Lisbon, Portugal

Hey folks!

Arriving in Portugal had me travel for over 2 days . From Casablanca I took a 7 hour train to Tangier. Then a 1 hour ferry ride to Tarifa. From Tarifa over to Algericas where I caught a 7 hour bus to Lisbon. Phffewwf!

I arrived in Lisbon at 6:30 in the AM. (Sorry listening to way too much Dane Cook) I was so pleasantly surprised walking around in the deserted, quiet streets. There was a morning fog coming from the sea giving the city such a nice ambiance. Quite a romantic city for sure.



I had to chill out in the massive Praca do Comerico and wait for the internet cafes to open. At about 10 in the AM I found a nice hostel online then headed over. The hostel I found is incredible. Its cheap, clean, free internet, great showers, nice beds, amazing 1st floor view over the central streets and has a great kitchen. Top 10 I've stayed in for sure. All the hostels in Portugal are literally under 1 year old. Its a booming business and things are looking great.



On day two I strolled the famous Baixa district in search of some good photos. I had some coffee and a croissants and strolled through the great narrow, winding streets. The weather couldn't be any better. Its a solid 30 in the day and around 15-20 at night.






Lisbon reminds me a little of Istanbul. Its a little rough around the edges but that just adds more charm. The Portuguese are a lot more reserved than the Spanish. The streets get quiet at night and you can have your peace. I read some graffiti on the wall today that said, "Respect the peace or go to Spain", so true.



By night I have been strolling around snapping some photos just after dusk. There are a few that match the first shots in the fog.



The last picture shows a great freestanding elevator that shows you incredible views over Lisbon. I will take the ride up tomorrow and post the shots in a few days.



More to come. Portugal's capital is giving me a great impression of the last western frontier in Europe.

Adeus (Goodbye)

D.

Casablanca, Morocco

Hey folks!

From Essaouira I headed north along the coast to Casablanca. The city pulses with commerce and houses some wonderful fusion architecture like the Mosque of Hassan II.

Enjoy the photos!



The mosque itself is absolutely huge, not to mention costly. This beast amounted just over the 500 million Euro mark. Unreal considering the amount of slums around Casablanca. Nonetheless this Mosque is stunning both inside and out.



The inside is really the part that takes your breath away. Designed by a French architect, the mosque can house Paris's Notre Dame or Romes St. Peters Basilica.





Getting the last shot required climbing an apartment complex and standing on the rooftop. Id say it was worth it.



Next posts will be over Portugal,

D.

Essaoura, Morocco

Hey Folks!

From Marrakesh I headed over to the coast for some downtime. The small coastal-port town of Essaoura is a treat. Full of culture and certainly good seafood, Essaoura is a great place to dine then stroll the sand.


Morocco's largest beach is located just outside the neat Medina in Essaoura. The Medina itself is uniquely coloured white and blue reminiscent of Greece's Isles.



The locals certainly love to eat a wide diversity of foods. Everything from shark, octopus, sting ray, and eel can be eaten. Id like to say I felt comfortable with those choices but I wasn't.



Most of my photos come from the harbor areas. Smatterings of boats and fisherman race around for the days catch. The smells left me stunned and the wind did nothing to taper off the wafts.



There was some great fortress remnants that added some colour to the evening. Morocco seems to always have something unique that you don't expect.




The sunset was cut off a little early due to the heavy horizon clouds. I managed to get some great fishing footage. The locals aren't afraid to dive in, literally, into the sea and grab the fish bare handed.



Until next post. I miss you all dearly.

D.

Marrakech, Morocco

Hey Folks!

I cruised out of the desert wasteland that is Eastern Morocco into Marrakesh. Marrakesh is quite the city. Its certainly more aggressive and southern capital maintains a relentless pace.



Marrakesh would probably be just another imperial city without the addition of the famous Djenaa el Fna, the focal point of the Medina.



The sounds, smells, sights all add up to make Marrakesh a great focal point to southern Morocco. The square is massive. During the day you can see acrobats, dancers, musicians, fable tellers, snake charmers, henna artists, and more! By night the place becomes a huge open-air restaurant.



The souqs are much more touristed and you can pick up some wonderful gear here. I choose to purchase four white shirts and another great leather bag. You will probably see me wearing my shirts for the next while, they are perfect for travel.



Tons of animals lit up the square. I saw monkeys, snakes, chameleons, turtles, cats , dogs, parrots, and even a darting chipmunk.



During the day you can shop, or if your patient, get your entire body painted with henna. Im not posting any souq photos because your all seen way too much of them in past posts. (Although Marrakesh has the largest in Morocco)



I mostly choose to dart through the crowds and try to take pictures of all the crazy snakes. They aggressively want you to pay them for photos.

Stopping to listen to the story tellers is something else. These guys are often deliriously ranting about something silly, most of the time its in Arabic so I couldn't understand.



By night the square gets even more interesting. The tourists seem to disappear as all the vendors cook up a storm. My favorite was snail soup with some lamb kebabs.