0704 & 0804 Chefchaouen to Tangier to Marrakech

This was a huge day starting with a ride in the local bus that our guide called the chicken bus. As it turned out, apart from the extra narrow aisle between the seats, it was quite comfortable, the bus was quiet and the driving was safe. The road took us down through the Rif mountains with spectacular scenery in all directions.
Once in Tangiers we were given a dodgy map with instructions of places of interest and set loose. We walked to the Atlantic Ocean and onto the beach which was full of boys playing football and had lunch in one of the beachside cafes. After that the group split up and Steve and I went in search of the Kasbah which we approached via the Souks in the Medina. We got sucked in by a slippery guide who looked like Sammy Davis Jnr but we were well into his "help" before we woke up that we would be paying him money. Best thing to do then is to chill out and enjoy. He showed us the five elements of a Medina: the free public water fountain, the public bakery where the residents take their bread dough and meats, etc to be cooked, the Hammam or steam bath for men and women, the mosque and the Koranic school.
By other standards, the Kasbah here is not in such good repair. We walked back to the square where the German Consulate used to be and where there is a German cemetery and sat and watched the world go by for quite some time. The plan was for the group to meet at the Cafe Hafa which we were told is worth the experience, at 6 pm. Steve and I started off to walk to the Cafe, using the dodgy map which had no street names on it, no scale and no direction indicator. We knew we were headed in the right direction, but ended up at a dead end in the kasbah so climbed down the side of the cliff to the main road and continued on, thinking we'd get a taxi. No taxis in sight - Murphy's Law. Finally I asked a man in my "best French" where the Cafe Hafa is and he pointed up the cliff again. Grrr!!!! Anyway, we asked some small boys who agreed to take us there for 10 durhams ($1.25) and uuuuuuupppp we went. Tres difficile mes amis. It took about 20 minutes straight up. The Cafe itself is built down the side of the cliff and, of course, our group had gone down about four levels - more steps !!! Back to the bus station in taxis and then to the train station to catch the overnight sleeper train to Marrakech. There are four bunks in each cabin on the train and the staff give out a pillow, one sheet and a blanket. Steve had 2 Sudafed for his sinus headache and conked out immediately so missed the noisy fight that erupted about 1 am. I had a reasonable if interrupted sleep. The train took 11 hours.
0804
We were brought to our hotel Le Caspien in the Gueliz new district of Marrakech, and had a highly anticipated warm shower, then were shown a map again and set loose once more. Our Tour Leader Mourad took Steve and I to a clinic and then to a specialist to have my knee, eye and left hand examined in case there were any broken bones. The doctor x-rayed my left hand but found nothing broken, thank goodness. Strained ligaments all round so I have Voltaren anti-inflammatories to take.
We then headed for La Koutoubia and the Place Djemaa el-Fna. I was curious to see the changes that have happened over the last 40 years since I was here last. I thought Fez hadn't changed too much so I thought the same might apply to Marrakech. I was wrong. Everything has become "touristified". I could expect that the red desert sand in the square would have been paved but it's more than that: the small eating places now have Coca Cola signs, etc. Yesterday was the holy day, Friday, so only the Jewish souks were open. Hopefully when we return at the end of the tour the souks will all be operational and all the entertainers will be in the Place Djemaa el-Fna. We go down to the square tonight to have a meal with the new people joining our tour so I will get to see it by night which is something to look forward to.
The colours here are pink and red. Couldn't help but notice the smell of orange blossom all the way down Rue Mohammed V, and when we stopped to eat some lunch, we got the muezzin from La Koutoubia at full volume. The temperature is so much hotter than in the north. Some in our group saw the temperature sign at 40 deg C.
We are heading for the High Atlas mountains tomorrow. Don't know when I'll be online again. A bientot.