. OnHiatus.com > Journal 1 > Day Index > Journal Entry: September 5, 1998

Saturday, September 5, 1998
Aït Oudinar to Marrakesh, Morocco
Morocco's Flag

Map
Marrakesh, Morocco:
Latitude: 31° 37' 34" North
Longitude: 7° 59' 22" West
Altitude: 1725 feet
From Seattle: 6165 miles
Lodging: Hotel - Hotel Aarbia

Map
Today's Travel:
Country: Morocco
Regions: The Dadés Valley, The High Atlas
Route: Taxi: Aït Oudinar - Boumalne du Dadés; Bus (CTM): Boumalne du Dadés - Marrakesh
Start: Aït Oudinar
Stop 1. Boumalne du Dadés
End:Marrakesh, Morocco
Linear:321 miles
Weather: Sunny / Partial Sun

Available Photos:

Kasbah Dadés Valley, Morocco

Kasbah Dadés Valley, Morocco

Valley settlement Dadés Valley, Morocco

Yet another Kasbah Dadés Valley, Morocco

All photo images © 1997-2000 Anthony Jones - Images may not be used without prior written approval.

Click on map to Zoom in...
Map
Trip Stats to Date:
Day: 513
Linear Dist: 124018
Countries Visited: 35
Regions Visited: 149
More stats...
Hotels: 120
Friends / Family: 154
Camping: 42
Hostels: 141
Transit: 49
Other Lodging: 6
Beers: 1924
Hide...

Journal Entry:
Back to getting up early. Got up at 6:30 and waited for the seven o'clock shuttle for thirty minutes before starting to worry. The manager (owner?) of our hotel luckily offered to drive us the 35km back to Boumalne. Caught the worst bus yet. It was with CTM (the national bus company) which is supposed to be very nice, and costs 30 percent more. Unfortunately it had no A/C, the least amount of leg room yet, and bad suspension (on some of the roughest roads yet). Basically it was hot, cramped, and nauseating. Even more basically it was long.

Finally arrived in Marrakesh. Took a taxi to Place Djemaa el-Fna (we had to fight with the taxi driver to get him to use the meter - which resulted in a fare that was only a third of the quoted fare). How to describe Djemaa el-Fna? I think it might be impossible. There are thousands of people, the smoke of many fires and lanterns hangs over the square, there are acrobats, poets, and story tellers. Food and fresh juice can be had from hundreds of venders. You can have your fortune told in a dozen different ways from several dozen tellers. You can buy the spices and herbs to cure any ailment, or to bring down any enemy. And the music that drifts over the white noise of the crowds is the eerily familiar reed sounds of many different snake charmers. It's two parts Arabian Nights, one part Ringling brothers, and one hundred percent Moroccan.


Related Sites:
CNN: Current Weather in Marrakesh
US State Department Consular Information Sheets: Morocco
CIA World Fact Book: Morocco

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