A walk long the souk bring you to shops selling everything from Meat, Vegetables, Spices, Watches, Ceramics, and pretty much anything in between.

This vendor is sellking Dates, Almonds, and Apricots + many other things on his shelves.

This young girl was on a stand selling rose water in bottles

The animals are the main way to move goods around the Medina, this one was carrying wool from the Tannerie.

Pam showing off the bread or is it really the meat!

Meat is hung and not refridgerated, and you select from the vendor by what is on display.

Pam and I went for a stroll along the small streets to get to the Souk ( Market )

Along the way we met Chef Wan - he was filming along the street with his entourage of camera men and Ministry of Tourism officals.

We got a photo with him

For more details about chef Wan see http://www.chef-wan.com.my/

We met Chef Wan on the flight from Dubai to Casablanca, he is a popular TV Chef

When Pam & I were going through airport security we were wondering what the recent changes would be like.

The main change was no liquids or gels or creams more than 100ml or 100grams.

You also have to have everything in a plastic bag no larger than 1 litre which is quite small but ok.

We put our liquids and pills and stuff into our 1 litre bags.

Christchurch Airport

I placed all my bags on the machine and I went through the scanner. The buzzer went off and time to stand like a prisoner. They decide that my belt and shoes are my problem so off they come and the belt and shoes go back through the machine, and me through the scanner.

All go  now - no problems.

Sydney Airport

We arrive in Sydney about 3 hours after our flight departs which was good and fast.

This time we are transiting in Sydney for 2 hours, and again we must go though security. There are signs saying you need the plastic bag, and no liquids over 100ml.

The security guy did not want to see our bag, but we would have been happy to give it to him. It goes through the scanner and if they want they will take further action.

Again my belt and shows trigger the scanner, so they come off and I go back out and remove them and return through the scanner.

No problem now and I collect my bag and Pam hers.

We then go up stairs where they have a walkway right over the security area, so we stop on the walk way to see from the top how this security stuff works.

There we see how many people have too much, either water, liquids, Gels, or other stuff such as Baby Formula.

We watched one Asian lady who had a bottle of Cognac, or Single Malt and a bottle of wine.

The security person removed it from here and walked away the Asian lady standing there for about 5 minutes or more and then contacted the other security people probably asking what is going on?

After 10 minutes we see here coming up the escalator what we used with no booze, the the booze did not go in the general bin where most everything else went. We assume it went to the local social club!

There was lots of funny products thrown out, Chilli Sauce, Some Skin Products, Water, and generally anything over 100ml or 100 grams.

We read the law before we left and decided that we would loose Duty free if we took it from Christchurch - Good Decision

So this Asian lady was probably on our flight from Christchurch, bought some Duty Free after the security screening, and then lost it in Australia because she was going somewhere else.

I believe the rule is this:

• You can buy duty free if the next flight is the end of your journey.
• If you buy and transit somewhere you will loose it at the transit point if over 100ml or 100 grams even if it fits in your 1 Litre bag.

Dubai Airport

We arrived in Dubai and checked out the duty free assuming since the next flight was our last we would be ok - and we were.

Generally Dubai Alcohol is about 10% cheaper than NZ

Smokes are real cheap even compared to NZ Duty Free.

In NZ Benson and Hedges are about $49 NZD per carton, in Dubai they are about $14 USD or maybe $20 NZD

Pam said the cosmetics she was looking at were about 40-50% cheaper there.

We buy a couple of bottles of Gin - Bombay Sapphire of course, $120 Dubai Dollars, or about $19 NZD each

Casablanca Airport

I asked on Trip Advisor about Duty Free in Casablanca and was told no problem just get it on Arrival.

Sorry this is not the case!

We arrived and went into a Duty Free shop and they had some booze - no Bombay Sapphire but other gins.

I bought a Camus VS Cognac for 23 Euro - 30% good deal and a bottle of wine 10 EURO (Turned out to be pretty crap)

Take it to the counter - and told you can only buy for departure!

They then decide that I can buy  it but I can not have a bag and must hide it in my own bad - no problem I thought.

They then say they will not accept VISA - well we just got off the phone no Moroccan money, which is not available outside the country. They will accept British Pounds and EURO.

Well I have neither so I have to leave empty handed.

We then find another duty free shop go there and 100% no go on arrival!

We go down stairs just before immigration and I say to Pam that I have USD and maybe they will take them.

She wais and I return to the original shop - they do take USD so I get my Cognac and Wine - Put it in my back pack and off we go.

About a week before our flight to Morocco, Pam injured her knee ( we assume when our dogs - Ruby & Otto lunged towards another dog behind a gate and pulled here forward ).

She had been on some medications for this, and got a doctors certificate to say that her knew was not very good and she needed to have good leg room.

We telephoned Emirates and Emailed them and they were very slow to resond with any thing.

But basically they said that seats such as the Bulk Head seats could not be pre-allocated prior to normal checkin and in general you had to do it either online up to 24 hours prior to boarding, or at the airpport.

We logged in 24 hours prior to our flight and found that the bulk head seats were not available to be selected and neither were many other seats, most pre-allocated.

We then tried about 10 hours prior to our site and was told that we had already checked in and that was it until we got to the airport.

We get to the airpport show our medical certificate and get told that the seats are already allocated.

So we were in normal seats, in rows 26

When we got on our flight we see other people in the bulk head seats who no doubt have no medical problems and no babies.

Not sure how they got the seats but we had to live with the normal seat. At least Pam's knee was getting better but not a lot of leg room for her or me.

My Window Seat was missing the window.

Pam and I went to a restaurant with our guide for lunch. He did not eat with us but went home for lunch.

We had one of the set menus which consisted of:

• Salads ( as seen in the photo)
• Pam had Tajine and I have chicken pie with icing sugar
• Fresh Fruit

The meal was great, we had enough after the salads as can be seen from above.

• Fava Beans
• Carrots
• Tomato & Cucumber
• Grilled Peppers
• Betroot
• Dal
• Harriot Beans
• Chilli
• and more

This guy serves the mint tea from great height.

The meal was very good, but the restaurant was full of tourists so it was obviously a drop point for guides who would get tips for bringing customers to the restruant.

Our bill was quite pricey:

• 2 Mains = 300 DH
• 2 Cokes = 60 DH
• 1 Fresh Orange Juice = 36 DH

The total was 396 DH which at the time the NZ Exchange rate being 6.06 = $65 NZD

To put the prices into perspective you can buy:

• 1 Litre Water = 5DH
• 1 Litre Coke = 7.2 DH
• 1 Load of bread ( round and thin) for 2 DH

We did not need any dinner that night as we were both very full from the lunch.

Pam and I visited the oldest tannery in Fes at about 9:30am  - the weather was cool which meant that the smell was not too bad.

The skins go through two processes

• Ammonia Bath to remove the wool from the skin
• Die Bath to dye the skin

The ammonia bath is made with Pigeon Poo, a natural source of Ammonia.

The dye baths use natural colourings such as Saffron (although not much now due to expensive)

The poor people who work here and as shown in the Photo below are actually standing in the dye.

We are staying in Fes at a Riad called Dar Roumana which is owned by Jennifer Lapostol

The web site for the Riad is at www.darroumana.com

What is a riad? A dar?

Technically, a riad is a single (or sometime two-storied) building constructed around an interior garden, often with trees and fountain(s).  A dar is very similar, but it is generally composed of more storeys and the interior garden or patio is often completely tiled, though it may still contain plants in pots or beds and fountains.  The courtyard of a dar can often be closed or covered during winter months, which can make a dar more comfortable in the winter than a riad.  Nevertheless, because most tourists recognise the term "riad,"  it has come to mean any sort of lodging in a traditional home (simple to palatial, riad or dar) with an interior courtyard.

Below are some pictures that I tool while we stayed there. It is a very lovely place - quite mellow and tranquil, and I would recommend to anyone who wants a nice peaceful time while in Fes.

This door looks pretty plain and what is behind it is not!

Once inside you see the lovely Riad for all its worth

This area is actually outside, the space here is in the center of the riad and the house is around the edges. There is a large hole in the top of this area where the sun shines in (sometimes rain)

One of the dining tables for dinner

An example of an old chair in a lounge off the main area

The view from the roof garden

A nice shot of the center fountain, inside but also outside!

One of the rooms / alcove off the main garden which is inside but outside had this great light

Riad Dar Roumana
30, Derb el Amer,
Zhak Roumane
Fes Medina
Morocco

Telephone: +212 35 74 16 37
Fax             : +212 35 63 55 24

After arriving in Casablanca we needed to get to our hotel. The hotel we booked into was called Hotel Central, near the port.

We took the train from the airport to the city for 50 DH each in first class. First class had no Air Conditioning.

We then got a petite taxi to take us to the hotel. The driver wanted 5 EURO which is about 50 DH.  We offered 40 DH and he accepted. We later found out that we should have only paid a maximum of 20 DH

The initial impression of the area surrounding the hotel was it was a big dodgy with some people sleeping on park benches.

We never got harassed by anyone while staying there.

The view from our room

The view of the park outside of our room

The hotel is quite basic, but it was clean and tidy although there were quite a lot of flies around.

We stayed on a Friday and Saturday nights and found that there was a lot of noise outside most of the night with people, and vehicles, and of course the Muslim call to prayer at 3am

We booked over the Internet and paid 10% deposit by visa card. But when we had to pay the balance they said the visa machine did not work and they wanted cash. Sounds like a bit of a scam to me to get cash.

We ended up having to pay 720 DH in cash which was a bit of a pain.

After Pam and I arrived in Casablanca we got to our hotel and felt completely stuffed after travelling for 30+ hours.

We went for a walk to the Hussan II mosque which was only about 15 minutes from our hotel.

A closeup of the stone work

One of the doors to the Mosque

Some guy carrying stuff around the city

One of the markets in the old Medina

Another market shot

A restaurant that we went to for dinner

Outside the restaurant

Pam and I have never flown Emirates before but have always heard good comments about them.

A couple of months prior to our departure to Morocco I emailed Emirates what there was to do in Dubai Airport at 1am for 10 hours?, this was the amount of time we had on our homeward journey.

I had an amazing response which was that we were given a free hotel room and airport transfers.