My journey south from Marrakech towards the Moroccan Sahara was going to be in three phases. First we travelled through Tizi n’Tichka – the highest mountain pass in North Africa. Then we took a short detour to Aït Benhaddou, which is a fortified city that featured in lots of famous films like Lawrence of Arabia, Time Bandits, Gladiator and The…
Comments closedCasablanca is the financial centre of the country, but it’s not exactly the most culturally interesting place to explore in Morocco. Therefore, I planned to spend just one night there. Most people probably know the city from the 1940s WW2 film starring Humphrey Bogart. For me, however, Casablanca’s claim to fame is that it’s home to the third largest mosque…
Leave a CommentThe train journey from Fes to Rabat was a mere three hours and once again I’d booked myself into the hotel next to my destination station. And once again it was a wise move as the Ibis proved a great base from which to explore the Moroccan capital. Rabat Medina The first day’s exploration would, naturally, start at the city’s…
Leave a CommentAfter an eight hour train journey from Marrakech I arrived in Fes, and being organised I’d booked myself into a hotel right next to the main train station. I’m a big fan of Accor hotels and the Ibis is a brand I’ve used and trusted for a long time, so it was a welcome sight after a tiring journey. And…
Leave a CommentAutumn 2015 and I was back in Marrakech – for my FOURTH visit – and once again playing tour guide for family members who have never been before. Only this time, I was also going to use this trip as an opportunity to visit lots of different cities in Morocco. Before we did that though, we spent a few days…
Leave a CommentHebron is a city inside the West Bank, and was occupied by the Israeli army in 1967. It’s a holy city for Muslims, Jews and Christians. The Prophet Ibrahim and many of his family are buried there. This was an exclusively Muslim city for a long, long time. Then the Zionists moved in 400 colonists. And more than 4000 soldiers!…
Leave a CommentJesus Christ!! So I took a day trip to the region where the Prophet Yeshua (aka Īsā ibn Maryam) spent most of his life. Visited his home town of Nazareth, and the places where he and his family lived and worked. Then went to view the Sea of Galilee – where I went for a quick paddle in the water.…
Leave a CommentThe Dead Sea is the second saltiest body of water in the world and the lowest place on Earth. Nothing can survive there, not even bacteria, because of the extreme saltiness of the water. I went on a day trip to see it for myself. Quite a weird experience swimming in it, as the dense water means you can’t sink…
Leave a CommentRamallah, in the West Bank, is the de facto capital city of the Palestinian Authority, and they operate their main offices here, as the Israelis don’t let them operate from Jerusalem. Yasser Arafat is buried here. You can get to Ramallah by taking a bus from Jerusalem town centre, and I was impressed I managed to make it there and…
Leave a CommentJerusalem is a holy city for two of the world’s major religions – and for one minor one too. It’s a location I’d always wanted to see in person, just because I wanted to know what all the fuss was about. I’m not a particularly “spiritual” person. I’m not easily moved by supposedly holy or historically significant places. But… Jerusalem…
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