I made it home safely, and have mostly recovered from our fast-paced, feature-packed, sleep-depriving tour of Morocco. It’s great to be back home, where I can now share some of the amazing stories, videos, and pictures with my family and friends.

Here are links to each individual daily diary of my Morocco tour blog:

Day 1: We’ve arrived in Morocco

Day 2: Volubilis / Moulay Idriss

Dror and Andy, on the last day of the tour

Hi all. On day 11 of our tour of Morocco, many of the tour members had left us, but some of us stayed for one additional day. I spent the day shopping in Fes some more, once again with only a small group, and no guide. I managed to purchase a few more items (though I still never found great gifts for the kids).

For lunch, Dror had befriended one of the shopkeepers, who happened to own a bed-and-breakfast in the medina (a beautifully renovated riad). He invited us to come to his bed-and-breakfast for lunch. We took him up on the offer, and had a great lunch in the garden of the riad, where we were the only people there. He joined us for lunch, and we enjoyed the food, and his company very much.

We went back to the hotel for one last dinner. During this dinner, Yuval, Smadar, Maya, Dror, and Jaime played music and sang. Also, one tour member accompanied on her flute, and another on her violin. We had the entire hotel staff there as well, joining in for the music and festivities.

The rest of the evening was spent enjoying each others company, as well as packing for leaving early the next morning. Since we were expecting to leave the hotel at 4am, I decided to just stay awake, rather than sleeping.

When 4am came around, we all boarded the bus one last time, and it took us to the Fes airport where we caught a quick early flight to Casablanca, and, from there another flight to JFK.

We arrived back in New York City Thursday evening.

Goodbye Morocco. We all had a great time, and now have memories that will last a lifetime.

Thanks for reading my travel blog. I’ll be uploading some of the great video I shot in the next week or so.

Hope to hear from you all soon.

Love,

Andy

Workers at the ceramics factory we visited in Fes

Hand painting at the ceramics factory in Fes

Some of the nice mosaic table tops they make in Fes

Dror and Andy with our great guide, Jowad

Next, we went to the “Mellah”, the old jewish section of Fes. Here we toured the old Jewish cemetery, and an old synagogue. These were all interesting to see.

Andy at the Jewish cemetery in Fes

Dror chanting at the old Jewish Synagogue in Fes

For lunch, we went back to the same place we had gone on day 9, and it was as delicious as the previous day.

After lunch a few of us separated from the group, and spent the afternoon shopping in the medina, for the first time without a guide. It was very liberating not having a guide tell us where to go and when. We all purchased a few items, doing the usual haggling about price that is the norm in Morocco. One of the places we went to was a drum factory, where I purchased a hand-painted Bandir (Moroccan frame-drum). I also bought some traditional Moroccan clothing (which I ended up wearing to the end-of-tour party). We all managed to find our way out of the medina, even without a guide.

Dror visiting a drum store in Fes

Lots of hand-painted drums at a drum store in Fes

Day 10 was the official last day of the tour, as some of the tour members were leaving the next morning (though others, such as myself, had paid for an extra day). Since this was the last meal we were all going to be together in Morocco, we all met up at a restaurant in Fes for an “end-of-tour” party. We had live music, couscous, and a chance to say our goodbyes to each other, and to thank our guides and support staff. This dinner was also the last time I saw Hamid, and I had a chance to thank him for the great tour experience he had provided for us.

Andy in his Moroccan garb at the final tour party

Music at the final tour party

More music at the final tour party

After dinner, we returned to the hotel, where we hung out, looking at the pictures, and reminiscing about all the fun we had had over the last couple weeks. We also said our final goodbyes to about a third of the tour members.

All in all, a relaxing day, as our tour wound down.

The beautiful city of Fes

Another view of Fes

When we got to the medina, we got off the bus, and entered the walled portion of the city. The labyrinth of narrow streets and alleyways in Fes dwarfs what we saw in Marrakesh. Without a guide, it would be so easy to get lost in this city. There are no large landmarks to get your bearing, and only a small portion of the sky is visible from the ground as well.

Walking the streets of the medina in Fes

Another view of the streets of the medina in Fes

The medina in Fes

Shopping in the medina in Fes

Donkeys working in the medina in Fes

Some kids playing video games in Fes

Our guide first took us to a large rug dealer, where we got a nice presentation about the different styles and manufacturing techniques of Moroccan rugs. Of course that led up to them trying to sell us all rugs. Some of the tour members did buy some very nice rugs, but, I wasn’t interested, so I walked around the building (an old converted riad, or traditional Moroccan-style house with an interior garden) , and went up to the roof where I took some nice pictures of the surroundings.

The rug dealer we visited in Fes

Moroccan rugs in Fes

Buying rugs in Fes

Another picture of Fes

View of Fes from the roof of the rug dealer we visited

After the rug-dealer, we walked around the city some more, looking at dozens (if not hundreds) of craftsmen in small shops, working on everything from metal, to wood, to fabrics. Fes is clearly a city where many Moroccan artisans perform their craft. We stopped along the way at the various shops, and got to experience more of the high-pressure price-haggling that is standard when buying things in the medina.

A craftsman in Fes

Another craftsman in Fes

A metal worker in Fes

More crafts work in Fes

Fabric weaving in Fes

Next, we got to go take a look at the tannery. This is a colorful (and smelly) place to visit, with large colorful pools of dye, where Moroccan workers labor hard dying leathers and fabrics. Here are some pictures we took of the tannery.

A tannery in Fes

A closer look at the vats at the tannery in Fes

Hard work at the tannery in Fes

Working in the tannery in Fes

We ate lunch at another converted riad. The food at this place was delicious, probably the best we’d had since arriving in Morocco). The salad they brought consisted of almost twenty small plates, laid out nicely in the center of the table, each containing a different, yummy item. I ordered a chicken and almond tagine, and enjoyed it very much.

Lunch in Fes

After lunch, we headed to the museum to see the Yuval Ron Ensemble perform. The concert was being held outside in the garden area of the museum. The space was much smaller than the Bab Makina where we had seen the whirling dervishes performance the night before, but it was still a beautiful setting. The stage was setup below a large tree. There was a large carpeted area directly in front of the stage for people to sit on, and surrounding that, chairs for people who preferred not sitting on the ground.

Ilan watching the Yuval Ron Ensemble in Fes

I setup my tripod and camera in the back, by the sound board, in the press section. Nobody seemed to notice or care that I did not have a press credentials card around my neck.

There's me in the back shooting video at the performance

The concert itself was magical. Yuval and his band members (and dancer, Maya), were all at their best, and the audience enjoyed the performance immensely. Here are some pictures and a sample video of the concert.

The Yuval Ron Ensemble performing in Fes

Smadar singing with the Yuval Ron Ensemble

Yuval performing in Fes

Dror performing with the Yuval Ron Ensemble in Fes

Yuval Ron Ensemble in Fes

Maya dancing with the Yuval Ron Ensemble in Fes

Another picture of Maya dancing with the Yuval Ron Ensemble in Fes

Smadar singing at the performance of the Yuval Ron Ensemble in Fes

After the concert, we were all on a high as we walked around the museum garden area for awhile, discussed the highlights with each other, and eventually headed back to the bus to return to the hotel.

At the hotel, we rested for a while, some of us swam in the pool, or explored the hotel grounds some more. We sat for dinner together (more tagines). Dinner was followed by the arrival of a Sufi drumming ensemble that Hamid had arranged for us out on the hotel patio. They were loud and energetic, they brought extra drums for some of the tour members to play along with. The music went on late into the night.

The Sufi drummers at our hotel in Fes

Hamid drumming with the Sufis

Dror and Adi

Another long, but exciting day, the pinnacle of our tour.

Day eight of our tour of Morocco was our long drive day, traveling from Marrakesh to Fes. We took the highway instead of the scenic route that was initially planned, so that we could arrive with enough time to make it to the evening performance at the Sacred Music Festival. We got a early start out of Marrakesh, and we were all still tired from our exciting party the night before. Many of us slept on the bus, too tired after a intensive week of sight seeing to pay much attention to the passing scenery. I did notice that much of the journey looked similar to the Highway 101 drive between Los Angles and the bay-area, as far as landscape goes, though I was so exhausted perhaps I imagined that. We did a few stops a long the way for bathroom, water breaks, and lunch. One stop took us to a Shell station / mini-mart that was so Americanized in the items for sale, it hardly seemed like we were in Morocco anymore. We all loaded up on familiar munchies at that stop. 

American junk food in a Morocco gas station

Dean stretching during a break from our long bus ride

On our bus, Dror led many of us in the back of the bus in drumming, and singing, including some of the stuff he usually does at his “Idiot of the Village” workshops. This was great fun, and helped us forget that we were spending more than 8 hours in the bus this day.

More drumming and singing on the bus on the way to Fes

Eventually we got to Fes, and to our hotel, the “Sidi Harazem”. This hotel is an amazing sight. It is old, and it certainly is showing it’s age. But, it has such exquisite architecture, and design features, that you can tell that, when it was new, it was definitely a majestic place. It is built on a hot-springs, and the pool is still filed with the spring water, a softer water than what you’d usually find in a swimming pool. It feels really nice to the touch. It also has wi-fi access, but only in the lobby, not in the restaurant, the bar, or the rooms. The internet connection was the fastest we had seen in Morocco, and I was even able to have a long video chat with the whole family back in Ben Lomond, without hardly any latency.

I really didn’t like the hotel when we first got here, but, I need to say that, after a few days, it did grow on me, and I got over the fact that it was old and warn, and I started seeing that it contained such beautiful features such as the tile and stone work and wood carvings. This hotel has serious character, and you can feel it as you walk through it and around the hotel property. The only real downside to the hotel is the distance from the hotel to the Fes Medina, where the music festival is being held, and there is not much of interest near the hotel that can be accessed without bus or taxi.

We ate dinner in the hotel, then re-boarded the bus to go to our first concert of the Sacred Music Festival, in the “Bab Makina” performance space. As we got near to the venue, it was dark out, and we got our first close-up look at the old section of Fes. Fes is an awesomely complex city, with beautiful walls of white surrounding the old part of the city. In fact, almost all buildings that you see in Fes are white or off-white, and it takes on a kind of spiritual look to it, perfect for the Sacred Music Festival. 

We got to the Bab Makina, purchased or tickets, and entered the venue. Oh man, what a cool place to see a concert. As you can see in the pictures, it is a large outdoor performance space, with towering castle-like walls of white surrounding the large courtyard where the performances take place. Being in the Bab Makina, you can feel the history around you.

Concert at the Bab Makina

The concert we saw was in two parts. The first part were the traditional Sufi “Whirling Dervishes” from Turkey. A very traditional band opened with some beautiful music. Then the band provided music for the male dancers as they did their spinning routine. The music was haunting, and spiritual, and, partly due to the fact that I was so tired, and partly because of the style of music, I could not keep my eyes open, so I missed most of the dancer’s performance. The low-frequency chanting by the musicians however, definitely put me in a trance, and before I knew  it, the first half was over. The second half of the performance was another take on the “Whirling Dervishes” concept and style, but with a seriously modern approach. This was Ziya Azazi and Serge Adam from Turkey and France. Serge Adam is a solo musician, on stage with just his trumpet, and a laptop computer (with a few MIDI controllers on the side as well). As soon as the music started, with Serge Adam playing his trumpet, and I heard what he was up to, I was instantly fully awake, and digging on the whole thing. As he was playing the trumpet he was recording into his computer, and instantly looping and manipulating the sound into incredible new directions, combining that live trumpet sound with some recorded drum sounds, and other strange sounds as well. He was manipulating the rhythm, and pitches of the music in real-time. My college major is Computer Music, and I spend many hours in my studio doing things similar to what Serge Adam was doing, and I found it incredibly inspiring and beautiful. There were two dancers along with the music, and their spinning movements were a interesting juxtaposition to the traditional “Whirling Dervishes” we had seen in the first half of the show. This was a perfect opening to our Sacred Music Festival experience, and I enjoyed it so much.

The Whirling Dervishes at the Fes Festival

The second half of the "Whirling Dervishes" concert

After the concert, we found the bus, and went back to our hotel to catch up on some sleep.

Tomorrow, day nine is the day we’ve been waiting for, the performance of the Yuval Ron Ensemble at the Sacred Music Festival

Goodbye.

We met for breakfast in the hotel (as usual), and Hamid and Yuval led a discussion about the concert they were going to play that evening, including how it came about, where it was being held, who our hosts were, and who would be attending the concert. We were told that the concert was being held in the private home of a wealthy Marrakesh property developer. The concert was to be dedicated to the memory of the host’s father. The venue was an upscale home on the edge of Marrakesh. Attending would include about three hundred dignitaries from foreign embassies in Morocco, and other well-connected people. Surprisingly, our group of weary, but eager travelers was invited as well, both to the concert, and the following dinner (and I’d be doing a video shoot). After hearing about how the plans for the concert came about, we were all really excited for a great night of music, food, and fun.

At breakfast, with Hamid telling us about tonight's concert

After breakfast, the ensemble members (including Dror), left us mere tourists for their concert rehearsal, setup, and sound-check, while the remainder of the tour member separated into smaller groups for more touring of Marrakesh, and shopping. We started our morning tour at the El Badi Palace, and spent a while taking pictures inside the palace. Next up was “Jemaa el Fna” and the souks, where we separated into even smaller groups and traversed the labyrinth of shops in the medina. We’ve heard about how easy it is to get lost in the marketplace, but, until you experience it those winding, narrow alleyways for yourself, you cannot truly appreciate it. Some of the more interesting stores we visited included the pharmacy, and a antique store.

Touring in Marrakesh

A spice dealer in Marrakesh

An olive dealer in Marrakesh

The souks in Marrakesh

A pharmacy in Marrakesh

Another view of the pharmacy

We headed back to the hotel around 3pm for a late lunch (in anticipation of a late dinner). I wasn’t hungry, and was really interested in finding a wi-fi connection. So, I put my computer and camera-bag on my back, and headed up the road one of the fancier hotel’s in Marrakesh, the “Sufitel”. I walked through the huge lobby, and out to the bar by the pool, pretending to be one of the many guests staying at the hotel. Nobody paid any attention to me, and I quickly verified that they did indeed have an open wi-fi. I ordered a beer and sat by the pool for almost two hours, uploading day five blog text and pictures, and resolving a credit-card issue that had come up.

I paid cash for the beer (which cost as much as a beer in an upscale American hotel), then waked back to our much less grand hotel, showered and prepared for the night’s concert and dinner.

We all met up outside the hotel at 7pm for a bus-ride to the concert. We were told to dress as nicely as we could, and it was great to see that many of the tour member were wearing traditional Moroccan garb that they had purchased in the souks earlier in the day. We had a big picture taking fest, and we managed to get a hotel porter to take a group photo for us (though some poeple on the edges got cut off). The group looked so sharp, well dressed, to be respectful for our gracious hosts.

Our group photo (partial)

Glen, dressed for a Moroccan party

Some of the men on the tour

We got to the venue, and this was no mere house. It was a beautiful palace. All around the house ten thousand candles had been lit, and set up almost everywhere, including a sea of candles setup on the grass in in the back yard between the home and a patio covered with a roof held up by towering pillars. There were four ponds surrounded by walkway, where the deep sound of frogs was everywhere. There was a stage setup, well lit, where the Yuval Ron Ensemble was still doing sound check. Set in front of the stage were rugs and pillows, and surrounding that chairs for us to sit on. The members of our tour had arrived before the remainder of the guests. I grabbed a spot in the front-middle, and began to setup for recording the concert video.  

The venue for the first Yuval Ron Ensemble performance in Morocco

Another view of the house

Candles everywhere

The patio behind the frog ponds at the Marrakesh party

We were graciously welcomed by our hosts, and they seemed to be genuinely nice, friendly people. 

The plan was for the ensemble to perform before the dinner. But, there were problems with the sound system, and the concert got delayed so long that eventually it was decided to have the ensemble play inside the house, after dinner. More and more of the guests arrived, and there was a massive amount of alcohol flowing, including wine, beer, and hard alcohol as well. The buffet was huge with a combination of Moroccan and European dishes, including vegetables, tajines, fish, chicken, pasta (first time I’d had that in Morocco), breads, and fruit. It was all delicious. 

Eating and drinking before the first Yuval Ron performance in Morocco

When it was finally time for the Yuval Ron Ensemble to start their performance, everybody was pretty loose, and instead of the performance being a deep, spiritual event as we had originally expected, it was an upbeat, lively performance with many of the guests dancing along with Maya, the dancer touring with the ensemble. Though it was different, it was great, and we all had a blast. After the performance, a DJ was blasting pop music and the partying continued late into the night. 

The Yuval Ron Ensemble performing in Marrakesh

Dror and the Yuval Ron Ensemble performing in Marrakesh

Maya dancing with the Yuval Ron Ensemble in Marrakesh

Dancing with the Yuval Ron Ensemble in Morocco

We finally all boarded the bus, and headed back to the hotel, after a really enjoyable evening.

We were only in Ouarzazate for less than ten hours, so I can’t tell you much about it, except that it’s the “Hollywood” of Morocco, with a number of film studios that have sprung up in the recent past. The Hotel we stayed in was nice enough (which is more than I can say about the hotel restaurant staff), and they did have sporadic wi-fi. I managed a three minute video iChat to my in-laws, and another one or two minute one to my folks. But, the long latency made it tough to hold a conversation, and even uploading a few pictures to this blog took longer than it should have.

Ouarzazate, the Hollywood of Morocco

We left Ouarzazate right after breakfast for our four to five hour ride to Marrakesh. The road between Ouarzazate to Marrakesh takes you up to the highest peak in North Africa. The views from the Tizi-n-Tichka pass are breathtaking, on one side the desert, the other side, the valley full of fields of green. It’s your typical winding mountain rode, similar to what you’d expect in the Rocky Mountain range in the USA. I know a number of people on the tour got a little car sick with all twisting and turning, but since I go over Highway 17 twice every workday (and even work on my computer during the ride if I’m not driving the carpool), I was used to it. Check out these amazing pictures we took either from the bus, or from the one or two rest-stops along the way.

On the road to Marrakesh

A rest stop on the way to Marrakesh

The Tizi-n-Tichka Pass, high in the Atlas Mountains

Driving through the Tizi-n-Tichka Pass

Finally we arrived in Marrakesh! What can I say about Marrakesh? Well, it’s definitely one of the international tourist destinations that’s not to be missed. With the craziness of the “Jemaa el Fna” square, the endless labyrinth of shopping in the “medina”, the great opportunity for people watching, sites to see, etc. I would recommend any brave tourist looking for something unique in the world to come to Marrakesh at least once in their travels. But hold on to your belongings. One tour member had her purse snatched right off her back while at an ATM.

When we first entered the city, and before we went to our hotel, we went to a gas-station/cafe (open 24/7) for lunch. Yes, a gas station. But, I must say the food was great, especially the bread, which was the best bread I’ve had in Morocco yet. We then went to the hotel to check in, and drop off our bags. The hotel was ok, but lack of wi-fi was a huge disappointment for me, as many of the tour people had by now sent the URL to this blog to their friends and family, which made me even more determined to get regular updates posted (I did manage to “borrow” wi-fi from the next door hotel to check my iPhone email).

Our hotel in Marrakesh

The lobby of our hotel in Marrakesh

We started our introduction to Marrakesh with a tour consisting of three areas, a 100+ acre park of old-growth olive trees, surrounding a large cement-lined reservoir (used to water the thousands of olive trees), followed by the main Mosque containing the tallest building in the city, followed by a quick pass through “Jemaa el Fna” to take in some of the insanity of the snake-charmers, monkey trainers, fortune tellers, dancers, drummers, story-tellers and food-stalls, and anybody else who has a interesting way to get money out of the tourists wallets. I wish I had my video camera during my time in the square, but I was hesitant, due to the high security problems, and the amount of money I would have had to shell out for the privilege of pointing my video camera at anybody. The sounds of the square were deafening at times, and I think Glen had his audio-recorder with him, so perhaps I’ll get a chance to include some of that in the tour video.

The reservoir in the olive-tree grove in Marrakesh

The large mosque in the center of Marrakesh

The sea of humanity in "Jemaa el Fna"

A snake charmer in "Jemaa el Fna"

A fortune teller in "Jemaa el Fna"

One of the many musicians in "Jemaa el Fna"

Interesting food in "Jemaa el Fna"

More music in "Jemaa el Fna"

One thing that I found interesting was the juxtaposition of people in traditional Islamic clothing (including full head veils), along side many young couples holding hands, and flirting with one another around the reservoir, dressed in the skimpy western-sytle clothing warn by similarly aged people in the USA. As an American who is led to believe that Islamic countries are full of nothing but traditionalists, and that public displays of affection between unmarried males and females are seriously frowned upon, this was something I didn’t expect to see. But Morocco is an extremely tolerant country (in so many ways), and this was just another clear example of that wonderful Moroccan attitude of life.

We got back to the hotel, and cleaned up for Shabbat dinner in the restaurant. After shooting video and photos almost constantly during the previous week, I decided that this Friday evening would be my night off. Good thing there were others in the group that did bring their cameras, and took pictures at Shabbat, and later that night, and they have all be so gracious to share their photos and video with me. This has really become a group effort, and hopefully, when we get back, we can expand on the whole “tour-blog” concept, and make a lasting record of our wonderful time together in Morocco.

Prior to the Shabbat dinner, we had the traditional jewish lighting of the candles, blessings over the candles, wine, and bread. There were also a few musical numbers by Dror, and Yuval. Hamid gave traditional Sufi blessings as well. It was fun to have Shabbat dinner together in Morocco with all the new friends we’ve made on this trip.

Shabbat dinner in our hotel in Marrakesh

Singing at our Shabbat dinner in Marrakesh

After dinner, we headed to a restaurant in an old Jewish home in Marrakesh. As you see in the pictures there was elaborate tile and carved stone from floor to ceiling. It was a great site for our evening entertainment which was belly dancers, and three local musicians, skilled in the traditional Andalusian style, which happens to be the style of music the Yuval Ron Ensemble will be playing at the Fes Festival in a few days. Before long, Dror, Yuval, and Smadar (one of the beautiful, talented singers in the ensemble) had joined in, and I must say, for me personally, this was the best musical entertainment of the entire tour (so far). I was now seriously regretting not having my cameras with me. But, there were plenty of cameras taking pictures, and here are a few. 

Dancer during the Andalusian music at the Jewish resturant

Yuval playing with the Andalusian musicians

Smadar and Dror performing at the Andalusian music evening

Andalusian music night

At the end Smadar sung a moving song about mothers, dedicated to Jawad (one of our tour guides), who had recently lost his mother. Smadar’s singing and body-movements have such deep expression, it was a special experience for all of us there.

Smadar singing a song for Jawad

We got back to the hotel after 2pm (again), and eventually we went to bed.

Tomorrow, more in Marrakesh, and the first concert of the Yuval Ron Ensemble in Morroco.

Goodbye.

Day five was mostly a driving day, with two important stops. The first one was in Todra, high up in the Atlas mountains, in a Berber region of Morocco. The town of Todra is located in a narrow mountain pass with towering rock walls on each side of the pass. A mountain river flows along side the road. Here in Todra, we have yet another example of the beauty and diversity of the Moroccan landscape, unlike anything we’d seen so far. Our bus stopped near the base of the mountain pass, and we all left the bus, and continued walking up the road to where the group was going to have lunch, taking in the sheer enormity of the rock cliffs on either side of us. The sounds of birds were everywhere, and we could see hundreds of birds flying in and out of nests high in the rock walls. Along the road, Moroccan merchants were peddling jewelry and scarves to the tourists. 

A deep well in the desert

Andy, on the way to Todra

Some of my new friends who are helping with the blog photos

The incredible rock cliffs of Todra

Dror and Jaime walking in Todra

Hamid leading the way up through Todra

We all assembled for lunch in one of the restaurants in Todra, and most of the tour people sat and ate, while I wandered around outside (unwilling to eat), soaking my feet in the river from one of the small wooden bridges, and taking pictures and video of the surroundings. After lunch, Yuval, Jaime, Dror, and Hamid pulled out their instruments (oud, and drums) and performed a song in the restaurant, which is one of the songs Yuval performs regularly, and is written about Todra. This was the first time Yuval had been there, and he he was very moved to be able to play that particular song in the setting where it is written about. We all enjoyed the short performance, then re-boarded the buses and continued our journey. When I get back, I’ll upload the video of the song from the restaurant.

Where we ate in Todra

Music at lunch in Todra

The next stop was in the town of Tinghir. We got off the bus, and walked about a mile or so through fields of wheat and other agriculture, as we headed to the old jewish quarter of the town. Along the way, about a dozen or so kids converged on us, trying to use their charm and cuteness to get money from us. Some gathered flowers for us, others made little crafts out of palm leaves or other vegetation along the way. Dror attempted to teach some of the kids one of the “songs” he does at the end of some of his drumming workshops, and it was really funny for me to here these kids singing the nonsensical lyrics I am so familiar with from my experiences in his drum classes.

On our walk to Tinghir

The wheat fields around Tinghir

Arriving on the edge of town in Tinghir

Part of the old Jewish section of Tinghir

Tinghir

We finally arrived at the edge of town, and walked through the narrow alleyways of the old jewish quarter, and then through the more populated town center area where there are many shops, people and traffic. The bus was waiting for us there, and we got back on for the final stage of the day’s drive to Ouarzazate. I was excited to find an open wi-fi connection, and managed a short text chat with my wife back home while waiting to depart.

We were on the bus, and it was about sunset time. Drums came out, and there was spirited drumming and singing for a while. I played along on the Dumbek that Dror had purchased from one of the musicians at the Hotel Belere, which he needs for his part in the performance at the Sacred Music Festival. These spontaneous drumming and singing opportunities, which I knew were inevitable, were one of the things that drew me to this tour in the first place, and they certainly make the time in the bus more enjoyable, and pass more quickly.

Drumming in the bus

After the drumming and singing, the bus quieted down a bit, and I fell asleep. I was woken up by another tour member, and was happy to see we had arrived at our destination hotel for the night, in the city of Ouarzazate. At the hotel, we immediately sat down for dinner (it was after 10pm), and I did manage to eat some chicken kabobs, and white rice, and I could tell I was feeling better. We got our room keys, and after a bit of quiet music by the pool with Dror and Yuval, we headed to our rooms, and quickly went to bed.

Tomorrow, we continue on to Marrakesh, the tourism capital of Morocco, and the first big-city experience of our tour.

Talk to you all later.

Dror watching the sunrise over the Sahara

We awoke prior to sunrise, to the sound of Djembe drumming, about three hours after we had entered our nomadic tent for our short, but well needed sleep. What we found when we exited our tent was that we were in a vast pinkish-orange desert, at the bottom of a huge sand dune, surrounded by many other, shorter dunes. The palm trees in the oasis where our camp was assembled, were the only vegetation you could see for miles around us. Most of our tour members scattered across the dunes, many of them climbing to the top of another large dune next to the dune behind our camp. Many people (such as myself) were taking pictures of everything around us, but some were just taking in the surroundings, obviously enjoying a personal, spiritual experience. A song emanated from the top of the dunes (this is a very musical group of people assembled for this tour). What I noticed was the beauty of the wind-blown sand, the patterns that are formed, both the small details that are only evident when you are very close, and the larger details, such as how the sand banks form sharp edges as the sand is pushed up by the wind. Words cannot adequately describe the beauty of the Sahara desert, and I’m not sure these accompanying pictures really do it justice either.

Tour members climbing the dunes to watch the sunrise

Glen having a personal experience on the dunes

As I walked around the camp, I was surprised to find skis and snowboards leaning against the back of one of the tents. I guess it makes sense, since the Sahara sand is so fine-grained, that it does almost feel like warm powered snow to the touch (nothing like the rocky sand you find on California beaches, both in texture and color). Nobody was using the skiing equipment, but I would have loved to try it myself, or at least seen one of the Moroccan youth hosting our camping trip using them.

Skiing in the Sahara?

We came across a dung beetle, pushing an animal dropping across the desert (larger than the beetle itself). We didn’t stick around to see where it was taking it’s newly acquired prize, but it just goes to show that one creatures waste can be another creatures most cherished possession.

A beetle, hard at work in the Sahara

As we were packing our belongings, Dror sat and played Djembe along with the Moroccans, kind of giving an impromptu drum lesson.

Dror drumming with the Moroccans at camp

We remounted our camels, and headed out into the dunes for our caravan back to civilization. This time the camel ride was about twice as long as the night before, and when we finally arrived to our destination, I was feeling sore in the legs, and my hands were also sore from banging on the handlebar repeatedly during the ride.

Our camels waiting to take us back to civilization

Leaving camp on our camels

Our camel caravan

Jaime riding his camel

We entered the restaurant at the camel ride ending point (which was still about an hour from our hotel by bus), and there was a large buffet breakfast set out for our enjoyment. I had fruit, some pastry, and lots of fresh squeezed orange juice, which tasted great (though later in the evening I came down with a stomach ache, perhaps because of the breakfast, perhaps because of the dinner on the desert the night before, perhaps unrelated to either).

Where our camel ride ended

As we waited for the bus, we were all collapsed on the pillows in the restaurant lobby, and Hamid and Yuval laid out the plans for the remainder of the day. He told us about the evening plans which included a ride to a private home about an hour from the hotel, where we would see an authentic Gnawa trance music ceremony.

After breakfast, waiting to go back to the hotel

The bus finally arrived, we boarded and eventually we ended up back at the Hotel Belere in the town of Erfound where we had departed from the night before for our Sahara desert camping trip. This hotel is beautiful, consisting of many bungalows covered in an exterior of clay and straw bricks. The pool area (as you can see in the pictures) looks incredibly inviting, and as soon as we got to our rooms, I unpacked my bathing suit, returned to the pool, and took a cleansing plunge into the cold, but refreshing pool. I headed back to my room, where Dror immediately went to sleep, but, finding an wi-fi connection for the first time since we arrived in Morocco, I immediately went to work uploading the first three days of details and pictures to the blog you are now reading. After completing the blogging, I returned to my room and crashed for about three hours, until about 7:30pm.

The Hotel Belere

The pool at the hotel Belere

As we were heading to the hotel dining hall, we found a group of musicians setup near the pool area for some evening entertainment. This ensemble consisted of oud, violin, electronic keyboard, vocals, and multiple drummers. These guys were top notch performers, and, as Hamid later told us, this was no ordinary hotel bar band, but the lead singer was one of the more respected, nationally known performers for his particular style of Moroccan music. Hamid gave a moving tribute to this singer, and we stuck around for a few more beautifully sung songs, while eating a bit from the hotel’s buffet.

Then we were given the choice to stay and listen to the music at the hotel, or to go and see the Gnawa. Most, including myself didn’t hesitate to board the bus once again and go to the Gnawa.

We arrived a the home of the Gnawa performers late at night, and were led into a small room where we all sat on the floor on rugs and pillows set out around the edge of the room. The Gnawa group consisted of a group of male performers dressed all in white, playing drums and “Karakab” clicking metal percussion instruments, and also three female trance singers dressed from head to toe in black robes and veils. There was also a bass-like instrument, with three strings, a skinned body, and a carved broom-stick like neck. which had a mellow, smooth tone to it. The music was indeed haunting and beautiful, and it was clear that these were all very talented musicians, well trained in the style of music they play. Before long, many of the tour members were up on their feet, moving to the steady beat of the music. I’ve got some amazing video of this performance as well, but you’ll have to wait for that until I get back.

The Gnawa

The Gnawa women

When the Gnawa performance was done, we re-boarded the bus, headed back to the hotel, and finally got in bed around 2am, exhausted from another long day.

Tomorrow we go high in the Atlas mountains, and then onto Ouarzazate.

On the tour bus

On the bus - through Meknes

Another Moroccan village

Interesting crown on the mountain

Climbing into the mid Atlas Mountains

Another Moroccan village

Moroccan lunch

Moroccan coke, with real sugar!

The long drive continued, and continued. What we were originally told would be an 8 hour drive turned into 11 long hours. We did have a great time on the bus thought, as Dror and Jaime played some percussion, Hamid and Yuval alternated giving us details about the places we were passing through, details on Moroccan life, politics, philosophy, etc. There was also lots of laughing and some singing as we all got to know each other better. There were actually two buses this time, so we had extra space to spread out, get comfortable, and at some points nap a bit.

The details on what was going to happen this night were still kept secret from us until near dark, when we approached the town of Erfoud. What we hadn’t been told was that the camp we were going to be staying in for the night was long past where the buses could go. We arrived at the Hotel Belear in Erfoud after dark, and we were given a brief chance to access our luggage (while in the parking lot), and select only the minimum items we would need for the night. We all separated into groups of six, and boarded a fleet of Land Cruisers. We then had a 45 minute off-roading experience that rivaled some rides at Disneyland. Seeing the many Land Cruisers passing through the dirt area leading to the dunes in the dark of night all taking different paths and changing lead over and over, I almost felt we were part of the Amazing Race. It was an extremely bumpy ride, but, for me at least, quite enjoyable. The moon was small, and there were more stars than I had ever seen in the sky. 

Eventually we came to the end of our off-road journey, and ended up in an area with fifty or more camels all saddled and ready to take us the last part of our journey. They were tied in groups of four, and each group was led by some Moroccan youths, dressed in blue robes and turbans There was almost no lights, very few flashlights, so we could barely make out where we were, and had no idea where we were going. I hopped up on a nearby camel, and eventually all of us were boarded, and ready for our trek. We spent the next hour or so being carried by the camels, led by the young Moroccans through the sands of the desert. We could not see where we were going, and we could not see the ups and downs of the dunes we were traveling over. It was at the same time extremely exhilarating, and somewhat terrifying as we bumped up and down on the camel saddles holding on to small metal handle bars. The temperature was perfect, with a warm breeze (though it was past midnight by this time, and we still hadn’t eaten dinner). Did I mention that the stars were amazing (and we saw many shooting stars as well). The walk was somewhat chaotic as the camel caravan seemed to get lost for a bit, but eventually we came to an oasis in the desert, dotted with palm trees, light by candle lanterns. 

Our camel ride under the stars to our desert camp

Camel follow-the-leader. Mine is in back.

We dismounted or camels and said goodnight to them, hoping that they would still be there for our return journey in the morning. We walked down a candle lit path, still hardly able to see where we were, or our surroundings, and we came to a clearing where dinner tables were set up with candle lanterns on each. Surrounding the dining area were small, low nomadic style tents in a circle around the camp, each with mattresses, and blankets. We sat down, and the Moroccan (Berber) youth served us a dinner under the stars. There were sand fleas everywhere, but after such a long journey, we were all starving, and the food was basic, but well received. 

After dinner, most of the tour members took a chance to claim their sleeping quarters. Some of us waited until much later, which probably wasn’t the best idea. Dinner was followed by drumming, and dancing. Yuval played his Oud, Dror, Jamie, myself, and other tour members all played drums and percussion. It was a lot of fun, but much shorter than I had hoped (I didn’t want to sleep at all, I wanted to jam all night). Eventually we had to stop playing, and the tour members all moved to their selected tents (did I mention that some of us still hadn’t determined where we were going to sleep?). It was so dark, that as those of us without tents moved from tent to tent trying to find a place to sleep. Eventually Dror, Nilli, and myself found a tent with one of the two beds free, and the three of us decided to share it. It was cramped, but we were so tired that it didn’t matter. I didn’t think I slept that night, but actually, I just dreamed that I was unable to sleep. This night was definitely one of the most amazing experiences I’ve had in a long time. And, we still had the sunrise awaiting us in just a few hours, where we’d finally see our surroundings.

More about that tomorrow.

Our hotel on the dunes

After dinner festivities at camp

Dancing and music at camp