Travel with JoY

Arrived to the contrast of the Nouvelle City, outside the walls or Medina of the Old City. Modern, banks and hotels line Mohamed V Avenue. Abdullah met us at the train station and delivers us to Bab Aylen (Bab is Gate) on the east side of the Medina. He then guides us by foot into the Medina about two short blocks to a small alley where we are greeted by Sayid of Riad Shaden. Sayid and Youssef, the managers are always 'service with a smile'. They tell us to 'ask for anything, we can help you'. In typical Moroccan tradition we are served sweet warm mint tea upon arrival and placed in our tiny room on the first floor of the Riad (Moroccan home with inner courtyard). Breakfast each day is strong coffee and warm milk with an assortment of breads such as corn bread, semolina bread and crepes. We asked for boiled eggs each morning to have some protein with all the carbs. We've met fellow travelers mostly from Europe, especially Netherlands. Always fun...

We arrived at the Moroccan International Airport today at Casablanca. No driver appeared as we had hoped. When I called the hotel they told me that the driver had a 'very bad problem with the police', so we were directed to take a taxi and not spend more than 280 Dirham. The driver got 300 out of us. It was a long drive and during the last half hour wound slowly through narrow inner city streets. After being in Cape Town, Casablanca it very scruffy. Everything is dusty and quite a bit of garbage lying around. We finally reached the hotel, a once fairly opulent hotel with the classic Arab tiles, and ornate wood trim and moulding. We were starving so begged the hotel restaurant to open a bit early for lunch. I had my first Moroccan tagine, fish with olives backed in a very flavorful sauce in a clay pot. Quite nice. Everything appeared clean here but it looks like they don't believe in using bleach. In the well dressed restaurant each table was formerly whi...

Being Tourists We've been hitting all the high spots, the V&A Wharf (similar to San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf), the Hop on Hop off Bus Tours. In fact we took the bus half way up that mountain in the background to a beautiful overlook of the city below.  A taxi driver took us on a daylong trip to the Cape Point or Cape of Good Hope.  Along the way we saw the charming little, but endangered African Penguin. Liam has been a great little travel buddy.  He loves attention and just lights right up when you give him a smile.  He 'talks' and coos.....and poos!  Time to take off for a wine tour today to Stellenbosch.  The wine is the most pleasant surprise.  I knew they grew grapes, but had no idea the quality and with a good exchange rate, good prices.  Cheaper than soda and juice!  They're waiting for me, gotta go.