Lifestyle / Morocco: A Magical Mystery Tour

Morocco: A Magical Mystery Tour

Lifestyle Jan 22, 2015

by Hina P. Ansari

Morocco has always been a far-off dream, but this December, our Editor-In-Chief got wonderfully lost in its magical and mysterious world.

Marrakech. It’s a city that has always flirted with my imagination. Whether it’s seeing it as a backdrop onscreen, or envisioning it as it tightly wraps around a romance novel’s storyline, this iconic Moroccan city has always held my gaze.

And it has been on my list of places to visit for as long as I can remember. That’s why I decided to book myself a two-week vacation to really immerse myself in all things Moroccan. The trip was a private tour put together by the fabulous Felicity and her Moroccan-based tour company, Desert Majesty.

I didn’t want to be packed like a sardine on a tour bus with a barely-there-to-breathe itinerary. I wanted to relax and go at my own pace. Basically, I wanted to exhale. With Mohamed Rachyd, my trusted guide, and “Ami” Moha (“Uncle” Mohammed), my trusted driver, I instantly clicked. It wasn’t a stuffy excursion bound by formalities; it immediately turned into a fantastical adventure across the Moroccan landscape.

We hit 14 towns (four of which were noted as “imperial cities” due to their own respective historical backstories) while crossing hills and valleys and trekking mountainous peaks in between. Our trusted 4×4 took us from the north of the country (Casablanca) towards the capital city of Rabat and through Meknes (where I had my first of many chicken tajine and we picked up some great Moroccan tunes for the road). I took in the Roman ruins in Volubilis, had a spiritual connection in the religious mountain-side town of Moulay Idriss, indulged in the artisanal vibe of Fes, gazed at the picturesque palm trees of the Ziz Valley, and got lost in the history of Errachidia. I watched the landscape change again as we made our way towards the desert town of Erfoud, and I started pinching myself as we headed towards Merzouga, the gateway to the pièce de résistance, the Sahara Desert. I scanned its depths from atop a camel and I hiked up dunes to catch the sunset washing over the golden sands.

Traditional Berber shoes on full display at a quaint shop in Moulay Idriss

Donkeys always have the right of way when it comes to navigating the narrow alleys of the souks in Fes

We camped out for two nights with other revellers for New Year's Eve. At dawn, we headed off into the mountains to Dadès Valley, then Drâa Valley (noted for its rose festival). We had lunch at the highest peak of Atlas Mountain. We watched climbers scale the red rocks that seem to cascade from the sky at Todgha Gorge and caught white water rafters tackling the robust current just below. We took in more kasbahs in Skoura before getting lost in the cinematic history of Morocco’s film city, Ouarzazate. There I also relished another score, a new hand-woven Berber rug.

I made it to the Sahara: On our way to climbing the dune to watch the first sunset

Long and winding roads in Todgha Gorge, Morocco

Moon over Marrakech at Koutoubia Mosque

In the historic fishing village of Essaouira, I ate as much grilled fish as I could. Then came Marrakech: the big city with its raucous medina and brilliant chaos that stirred my soul.

I got lost in the haze of traditional Moroccan music at a posh lounge, was pulled up to dance to the beat of the street musicians’ drums in Jemaa El-Fna and savoured some home-cooked couscous while chatting up Ami Moha and his family with all things Bollywood.

Driving time between cities varied from three to five hours, with Merzouga being close to a seven-hour drive from Fes. We freely took breaks for lunch, coffee or snacks at tiny local eateries and also explored other smaller villages that crossed our paths.

I spent each night in a beautiful riad (a privately owned historic house that operates as a bread and breakfast), where I exchanged wonderful travel stories with their owners and travellers, gleefully discovered that parantha is also a Moroccan breakfast dish (called msimin) and drank endless mint tea.

All this was just a glimpse at my epic journey — a physical journey that also morphed into an emotional and a spiritual journey as well.

As I mentioned before, Marrakech always held my gaze. But now Morocco has my heart.

^{_{Photographs courtesy of Hina P. Ansari}}

Hina P. Ansari

Author

Hina P. Ansari is a graduate from The University of Western Ontario (London, Ontario). Since then she has carved a successful career in Canada's national fashion-publishing world as the Entertainment/Photo Editor at FLARE Magazine, Canada's national fashion magazine. She was the first South Asian in...

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Morocco: A Magical Mystery Tour

by Hina P. Ansari

Morocco has always been a far-off dream, but this December, our Editor-In-Chief got wonderfully lost in its magical and mysterious world.

Hina P. Ansari

COMMENTS

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