I visited Morocco in 2008, dreaming of an African adventure filled with warm sunshine, camel rides and a modern day Humphrey Bogart pouring me shots of whiskey straight up, in a gin joint in Casablanca. Ah, sweet stereotypes. My 3 week adventure touring Morocco with Intrepid Travel was eye opening and nothing like I expected. For all that I imagined, here are the ways I misunderstood Morocco.
I visited Morocco in 2008, dreaming of an African adventure filled with warm sunshine, camel rides and a modern day Humphrey Bogart pouring me shots of whiskey straight up, in a gin joint in Casablanca. Ah, sweet stereotypes. My 3 week adventure touring Morocco with Intrepid Travel was eye opening and nothing like I expected. For all that I imagined, here are the ways I misunderstood Morocco.
Casablanca. My favourite movie of all time, I love getting lost in the romance, heartbreak and exoticness of this 1940’s Oscar winner. Turns out, Casablanca the movie wasn’t filmed in Morocco at all. I’m not even certain if Bogart or Bergman ever set foot in Morocco in their lifetimes. But despite the horrible dose of hollywood reality, there was some reprieve at Rick’s Cafe – Casablanca’s tourist trap restaurant and bar for those of us who still want to believe that Rick and Elsa’s love lives on and are willing to pay for an overpriced beverage to toast it.
Rick’s Cafe Casablanca Morocco
Africa is a hot continent. Ideas of scortching hot days, sun beating down on you, thirsting for a drop of sacred water were slightly exagerated. We froze in the High Atlas Mountains, were chilled to the bone by the seeminly endless days of rain, and slept under a pile of blankets while camping in the Sahara. As a Canadian girl, I pride myself with being able to handle the cold. 4-6 months every year, we brave the elements with hats and mittens – items I sadly regretted not packing in my backpack. My misconceptions of an African climate were a tough but valuable lesson for future adventures…pack for anything.
The Road to Essaouira Morocco
Blondes have more fun. Vacation time is always a fun time to do something different to your look. As a traveller meeting new people everyday, you get to reinvent yourself and discover sides of you that you might not normally show at home. As a natural born brunette, I figured it would be fun to try blonde, and see if they really do have more fun. That theory may be true in North America, but didn’t work out so well in a society where everyone has predominently dark coloured hair. I forget a basic rule of safe travel, one should not stand out from the crowd. Blondes definitely get noticed but the consist stream of attention was sometimes flattering, but most times inappropriate and uncomfortable. Going to save the “blonde” me for more western style destinations.
My blonde moment self portrait Casablanca Morocco
Camels are friendly animals. Well, none that I met were. The camels I encountered in Morocco were uninterested in anything to do with tourists and/or locals alike. There were no special bonds I noticed between handler and animal, and if the camels didn’t spit at you, or topple you over as you rode them into the desert, you should consider your experience a success. Despite their weaknesses as being one of the least adorable and loving creatures of the earth, they are kind of cute in their own snobish way. See my camel Jack below. Cute and he knows it. Besides riding them, I found a different way to enjoy a camel…camel burgers available in most Moroccan markets. Seriously delicious 🙂
My friend Jack Sahara Desert Morocco