This time it started with a job interview. I work in theatre, and I had an interview for a job that could have taken me away on tour, to Russia, or Brazil, or New Zealand. The job never panned out, but it left me with a terrible case of itchy feet.
Morocco has always been my go-to location when I dream about an exotic adventure. I’ve had a long-term fascination with North Africa and the Sahara. I’m sure bellydance, which has been a hobby of mine for years, has something do to it. And it’s distinctly possible I’ve seen The English Patient or Hideous Kinky or Fortunes of War one too many times. And somewhere along the way, this general fascination focused itself down to Morocco in specific. Egypt and Tunisia are also on my list of places to visit before I die, but there’s just… something about Morocco. Medinas and souqs, spices and dye vats, blue-painted walls and mud-brick mosques, a camel train into the Sahara, Marrakech, Agadir… I have to go.
So, every time my feet start to itch, or I’ve been stuck in one place for too long, or I’ve worked too many 60-hour weeks in a row, I go back to my dream of a trip to Morocco. This time, though… the plans are becoming more concrete. By the time I had half my route planned out, I realised that this is actually the very beginning of my adventure: poring over my shiny new copy of Lonely Planet, not yet torn or stained or dog-eared, living the adventure in my head as I study bus routes and climate charts and maps. So this is where I want to start documenting my trip.
It has had several incarnations already. I’ve looked at volunteering in an orphanage in Rabat with Cross Cultural Solutions. I’ve thought about an organised bus tour. And as much as I like the idea of living in one city for several weeks, getting to feel like I live there and make friends in the community, I need to see everything, all of it. And as much as the safety and lack of responsibility is appealing, I don’t want to be shuffled on and off a bus with thirty other tourists. This needs to be special. This needs to be an adventure.
Which could be interesting. Because I’m not really an adventurous person. I hate bugs, I love my indoor plumbing, and I can be a very finicky eater. Definitely not one of those neo-hippy eco-types who usually strap on a backpack to go trekking through Africa. So this could turn into quite the character-building experience.
The last time I absolutely had to be ‘anywhere but here’, I planned the first leg of my journey. I’m going to fly from Toronto, Canada my home town, to London, England where I lived, on and off, for five years and visit with friends and family for a few days. From London, I’m going to fly Easyjet to Madrid, Spain. Three friends of mine from when I toured Europe in my early twenties have ended up there, and I would love to see them again. So, overnight in Madrid, and then get on the train down to Gibraltar. In my touring days, I spent several weeks in Madrid, Barcelona and Bilbao, and briefly visited Valencia and Toledo, but I never really got to see the interior of Spain, and I love trains, so this seemed like the perfect beginning to my adventure. A little touristing and an overnight in Gibraltar, then catch the ferry to Tangier. And that was where I left off last time; my imaginary self had at least made it onto Moroccan soil.
So this week, fresh with post-interview frustration and coming off of three straight months of 60-hour weeks, I picked up the thread in Tangier. One of the reasons I had picked Lonely Planet from among the half-dozen available tour books was because of the sample itineraries. Page 27, Moroccan Odyssey, one month, Imperial Cities and the South. Finally, something for a traveller wanting a trip that lasts more than 15 days! Originally I planned to follow it exactly, but as I’ve been digging through the details, I find I’m using it only as a guideline. Instead of travelling along the coast to pick up the start of the suggested route in Casablanca, I’m going to come south through the interior, visiting Tetouan and Chefchaouen, then through Ouezzane to Meknes. From Meknes, I’ll take the day trip to Moulay Idriss and Volubilis, possibly walking between the two sites, which Lonely Planet assures me should take about 45 minutes. Then on to Fez. Then south again through the Middle Atlas, through Ifrane, Azrou, Midelt, Rissani and the Ziz Valley to Merzouga and Erg Chebbi and my overnight in the Sahara. And that’s as far as I’ve made it this time. My imaginary self is sleeping under the stars in the Sahara. Finally, the desert.
I am also make more concrete plans. Although maybe concrete is the wrong word. Spring is a bad time to travel, work-wise, so I’ve decided I want to go in September; not too hot, not too cold. So it will either be this September or next September, depending on available work and finances. I also want to avoid travelling during Ramadan or Eid, which would make next year the better choice, since Ramadan will start earlier in August next year than this year. But a year and a half is a long time to wait. But if I go this year and can’t leave until early October because of work, will it be freezing cold and raining the whole time? There are quite a lot of variables, so everything is negotiable at this point.
I want to put together an itinerary, with a plan for bus schedules and hotel stays, but I want to see if I can leave it as flexible as possible. Lonely Planet suggests booking in advance in many situations, but I’m wondering if one or two days in advance will be enough. And if it’s allowed to enter Morocco without having exit plans booked, I really want to leave my end date open, so that I can stay longer, or leave earlier if I want to. Or maybe, since Easyjet is quite cheap, I’ll just buy two tickets a few days apart.
These are the things I’m thinking and dreaming and planning at the moment. So exciting!
kithika