As an Australian, I struggle with the London winter. And this year it's been a long one. Despite spending Christmas and New Years in Florida and Mexico respectively, I couldn't cope with the cold and gloom so decided to go somewhere warm for the Easter long weekend.
At about one month left before Easter, I decided to go Marrakech. My girlfriend couldn't come with me so I decided to go alone. It was a destination well-suited to solo travellers, with hostels costing around GBP 7 a night. The problem, however, was that all of the flights from London for Easter were either full or uber-expensive. I ended up finding an Iberia itinerary on Opodo that was affordable, but hardly direct.
On the way out: London Heathrow - Madrid - (overnigt stop) - Casablanca (6 hour wait) - Marrakech
On the way back (somewhat better): Marrakech- Casablanca (4 hour wait) - London Heathrow
It wasn't as bas as it sounds. I flew out to Madrid after work on the Thursday night and stayed in Madrid at a cheap but nice hotel by the airport. The next day I flew down to Casablanca at around lunch time.
Casablanca
What to do with a 6 hour wait in Casablanca? That's just enough time to get out of the airport and have a chance to look around town. It sounds simple, but the city is 40km from the airport. There is a train but it only runs once an hour and takes over 30 minutes. So timing is key.
The train journey to the city was already interesting. First of all I was surprised by how green the countryside was. I'd always imagined Morocco to be red and dry but it was anything but that. Green lush fields surrounded the tracks on the way to town. Various animals - sheep, goats, horses - pastured along the tracks, each flock watched by a shepherd sitting or lying in the grass. Children played in fields, sometimes shared with animals. Shanty shacks were littered across the countryside before we got into the built-up Casablanca suburbs.
I met some French girls also catching the train to town and once we got to the main train station I shared a taxi with them to the centre. The taxi ride was hair raising but we managed to survive. After a quick mint tea at their hotel I walked back across town to the station, taking in the surprisingly Western feel of Casablanca. It didn't feel like a typical Arabic-Muslim city. Young women were not covered up and hanging out with young men in the streets.
Once at the station I popped into a shop to get some snacks. I ended up with some local cashews and a drink which I think was some sort of chunky, pomegranate flavoured, yogurt drink.
I went to the platform where the next listed train to depart was the one to the airport. It was to leave in 10 minutes but was already terribly crowded, so I decided to board to guarantee a spot. To my shock, it then departed straight away! This wasn't the train to the airport!
I didn't know what to do and was too embarrassed (and non-French-speaking) to ask someone what to do, so I decided to get off at the first station and decide what to do next. Perhaps catch a train back or get a taxi to the airport. Luckily, it turned out that Oasis station was the only stop that the airport train stopped at between the city and the airport so all I had to do was get the next train from the green leafy suburb appropriately named.
Arrival in Marrakech
I finally got to Marrakech in the evening. A taxi was waiting for me. The taxi ride, although largely uneventful, was a bit scary. Not because of the driving (that was the reason for my taxi fear in Casablanca) bit because of the state of the car itself.
It was a late 70's or early 80's Mercedes, with no seat belts. I spotted the fact that it had 650,000km run up on the clock but I'm not even sure if it hadn't already looped past zero before. The speedo didn't work as it constantly showed 0 km/h. But there was no chance of speeding: the 5 speed manual couldn't seem to go above third.
My taxi dropped me off in some narrow street inside the medina. Despite having some printed instructions which directed me to the hotel, there's no way I would have found it as I had no clue where I was. Luckily, there was a guy from the hostel waiting for me. He guided me through a series of narrow pedestrian alleyways, which were nevertheless frequented by motorbikes, horses and carts, donkeys and bicycles.
I was welcomed with biscuits and Moroccan mint tea. I didn't have long in Morocco so I booked myself in for an early trip the next day to the Atlas Mountains and beyond.
Over the Mountains
I did a minibus tour which drove us for over 4 hours into and over the mountains. Although the drive was long, it was amazingly scenic. The red cityscape changed to green fields around Marrakech, which turned into lush green valleys under the mountains. As we climbed the snow-capped mountains the scenery slowly got less and less green, eventually turning into barron, rocky cliffs under snowy peaks. Once we passed the mountains the scenery became dry, flat and dessert-like. We were at the edge of the Sahara.
Although I only spent a few hours outside the minibus, I managed to get myself sunburnt It seems I now have English skin which is no longer used to the Aussie - or Moroccan - sun.
Marrakech
By the time I got back to Marrakech I was so sick of being in a car I decided the next day would be spent purely walking around. So I managed to get myself more sunburnt walking around, taking in the craziness of the city.
I enjoyed shopping in the vast souks around town and eating the street food in the market in the square that's set up each night. The local shopkeepers and food vendors were pushy but friendly, and much easier to manage than I expected. Overall the city left a great impression on me.
Flying First
On my way back to Madrid I received my first ever free upgrade to business class. With all the flying I do, I was disappointed I had never been upgraded but that is no longer the case. Of course business class on a short haul flight isn't particularly special, but after being in a country for 4 days where it's very hard to find alcohol, the free champagne was a treat!
At about one month left before Easter, I decided to go Marrakech. My girlfriend couldn't come with me so I decided to go alone. It was a destination well-suited to solo travellers, with hostels costing around GBP 7 a night. The problem, however, was that all of the flights from London for Easter were either full or uber-expensive. I ended up finding an Iberia itinerary on Opodo that was affordable, but hardly direct.
On the way back (somewhat better): Marrakech- Casablanca (4 hour wait) - London Heathrow
It wasn't as bas as it sounds. I flew out to Madrid after work on the Thursday night and stayed in Madrid at a cheap but nice hotel by the airport. The next day I flew down to Casablanca at around lunch time.
Casablanca
What to do with a 6 hour wait in Casablanca? That's just enough time to get out of the airport and have a chance to look around town. It sounds simple, but the city is 40km from the airport. There is a train but it only runs once an hour and takes over 30 minutes. So timing is key.
The train journey to the city was already interesting. First of all I was surprised by how green the countryside was. I'd always imagined Morocco to be red and dry but it was anything but that. Green lush fields surrounded the tracks on the way to town. Various animals - sheep, goats, horses - pastured along the tracks, each flock watched by a shepherd sitting or lying in the grass. Children played in fields, sometimes shared with animals. Shanty shacks were littered across the countryside before we got into the built-up Casablanca suburbs.
I met some French girls also catching the train to town and once we got to the main train station I shared a taxi with them to the centre. The taxi ride was hair raising but we managed to survive. After a quick mint tea at their hotel I walked back across town to the station, taking in the surprisingly Western feel of Casablanca. It didn't feel like a typical Arabic-Muslim city. Young women were not covered up and hanging out with young men in the streets.
Once at the station I popped into a shop to get some snacks. I ended up with some local cashews and a drink which I think was some sort of chunky, pomegranate flavoured, yogurt drink.
I went to the platform where the next listed train to depart was the one to the airport. It was to leave in 10 minutes but was already terribly crowded, so I decided to board to guarantee a spot. To my shock, it then departed straight away! This wasn't the train to the airport!
I didn't know what to do and was too embarrassed (and non-French-speaking) to ask someone what to do, so I decided to get off at the first station and decide what to do next. Perhaps catch a train back or get a taxi to the airport. Luckily, it turned out that Oasis station was the only stop that the airport train stopped at between the city and the airport so all I had to do was get the next train from the green leafy suburb appropriately named.
Arrival in Marrakech
I finally got to Marrakech in the evening. A taxi was waiting for me. The taxi ride, although largely uneventful, was a bit scary. Not because of the driving (that was the reason for my taxi fear in Casablanca) bit because of the state of the car itself.
 |
| Typical Grand Taxis in Marrakech Image borrowed from Read: Between the Lines |
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| A taxi not dissimilar Image borrowed from Sending Postcards |
I was welcomed with biscuits and Moroccan mint tea. I didn't have long in Morocco so I booked myself in for an early trip the next day to the Atlas Mountains and beyond.
Over the Mountains
I did a minibus tour which drove us for over 4 hours into and over the mountains. Although the drive was long, it was amazingly scenic. The red cityscape changed to green fields around Marrakech, which turned into lush green valleys under the mountains. As we climbed the snow-capped mountains the scenery slowly got less and less green, eventually turning into barron, rocky cliffs under snowy peaks. Once we passed the mountains the scenery became dry, flat and dessert-like. We were at the edge of the Sahara.
 |
| High Atlas Mountains |
Although I only spent a few hours outside the minibus, I managed to get myself sunburnt It seems I now have English skin which is no longer used to the Aussie - or Moroccan - sun.
Marrakech
By the time I got back to Marrakech I was so sick of being in a car I decided the next day would be spent purely walking around. So I managed to get myself more sunburnt walking around, taking in the craziness of the city.
 |
| The main square in Marrakech. Usually full of vendors, snake charmer and various other people and animals, |
Flying First
On my way back to Madrid I received my first ever free upgrade to business class. With all the flying I do, I was disappointed I had never been upgraded but that is no longer the case. Of course business class on a short haul flight isn't particularly special, but after being in a country for 4 days where it's very hard to find alcohol, the free champagne was a treat!
