Category: Morocco

Essaouira, Morocco: A Day Trip from Marrakech

In 2015, I vacationed in Morocco with some friends.  First, we spent a week in Marrakech, then we went on to Casablanca for a dance camp.  On August 31, we took a day trip from Marrakech to Essaouira, a historic port city on the Atlantic Ocean.

The tour agency that organized the day tour from Marrakech promised a tour of the city, plus a stop en route to see goats in trees. Along the way, we came upon an argan tree that was growing close to the roadway.  Our van pulled over, and we got out to see the goats.  It was obvious that the tour company had made arrangements with the goats’ herders to drive them up into this particular tree just for us, to coincide with the time we would be arriving.  But I didn’t care, I loved seeing the tree goats up close, and took several photographs.  See my separate blog post about the tree goats.

The name of the city is pronounced “ess uh WEAR uh”.  It is a French spelling, where the “ou” represents the same sound as the English “w”.

Part of the original fortress walls of Essaouira are still standing. This photo copyright 2018 by Jewel, all rights reserved.

The historic fortress is what gave the city its modern name, which means “small fortress” in Moroccan Arabic. Today, part of the walls that once surrounded the old city are still standing.

It is possible to go up to the top of the fortress and enjoy the view.

Photo copyright 2018 by Jewel. All rights reserved.

In Roman times, Essaouira was known as a source of purple dye. The dye was manufactured from purpura shells. Today, some remnants of Phoenician and Roman civilizations remain in the area.

I enjoyed visiting Essaouira’s busy market, where people can purchase fresh produce, spices, clothing, and household goods. It was fun to wander through and admire the historic architecture.

Copyright 2018 by Jewel. All rights reserved.

Some of the buildings inside the market area feature murals on their walls. Of course, I felt compelled to take a photo of this mural of a cat!

Photo copyright 2018 by Jewel. All rights reserved.

When walking through a market area, it can be tempting to focus your attention on the merchandise. However, I recommend looking up, because there is much beautiful architecture to admire.  If you don’t look up, you’ll miss it!

Photo copyright 2018 by Jewel. All rights reserved.

I returned to Essaouira for a visit in 2017, once again enjoying the coastal climate, the delicious seafood, and the vibrant market. The below photo shows sunset at Essaouira on September 10, 2017.

The sun sets over Essaouira, Morocco, on September 10, 2017.

I have enjoyed both of my visits to Essaouira.  Would I go back?  Possibly. It’s a beautiful city, and there are a number of local sights I haven’t yet explored!

Goats in Trees: A Tale of Argan Oil in Morocco

One of my favorite memories of Morocco comes from seeing goats standing on the branches of argan trees, munching happily away. The argan trees grow in southwestern Morocco. In 2013, I saw them along the route from the coastal city of Agadir to Marrakesh. In 2015, I saw them along the road from Marrakesh to Essaouira.

The goats have developed the ability to climb up into the argan trees in order to eat the fruit. These trees can grow up to 30 feet (about 10 meters) tall, and the goats will climb as high as it takes in their quest for a tasty morsel. According to an article published in Small Ruminant Research in July 2007, the goats spend over 6 hours per day on an average up in the trees.

The fruits of the argan tree consist of a fleshy pulp that contains a hard seed at the core. The goats eat the entire fruit, but are not able to digest the central nut. The nuts pass through their digestive tracts, coming out in the poop. People recover the nuts from the goat droppings, and process the kernels to produce the argan oil that is so popular in hair care products and cooking.

Goats pass time in an argan tree along the road from Marrakech to Essaouira. Photo copyright 2015 by Jewel. All rights reserved.

In 2013, a tour bus taking us from Agadir to Marrakech drove through some countryside with argan forests, and the driver pointed out the goats as we passed by. However, to my disappointment he didn’t stop for us to linger, look at them, and take photos.

When I was enjoying Marrakech with 3 friends in 2015, we were looking at options for tours, and found one offering a day trip to the coastal town of Essaouira.  The tour’s description promised not only the sights to see in Essaouira itself, but also an opportunity to see goats in trees along the route there.

The van picked us up at the meeting place, and we were on our way. It was a long drive in a cramped vehicle, so it was a welcome relief when it pulled over to the side of the road to let us out and see the goats.  I realized that the tour organizers had arranged in advance with local farmers to herd their goats up into the tree just so we’d be sure of having some to see. Of course, it was suggested that we tip the herders….  I was happy to tip them.  I was excited to finally be up close and personal with the goats!

African Sunrises and Sunsets

Traveling offers many opportunities to see beautiful sunrises and sunsets.  In this blog post, I’d like to share my photos taken in Morocco and Senegal.  These are all my original photos, and my property.  Please do not steal them.

Sunset in Essaouira, Morocco

Essaouira is a seaside community in Morocco, facing onto the Atlantic Ocean. It offers beautiful views of the ocean, and also of sunsets.  I was there for Funoon Dance Camp, which was organized by my friend Nawarra.

Sunset in Essaouira, Morocco
The sun sets over Essaouira, Morocco, on September 10, 2017.

 

Sunset over Essaouira, Morocco
The sun sets over Essaouira, Morocco on September 10, 2017.

Sunrises in Dakar, Senegal

These two photos were both taken at sunrise (approximately 7:30 a.m.) in November, 2017, from the Pullman Hotel in Dakar, Senegal.

Sunrise in Dakar, Senegal
The sun rises over the Atlantic Ocean at Dakar, Senegal on November 1, 2017.

 

Sunrise in Dakar, Senegal
The sun rises over the Atlantic Ocean at Dakar, Senegal on November 2, 2017.

In case you’re wondering why I was in Senegal for a month, I was there as part of the IBM Corporate Service Corps.   You can read more about that here: https://roaming-jewel.com/2017/10/17/ibmcsc/

A Nod to Egypt

I’ve taken so many photos of sunrises and sunsets in Egypt, that I’ve given Egypt its own page.  However, I wanted to include at least one photo of Egypt on this page since, after all, Egypt is in Africa! Here’s one I took in 2016, and if you’d like to see more, follow this link to my Egypt page!

The sun sets behind the pyramids of Giza, Egypt on February 10, 2016. Photo copyright 2016 by Jewel, all rights reserved.

Other Sunset Photo Galleries On My Blog

Not Easy Traveling to Morocco from U.S.!

It’s not easy traveling from the U.S. to Morocco, especially if you live in an area where the closest airport is NOT a major hub!  I was in transit 26 hours, on 4 different airplanes, with long layovers.  I was exhausted when I finally arrived in Marrakech!  I flew from Cedar Rapids Iowa, to Chicago O’Hare, to Washington DC Dulles, to Lisbon Portugal, to Marrakech Morocco.

When I finally arrived in Marrakech, I bought a local sim card at the airport for my spare phone so I could call home affordably.  It cost me 300 Moroccan dirhams (about $36) for 4 hours of international calls and 10 gigabytes of data. I felt that was a really good price!

A driver from my riad (bed & breakfast) picked me up at the airport. The friendly riad  owner wanted to welcome me, and offered me lovely Moroccan mint tea with petite cookies.  That was nice, but… she was French, and spoke very little English.  I do speak French, but I was  very exhausted from traveling so many hours. Therefore, my brain was mush, and I had trouble carrying on the conversation!  Finally, after finishing my tea and cookies, I fled to my room so I could nap.

I had arranged to eat supper at the riad, so after a one-hour nap my alarm sounded and I went downstairs to eat.  The meal was delicious! It was chicken tagine, which is a Moroccan stew made with chicken and vegetables (carrot, zucchini, etc.)

After eating, I again retreated to my room and went to bed.  I slept 13 hours.  I guess I needed it!

Getting Ready to Go to Morocco!

On Saturday, I’ll be boarding the airplane for Morocco for 12 days!  My husband is not going with me. He’s staying home to entertain the cats and protect the house from burglars!

I’ll be flying into Marrakech and staying there a couple of nights, staying at a riad, which is sort of like a bed & breakfast. Then I’ll board a bus for Essaouira, which is where I’ll spend the rest of my visit.  It’s a beautiful, historic seaside city.

I took this photo on September 3, 2015, in Casablanca, Morocco. The musicians are a Gnawa band.

While in Morocco, I’ll be attending the Funoon Dance Camp which will offer classes in the dance styles of Morocco, Nubia, Cairo, Turkey, hula, and more.