Morocco Odyssey 22: Marrakesh (i)

The next day we set out from Ouarzazate on a long scenic drive through the High Atlas Mountains  to Marrakesh. This trip required great skill of our bus driver as we drove over the Tishka Pass through narrow, winding roads with endless snapback curves along very steep drop-offs into the valley below. I was not comfortable until we finally reached flat terrain and made our way into Marrakesh, where we would remain for several days. We had lunch at our riad, which was located within the old medina [yet another UNESCO World Heritage Site]. As it turns out Marrakesh is a ‘tale of two cities’, one a modern bustling metropolis, and the other a traditional medina.

Following lunch in our riad, we took an orientation walk to the legendary square, Djemma El-Fna [to which we would return again and again during our stay]. Here are some of the sights we encountered along the way.

 

Morocco Odyssey 21: Ouarzazate

Our sojourn in the Sahara came to an end the next morning as we were to set out for the town of Ouarzazate, which was built by the French as a garrison outpost. But, first we had to drive back and get our bus. Parked next to it was another tour bus with this ‘mural’ emblazoned on its side. I show it now because we were eventually going to encounter this ‘water man’ days later in Marrakesh.

We made several stops along the route, including a visit to a community created oasis museum, where we observed their intricate system of water storage and supply.  The next day was more eventful, as we traveled to Ait Benhaddou, a picturesque fortified city [a ksar]. It is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its striking example of southern Moroccan earthen architecture. Scenes from Lawrence of Arabia and other films were set here.

Actually, we did not go into the city itself. Instead, we experienced another Day In the Life of local people. Here we were hosted by Ali [below], a prosperous farmer, who led us through his fields.

                                         Two women working the land are shown below.

Next we met with the members of a local women’s self help association for rural development. You can read the full title from their poster below. It proved to be a most enlightening and inspiring to see what they are accomplishing. Their patience, determination and productive work has earned the respect and support of the village males.

                                 
                                  The leader of the association is this young woman.

In addition to serving us a delicious lunch, we were treated to a henna ceremony in which I was a volunteer. Once the darkly colored henna began peeling off, I was left with a light reddish-brown color that lasted for many days.

Finally, as we were returning to Ouarzazate, we passed through the area that housed several of the studios responsible for many of the desert films of old. At one roundabout there was this homage to the industry.

Magdeburg Skies (i) [Sky Watch Friday]

After leaving Quedlinburg, we drove to Magdeburg, where we arrived right in the middle of a holiday [Pfingsten] street celebration. The main thoroughfare was blocked off for pedestrians to browse among food stands, enjoy rides and purchase all manner of goods. Below is a ferris wheel, which was located close to our hotel.

 Our hotel, artHotel, was designed by Friedensreich Hundertwasser. The architecture was as unusual as his name and, it reminded us of the home of Gaudi in Barcelona, Spain. Below are three images of the exterior, followed by an interior shot.

 

 We headed into the street to enjoy the sights and food offerings. It didn’t take long before I found the statue of the Magdeburg Reiter [presumably King Otto I]. Unlike the famous Bamberger Reiter [located inside the Bamberger Dom, this was completed covered with gold leaf and flanked by two female figures [barely visible in the shots below].

 Our next  destination was the Dom. Along the way, there were a number of unexpected photo-ops; e.g. this modern apartment building and then the Frauenklosterkirche [along with its museum].

 

Next week I will conclude our visit in Magdeburg, which was one of the most important cities in Germany at one time.

Morocco Odyssey 20: The Sahara Desert (iii)

Sorry for the long interruption in my narrative. From the date palm tree farm, we traveled to the village of Khamlia where we treated to a brief performance of ritual Gnawa music. The group, Pigeons du Sable [who are the descendants of former slaves] that travels the world to perform. One of the striking aspects of their music is the use of metal castanets [pictured on the left below the two drums].

Following the show, we strolled about the village. By accident, we encountered a group of school children returning to their schoolhouse.

It was quite an eventful day and we headed back to camp for dinner. Since the sun goes down quite late in the Sahara, I decided to take a stroll in the dunes. Here are a few shots.

Quedlinburg Skies (ii) [Sky Watch Friday]

I apologize for the interruption in my postings from Germany, which I resume today. These images were also shot in Quedlinburg, where I left off several weeks ago. We were making our way up to the castle, which had a spacious garden with some delightful stone figures.

It also offered wonderful views of the city, and my new Tamron 16-300mm lens gave me some awesome shots. Below, St. Blassii [foreground] and St. Benediktii [background] seemed close enough to touch [notice the wind turbines in the distant background].

On an otherwise overcast day, there were occasional breaks in the clouds that allowed the sun to brighten things up, as here with St. Nikolai.

Finally, we broke for lunch, and then did some window shopping until the sun reappeared. It was late in the afternoon, so we decided to get a different view of the Dom and castle. This required walking to the edge of town, and then going up 106 steps. The effort was worth it, as the sun cast a wonderful light on the two.

At the top and beyond that staircase we found ourselves in a charming neighborhood.

As we were taking our leave, I discovered this fascinating door containing convex mirrored windows, which created a series of varied reflections.

Finally, we retraced our steps back down the stairs and, since we still had some energy left, we went exploring below the base of the castle/Dom hilltop. Here are some shots taken along the way.

 I will be away and miss next week’s SWF posting, but will resume in July with images from Magdeburg.

Morocco Odyssey 19: The Sahara Desert (ii)

Our second day in the Sahara was the one that everyone had awaited with great anticipation. It was the day for the camel ride. I admit to being apprehensive, and for good reason. We drove out to the start site and saw by the following line of lazing animals.

 We each approached them, climbed aboard, and waited for the driver to get each camel to stand up. This is an interesting process: first, the camel gets up on its hind legs, forcing you to lean back to avoid pitching forward; then, the camel gets up on its front legs, forcing you to lean forward to avoid falling backwards. Of course, this goes fairly quickly and you have to respond accordingly, while holding tightly to the metal T-bar in front of you. Needless to say, I was most uncomfortable and felt I might slip off sideways at any moment. In contrast, most of the other group members, especially my wife [in the orange cap below], seemed quite at ease. [Notice my ‘relaxed’ grip on the T-bar.]

I confess that the only time I ever relaxed my grip and take a shot [below] was when the camel was at a dead stop. I managed to survive the hour and actually begin enjoying the experience. Fortunately, it was only later that I heard about a guy from a different tour who had fallen off his camel and broke his collarbone.

From the camel ride, we then traveled to a date palm farm. It  was operated primarily by one man [below], with a little help from neighboring farmers. As it turns out, it is a labor intensive job and with considerable physical demands, as well as an understanding of biology/genetics of the trees.

The farmer also had some animals, which tour members posed with; here, my wife gets into the act.