Thursday, October 23, 2014

Morocco: I am surprised at how fast 13 days has gone by...

It has really been a whirlwind trip!  Today was the last official day for touring. Tomorrow we start the long trip home. A few more pictures...
 One of the girls bought those crazy goat sandals - and actually wore them.
I was told these are Moroccan strawberres. I have never seen a fruit like this.  I could touch it and take a photo (for no charge) but could not eat one. 
 This is the view from our window. See the dilapidated building right next to the modern hotels?  You see this everywhere.
 Casa Blanca is located on the coast and it was breath-takingly beautiful.
 A couple of the ladies got temporary henna tattoos.
 Even though we were in the big city of Casa Blanca (4 million population), you still see donkey carts pullng people through the traffic.

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Morocco: Yesterday we traveled to Essaouira

Internet connection is definitely spotty here. So I will keep this short.

Along the way there were several spots where we could see goats in treetops eating the fruit of the argon trees.

Sunday, October 19, 2014

We travelled today and the scenery is beautiful

I cannot remember the name of this canyon/gorge but it is absolutely amazing!  Pat and I said it is the Grand Canyon of Morocco. 
These pictures do not do it justice. 
If they can pile it on their vehicle; it goes home with them.  
We have seen a family of five on a motorcycle. I wish I had a picture of that!
 This is a patio outsde of one of the restaurants where we stopped for lunch. 
I just loved the view.
This was a visit with a Nomad family.  She fixed mint tea for all of us.
Their lifestyle is unbelievable.

Hopefully more tomorrow. Internet tonight was really good.

Saturday, October 18, 2014

Such an amazing day.

I think I say that everyday.  I have not been able to blog because internet is very poor. A few photos....

That's me on a camel in the Western Sahara. Can you believe it?  Absolutely gorgeous weather and so much fun!  That's my friend, Pat, behind me. Her darn camel got friendly with me multiple times during our ride.
The second photo is of our guide's feet. He is wearing flip flops made out of goat hair. Stylish, huh?

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

I can't begin to count the things I have seen today!

We had an extremely filled day. It was amazing and very eye opening. I took so many pictures!
We went with a local guide and first visited a mosque. The detail in the tiles and woodwork is amazing.
 This is Pat and I at the mosque.
 You knkw how I love signs.

This is a photo of a window. I like those too.  Sorry you have to turn your head to see it.
 A fountain at one of the lcal gardens.
 We went to a cooking demonstration regarding homemade couscous.
 They are really scary drivers. The traffic is a mess - a lot of motorcycles and everyone drives however they want.  Maybe I should say they are fearless.
We did some shoppng at the medina.  I bought a piece of pottery.  The colors are just so vibrant and beautiful.  There are so many handmade items.  The souks are mind boggling and interesting all at the same time.   I think the souks are where they typically make their wares to sell.  It looks to be a very hard and tedious lifestyle.
There is a lot of silver.
 All kinds of olives in the open market.
 This stand sells raisins, dried fruit, that sort of thing. It was beautiful to see.
More shopping in the plaza.  We saw monkyes, and multiple snake charmers but they want mony to take their pictures.
More tomorrow.

Monday, October 13, 2014

We have arrived (as my dad would always say)...

We made it to Morocco but am still trying to get used to the internet and some other things after such a long trip, we are exhausted and I am taking advantage of tomorrw morning and sleeping in just a bit. I was able to grab a few photos...
 I didn't tell you how we spent 2 hours in the NY subway?  I will definitely share it at another time. 
We flew on Iberia Air and we were pretty impressed  with what they do  in the way meals. It ws really good. 
 Back to Morocco. This is a picture of the courtyard at our first hotel the Kenzi Farah  very nice. 
 A mosaic wall in the courtyard. 
Our days will be packed and I can't wait to see everything. 
Stay tuned 

Saturday, October 11, 2014

Testing 1 2 3

This just a test. 
Yep.  That's my lamp, alright.

Friday, October 10, 2014

You'll never guess where I'm headed to....

Some of you know.  Some of you might guess, but I'll just tell you.  On Saturday, I leave for ...

 MOROCCO !!

I had hoped to show you my packed suitcase, but I'm not quite there yet.  
Tomorrow.
One highlight of our trip is that we will be riding a camel in the desert.  
I am so looking forward to that!
I expect it will be different than going to the Phoenix Zoo for a camel ride.
I've actually been told camels can be nasty.  I'll let you know.
Stay tuned because my plan is to post pictures of this trip on my blog.
Hopefully, wi-fi will not be an issue.  
This trip has been planned with my friend, Pat, for more than 10 months!  
When I returned from Croatia last year, I started looking at where I wanted to go this year.
It's been a long, long time coming.
We start our trip by meeting in New York, then Sunday, we take off for our adventure.
Many of my friends have asked why I picked Morocco and I honestly can't tell you.
I just picked it and Pat was nice enough to say "okay."
I truly think it will be the trip of a lifetime.

Thursday, October 9, 2014

Girls Volleyball!


Every weekend Myah has a volleyball game, so Kim and I decided to go and watch.
 We couldn't help but notice Myah's knee pads - the girl is tall and thin.
 Kylee is watching her sister play volleyball.
 She made a face for the camera.






Another funny face by Kylee!  
I think that's one of her favorite things to do.

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Such wonderful help!

I ordered two small sheds to go on my back patio.  I was told that they aren't hard to do, but it takes more than one person to put them together.  So my friend offered to come over and help... then her husband offered to come along.  How lucky could I be?  On that first day, Ron came and then his son, Ben, came by to help.  I think they were happier if I watched, so that's what I did.
 Then Kathy came by to supervise her guys.  Again, I was happy to watch.
I know have these two great sheds - thanks to Ron, Kathy, and Ben.  Thanks so much!

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

When you move...

there are always a few snags, right?  Well, I had a couple, that's for sure.   First, and something very frustrating to me was that we had ...

NO INTERNET!!

Let me tell you, that can bring me to tears.  I spent two or three nights on the phone with my internet provider while they tried to figure out what was wrong.  You know what it was?  When I moved, the system changed the password and reverted back to it's own password.  It took me a week to get that up and running.  
And then... on Day 6 of being in the new house...
The AC went out.  Really?  Yes, really!  I felt like I was living in a dream, or I guess a nightmare.  Thank goodness I had the home warranty, that really helped. It was hotter than 91 degrees in the house, but that's as hot as the thermostat would register.  We ended up in a hotel for two nights, and then it still was not quite right.  They had to come back out and make some adjustments.  
We're here now, and things seem to have calmed down, but it is taking me a lot longer to unpack than I had hoped.  I know it will happen.