Rediscovered Morocco photos

As I brought my film scanner back with me from Australia, I have been busy scanning some of the many slides I have with me. (There are lots more stored in Australia though!!) As a result I have discovered a few forgotten Morocco photos that I took during my time living there. Here is a sample:

The dunes of Erg Chigaga

Countryside near Fes

Chefchaouen alley

Cafe Bouganinvillea in Marrakesh
Ben Youssef Medersa in Marrakesh (not sure about the colour of this photo though!!)

It's a small world

While I was in Australia, on my last evening in Melbourne I went to see the musical "Billy Elliot" at the insistence of my nephew who really wanted to see it. Talking to the lady sitting next to me who also happened to be visiting Melbourne and was from Alice Springs. When I happened to mention that I had lived in Morocco she then proceeded to tell me about her friend who had just got back from competing in the Marathon des Sables in Morocco.

For those who don't know, this ultra-marathon is a 6-day, 243 kilometre, endurance race through the Moroccan edge of the Sahara Desert. This year it ran from March 27th to April 6th. Not only are competitors expected to run up sand dunes across stone littered plains being pounded by the hot African sun, but they are expected to carry to their own food, sleeping gear and emergency equipmenton their backs while running. The runners also have water rationed out, about 1.5 litres per stage (not per day).

Hard as it is to believe, 770 people completed the race this year, with not surprisingly two Moroccans filling the first and second place. Only 800 are allowed to participate and hard as it is to believe, there is a waiting list!!!

Back to the Australian connection. Even after training in the Australian desert, my new friend's friend still found it incredibly difficult and the hardest thing he has ever done.

That's Morocco for you!

Here's a video to give you some idea!!

Back again

Well I have booked my ticket to go back to Morocco and visit yet again. June 20th is the day I arrive and I am really looking forward to it, in part because it means there is only 7 weeks of work left before holidays. As a lot of people at work are moving on, it also means that it is only 7 weeks until I say goodbye to them! However, back in Morocco I will have the opportunity to catch up with friends there, do some sightseeing, rest and relax, hopefully take a trip to Spain, and I'm not sure what else. The main thing is that I have a ticket booked and I'm off.

I have recently become a Morocco Destination Expert on the Trip Advisor forum, so that keeps me well and truly in touch with and up to date with what is happening in Morocco. So Marrakesh and . . . . . . , her I come.

Another published article: High Atlas hiking

This weekend, an article I wrote about hiking in the High Atlas Mountains has been published in "The Weekend Australian" newspaper. It also has a really cute illustration to accompany it.
Here is the link.

Enjoy and feel free to comment.

My new project . . .. .

My new project that I have started on today is to try and make some money from my photographs via joining a website that enables people to order online cards, calendars, prints, framed photos and canvas prints of my photos. It is through a site called redbubble that is actually based in Melbourne. Search for heatherf and you will find what photo I have put up so far, not many yet but I have to be selective so that I only put the best up. The other problem I have that is any I took on my old, small digital camera are only available as cards or matt prints becasue of the size/number of pixels. I am also going to try and put a link on the side of my blog, but it takes me a while as I have to paste in html code for that.

Enjoy and feel free to tell me what you think.

Prize-winning review

Take a look here at my prize-winning restaurant review on the Lonely Planet website. The restaurant: the food stalls of the Djemma el'Fna in Marrakesh. Go down to member reviews and it is the titled "Cheap and Tasty", which is the only one at the moment.

Here's a picture to go with it:
This is the set up stage, maybe that is obvious!

My desert jinx

Again I tried to go to the desert, this time for New Year's Eve, and again my desert jinx surfaced. Last time it was a sandstorm that stopped my nephews and myself spending the night in the desert. This time it was rain! Mind you I did get to ride a camel into the desert ( in the rain) and I did get to spend the night in a tent in the desert, but listened to the pitter patter of rain drops of the hessian as the water pooled above. Thank goodness the hessian had plastic below so I remained dry inside but it didn't help that I had wet jeans to sit and sleep in. So no campfire and no starry sky for New Year's Eve, but I survived.

Instead got up in the morning; the rain had stopped but the clouds interfered with the sunrise.

Although some people staying there were happy to greet the New Year.

Then it was time to get back on that noisy camel of mine The one that didn't like being at the end of the line, but had no choice.

It was a pleasant camel ride back to the auberge without the rain. On the way we saw a number of camel trains heading out to pick up large groups from their overnight camp.

As we neared the auberge there was lots of evidence of the recent rains (not just the previous night) as the lake was much larger than when I visited 9 months ago with my nephews. Then to top it off, we got stuck in the mud when driving out!

Just my luck, after breakfast at the auberge, I walk outside to be greeted by blue skies and sunshine!!Maybe it is thrid time lucky for my desert trip.