chilling by the Seaside

We pulled into Essaouira just in time to see the sunset, which was rather exceptional as we first had a view of the whole city with the Atlantic Ocean and setting sun, and then we pulled into the harbour just as the sun was dipping below the horizon. If there was something exceptional, even more so than the city as a whole, were the sunsets. Each night was amazing and each night was unique. This was one of the easiest commutes between my inter-city transport and the next hostel. I had about 500 metres to cover and after looking at the map (and choosing the bus that dropped me off closest), I was able to beat my way past (or at least elbow) the awaiting "cart-men" willing to drag your luggage or parcels to a given location. I walked through the city walls, which are in an impressive shape, and walk down the main road until I reached my little off road (the alleyways were even labelled!). Nevertheless, I wandered down the alley a couple times before a group of boys pointed me in the right direction. After I rang the buzzer, one of the owners hurried over as he had been out at the shop.

The hostel is quite quaint, but has a nice atmosphere and great people. There are three levels: main has two sleeping rooms, a little living room, a tiny kitchen, and the main washroom; the second level has another sleeping room, a toilet, and an outdoor living area; and finally the top is an open patio with a great view of the city. As with most good hostels, you can tell it is a winner as the same people you hung out with at the last (good) one were, are, or show up there! There were almost ten people I had met in Marrakech who had either beat me there or showed up while I was there, which is kind of nice as you don't even need to be travelling with others to still be social on the road.

As with every new start in a city, I wandered, slightly haplessly, around the city within its walls. It is quite a small city, but has a very nice vibe with lots of artistic folks. Although I didn't feel as if there was quite as much available as there was in Marrakech, and from what I've heard Fez, there were definitely more unique and smallscale endeavours and some lovely calligraphy art shops. As in the other places, I refrained from buying any major souvenirs, which after seeing people lugging theirs around and knowing I have a great deal of time on the road left, I only minorly regret. Eventually I landed on a little cafe in the middle of the medina and had an herb omelette and some moroccan tea. I also met a lady from England who was also travelling and looking for someone who would be up for going out. We made plans to meet up the next evening to head out to some of the night venues.

The next day, not having a particular set itinerary, I set out to see the port, the Skala du port, and the Citadel. It was neat to walk through all the little blue boats, and bigger ones, as well as the fishers trying to sell their day's catch. Climbing up the Citadel, I got a nice view of the city, its walls, the port, and the Ile de Mogador. Being a nice sunny and warm day (until the wind got to me), I sat up in the top of the citadel and just took in the scenary and sunrays! Once I got a little chilly, I headed down and grabbed some freshly squeezed, orange, grapefruit, and lemon juice from one of the local stands. Then I headed down the beach for a couple kilometres both ways. It was a nice way to spend my first day, in the laidback city.

The beach was quite active, I think it being Friday helped. There were families out enjoying the weather; boys and kids out playing soccer; people learning to surf and kitesurf; a few foreigners sunbathing; and horses and camels available for rides. I just meandered along the sand, accidently soaking my sandals when I neared the water (birkenstocks aren't the most water friendly). Thankfully as I carried them, they dried off pretty quickly and seemed to have recovered better than when my last pair went into the Pacific and Mediterranean! The first stretch of sand was very clean and nice to walk along, as I got to the part where the camels and horses were kept, it became quite full of poop. After dogding the excrement, I was then greeted by garbage strewn along the sand. As with all the areas that are not kept 'clean', plastic is by far the biggest - and sometimes only - pollutant (visible) whether it be sandals, yogurt containers, jugs, or plastic bags. Everything else seems to be reused or disposed of somehow, unfortunately plastic is not that maleable or useful after its first usage. Once I had made it to the end of the beach - I could have crossed, but didn't want to - I made my way back. In order to take in the most of the sunset, I chose a restaurant that was on the plaza/square near the city walls, port, citadel, and ocean. Not only was the sunset a delight, but local families came out in droves, which provided good people-watching. Although I was not hassled during dinner - in Marrakesh, people would try and sell you cigarettes, tissues, etc, as well as polish your shoes throughout your meals - there were a large number of beggars all throughout the city. As I was nearing the end of my trip, I decided to enjoy another tajine, but with fish as I figured it would be fresh. It indeed was quite tasty, but not as enjoyable as my meals in Marrakesh - although I did listen to a Montreal couple talk about Canada to their local real estate agent.

Later that evening, I met up with the lady and a local musician she had met earlier. We headed off to the first place, which was a really nice, roof-top terrace near the port. A local band was playing when we arrived - an Algerian song I know and like, Aicha by Cheb Khaled - and they were really good. It was a really nice place that was laid back and had a good atmosphere. After the band finished, a younger guy started to DJ, which was entertaining as it was mostly Western pop music, but it was still good. Although it is possible to drink in Muslim countries, I don't suggest partying in them as they tend to be pricy (6-15 CAD per drink), as well as it can be looked down upon. That being said, the next place we went to was a club where the girls looked on par with Western girls and there was booze aflow. There was another local singer who was quite good, but the atmosphere was not quite as enjoyable as the first one, Taros Cafe.

The next day, after a very fulling and delicious breakfast, I headed out to buy a few groceries and wander another part of the city. This time I ventured north, which brought me to the local market, which were stalls - tarps on the ground and tables with merchadise, and carts full of produce - all along what is normally a street. There was everything you could want from food to clothes and home maintenance items. It was definitely interesting and much different from the markets established for foreigners, it also helped that I was one of the very few foreigners throughout the mayhem. I ended up buying some mandarines and bananas from the market and then getting some dates, figs, and almonds. Once I wound my way back to the hostel, I had a tasty lunch of hard boiled eggs, fresh bread, strawberries, banana, mandarins, and yogurt. Then I set out, for the second attempt, to find the bus station to buy my ticket to Casablanca. As with most things in Essaouira, the bus station was definitely more local than previous, bigger cities. There were people trying to sell tickets on smaller (rickity) lines, less signage, and more general disrepair.

Another another delightful breakfast, I headed back to the bus station with my pack in tow as even the far station was only a kilometre away. I have to say that was one of the places I most did not want to leave and even hung out on the rooftop patio for a bit before I dragged myself away. On my way, I saw a really nice torquoise kaftan that I was tempted by. He told me it was 900 dirhams (125 CAD), but I knew that if I had had the energy and time I could have gotten it down to at least 450 dirhams (60 CAD), if not lower. I probably could have done it that day, but I was a little stressed and not in the mood to drink tea and try and haggle my way down. The bus ended up arriving 45 minutes late so I just stood around the station - I was going to have to sit for six hours. I watched as everyone boarded their buses; a homeless man kept getting kicked out of his sleeping spots; a poor little dog was looking for scraps and quite friendly; and workers drank tea and socialized while sitting in the luggage compartment of buses.

I am now about to move into my apartment near the university. I have been in Amman, Jordan for a week now and have started classes. I will work on finishing up Morocco and a intro to Amman soon - as well as keeping up with my homework!

The lunch I made myself after going to the market - mmmm tasty & fresh!

The fantastic breakfast made by the hostel staff, soooo good. 

View of the sunset from the hostel's rooftop patio. 

View of the sunset from the city walls with the citadel and the Ile of Mogador in sight. 

The bus station in Essaouira - the friendly little pup, the homeless man trying to sleep, and one of the buses from the company I travelled on to Casablanca. 

Expedition: Sahara

Almost as I had planned, I booked a two day/1 night trip to the 'desert' with the main attraction being riding camels. As with all trips and places, it was much cheaper and very easy to book a trip once I was in the city (especially as the hostel will practically do it for you). It cost 650 dirham, which included dinner, breakfast, drive, camels, night accomodation, star gazing, and a camp fire (tips, water, and lunches not included). After I had signed up, four others from the same hostel signed up, which worked out really well as we became a little group of our own. There was one Peruvian and three siblings, two sisters and a brother from Australia, and me in our group. It happened to be one of the busiest nights at the camp with about sixty visitors where there is usually twenty or thirty maximum, but it didn't seem full.

It was a couple of early mornings, but I was awake by five and listened to the wake up call (530) and the first call to prayer (0600) that morning. I accidently nodded off until 630, which meant my shower, packing, and breakfast were a little more hasty than intended. As we were off for only one night, I brought only a few things in my two smaller bags, leaving my pack at the hostel. We were picked up at seven and after getting another group were seemingly off. We made it about five minutes out before we stopped and pilled out of the tour bus. What followed next was the seamless shuffle of all the tourists, as well as a local old man (still not sure where he fit in)...by that I mean, an army-like, on-the-bus off-the-bus episode. As everyone got shuffled into buses depending on their group size and selected tour (one or two nights), our crew was left standing on the sidewalk. To me this seemed all too normal so we waited, mostly patiently.

At last we were directed towards a gold van, which turned out to be probably the best scenario. For the most part, we were free runners (and heavy on the gas pedal so usually "first") and there was only five of us rather than the groups of 16 in each bus! Only realizing on the second day, we stuffed ourselves in the back rows (3 in the back, two in the middle) forgoing the front passenger seat until I asked if I could sit up there on the second morning. The only downside to said excursions was that you spend a good chunk of each day seated in a vehicle (even the three day version). Nevertheless, the views that we were afforded were worth the slight nuisance (although we got rather lazy). I had initailly scoffed when I heard that the landscapes in Morocco were impressive; however that they are.

On both days we covered approximately 400 kilometres. After getting a puncture in the front left tire speedily repaired, we headed out of Marrakech and started ascending the Atlas mountains. Despite being renowned for its desert, Morocco has snow and even a ski resort! It had been a little chilly in the morning, but by mid morning it was nice and toasty even with the wind when we popped out of the van at rest stops. Of all the groups, I'm pretty sure we bought the least souvenirs and trinkets - limiting ourselves to water and chocolate. Along the way, we also stopped at a traditional Berber village, which has been used as a movie set since Lawrence of Arabia to the Game of Thrones. We had a great guide who showed us the insides of one of the homes - sheep and all - before we scampered up to the top for some more impressive views.

For me the most impressive views were those of the mountains that looked as if they were crumbling to pieces, which I think they are, but ever so slowly. It looks as if they were smashed and massive blocks of rock are tumbling down, frozen in time. The pass we took included 19 kilometres of 'dangerous' winding road through them. The entire drive was only two lanes with tons of passing motor vehicles - us included - anything from grand taxis (old Mercedes cars) to dangerous goods, fuel carrying trucks. Oh and the safety barriers were less than reassuring, when they were there and still standing. That being said, I think my fear of heights has lessened as looking down the cliffs as we sped on wasn't completely terrifying, just a tad worrisome. Our driver, Houcine (I might have forgotten to ask till the second day) was very adept at speeding along the roads, and despite the one near headon collision with an old semi, I had faith in his skills from the get go (which considering the drive was reassuring). Also talking to people who went on the same trip, or the longer one, had less than stellar reviews of their drivers so I guess we lucked out.

By five o'clock we were nearing our destination with one last pit stop for water, and chocolate. We arrived first and hopped on the camels with relative ease - they are much trickier than horses, at first. Having become "part of the staff" as the default translator, I got to get up first. You mount the saddle while they are seated, but when they stand up it is like an amusement park. When they say hold on, they mean hold on. First, you go far back as the camel lifts his front legs, then all the forward as he lifts his rear legs, and finally tipping forward you can settle into place. Once our crew was settled, off we trotted towards the camp. The sun was starting to set and the moment that it was going behind the mountains we stopped and turned around to take in the view. After about an hour and a half ride, we had made it to the camp. It was then that I realized I had paid for something similar to what I usualy get paid to do - drive for long distances, wait, get on/off the bus, get and stay up late, be fed, and sleep in tents; nevertheless, it was worth it.

We briefly settled into our tent, also conveniently arranged for five - rather swanky berber tent with mattresses, blankets, a bulb, an outlet (not sure if it worked), flooring, and a door - before going into the main dinning tent for tea. I'm not sure if I have yet to talk about tea yet, but it is quite the 'thing' in Morocco. Essentially, it is black tea steeped with mint leaves and then a good chunk of sugar is added (heave on the chunk). It is rather tasty and I would venture to say addictive. In order to balance out this new sugar intake, I ended up drinking my coffee with milk only. Once we had filled up on tea and talking with our guide, we were served bread and tajine in a very large pot. Despite being the smallest group around a tajine, we finished all the food to the last drop. Indulging in some chocolate back in the tent.

The rest of the evening we spent outside, first around a bonfire where the guides sang berber songs and then laying on a blanket gazing at the stars. I tried to follow along with the conversation in Spanish between the guide and the Peruvian, I did managed to understand the topics - berber & technology (solar power, cellphones), Islam & marriage (1 versus 4 brides), and the tensions between Morocco and Algeria in the Sahara, amongst others. Finally at midnight, we decided to pack it in between being chilly (despite being wrapped up in two blankets and huddled together) and somewhat tired. At least we lucked out with a dry and clear night, others were not so lucky!

As the sparky morning person I can be, I was awake before the 630 wakeup call and got to annoying provide the reveille for our tent. As we got up and packed up, it was a quick breakfast of bread and jam with coffee or tea, before we set off on the camels back to our awaiting, golden chariot. Some of the local kids were around trying to get coins from the tourists, but as I've been avoiding giving children any money and the others didn't seem too intent, they only got a few items of food the others had around. Once we pilled back in the vehicle we were off, back in the direction of Marrakech. For those of you with a map, we made it south of Ouarzazate.

The drive back was just as interesting as the drive there, although I was now in the front seat and, although not overly chatty, talked to the driver as we drove back. Most of the  van was asleep for a good portion of the drive and he asked how much sleep well all got (six hours). After he scoffed, I failed to mention that if I wasn't being polite and sitting in the front seat, I too most likely would have nodded off. Then again he was rather tired and exhausted having not had a day off in over six months - apparently common in the tourism industry in Morocco. Even, jokingly I think, offered me the keys so that I could drive for a while. Although tempted, I decided not to volunteer too enthousiatically. 

During the drive, we stopped a movie studio that had also been the site of several movie scenes (none that were memorable), but it was interesting to see them in person. We eventually stopped for lunch at the beginning of the snow line in the Atlas mountains. It offered a good view and a satisfying meal. Once I had called him over (knowing names is so very useful), we were about to set off when he noticed that the tire that had initially been punctured was now flat. While they set to changing it (not my speciality), we wondered off to see if there was a convenience store nearby as we were on a quest for chocolate. When he had asked if we wanted to leave, I had responded with yes, but with a stop for chocolate - at least we provide entertainment! Once the tire was changed, we set off and finally found a place with chocolate bars (milka!) and water, which happened to be beside the butcher's with a fresh cows head and goat carcas on display.

We were off once again! Eventually, he figured out I was learning and knew some Arabic took it upon himself to cover things as we past them - for example: oued means river and there were a lot of dry, river banks with that sign. Apparently in a couple months, I could be fluent (enough) and in a year or so have a handle on the berber languages. The latter was a common theme, that I ought to learn the berber languages (only three of them) - I'm not sure if it was an inside joke that I missesd or a sincere idea. Throughout the trip we listened to his varied, music taste, there was a mix of Celine Dion, Justin Bieber, James Blunt, Cheb Khaled (after I asked), unknown Arab music, and select Spanish hits. The selection was a hit and often started a few sing-a-longs and/or laughs. It even resulted in the purchase of a CD at the market the next day - an Arabic song about Al Pacino. It was a smooth journey the rest of the way, other than needing a bathroom break where were none (I refrained from asking as everyone wanted to get back).

On our drive back throughout Marrakech, Houcine took us by the King's palaces which was neat as I didn't end up seeing them any other time. We also managed to hit 'rush hour' which was entertaining and a little maddening. After lumbering out of the van, rather commatosely, we said farewell and gave him a good tip (I'm too Canadian to not tip for services well rendered and hard work). He gave me his number on a business card, but as with being friendly and smiling, further interactions can be seen in the wrong light, which can be rather frustrating and restrictive. Overall, despite being relatively expensive (in total 135 CAD for two days), I think we all enjoyed it and now can say we have ridden camels in the Saharan Desert (well, at least very close by).

I am now off to see my first apartment in Amman. It is a three bedroom apartment with two other female expats with decent rent (250 JD/400 CAD per month) in a good area; however, it is still far away from school and unless I can figure out a good way of commuting (i.e. determining a bus route) I am hesitant to take it. I will work on the entry for Essaouira, Casablanca, a recap on Spain & Morocco and the first for Amman in the next few days; however, I will busier with school preparations (registration, indoc, placement exam, and classes).

-Alex

PS: as I only brought my camera on this expedition, I do not have any photos to share at this time.