Extended Stay in Abu Dhabi

We stopped in Abu Dhabi on the way back to Hong Kong for a few days (or so we thought...to be continued...) It was hard to not compare Abu Dhabi to its neighbor Dubai (which we visited 2 years ago), but in every case Dubai had more to see and was just more fun. Abu Dhabi has the hop on hop off bus, so of course we did that for a day. Abu Dhabi's skyline is shaped by many uniquely designed skyscrapers...and an equal number of construction sites where future skyscrapers will be erected. 

While on the hop on hop off bus we saw jets fly over then they started doing acrobatic rolls while letting out smoke in black, red, white and green - the colors of the UAE national flag. 

Our last stop on the tour was the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque which is absolutely massive. The closer you get, the details from the carving to the inlaid stone like on the Taj Mahal become apparent. Before we got too close, a guard stopped Melissa and told her she would have to cover up if she wanted to go any further. We were expecting as much and she came prepared with a pashmina ready and waiting. As we got closer, we saw the line for Melissa to get the proper clothes to go inside (pashmina was adequate only for outside) and it was crazy long as the mosque had just opened up for tourists that day due to Friday prayers. We decided to pass on going inside and to just appreciate the view from the outside. 

We have been interested in taking a desert safari for a long time but it never worked out.  A few years ago in Dubai, we tried to book one but it was sold out and when we were in Qatar, we didn't have enough time. This time, we arranged our desert safari with dune bashing as soon as we arrived in Abu Dhabi. 

We were picked up from the hotel and driven almost 2 hours outside of the city before we switched to the land cruiser - then we headed into the dunes. Unfortunately we had a German family of four with us - we got a bit concerned when before we got started, the driver asked if everyone would be okay and the German father said his daughter came prepared and she held up her vomit bag - Melissa who was sitting next to her was not very happy about that. 

We pretty much just followed the SUV in front of us which made things a bit more concerning as we could not tell when we were about to go down a big dune until the SUV in front of us slowed down, then we would see the spare tire on the undercarriage reveal how steep the dune really was. We did that for a bit...along with some sliding horizontally down hill before we stopped to enjoy the sunset on the dunes. It was an awesome experience and one we won't soon forget! 

After the sunset, we went to the camp where they had the whole desert experience waiting for us -  a falcon, henna painting, arabic water pipes, traditional arabic clothing for photos, camel rides, sand boarding and even a gift shop. There was absolutely nothing there (out in the middle of nowhere), so everything had to be brought in - from the generators to the water - it was a pretty impressive operation. For dinner they had a large buffet of Arabic food which was pretty good, at least so I thought.. (to be continued....)After dinner they had a belly dancer which was not that impressive.

The next morning I woke up not feeling very well, but had a light breakfast which I was not able to keep down very long. I will spare you the details but we were due to fly out later that evening and mid afternoon I was feeling much worse and ended up going to the hospital. I was diagnosed with severe dehydration and food poisoning. After several hours and over $300USD, I was discharged and told not to fly for 3-4 days. Luckily we were able to change the flights to later in the week and extend our hotel reservation. 

After a few days of being holed up in our hotel room and taking the requisite prescriptions, I was feeling much better to where I could start eating again and even felt well enough to start walking around, so we took advantage of it and enjoyed the rest of our extended stay in Abu Dhabi. We went for a long walk down the corniche.... 

We found a Lebanese restaurant which was very good! So good in fact we had it twice! Look at the size of that flat bread.

By the end of our trip, we were so ready to get back home to Hong Kong!

Look! Goats in a Tree!

For our second day trip, we went to the coastal city of Essaouira located a few hours outside of Marrakesh Along the way, we saw one of the sites that we were most excited to see in Morocco...GOATS IN A TREE! When we first saw a photo of it, we were amazed and humored at the same time but that was short lived as we were told that it was just a tourist trap - local herders put the goats in argan trees just so that tourists can pose for pictures. Argan trees are very important to Moroccans as they use the nut for cosmetic oils which are exported, the husks are fed to animals, and the nuts themselves can be toasted and found in a wide range of Moroccan delicacies.

Our driver stopped at the first goat tree we saw. As soon as we got out of the car, one of the herders put a 7 day old baby goat in Melissa's arms. After I took a few photos of her, he gave me a goat too. Their little hearts were beating SO fast. I was joking with Melissa that it was because they were so worried about getting put up in that tree!

Essaouira is an 18th century fortified town with old walls and cannon lined ocean facing exterior walls. Inside the walls it is so easy to get lost in the maze of small windy streets.

Our guide took us to an argan co-op where the ladies pick, sort, husk, roast, grind, and sell it in its various forms. We were treated to a sample of some of the items that contain argan -  including an argan bread spread, argan honey, argan nut powder and argan olive oil.

After the tour was over, we had lunch at one of the many fresh seafood stalls, where we had some freshly grilled fish, shrimp, and sardines. After finishing up we were soon back on the road headed back to Marrakesh.

Up the Mountain and Through the Stream to Ben Haddou We Go!

We arranged two day trips from Marrakesh to get a better view of Morocco's country side and check out two World Heritage Sites. One day trip was up into the mountains to visit a casbah and Ben Haddou. The other was to Essaouira, an old Portuguese city on the coast.








As we gained elevation, the temperature dropped QUICK and at times we were driving through clouds! At one point the guide pointed out that we would be heading off the highway and we were soon on unpaved  back roads, slowing down for river crossings and sheep herders. After a few hours, we finally reached our first destination an old crumbling casbah in the middle of nowhere. Even though it was not in the best condition and the outside was crumbling around us, the details inside were amazing - from the carvings to the ornate tile work.

After visiting the casbah, we were back on the windy road to Ben Haddou. After a couscous lunch, AGAIN. We walked over to Ben Haddou. Its claim to fame is that it is in many movies from Indiana Jones, Lawrence of Arabia, and Gladiator and even The Game of Thrones.

Ben Haddou is a fortified city built on a hill and the views were pretty amazing from the peak not only of down below but also of the desert and mountains off in the distance. As we wandered through the narrow alleys uphill, we passed many people who still live there.

Making our way back to the SUV, we had to cross the river and the guide thought it would be more fun to take the rocks instead of the bridge. After watching Melissa, he was a bit unsure if she would actually make it all the way across so he enlisted one of the kids playing along the shore to help her across. He jumped into the mountain snow melt stream which was FREEZING and led Melissa across.

Christmas in Morocco

We spent Christmas this year in Marrakesh, Morocco and had a wonderful time! Morocco as a country has it all - snowy mountain peaks, desert, long coast line, and lots of traditional crafts and a strong sense of pride in their traditional cuisine. Needless to say we were pretty excited about visiting this North African country.

For our first day in Marrakesh, we arranged a private city tour to get an introduction to the city. The most interesting part of the city was inside the old walls where the famous Jemaa el-Fnaa square can be found. 

Our tour started outside Koutoubia Mosque, the tallest minaret in Marrakesh. While we were getting our introduction, our guide said hello to a passing tour guide and commented to us that it was his cousin. He said he has over 200 cousins...and he said he knows them all!

We stopped at a traditional Moroccan restaurant for lunch with our guide. After lunch, we went to Jemaa el-Fnaa square. Unlike many of the items found in shopping areas that we've been to, these items were not made in China, but many of them by craftsmen in the market. We got a tour of the leather, metal and wood carving - it was very interesting to observe the older craftsmen teaching their trade to the next generation. Melissa even got to try her hand at some carpet making.

After the tour ended we hung around for some shopping and ended up in a rug shop. As soon as we walked in,  we were being invited to the showroom and offered a cup of Moroccan mint tea. I have read that it is rude to decline so we accepted and I told him off the bat we were just looking and not buying anything today. After a few more cups of tea and a few dozen rugs, we had each found our favorites. Melissa found a "nomad design" summer carpet and I found exactly what I came to Morocco for, a Beni Ouriun wool carpet - perfect for the winter time!  Before we knew it, we had negotiated a price and Melissa was signing her name to the back. The rugs would have to get shipped back to HK, which we have now already received..yeah!

In the late afternoon, the juice stalls start rolling in. There are a couple dozen - all side by side selling the exact same fresh orange juice and mixed juice (orange, grapefruit and lemon). Trying to differentiate from the crowd, each of the juice stands call out for you to come by and have a sample at their stand. We tried the mixed juice and it was amazing, needless to say we ordered a cup and took note of the stall number. We came back to the same stand every day.

In the evening, we found a nice restaurant with a view to watch the hustle and bustle of the market light up and carry into the night. During the day, the square is filled with snake charmers, fortune tellers, henna painting and guys hawking monkeys for tourists to pose with for photos. In the evening all that gets pushed aside for the famous food stalls.

Before heading back to the hotel Melissa made a stop at the local sweets stall.. and she tried one of everything - just not all that night!

On Christmas morning, we got up bright and early (before sunrise!) for a hot air ballon ride. This was not our first hot air balloon ride, but I was still a bit nervous at first. This time we were prepared and had plenty of layers of warm clothes and our wool hats too. As the sun rose up over the mountain range, it exposed the countless small villages and family farms that scatter Morocco's country side... it was beautiful!

There must be hundreds of these horse drawn carriages in Marrakesh. Groups of these carriages wait outside tourist locations to take you on a ride around the old medina, but like everything in Morocco you have to negotiate. We asked about the price which was about 50% more than we were quoted earlier in the day with our tour guide, but after turning our back and begining to walk away the driver relented to our price and we jumped in for a ride. The trotting of the hoofs become therapeutic after a while. You would think the streets would be dirty with all of those horse droppings, but there are bags to "collect" the droppings.

Every evening we ended up back at the square for dinner and a bit of shopping. One evening we came across Marrakesh's must have dish that was recommended to us a few times.. tangia slow cooked meat in coal embers. After seeing it in the market, the closest I will get is taking a photo.. the presentation alone straight up scared me!

 While checking in for our flight from Casablanca we enquired about an upgrade to business and we were given an offer we could not refuse!