Hi friends! I'm disappointed to report that even after a weekend full of rest, I still do not feel 100%. I haven't been sleeping well at all, and my sinuses are still totally jacked up. Maybe I am just being impatient, but I sure would like to feel normal again.
Moving on to happier things... this is the last part of my May travel round-up! (This is a LONG and photo-heavy post!) After a glorious day in Paris, I still had two more flights to go! Paris to Casablanca and then Casablanca to Marrakesh. Whew! By the time I arrived around 11:30pm, I had been in four airports and three continents in just one day!
The original purpose of the trip to Morocco was to see my friends Charlie and Rumana get married. Their wedding was a four day destination extravaganza, so I figured that I would tack a few extra days on to do a little extra exploring!
The first day in Marrakesh was pretty relaxed - just what I needed after so much travel! We spent the day hanging out at the riad, which was so lovely. I found the service in the riads to be so thoughtful and easy. A very laid back approach, which I really enjoyed. We had a delicious breakfast on the rooftop, enjoyed the sunshine, wandered some of the market stalls in the alleyways, and drank lots of mint tea.
That evening, a few other wedding guests who had arrived early gathered to have dinner in the main square of the medina. I've been to tons of markets in Asia, and I found the square to be a bit like those, just not nearly as hot! And it was really lively and beautiful at night. We had some Moroccan treats for dinner and had an easy night wandering around and taking it all in.
On Monday, we headed out to the Atlas Mountains!! The Atlas Mountains actually runs through Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. Pretty freaking long! We drove about 90 minutes outside of Marrakesh to the village of Imlil, which is where we stayed the night. We were planning to do a two day hike to summit Mount Toubkal, which is the highest peak in North Africa (4,167 m). I was also happy to use this trek as a practice run for Peru later this year!
It was so crazy how different Imlil was from Marrakesh. The medina is a frenzy of colors, people, cats, alleyways, and fruit. Imlil was just wide open mountain air. So calm and quiet. We spent a little bit of time just hanging out on the rooftop terrace (everywhere in Morocco seems to have a rooftop terrace!) before getting hungry for lunch.
This was one of the best meals that I had in Morocco. A total surprise, since it was just cooked up by the kitchen in the lodge! We had some olives and bread, (unpictured) Moroccan salad, and chicken tagine. I started the meal not feeling incredibly hungry (due to the number of pancakes I had at breakfast), but everything was so delicious that I finished every single bite!
Imlil is located at about 1,800 m, so I wanted to get there a day early just to give myself a chance to get used to the altitude. I've never really been in altitude before, much less hiked, so I figured it was the prudent thing to do. We just hung out at the lodge and took it easy, since the next morning, we were up early to start our trek!
You guys - this was no cake walk. It was awesome that everything was so natural and unspoiled, but it sure did make for a more challenging trek. The weather was absolutely fantastic, and the views were totally breathtaking. I kept just saying "this is so awesome" over and over. You don't realize how rare it is to see such natural beauty until you are surrounded by it I guess.
After about six hours of walking (and about 1400 m in elevation), we made it to the refuge! All hikers going to Toubkal stay at the refuge, as it is the only accommodation available between Imlil and the summit. We elected to camp outside the refuge for the night, but it was nice to have access to a bathroom in the refuge!
The next morning was an early start. Breakfast was at 4:30 am, and we started walking at 5. It was still pitch black for the first hour or so of the morning. And it was COLD! Once we really started climbing (it was SO steep), the wind was so brutal, and I was freezing. A combination of the incline, the altitude, and the weather was really getting to me, and I was really struggling for a while. At one point, very close to the summit, I actually just sat down in the middle of the mountain and said "I need a cookie!" We had brought some Girl Scout cookies with us for snacks, and I was so glad that we did. That quick shot of sugar boosted me just enough to make it to the top!!!
It was SO beautiful, but it was SO cold. Actually, it was so cold, that my iPhone shut off!! So we snapped just a few quick photos and then headed back down the mountain.
Anyone who has ever been hiking with me before probably knows that I tend to struggle going downhill. I just can't manage to find traction (even with hiking shoes) when there are lots of loose rocks, and Toubkal had TONS of loose rocks. I think our guide was holding my hand for like, literally three hours on the way down.
But after about 9 hours of walking, we finally made it to the bottom of the mountain... and then we walked about another hour through the villages to get back to the Imlil Lodge! Talk about mentally discouraging! But we made it, and I was so happy to take a hot shower and put on my new slippers. We had originally been scheduled to go back to Marrakesh straight after the hike, but at the last minute, we decided to just stay an extra night in the lodge, and I am SO glad we did that. I can't imagine what it would've been like to sit in a car all the way back after such a long day.
Thursday morning, we did finally head back to Marrakesh, and then it was time to start the wedding celebrations!! Charlie and Rumana, who are both from the UK, have been in Singapore for a few years now, so quite a few ex-Singapore residents were also present at the wedding, so it was really nice to catch up with friends both old and new!
The wedding celebration stretched over four days, and it was all really lovely. We had a beautiful dinner in the desert, some more Marrakesh exploration, and a lovely spa day at the Beldi Country Club. (Turns out Poppy Delevingne, sister of Cara, actually got married at the Beldi Country Club the very same weekend!)
And then it was time for the main event!!
After a really fun night and not a lot of sleep.. it was finally time to head back to Asia. All in all, an absolutely wonderful holiday in Morocco - I would definitely return!
Oh also! Two points if you can guess what the title of this post refers to!
Moving on to happier things... this is the last part of my May travel round-up! (This is a LONG and photo-heavy post!) After a glorious day in Paris, I still had two more flights to go! Paris to Casablanca and then Casablanca to Marrakesh. Whew! By the time I arrived around 11:30pm, I had been in four airports and three continents in just one day!
The original purpose of the trip to Morocco was to see my friends Charlie and Rumana get married. Their wedding was a four day destination extravaganza, so I figured that I would tack a few extra days on to do a little extra exploring!
The first day in Marrakesh was pretty relaxed - just what I needed after so much travel! We spent the day hanging out at the riad, which was so lovely. I found the service in the riads to be so thoughtful and easy. A very laid back approach, which I really enjoyed. We had a delicious breakfast on the rooftop, enjoyed the sunshine, wandered some of the market stalls in the alleyways, and drank lots of mint tea.
Riad Lyla
Pancakes, orange juice, fruit, delicious yogurt, honey, and the best apricot preserves!
I bought a pair of slippers! The cream colored ones on the right :)
Sort of like Asia.. with less Asians
That evening, a few other wedding guests who had arrived early gathered to have dinner in the main square of the medina. I've been to tons of markets in Asia, and I found the square to be a bit like those, just not nearly as hot! And it was really lively and beautiful at night. We had some Moroccan treats for dinner and had an easy night wandering around and taking it all in.
We ate a billion things.. I don't even know.
All these people were playing some sort of game where you try to get the ring around the bottle? But I wasn't sure what the prize was...
So crowded for a Sunday night!
On Monday, we headed out to the Atlas Mountains!! The Atlas Mountains actually runs through Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. Pretty freaking long! We drove about 90 minutes outside of Marrakesh to the village of Imlil, which is where we stayed the night. We were planning to do a two day hike to summit Mount Toubkal, which is the highest peak in North Africa (4,167 m). I was also happy to use this trek as a practice run for Peru later this year!
Lots of goats on the ride over
The Imlil Lodge!
So peaceful and beautiful
It was so crazy how different Imlil was from Marrakesh. The medina is a frenzy of colors, people, cats, alleyways, and fruit. Imlil was just wide open mountain air. So calm and quiet. We spent a little bit of time just hanging out on the rooftop terrace (everywhere in Morocco seems to have a rooftop terrace!) before getting hungry for lunch.
This was one of the best meals that I had in Morocco. A total surprise, since it was just cooked up by the kitchen in the lodge! We had some olives and bread, (unpictured) Moroccan salad, and chicken tagine. I started the meal not feeling incredibly hungry (due to the number of pancakes I had at breakfast), but everything was so delicious that I finished every single bite!
The scenery isn't too shabby either
Sunset over the mountains
Imlil is located at about 1,800 m, so I wanted to get there a day early just to give myself a chance to get used to the altitude. I've never really been in altitude before, much less hiked, so I figured it was the prudent thing to do. We just hung out at the lodge and took it easy, since the next morning, we were up early to start our trek!
Me and our guide Hassan
You guys - this was no cake walk. It was awesome that everything was so natural and unspoiled, but it sure did make for a more challenging trek. The weather was absolutely fantastic, and the views were totally breathtaking. I kept just saying "this is so awesome" over and over. You don't realize how rare it is to see such natural beauty until you are surrounded by it I guess.
Orange juice is everywhere in Morocco - and it is really delicious. The perfect quick stop along the mountain!
For Stephanie :)
Waterfall!
And then, it was time for lunch! I really enjoyed the Moroccan style of eating - lots of fresh veggies, olives, and fruits. Very simple, but very delicious.
After about six hours of walking (and about 1400 m in elevation), we made it to the refuge! All hikers going to Toubkal stay at the refuge, as it is the only accommodation available between Imlil and the summit. We elected to camp outside the refuge for the night, but it was nice to have access to a bathroom in the refuge!
Looking back, we could see the clouds setting in over the path we had just climbed.
Home for the night!
The next morning was an early start. Breakfast was at 4:30 am, and we started walking at 5. It was still pitch black for the first hour or so of the morning. And it was COLD! Once we really started climbing (it was SO steep), the wind was so brutal, and I was freezing. A combination of the incline, the altitude, and the weather was really getting to me, and I was really struggling for a while. At one point, very close to the summit, I actually just sat down in the middle of the mountain and said "I need a cookie!" We had brought some Girl Scout cookies with us for snacks, and I was so glad that we did. That quick shot of sugar boosted me just enough to make it to the top!!!
It was SO beautiful, but it was SO cold. Actually, it was so cold, that my iPhone shut off!! So we snapped just a few quick photos and then headed back down the mountain.
Summit!!!
Anyone who has ever been hiking with me before probably knows that I tend to struggle going downhill. I just can't manage to find traction (even with hiking shoes) when there are lots of loose rocks, and Toubkal had TONS of loose rocks. I think our guide was holding my hand for like, literally three hours on the way down.
But after about 9 hours of walking, we finally made it to the bottom of the mountain... and then we walked about another hour through the villages to get back to the Imlil Lodge! Talk about mentally discouraging! But we made it, and I was so happy to take a hot shower and put on my new slippers. We had originally been scheduled to go back to Marrakesh straight after the hike, but at the last minute, we decided to just stay an extra night in the lodge, and I am SO glad we did that. I can't imagine what it would've been like to sit in a car all the way back after such a long day.
Thursday morning, we did finally head back to Marrakesh, and then it was time to start the wedding celebrations!! Charlie and Rumana, who are both from the UK, have been in Singapore for a few years now, so quite a few ex-Singapore residents were also present at the wedding, so it was really nice to catch up with friends both old and new!
The wedding celebration stretched over four days, and it was all really lovely. We had a beautiful dinner in the desert, some more Marrakesh exploration, and a lovely spa day at the Beldi Country Club. (Turns out Poppy Delevingne, sister of Cara, actually got married at the Beldi Country Club the very same weekend!)
Beldi Country Club - Beautiful doors, beautiful flowers
Inside the spa - I could stay here all day
And then it was time for the main event!!
Pre-ceremony
Bride and groom
They are married!!
Tables were themed based on their adventures
Somehow, this Asian American got seated at the North Korea table haha.
Me and the bride!
Me and the groom.. with an epic photo bomber :)
Sunset from the rooftop
After a really fun night and not a lot of sleep.. it was finally time to head back to Asia. All in all, an absolutely wonderful holiday in Morocco - I would definitely return!
Oh also! Two points if you can guess what the title of this post refers to!
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