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Exotic Land of Morocco
By Jean Wells
What an extraordinary trip we had to this beautiful land of Morocco December 4- 14, 2010. There were 20 of us in this group of travel professionals who were anxious to see, hear, smell all the sights and sounds this land we have heard so much about. Our trip began at JFK where we met the group, boarded Royal Air Maroc, and headed to Casablanca; our fearless leader was Sam Nhairy, President of Morocco Destination Management, whom we all grew to love and adore!!
Casablanca was our first stop, but we spent little time here (as we knew we would be returning at the end of the trip) and headed to Rabat, the Moroccan National Capital. We enjoyed Hassan Tower, the mausoleum where King Mohamed V lies-on to Chellah, the site of the ruins of the Roman town known as Sala Colonia. The site has been converted to a garden and tourist venue.
On to Meknes Berber, a city in northern Morocco, located 130 kilometers from the capital Rabat. Meknes is named after a Berber tribe which was known as Miknasa in the medieval North African sources. Volu Volubilis was our next stop-it is an archaeological site in Morocco situated near Mekenes between Fez and Rabat. This town features the best preserved Roman ruins in this part of Northern Africa.
We loved Fes! This is the second largest city of Morocco after Casablanca, with a population of just over one million. Its medina, the larger of the two medinas of Fes, is believed to be the world's largest continuous car-free urban area. (medina-shopping area)
Midelt and Erfoud were our next stops. Midelt serves as the commercial center of a large agricultural hinterland and Erfoud is a popular destination for filmmakers. Midelt is a market town and former French administrative post in central Morocco, in the high plains between the Middle Atlas and High Atlas mountain ranges. Erfoud is a town in eastern Morocco. It is a popular destination for filmmakers because of the beautiful views of the Sahara Desert that the town's location affords.
Ouarzazate and Benhaddou-called the door of the desert. The town is chiefly inhabited by Berbers, who constructed many of the prominent Kasbahs and buildings for which the area is known.
Loved Marrakech!! Known as the "Red City," this is an important and former imperial city in Morocco. The city of Marrakech is the capital of the mid-southwestern economic region of Marrakech-Tensift-Al Haouz, near the foothills of the snow-capped Atlas Mountains. This city has the largest traditional market in Morocco and also has one of the busiest squares in Africa and the world. The square bustles with acrobats, story-tellers, water sellers, dancers and musicians. By night food stalls open in the square turning it into a huge busy open-air restaurant.
A city by the sea, Essaouira, is a tourist and windy city in the western Moroccan economic region on the Atlantic Coast. Here, we had open shopping, and enjoyed bargaining with the vendors. We also stopped at a Women's Co-Op and purchased MANY products produced with the very famous Argan Oil. Argan Oil has been produced for hundreds of years by Berber tribes in a region which is today known as Arganeraie, the only area where the rare and endangered Argan tree grows.
El Jadida and Casablanca-This is a port city on the Atlantic coast of Morocco, in the province of El Jadida. It has massive Portuguese walls of hewn stone. We returned to Casablanca; this was an important strategic port during the Second World War and hosted the Casablanca Conference in 1943, in which Churchill and Roosevelt discussed the progress of the war. Casablanca was the site of a large American air base, which was the staging area for all American aircraft for the European Theater of Operations during World War II.
The shopping was FABULOUS!! We all enjoyed making purchases of Argan Oil, rugs, jewelry, knives and machetes, pointed shoes, musical instruments, beautiful materials and cloths, and SO MUCH MORE!!
We truly loved this trip-Morocco is an extraordinary country. We traveled almost 2000 miles-wow!! We were tired, but loved every moment. If you are interested in going to this destination, do call so I may assist you with your travel plans. I can work with any size group, from 2 to 20, to so many more!!
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