The last of destinations for our escapade....Morocco!
We arrived at Marrakech slightly after sunset & checked in at Riad Andalla. Thankfully tis time, we had an airport transfer service & the owner fetched us from where the taxi stopped somewhere near the Jemaa el Fnaa square. Took us into the small derb Zaari to welcome us into the cosy cosy riad & gave us recommendations for places of interest to visit, where to eat & change our Euros to Morroccan dirhams. Our adventure begins from there. The next couple of days were spent sightseein at Majorelle Garden, which was once a home to the designer Yves Saint Laurent, as well as the Koutobia Mosque. Of course, not to forget the souks(markets) of busy Marrakech which very much reminds us of our very own Geylang market during Ramadhan, only that the souks & the square are lively like that every single day! Around us were many mosques & we were most amused by the prayer call. They dun syncronise all at once but one after another...it was weird for us especially hearing them first time in the early morning for Subuh. We can't quite make out the pronunciations till we finally hear them out in our room where we dumped our bargains.
After checkin out from the riad, we continued discovering the beautiful nature of the country, passing through the Tiz & Tishka pass to admire the Atlas mountains, view the beautiful Rose Valley & Dades Gorge stopping at Dar Ayour one night to be warmly received by a Berber guesthousekeeper who even brought us into his basement reserved for friends only cos I mentioned abt sheesha & he actually asked his friend to come over & bring some Apple flavoured sheesha for us to share while watchin a Spanish movie! How awesome! There we were also excited to see many many stars on the terrace & we looked forward to spendin the nite in the Merzouga desert the following day!
The next mornin we opened our eyes greeted by a sight of beautiful rock structures & a flowing stream which we can only hear the nite before as it was so dark! Before the drive to Merzouga, a part of the Saharan desert, we were wowed by the Todra Gorge! We reached Merzouga in time for sunset & after a session of drumming, we gotta noe a couple from Spain, Maria & Israel. We bonded over dinner & had a great time with the Berber guides! We were asked to sing somethin to reflect our culture but Iyuan & I were both stumped. So not culturally-inclined, we had to disappoint them with presentin them with nothin...eeks!! The only thing we told them abt SG are mainly the Foood & Shopping! Those are the SG culture I noe best! After the magical surreal Merzouga trip, we checked in at the riad called Riad Les Jardins de Mouassine, on another side of the souks of Marrakech. Then we met Maria & Israel again the next day near the square to do some last shopping & bargaining at the souks together as well as a lil sightseeing at the Bahia Palace.
We had fun but were quite disappointed that the Marrakshis did not celebrate Eid ul Adha on Friday like in SG, instead they celebrated on Saturday, the day we were bound for London. Bahh..so we spent Friday sleepin in a tad longer & packin our luggages, which has expanded from 1 huge case, 1 shoulder bag & 1 haversack to 3 huge bags + the 2 hand luggages! Upon reachin London Gatwick Airport, we had some time to burn so we decided to go back to Bayswater since Knightbridge was not very convenient for us. Only to realise the bloody Central line got disrupted & we had to go through hell during our last trip to the Halal Subway! Oh well...we survived but were shagged out! Upon arrivin in Singapore, I looked so crappy but were very happy to see my family & the lesbos with their hubbies! Iyuan then wanted to go home for a shower but we did a lil drive down by Orchard Road before headin home as grandma wanna see the Christmas light up. Then..our honeymoon was over...
So like a berber's respond when asked how are u...i say Morocco is Bi khair, Alhamdulillah!!
Ahh you're finally there...awesome!!!Thanks for sharing the wonderful pics
ReplyDeleteOOH YES YES YES>> THIS IS THE PLACE I SO WANT TO GOOOO!!!!!!!! aiyoh.... so beautiful lah coco-morrocco. i dream of it always!
ReplyDeleteso authentic.. wwwahhhhhhhhh.. how do i convince chris over.... *sigh* i so want to be enveloped in the enviroenment. Food must be gorgeous!
ReplyDelete*swooooooooooooooooooooooooon*
ReplyDelete*faint*
ReplyDelete*masyallah.. so so surreal* I love it.reminds me of Andalusia Spain truly........ *waaahhh *sob* sob* so unreal.
ReplyDeleteDid you guys jalan2 by yourself or ada guide? and where is this place?
ReplyDeleteperfect!
ReplyDeleteaaaawhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh :)
ReplyDeleteso fun!!! GOSH!
ReplyDeleteheheh. i kept sighing with pleasure looking at the fotos.. wishing i can be there one day too.! heheheheheh such a great experience!
ReplyDeletei want!!!!!
ReplyDeleteand u wonder how they make then so perfectly conical everyday?
ReplyDeleteits so beautiful aint it. Design with words of God? I find them perfect and intellectual.
ReplyDeletei like!
ReplyDeleteI really love where you stayed.. was it ex?
ReplyDeleteHAHAHHA i overload with comments... Love the album. Great work guys! :) U must tell me your moroccan itinerary, was it Ex and how long were u there for, ok? Hugs.. Emi.
ReplyDeletewhoah looks sumptuous!
ReplyDeletenice...
ReplyDeletehehe..which one caught ur eye?
ReplyDeletebut i bet there were loads of stars right?
ReplyDeletevery nice.
ReplyDeletewelcome back!
ReplyDeletethe stairs remind me of a scene in Ayat Ayat Cinta..
ReplyDeletei love the gates
ReplyDeleteso did u buy the skimpy belly dancer outfit?
ReplyDeleteCosy. And sensuous. I loike. They better be sure they have the "DND" signage outside.
ReplyDeletePadawans dun smile..
ReplyDeleteSO u got ur inai fix?
ReplyDeleteThis tower reminds me of Assassin's Creed.. I'd love to venture out here
ReplyDeleteSweeeeeeeeeet dude!
ReplyDeleteIzzit a must to sleep in tat headgear?
ReplyDeleteI'll kiss tat camel.. and touch its humps! Ooooh I so wanna see a REAL camel!
ReplyDeleteModern and traditional
ReplyDeleteEh did Iyuan got his weeeeeeed?
ReplyDeleteSophie most definitely will! Hmm not that ex ah both the riads considering it is in the medina itself and like 3mins to the el Fnaa.
ReplyDeletehint: the first riad was waaaaaaaaaay better in terms of service and staff, altho a tad smaller.
nope they dont, no locks on the doors either...thats what makes it cool
ReplyDeletenope..but i was hoping i was wearing a freaking FARGO hat! Freaking cold i tell you no joke
ReplyDeletealalala...mak buyong :)
ReplyDeleteahh simply beautiful..
ReplyDeletewat a funny pose...mata dia ke mana aje tu...haha
ReplyDeleteWhat a view!...magnificent!
ReplyDeleteMan! Teh tarik satu! Hehe
ReplyDelete(nasib baik Sudiman takder kat multiply)
OK, how do they do this?
ReplyDeletehow lovely.....
ReplyDeleteurgh! Yummy!
ReplyDeleteWah Sophie! Morrocco looks dreamy......must indulge in more details regarding flight etc...i so wanna go there now! haha.
ReplyDeleteBrave girl..hahaha..i'm terrified of camels..
ReplyDeletedid u buy d coca cola home...? like d can...hehehe!
ReplyDeletewah...banyak nya...habis tak?
ReplyDeletebuy any?
ReplyDeletenice....like yr fren mentioned earlier...indeed d settings luk like dlm citer "ayat2 cinta"....
ReplyDeletehahahhahaha! cute!
ReplyDeleteso u bought dis?
ReplyDeletesedap tak? wats it suppose to b? mixed vege?
ReplyDeletenice view!
ReplyDeletehow cum? u dun like it?
ReplyDeletemintak bayaran kot....hahahaha!
ReplyDeletedis is so lovely!
ReplyDeleteme too!!!....awwwww.....
ReplyDeleteis it a bull?
ReplyDeletewats dat?
ReplyDeletedis is soooooooo beautiful.....
ReplyDeleteoooohh....i m soooo jealous! hahahah!
ReplyDeleter they yr frens dat u just got to know there?
ReplyDeleteyeaps Alhamdulillah!! thanx for appreciatin Morocco thru my pics :)
ReplyDeletei tell u...i can alternate between couscous & tajine every other day cos they are yummy! breakfast also yummy....breads with either honey spread or apricot & tomato jams...and cream cheese...with either tea or freshly squeeze orange juice, perks me up all day durin my stay there!! oh in tis eatery captured in pic, called Dallas cafe or somethin like that, there's freshly squeezed variety of fruits everyday & good shawarma!
ReplyDeletein marrakech, we roam on our own...for the mountain & desert trip, we booked a guide via www.atlasandsaharatours.com...RECOMMENDED!!
ReplyDeletehahaha i noe the trick! but i won't spoil the fun...go to Marrakech & see!!
ReplyDeletei can't figure out if those are words of God inscribed, i overheard someone explaining that the king who used to own tis palace wasn't a good Muslim...but i luv em carved works! indeed made to perfection!!
ReplyDeletethe exact reason why i chose tis room when i made the booking via the internet! hehehe...ambience babe, ambience...haa i loike!
ReplyDeletecan say it's reasonable price, ard 80euro/nite
ReplyDeleteoooo MANY MANY dee!! only thing i can't capture them in pic!! Iyuan did try but his made the stars look like meteorites! dunno if he'll upload
ReplyDeleteheheh nope. i'd go to egypt or turkey for proper ones if i do wanna buy any
ReplyDeleteah.. u wore this when we met u tt day right??
ReplyDeleteALAMAK... honey and jam and apricot and tomato jams and cream cheese.. fruits and shawarna.....wah this sure can lure chris in! ehehehahahhaha. Ok i will tempt him tonight! LOL
ReplyDeletecosy smozyyyy.... nice.....
ReplyDeletesupi's fav.... backlanes... haha....
ReplyDeleteahh.... nice....
ReplyDeletemacam kedai kat turkiye....
ReplyDeletewhy monkey feet?
ReplyDeletetell ahhhh
ReplyDeletevery creative
ReplyDeletereminds me of the art we saw in turkey.... beautiful indeed....
ReplyDeletehaha its so you...
ReplyDeletewat is it? wats the yellow stuff?
ReplyDeletealalala.... i look so super round... hehe...
ReplyDeletehehe u noticed, yeaps i was wearin these!
ReplyDeletedunno! iyuan said they looked like rows of monkeys instead!
ReplyDeletepressure cooked chicken & onion with moroccan spice and a tad of nuts & raisins....sweeet~
ReplyDeleteI bet Marrakech's an inspiration for Assassin Creed. Even the men wear clothes like those in the game's character...iyuan bought one!
ReplyDeletealamak! i should have taught that berber tis phrase man!! hahaha
ReplyDeletehehe it is dreamy! to me it is like a fusion of Mediterranean & Middle Eastern right smack in North Africa that oozes with old world charm & warm people~
ReplyDeleteflight-wise, we got to marrakech via paris then go back via london. both ways using Easy Jet budget airlines, set us about EU400+=SG800+, there are also other budget airlines from europe but tis one was recommended by my colleague who said had lil or no problems such as delays or flight cancellation, so we followed her recommendation.alhamdulillah, all was smooth goin :)
if u need more details, PM me k! i'll try my best to provide u with more info!
i have one already like that from saudi. but i bought one bottle that looks like a football as a memento..hehe!
ReplyDeletehee ni posing je, i bought another one without hoodie called Gendora. tis one is called Jalaba
ReplyDeleteyups yummy...mixed vege soup with Moroccan spice~
ReplyDeletei didn't want my hand to be henna-ed! she juz grabbed & draw, i was shocked but takkan nak leave it halfway kan? end up payin like SG$40 for that grafitti on my hand cos we didn't have other notes. She said she charges 600-800 dirham equivalent to abt SG$120-160 but for me, i can pay anythin.... after that incidence iyuan don't wanna walk around the Jemaa square anymore, scared those ppl there find other ways to "ketuk" us!
ReplyDeleteyeaps u are right!
ReplyDeletecorrect!
ReplyDeleteit's either a cow or goat for sale!
ReplyDeleteyeah gotta noe them during the desert trip
ReplyDeletecantik...!
ReplyDeleteoooo traditional fanus! did u buy any?
ReplyDeleteoh! is that what i think it is??? mcm mana org tu masuk with one leg?
ReplyDeletethis is how arabs sell meats. they hang it up that way to show its freshness. its more costly than the pre-cut meats :) i slalu beli yg dah potong kecik2 hehehe
ReplyDeletesubhanallah. cantik nye.
ReplyDeleteahh.. i got this habit of checking out pple's footwear... hahahah where else i'm always wearing my slippers!!
ReplyDeletei cant help smiling looking at ur lovely photos. morocco is amazing subhanallah. cantik sangat.
ReplyDeletenice
ReplyDeletenice!
ReplyDeleteWow! So many beautiful pictures of exotic places!
ReplyDeleteoh my!.....dats scary....tapi ok lah, nasib baik it turn out nice...
ReplyDeleteso did u pay? or u manage to escape?
ReplyDeleteyeap bought one on the 2nd last day of the trip...cannot resist!
ReplyDeletei was so moved looking at the man riding tis bicycle n taking his fake leg off to pray. he went into the musolla with crutches. i almost cried there, moved by his devotion. Masya Allah
ReplyDeleteindeed!! i can't help goin Wow! Masya Allah!! Wow!! Masya Allah!! almost everywhere i go...so many things awed me there!
ReplyDeletethank u Lee, Morocco was indeed an exotic country full of charm & beauty~
ReplyDeleteguess what? we do the typical Singapore "bo chap" look & got away without paying...lol
ReplyDeleteLOL
ReplyDeletei was tracing out a heart & i dunno why it turned out upside down! BUMmer!
ReplyDeletei loike!!!
ReplyDeletehehehe me too!!
ReplyDeletekidnapped into his harem ... hahaha
ReplyDeleteooh lala I see the inspiration of my fave YSL fragrance In Love Again
ReplyDeletenice one! me like Supi with flowers in her hair
ReplyDeleteVery nice! I lioke!
ReplyDeleteouhhh! hehe how thrilling! but but but....it's superrr cold in there!!!
ReplyDeleteawwww thank u shasya dear!
ReplyDeleteneat! .. they look like a formidable block indeed!
ReplyDeleteyes they are Gordon, but for juz a lil while :)
ReplyDeletesuddenly i wanna go back..and just chill on the roof patio..
ReplyDeleteoops i juz saw ur comment...now still? or thinkin of Hanami of Ueno Park?
ReplyDelete