Hochmuth Adventures 2023

Sunday, January 22, 2023

Trip to Morocco

Day 10 - Monday, January took a tour of Marrakesh. We had a local guide for this as we did for at least 4 other specialty tours. We visited the Saadian Tombs, the Koutoubia Minaret and the Bahia Palace. We ended our tour with Khalid trying to orient us in the Medina. He gave us a central location of Djemma El Fna Square but the Medina is like a maze. We wandered through it and made some small purchases. Ron loves the bartering thing and is quite good at it. There have been numerous times when Ron negotiated a price and then others bought the same item at his negotiated price. We walked back to the hotel and I had a 45 min. massage - pure luxury- while Ron went and had a beer. Then we went across the street to check out the mall and we had dinner at one of the restaurants outside. Ron had Moroccan soup and a panini and I had spaghetti. The waiter then asked if we were going back to the Medina. Like our guide he said we needed to experience it at night. We walked back to the Medina and it was crazier than before. During the day there were monkees and snake charmers and at night there were games of chance, different music everywhere and an electricity that is hard to describe. Walked back to the hotel and crashed. 26,000 steps today.

Our hotel lobby

Koutoubia Mosque

A water seller

The Jewish Section of Marrakesh

Bahia Palace a relatively new palace

Views of Bahia Palace

Views of Saadien Tombs

The Medina Walls

Monkeys in Jamaa Lafna Square

Moroccan Tea at a Cafe

The Medina

Christmas decorations still up at the mall

Trip to Morocco

Day 9 - Sunday, January 10, 2023 - Ouarzazate to Marrakesh

On the bus by 8:30. On our way out of town we passed by 3 movie studios where they filmed movies such as Ali Baba, Lawrence of Arabia and more recently Game of Thrones and Gladiator to name a few. We saw a 12th century Kasbah at At BenHaddou, a UNESCO site, that still had a dozen or so families living there. We walked all the way to the top where the granary was located. The construction and the views were amazing. It was 1 1/2 hour drive for lunch. Then we traveled to Marrakesh via the highest road point in Morocco, the Tichka Summit (7414 ft.). This was again crossing the high Atlas Mountains. Between all the hairpin turns, narrow lanes and construction our bus driver deserves a medal. We arrived in Marrakesh around 4:30. Khalid gave us an orientation tour as how to get to the Public Square in the Medina from our hotel and other important locations. Our hotel is very nice and we are here for 3 nights. We took a walk so we got our steps in and then went to eat at a restaurant just down the street. Split a pizza, had some beers and dessert. Tomorrow we'll explore Marrakesh.