Teepee For My Bunghole

After the surf I went around to a hammam. This is a place where you’re in a tiled steam room on the floor throwing hot and cold water over yourself and soaping yourself and maybe using a scrub or getting it done for you (or maybe even getting a Moroccan massage). You feel kak clean and relaxed afterwards, I didn’t even feel sad that I was overcharged by the massage bra. It is jas – especially after cold fucking water showers in the hostel (with no shower head I might add).

Oh, and its men and women separate and you wear a boxer or some type of shorts. At 10 dirham (R6 or $1) to enter, bringing your own scrub and soap and doing it yourself, I’m considering going to one every day instead of these bastard showers from hell.

I’m still in Rabat. As part of my second interview I was supposd to give a test lesson over the internet to a student today. I initially agreed to today because I forgot what day it was and Wednesday would have been better for me. Now it turns out that France has a holiday today so I have to wait till tomorrow.

Yesterday I caught a surf just next to a pier they’re still building. There’s massive developments in the beach area and from the billboards it looks like its going to be befuck. Anyway the surf was maybe 2.5 foot onshore (in non-surfer language that means it was small and crappy) and mostly the locals caught the waves. It was a right off the pier with a tiny take off section (in non-surfer language thats just gibberish) so by the time 12 people were in the water it was crowded.

Surf is too small now but hopefully the wind drops with the growing swell. The spot looks like it can be great though when conditions are right. Some of these locals can for fucking sure rip up the waves.

So I’m in Rabat now. An hour north of Casablanca and more modern though quieter. Picture it as the progeny of Pretoria shagging Casablanca. Wide streets, relaxed atmosphere, everything closed by 10pm.

I’ve seen some Roman ruins, the King’s palace (though I don’t know who the current king is), an archeological museum and stuff places I didn’t what it was when I was looking at it – but it was cool.

The internet cafe machines have usb ports here, so I think I might show you some pics soon.

By the way these Morrocans are kinda nutty. You think at first that its the language barrier and then afterwards you realise that they’re a bunch of characters. Ya sometimes this place is like an Asterix and Obelix comic. Like when you see a bunch of kids kicking a kid on the floor and some tourist wants to intervene and the Moroccans say that the kids are just playing. These Moroccans are crazy. 

I’m staying now in the Youth Hostel just outside the medina. Very cool vibe, met some interesting people from various places on various missions. Its always nice to sit in hostels and to talk to other people about where they’ve been and where they’re going and where they’re from. The hostel is on a square in a great area.

The food’s been mostly mal. Not much food is visually appealing but I suppose that’ll change once I start to know what I’m looking at.

Gheema seems to be the spice of choice here and you’ll get it in most dishes (even tea!). You’ll even get a small bowlful to use like we would use salt or pepper. The chips are good too and server with  small dollup of lekker mustard.

Last night a meal for two of tajine, some other dish, chips, bread and a litre water came to 43 dirham (about R25/$4.5)

Tajine is a type of dish prepared in shallow clay bowls and can have vegetables, meat eggs, etc. Good stuff!

Hardest part of this journey so far is still the toilets (but not in the hostel) and this messed up keyboards. Also will have to figure out a way to post photos because the internet cafes don’t make it easy.

In an hour, me and this Turkish girl from the hostel  are going for Friday Jumuah to the King Hassan Mosque (largest mosque outside Saudi Arabia, world tallest minaret).

Okay, I’m in Casablanca fighting with these funny keyboards with letters all over the place.

Landed last night and got to Hotel Terminus with not too much hassle. 28 degrees, now that’s what I’m talking about! Seeing the city from the train it looks like a mix of poor and rich and much like other third world cities I’ve seen.

Woke up 5am this morning with a nosebleed and needing to take a dump. When I realised where I am, the dump started looking like a mission and a half. While I stopped the nosebleed I thought about it. First off, this hotel had those glorified holes in the ground toilets and I’m not finicky about most things but I do like to shit in comfort. Its just the way I am. Secondly, how the hell do you actually use those things?

Om kom vannie bom, it took me 2 minutes to kak and half an hour trying to figure out how to clean my ass. And this is with some diarrheaic American knocking on the door every 5 minutes. I would have shouted that there’s a toilet around the corner but some people take such advice as invitations to hold conversations. As much as I hate to hold conversations when I’m sitting comfortably taking a crap, imagine how I would have hated that crunched over as I was.

Spending this morning looking for another cheap hotel but with better toilets.

Impressions of Casablanca:

• Nice
• Not clean, not dirty
• Can’t figure out traffic or roadsigns
• Reminds me of downtown Rio
• Easy to get around
• Will spend some days here to check it out
• The medina (market) looks ancient and fucking cool 

My cell number +21210758626, figuring out how to load credit at present.

Okay here’s my to-do list I’ve been working on:

1. Mnet
2. CellC
3. Vodacom
4. Edgars
5. Laptop Bag?
6. Backpack
7. Jeans and takkies?
8. Boxes to pack up
9. External HD?
10. MJ’s bag and foam board
11. Sell longboard
12. Digital Camera?
13. Ebooks
14. First Aid Kit
15. Stationery
16. DVD of work – email (calendar, contacts), bookmarks, music, morroco info
17. DVD of music
18. Film
19. Food for flight
20. Configure computer
21. Travel Insurance?
22. Nedbank internet banking
23. Toiletries
24. Chaos Multitool from Cape Union?
25. Copies of CV

The ones with ? next to it means I don’t know if I need to spend that money.

I’m off to take my visa to the travel agent. <sneeze> I spoke to the embassy and they wysed me I don’t need proof of accommodation after I explained to them that the only places I can prebook and get proof from want to charge me a gajillion per night. <sniff> That sort of makes up for paying R250 just to send my stuff to the embassy and back. <sneeze>

I’m feeling fluish so I might get some flutex and Corenza C. I need these for my First Aid Kit I need to build up to take with me anyway. <sneeze sniff>

Better tomorrow hopefully…

Finally I went and picket up me e-ticket. Here it is in various sexy poses:

Not quite as satisfying in hand as an actual ticket, but something to look at nonetheless.

I got some quotes for accommodation in Casablanca but they wanted to rush me R1680 for two nights. I kid you not. An airport transfer was R560. Yessus, mense who fall for these must be jas in their heads. Especially nowadays when you can book for yourself over the internet.

I’ve also been kak stupid. Initally when I got a quote for flights I made sure I checked the transfer times at the airports. Having been in KL airport for an 8 hour stretch, I don’t lus to go through that again. Yet… I didn’t check my layover times at Heathrow when I booked my final dates. Turns out its 9hours going there; 2 hours coming back. Too long and too short! Aaargh!

Going:

Leave Cape Town to Heathrow 19h55 16 May Flight time: 11h55 Arrive: 06h50

Leave Heathrow to Casablanca 15h40 17 May Flight time: 3h25 Arrive: 18h00

Returning:

Leave Casablanca to Heathrow 10h50 16 Feb Flight time: 3h25 Arrive: 14h15

Leave Heathrow to Cape Town 16h45 16 Feb Flight time: 11h30 Arrive: 06h15

…

I’ve been getting very little response from possible employers in Morocco so its kinda worried me a bit. Anyway I posted on the Thorntree to ask if anybody knew of a place I could leave a second bag (the one that had all the stuff I didn’t want to backpack with. Winter gear, etc.).

A good Samaritan came back and offered to store it for me. Aren’t people wonderful? We’ve been in contact and she’s really stoking me on the job front. Check out her website – its a good read. Another regular poster on the Thorntree has this Morroccan FAQ site.

Also check this guy’s site for some insane photos.

[PS: Didn’t get my e-ticket yet but I forgot my laptop at home anyway. To get a pic onto this site I use my phone to laptop to memory stick to PC – sometimes it is easier though when I can lend bluetooth dongle or bring my laptop to work – jeez I need a digital camera too!]