Train

The another day we had to leave Morroco and Spain. We left Fes really early in the morning to Tangier. From Tangier, we took a ferry to Tarifa. From Tarifa we took a bus to Algeciras. From Algeciras we took a bus to Málaga. We left Fes at 6 AM, and arrived to Málaga at 9 PM. Quite a long journey.

The ferry from Tangier to Tarifa

In Málaga we took one day off just haging out. And the next day we took a bullet train to Madrid, and plane to Prague.

Leaving the ferry

These Spaniards have indeed nice villages

Inside the train

Train station Puerta de Atocha in Madrid

In a cafeteria in Madrid

Mp3 powered music instrument in metro.

Línea 1 de metro in Madrid

Línea 8 de metro in Madrid

Airport Barajas

Does anybody know how to handle this machine? (dashboard of tunnel to plain)

The boss of the manufacture

In the evening we arrived to Fès, the most annoying city in Morroco. Well, the people were extremely annoying. They were trying the hardest to get every Euro of us. It seems to me that they see us as super rich people, and they think we have heaps of money for all of them. Bullshit, actually we were running quite a lot out of our budget, so they pissed me off quite a bit. Anyway, one recommendation – don’t go to Fès even thought it is quite nice city. I think Tomáš would second my recommendation.

Souks at night

Souks at night

We took a guide. Of course, illegal private guide. A kid that run all around his friend’s shops to squeeze us. And always looking really annoyed when we didn’t want to buy something. He passed the guiding to some his friends for some time, as we found out later, it was a boss of one shop. He also made sure that we have enough money to spend. Just one big annoyement.

Yes, this is a street [-;

But it’s worth to have a guide in that town. In comparison with Marrakech, Fes is a real labyrinth. However, it might be worth to consider an official guide. They are about twice more expensive, but they know things. This kid knew nothing. He just knew the streets.

Women in the shade

Woman in the street

One of very few open places

In the factory producing sheets.

Panorama of Fes

Tomáš, and our guide

Fes is an important center of leather processing. There is a big manufacture. They make a high quality stuff, but they don’t get the design. Leather jackets are horrible. And also they tried to rip us off. The guy at the manufacture tried to sell us something saying. I lived several years in america, the jackets costs there several thousands dollars (fair enough, these are european designed jackets that actually have some design, not just the pure quality of leather), and I have an offer for you for €800. Ha! Then he tried to sell us typical morrocan shoes. He started at more than €1000 (it’s worth €10 when it’s greatly decorated). When we didn’t want to go above 70, he at first threw the shoes away saying that we can go. Then he tried to threaten me saying if I know the way to hotel and to Europe, that I will never be able to find the hotel in the streets. And finally he made a “friendly” offer to Tomáš hugging him and taking him away from me, for just incredible 200 dirhams. Hah. Funny story, right? Yes, if it doens’t happen everywhere…

Leather tannig manufacture

Drying leather

Waiting for the train

The another day we departed from Marrakech to Casablanca. But as I told that the way to hostel was kinda difficult to find, there is way. Some pictures of the way from hostel at first.

Entrance to the hostel Riad Massin II

There you must turn from the main street…

Smog from burned oil was incredible!

Waiting for the train in Marrakech

Waiting for the train in Marrakech

In the dessert near Marrakech

They build fences from cactus plants

As I said before, the trains are just nice. However, they have problems as well. I don’t know why at railways companies always work such incompetent people. There is always something to breaks down. I didn’t really understand what was it since the attendant in the train tried to speak french with me, and I don’t really speak french good enough to understand him. But anyway, we were waiting 3 hours to get something repaired until the train started moving.

Waiting for the train

Casablanca at night

We arrived to Casablanca quite late. We took a taxi petit in the railaways station and headed to Hotel Central in medina. After we arrived, we went to a great fish restaurant (but the one in Madrid is better, and also cheaper! [-;). But we ate really great. I had some shrimps and sepias, and Tomáš had some fish soup and fried seafood with various fishes.

Casablanca at night

After the dinner we climbed on the terrace on the top of the hotel, and took some pictures.

Lots of satellites

Square in front of our hotel.

After breakfast in the hotel in Casablanca

After brekky, we tried to get into the main mosque, but sadly we came about 15 minutes late, and we didn’t really want to wait till the evening for the opening hours. So we made a long walk throught the whole city to medina, and went to Féz which was our last stop on the journey.

In Casablanca

In the middle of souks

Narrow streets in Marrakech are incredible experience. The life in the streets is so unique, that I made a special post about that.

Woman in the middle of souks

Shopping. Scooters are unevitable…

In the middle of souks

Internet café

Be careful!

There are not only scooters, but also people on donkeys

Shop

Street

Street to hostel

Djemaa el Fna late evening

The rest of the day we were hanging around the city. We had a lunch at some restaurant at upper terrace at the Djemaa el Fna square. We also went to two palaces – Badi and Bahia. Well, just another day in Morocco… [-;

Overlook above the city

Yellow Mercedes’. An African classic.

Street in Marrakech

This lorry is just all right.

Djemaa el Fna during the afternoon

The dirt is not on your display…

Badi palace

Walls of Badi palace

Badi palace

Bahia palace

On the street

I saw it!

Traffic

Almoravid Koubba

The second day in the morning, as Kemar recommended us, we went to see three museum. Now, I will try to guess the names: Arts museum of Marrakech – museum of modern arts, Ben Youssef Madrasa (moorish school) and Almoravid Koubba.

View from the hostel’s terrace

Our room in the hostel

Hostel’s atrium

Arts museum of Marrakech

This museum was a modern arts museum, but to be honest, the paintings were sooo close what were they selling in every shop that you can’t believe it. I don’t know, I would imagine modern arts a little different way. But on the other side, the building, the architecture was just great. Again, there was a big atrium and small rooms around.

Great architecture

Tomáš watching his camera

Self portrait

An old lamp

Almoravid Koubba

Ben Youssef Madrasa

The madrasa was the last of three museums in that area, and indeed was nice too. I specially like the swimming pool in the middle [-; and I also like the small rooms. The only shortage was that most of the rooms were without windows or without proper illumination.

From the bottom

From the top

Street view

A random walker

Tea set

I wish I had such a swimming pool at school…

Way on the roof

Entrance to the school

A room for students

Two windows

Ceiling with writings from the students

Inside one students room

After spending the whole day in a train from Tangier, we finally arrived to Marrakech. We were glad to do so. Sitting in the train for 11 hours is not really pleasant even when you travel in the first class as we did. However, I will tell something more about trains in Morocco. Czech Railways should be ashamed that trains somewhere in Africa are actually cleaner than here! And it seems to be as fast as well. And I’m not talking about the railway stations. We were really in shock when we came in Tangier to the railway station. It was newly build (as in Marrakech), and so shiny. Imagine the contrast between the city which is destroyed from a half, and really dirty, and so new european style station. It seems that Moroccans took the trains seriously unlike here where the only train company is just a dump for money.

Airconditioned luxury restaurants in Djemaa el Fna

So you can imagine, we were exhausted after the ride. We arrived in Marrakech quite late in the evening, and took a bloody taxi. Be careful in front of these bloody bastards! They will try to rip you off. Sir, €10 is nothing. Hell no! It’s pricier than here! Don’t give them money they ask. This is rule number one in Morocco. Not even a half, not even a third, maybe 20%, or less. This is the rule number 1 in Morocco in general. We were really fed up of everybody overpricing everything. It’s specially embarrassing when you have no idea how much should you really pay. You don’t come there to be annoyed all the time. I reckon it’s all right that the tradition is to not to have fixed prices, but they are just over using that idea to rip off people. I must also say that some people don’t do it. And you should ask in the ho(s)tel how much you should pay for things.

Me in the train…

Cabrón, saluda al campeón. Real!!! (On the way to the hostel…)

So after this horrible taxi experience we arrived to the gates of medina. Medina is an old town in general. And they are amazing. These narrow streets are just incredible. You can imagine how were they came up as people were building chaotically more and more buildings. And watch the people, and the scooters in these streets wide just 2 metres. Also watch the bloody so called guides, and don’t promise them anything. We stayed in a hostel Riad Massin 2, and this one was way nicest hostel I have ever been to, and I have been to some… Really beautiful building. The amazing thing is that buildings in medinas have just one entrance, and a palace inside. Four walls, and a small garden inside. The hostel was a little difficult to find, but was worth it. Also the hotel was run by really nice people – Kemar was the boss, and he always made sure to show us everything important there. Specially the way.

Palace inside

Tea set

A welcome drink in the hostel. Mint tea.

We took a dinner in Djemaa el Fna, the main square in medina. There is always plenty of people, there is a lot of artists. And also lot of restaurants with air conditioning. Ehm, tents with air conditioning. Well, there was no air conditioning at all, as you find out… [-;

Me having a dinner

Cooks

Djemaa El Fna

Djemaa El Fna

Empty souks

In Casablanca we have visited mosque Hassan II. This mosque is huge – it is the third largest mosque in the world. The size is really impozant. At one moment can pray about 25 000 people inside, and about 80 000 people outside. The mosque is one of two mosques in Morocco where you can enter without being muslim. We did so…

Details of ornaments on the minaret

Detail of the ceiling decoration

The mosque is beautiful. The decorations are beautiful – all those ornaments, specially on minaret. Inside it is nicely decorated too with huge chandeliers. Everything is from marble. After all those cathedrals and churches in Spain I feel like this is finally something completely new, and I want to visit some more mosques. Another interesting thing is the it has roof which can be opened; however we were not so lucky.

Interior of the mosque

The mosque is quite new. It’s been designed by french architect Michel Pinseau in the 80s, and finished in 1993. It has been build directly on the side of the Atlantic ocean. One third of the mosque is above the ocean, and in some publicly inacesible parts you can watch the ocean thru the floor.

Missive titan door

Baths

There are also two baths – the first one is for worshipers to wash themselves before they enter to the mosque. The second one is turkish bath which is something like social meet point. Of course the baths are separated on women’s and men’s part.

Turkish baths

The last continent was invided! And it was really great!

Rich, Filippa, and Deyan

Me, Filippa, Deyan, and Richard went for a big weekend to Casablanca in Morocco. We stayed in nice Hotel Central in the old part called medina. Medina is the oldest part of every Moroccan town. It’s a part of narrow streets, small shops, crowded with the people. It’s just amazing. Like being in some movie. People are different. They dress differently. They look differently. Nothing like in Europe nor Asia nor any other place I have been to. The only bad thing about that was that in some parts I wasn’t feeling really comfortably to take pictures. But I don’t know, maybe I could… Also the rest of Casablanca is also interesting. Mix of African atmosphere, and European architecture in the middle. Slums in some parts of the town.

View over Medina from the roof of the hotel

We were accommodated in Hotel Central in the center of Medina as I said. This is really nice hotel, cheap, so I can warmly recommend it. However the reservation over Internet doesn’t matter here, or plays a role, but they simply don’t care. So if they want to put you to the rooms you haven’t requested, be though. This happened not only to us, but probably to everybody as we saw in the reception.

View from the window

Some people like Filippa should be closed somewhere else

Every day we had nice breakfast in the green painted room with a big mirror

Casablanca is the first city where I had used only taxis. Not only they are so cheap, but also that public transportation is not really recommended. I have experienced the wildest taxi ride in my life. The taxi driver was driving like crazy. No matter that there were people in the street – just horn. They had to jump away from the road. Once we got terribly ripped off in small taxis (petit taxi). We payed amount about €3 for the ride. [-; (normally costs €1.5). [-; The people are just incredible, they are trying to squeeze everything they can from foreigners. Once we were also offered to pay how much do we want. [-; Not bad... But it's still cheap trick that we pay more...

Small square in front of our hotel

As I have said, there is chaos in the streets. People are crossing streets everywhere. Red light on crossroads sometimes doesn't matter. It's safer to cross the streets in the middle than on the crossroads. Actually wild street crossing was sometimes lot of fun, and lot of adrenaline.

We were picked at the airport by some friend of Deyan's father who live in Casablanca for about 17 years, and we were invited to dinner to eat Kuskus, traditional Morocese dish. It was really excellent. Even later we didn't eat bad. Lot of seafood, fishes, etc...

Home-made Kuskus

And some people also like to drink (Filippa and Rich)

We really enjoyed food

I had oysters for the first time... And I feel like I can eat them really often...

Bad thing about Casablanca is that the beach is bad, really bad. Ocean is cold, beach is dirty, there were no girls (except Filippa) on the beach. We had to go to some beach club to swimming pool for a while. Well, that wasn't great neither since we got badly burned from the sun.

So the beach was really bad

Also another weird thing was that since Morocco is a muslim country, you won't see many woman on the streets. All the restaurants, cafes were full, but full of guys.

We did also some shopping, special trying to bargain. This is actually very funny. Specially when they are trying to rip you off. Well, it's very cheap, so doesn't matter so much, but it's not nice. But this happens everywhere, in Madrid as well. I won't recommend you any tactics, since tourist guides are full of them, and you have to just try it. Also if you go to do the bargain, be careful - quality is many times bad, really bad, and they will try to sell you just anything.

Mosque in the middle of the part with bargain shops - this is the nice part, in the real part I was too scared to take some pictures. Maybe I could, but I wasn't feeling like I would like to...

Links to all pictures at stromecek: [1] [2]