回民街 Muslim Street
Bell Tower 钟楼 and Drum Tower 鼓楼
City Wall 西安城墙
Hua Ching Palace 华清宫 and Museum 博物馆
Terracotta Warriors 兵马俑
Huashan 华山
This is one of the well-preserved wonders of the world. The word “Wat” as in Thai means temple and “Angkor” means city. This Temple City is a must visit if you are in Cambodia. The place is rather big and far from the city. I will advise that you join in a tour group than to visit the place on your own. In this case you will be more appreciated of what you are seeing as the guide will explain to you the touching history. This makes your money worth.
There is only one central place to get the entrance ticket as they need to take your photo and paste it onto the entrance pass which is not transferable. You will need at least 2 days to see a significant part of the place. I got a 3-day pass (US$62) but I only booked a 2-day tour (US$28) from the hotel. I could visit the place on the 3rd day with the tuk tuk but I didn’t.
Waiting for the sunset
I reached Phnom Penh at about 2.30pm. Cambodia is one hour behind Singapore. I met this old Singaporean man at the airport while I was searching for tourist information. He said that was his first time in Cambodia and asked me how to get to the city. He further asked me where he could get a hotel to stay, what places could he visit and where to find girls. He even asked me how much would the girls charge for a night. I wander. Do I look like a GSO?
I told him I have booked a hotel through the Internet and if he likes, he could come and stay in the same hotel. He paid for me a SIM card at the airport. He said he doesn’t need the SIM card as he cannot read English and does not know how to use the Internet. I walked him to the bus stop.
While we were waiting for the bus, 5 young people approached me and asked how could they get to the city. I wander. Do I look like a tourist guide? These 20+ Chinese young people are working in Singapore and came to Cambodia for holiday during the weekend. I asked all of them to take the public bus 3 with me to the market centre. On the bus, we realised that it was the first day of the New Year in Cambodia and the public buses are free for all. We saved 53 cents each.
The old man decided not to stay in the same hotel with me because I was staying with 9 other foreigners in a room and he couldn’t bring girls into the room. He stayed in a hotel not far from mine and paid S$45 a night. Well, I paid S$8 a night for a bed in a dormitory and a swimming outside of the room.
The Killing Fields are the sites where collectively more than 1.3 million people were killed and buried by the Communist Party of Kampuchea during Khmer Rouge rule from 1975 to 1979, immediately after the end of the Cambodian Civil War (1970–75).
Because I could not stop for Death – He kindly stopped for me – The Carriage held but just Ourselves – And Immortality ….. Emily Dickinson (1830 – 1886).
Welcome to the blue city of Chefchauen
You will see many shades of blue here
All of them are in different tones and hues
None of them are the same
The sky is blue, the sea is blue
The buildings are blue and the roads are also blue
Blue can soothe your soul
Blue can provide you comfort
Blue can also make you fall in love
I am already in love with Chefchauen
I checked into the Casa Khaldi Hotel which it not far from the entrance of the city. Hotels inside the city will cost more.
Blue, blue, my love is blue and I am in love with blue. Almost everything is in blue.
Finally, I managed to board the bus to Tanger despite it was more than an hour late.
From the desert area, I told the guide that I would want to go to Fes. He dropped me at a bus terminal gave me instructions to take the local bus. The rest of the people followed the bus back to Marrakesh .
It was an unforgettable 12 hours ride with locals brought chickens onto the bus. Finally, the bus arrived in Fes. This is a place that is surrounded by walls.
I walked into the shopping aIley and was unable to come out; I got lost in the maze. I walked into a barber shop to have a hair cut and, at the same time, ask for directions to get out of the maze. After some walking, I still unable to get out of the alley. It was only after many tries of following the foot steps of the locals people, I found the exit.
I visited the remarkable sights of the Chouara Tanneries and this is worth the trip to Fes.
The houses in Fes
I met up with these 2 boys who did not want to show their faces in the pictures.
The internet shows that the hotel is near the main entrance. When I arrived in Fes, I found that there are many entrances. I asked a young couple and they referred me to a middle age man. This man took me to his hotel saying that the hotel I have booked is already closed down. He wanted me to stay in his hotel but I refused and walked out. I asked another man and he helped me to call the hotel. Finally, the young lady from the hotel came to pick me up with a bicycle.
While waiting for the bus to my next destination, I had some food and drink at the bus terminal
Said is a mountain guide. If you do want to have some trekking experiences in the mountains of Morocco, you could contact him to arrange for the trip.
I took the train from Casablanca and arrived in Marrakesh. Getting out of the train station was like walking into an oven. The weather during August was more than 40 degree C. Luckily, I have made arrangement to stay with the Berber family in the mountain. The weather in the mountain is cooler.
Said took me to the small town for some food before we proceed to the mountain.
This man post for me to take pictures and later he asked me for money.
Finally we reached Said’s house. I had the chance to taste the home-cook traditional Moroccan food.
Said took me out to show me the surrounding area.
In the late afternoon, I followed Said up to the mountain and watched a football match.
Falling in Love in Casablanca
Drinking champagne and eating caviar
Watching the world goes by
Realised a kiss is not a kiss in Casablanca
A kiss is not a kiss if you are not by my side
Come with me to Casablanca
I will love you more as time goes by
There are so many broken hearts in Casablanca
Throwing away champagne and unfinished caviar
The world still goes by
A kiss is still not a kiss in Casablanca
A kiss will never be a kiss if you are not by my side
Please come with me to Casablanca
I will love you more as time goes by
Arrived in the romantic city of Casablanca on a sunny Saturday afternoon. From the airport, I took the train to the city. I got off from the Gare de Casa Voyageurs station and took the impressive metro to the city.
I only stayed 2 nights in Casablanca but I managed to visit some interesting places.
This market place is full with people. It sells almost any things from fruits, clothes and others. With my limited French, I managed to get myself a pair of slipper after some bargaining.
The next day, I walked around taking pictures and I reached the Grand Casablanca. I did not manage to get it as it was closed.
I walked further and took more pictures.
I found a restaurant called Chinatown. There are also McDonald’s and Burger King.
I passed by the beaches and hotels.
I met up with Mahdi in the cafe. I stayed in his apartment for 2 nights.
I took the unpleasant train ride to Marrakesh. I think they might have over sold the second class train tickets as many people couldn’t even get into the train when it reached the Casa-Oasis railway station. I had to wait for 2 hours for the next train. Moreover, the train was delayed for 30 minutes. I had a tough fight with the other passengers to get myself, my 28 inches luggage and haversack up into the train. The cabins were just physically full and many of us had to stand along the narrow pathway for 3 long hours. Next time I must get first class ticket so that I could have a more comfortable ride.
I had an interesting chat with the Berber on the public bus from the town in the mountain to the city of Marrakesh. My seat mate was so helpful that he asked his friend to drive me to the hotel, in the Marrakesh square.
I had a delightful night in the Marrakesh square with Moroccan kebab, pea soup, green salad, mint tea, belly dancers, charming snakes, mischievous monkeys and Arabic music.
From Marrakesh, I took a 3 days and 2 nights magnificent tour to the Sahara Desert. It was a long 2 days drive from the city to the border of the desert.
We stopover for a mountain view. We also visited the mountain pottery making place.
We had another stopover at a cafe for lunch .
We had dinner in the hotel and stayed there for a night. I shared the room with another 2 people.
The next day, we visited the carpet making place.
We proceeded for more sightseeing.
Aït Benhaddou (Arabic: آيت بن حدّو) is a historic ighrem or ksar (fortified village) along the former caravan route between the Sahara and Marrakesh in Morocco. It is considered a great example of Moroccan earthen clay architecture and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987. We visited this place.
Movies like The Mummy and Gladiator are shot here.
Finally, we reached the border of the desert in the late afternoon.
We rode on the camel into the desert for about one and the half hour before we reached the camp side at about 8pm. Dinner was well prepared for us. We were entertained by the locals with songs and dances under a wonderful Arabic starry night. We left the desert in the next morning at about 6am.
Reached Tanger in the late afternoon. This Melting Pot Hostel is difficult to locate if you do not have someone to bring you there.
When the taxi dropped me at the entrance of the Medina, this man rushed to me saying that he will bring me to the hostel. This looks like I have made arrangement with the hostel to pick me up but I did not. After a few turns of corners, I asked the man do I need to pay him. He said 5 Euro. I stopped. He also stopped and looked back. I said 10 Dirhams. He said okay. We continued for another few more turns before we reached the hostel.
Normally, I will book a hotel that provides breakfast when I am travelling.
After I have settled down in the hostel, I went out for dinner in this expensive petite restaurant.
The next morning, I saw the man waiting outside the hostel. He offered to show me around but I refused. I walked alone and got lost in the maze again. However, I managed to find the way back to the hostel after a few hard tries of turns.
The next day, I took the ferry and crossed the Strait of Gibraltar to Spain. The immigration and customs checks were easy to pass through with a Singapore passport.
