Asia The Silk Road

M o r o c c o

T u r k e y  101

Spiritual Tours

 

Sierra Club Tours

Special Interest  Tours

Educational-University Tours

CLARK COLLEGE

EARLHAM COLLEGE

MIAMI UNIVERSITY

 


 


1st Tour
Monday Nov. 5, 2007 - Saturday Nov. 20, 2007
with Anita Mayer and Meli

2nd Tour

Monday Nov. 21,2007 - Saturday Dec. 03  , 2007
with Meli
For more information please read the tour hand book


To Print the itinerary with out the pictures please click here

ITINERARY
Day 01   Casablanca
 Arrive at Casablanca air port. Transfer to Hotel Kenzi Basma. The tour will start  at 13:00 hours at the lobby of the hotel. After a short introduction we will go out for lunch and city site seeing.
We will visit the Hassan II Mosque, The Corniche of Ain Diab ,Anfa District  & Habous District where there are hand craft shops. At the hotel we will have group meeting at 05:00 PM at the lobby of the hotel. Before dinner, we will walk to the  walled part of the city ,the Medina, where hundreds of shops lined up  to meet the needs of the locals. The narrow streets, colorful shops and the wonderful display of the produce will be a great introduction to the daily life of the Moroccans.  Tonight after dinner, if you are not too tired , you can walk to Café Casablanca of the famous movie.

Day 02 Rabat, Meknes
We will leave Casablanca at 08:00 am. Driving along the Atlantic Ocean , we will go through the little villages  with stunning architecture, and wonderful vegetation. It seems like the flowers bloom twice as much and the colors are brighter than similar plants else where.
When we drive through the clean streets of Muhammedia , how  a good mayor can make a difference will be obvious. Rabat is the Capital of Morocco. You will have free time at the Medina of Rabat. The leather shops, lantern shops and the food stands surrounded with the locals dressed in their traditional "cloaks", jillaba,  will make you take more pictures than you can even dream of taking. We like to finish this visit before the call to prayer at lunch time. Because once there is the call to prayer, the whole market shuts down  and would not open until 04:00 PM. Before lunch, we will walk through the narrow , clean, white washed streets of walled neighborhood Kasbah Oudaya. How can any one be so creative to have so many different , equally creative and beautiful doors?  You wonder if the inspiration of the  colors - blue and white- is coming from the color of the screaming sea gulls  and the clear blue sky or the blue of the ocean and the white surfs breaking on the rocks at the shore of this city. The creativity and the warmth of the colors that surround you are also woven into carpets that the neighborhood women make while they are singing lullaby to their children who are either sleeping in a little wooden cradle or tied on their backs

Lunch at Borj Eddar Restaurant. The view of the Atlantic ocean and the sounds of the waves will accompany a marvelous fish lunch.  Muhammed the 5ths Mausoleum, the 12th century unfinished mosque,, Hasan Tower , the palace of the King of Morocco, the horses guarding the 800 year old walls are few other pleasure to our eyes before we leave Rabat for Meknes. Rabat's sister city Sale will be our next stop.The road to Meknes winds up to the rolling hills where cork tree orchards  are surrounded by olive grooves and vineyards and the Berber's hats flying on the road side racks  . Tonight our dinner will be at a typical Spanish restaurant Sungria Overnight at Hotel Riff in Meknes. There is an internet near the hotel.

Day 03   Meknes, Volubilis, Moulay Idris, Fes
                  
It is like a ferry tale. Once upon a time, there lived a king Moulla Ismail from 16th Century. He needed horses to defend his kingdom. Therefore, the 12000 horses deserved the best  home, best water and best care. Entering the stable through  arched gates.  you wonder if the building was built for the horses or to prove simplicity can create undisputable grandeur.

The Barber who greets the visitors at the entrance of Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail with his traditional costume and every imaginable charm to ward off evil , make one feel totally safe for the rest of one's life for just being around him.

Our next stop will be the Souk of Meknes. We will go through innumerable gates of the 15 mile long city walls to get to where we immerse ourselves to the world of colors. If we ban the use of these words for the day :" Oh my god ! it is wonderful" we will have a total silence all day long!!

Our lunch will be a typical Moroccan food at Restaurant Tarrad .The color of the saffron, the taste of the olive oil and the steaming pots with pointed tops will not only make us feel good after the long morning site seeing but will be a great photo op for those who are interested in taking pictures. I am sure after this meal most of us will have our choices of cooking enriched.

When we leave Meknes behind, the winding road goes through cactus forests, olive orchards and wheat fields.

 

 

 


The Roman Bridge by a white washed small city , Moulla Idris, gives us the news that we are arriving at our next destination: Volubilis, the most complete Roman city that I have seen after Ephesus.

Now a UNESCO World Heritage site, In Volubilis , the Romans had enjoyed the prosperity of the region and  built their city to reflect their wealth.  They have immortalized their sense of humor on mosaics .





 

 

A man riding on a donkey backwards


When the last rays of the setting sun change colors of the trees and the hill side to every shade of orange and red, we will arrive in Fez. Much deserved rest will be at our wonderful hotel in the heart of the city. Dinner at restaurant Palais de Medina. Overnight at Hotel Wassima

For more information please read the tour hand book

Click here for Day 04 and more