T.I.A Mate!

Suddenly the time had come to get back on the travelling buzz and head to the warmer climes of Morocco. After a full english breakfast it was time to say goodbye to Nick’s brother who is heading back to NZ as well as Anna (who we had been staying with) who was also heading home but not before 6 months in Central and South America. Now have we talked about English weather? Well it had largely been fantastic until early Sunday morning the fog rolled in (creating lovely images) but closing airports. Luckily our 3.30pm flight was able to leave but not until 7.30pm meaning a rather late arrival in Marrakech. 

The pre booked taxi was totally worth it as it saved us having to negotiate our way through the rabbit warren of the old city to find our hostel. Piping hot cups of mint tea greeted us on arrival which were much needed. Feeling rejuvenated after a good sleep, and traditional breakfast we hit the busy markets we had heard so much about. We were instantly lost not that that was a bad thing as there was so much to see. The narrow streets are like a real live maze stacked full of produce and crafts or every shape and colour. Although keen to make a sale the locals were friendly enough and nowhere near as aggressive and in your face as we expected. 

Lucy was dying to sample the local  tajine for dinner so we hit the main square which was heaving. Despite every restaurant owner claiming to be the best we finally settled on one and ordered meat targine and meat couscous. Although they said it was beef it clearly was camel but tasted pretty good. 

As we had to be back in Marrakech in 4 days to meet up with Tim (who we had been staying with in London) we set off on the long journey to Chefchouen, the famed blue city. We got the train most of the way before a bus took us the last wee bit and although comfortable and hassle free it was a long tiring day but with great scenery. Another bright sunny day greeted us as we tucked into delicious Moroccan crepes drizzled in honey. We then set about buying some local produce for a picnic lunch which we planned on eating at a mosque overlooking the city. The produce from the markets is very cheap and so good. My favourite was the olives and fresh rolls, although the dried figs and caramel roasted peanuts are also pretty tasty. 

After climbing to the mosque we set about discovering the ins and outs of the blue alleyways. The blue is to meant to ward off plagues of Mosquitos but either way it certainly makes for interesting viewing. Every turn presented another photo op especially in the late afternoon sun but once this had set it was time to fill our bellies once again and you guessed it it was another tajine washed down with more mint tea!

Departing the tranquil city of Chefchouen with a bag full of 2 dirham (30 cent) chocolate croissants we piled into a bus bound for Fez. Although it was an upgrade from the chicken buses in Central it still was hot and stuffy and very full and there defiantly was not the same politeness with men not vacating their seats for women and the elderly. 

To our surprise we managed to navigate our way through the maze of Fez and with a little bargaining find ourselves a great hostel with very helpful, friendly staff. We only had half a day so we ripped around the gardens and and watched the sunset from some old ruins overlooking the city before navigating through the alleys back to our hostel. We didn't realise but it was a holiday so the majority of the market stalls were closed meaning the streets were very quiet. Dinner was a great fresh bun filled with a mixture of bbq meat and onion washed down with fresh mint tea and an orange for desert all for less than $2.

We opted for the comfort of the train to take us back South to meet Tim in Marrakech. After getting slightly lost in the maize of the medina we managed to reunite. We had another day to explore Marrakech together before our excursion to the desert. Having booked this we set about walking, talking, bargaining and sampling the local produce with Lucy picking up a nice pashmina and the boys leading on poor shop keepers. Apparently beer was served at a bar overlooking the main square so we headed there for sunset only to find coke to relieve our parched throats.

After a quick pastry and banana for breakfast and we were off to the Sahara although not before a fair bit of mucking around on our drivers behalf. First photo stop was half way up the high Atlas Mountains which proved to be very spectacular especially if you understood a little geology. The scenery was great as we slowly made our way up to 2260m before descending down to the Unesco heritage site of Ait he'd beddon. This old fortified town used to provide shelter for the travelling camel caravans but now is popular with movie makers with gladiator, game of thrones and others filmed here. 

Although we were told everything was included in our tour except lunch we were a little aggrieved when the Berber guide asked for money. This resulted in a heated exchange and further distrust towards the local people. Unfortunately for our driver no one in our group was prepared to eat at the ridiculously overpriced restaurant he has to stop at. Luckily for us we had prepared earlier a nice wee picnic of nuts, bread, fruit and great tasting dates which saw us through a few more photo stops and a lot of driving to reach our hotel. 

Our whole group was up early and eagerly awaiting to depart for the desert but before we reached it we visited a spectacular gorge, local village gardens and a family who hand make beautiful woollen carpets that unfortunately wouldn't have fitted into our small backpacks. The landscape got progressively drier until finally in the distance golden dunes appeared. Boy what a picture they were in the afternoon sunlight. Saddling up some big smelly camels we set off for our Berber desert camp. 

The camels were much easier and more comfortable to ride than a Cuban horse but after nearly two hours we were all ready to jump off and play in the worlds biggest sandpit. Rolling and jumping in and throwing the fine red sand was like reliving a childhood dream but before it got dark we had to race to the top of the highest dune to watch the sun disappear. After a dinner of couscous, vegetables and chicken we donned thick blankets and hit the dunes for a spot of star gazing seeing a number of shooting stars.

Being rudely awaken at 5am we wrapped up warm and packed up our bags before saddling up on our moaning old camels. The first part of our camel ride out was under the dark stary sky before the horizon slowly lit up and revealed another nice sunny day. Hot mint tea helped to warm us up after dismounting our camels and after a feed of omelettes, bread and jam we hit the road for the long drive back to Marrakech. We took a slightly different route back which proved to be just as scenic especially the folded and faulted nature of the lower Atlas Mountains and the dry grassy plans dotted with trees which looked stereotypical Africa. 

Arriving back in Marrakech tired but satisfied with our adventure into the desert we had to set about planning the next few days but not before a quarter chicken and freshly squeezed orange juice each. The wee orange juice carts in Marrakech are world famous for good reason as for 4 Durham (60 cents) you get a glass of the best juice. Deciding on a bit of beach time we set off to Essouira after a lazy start. The main highway and extra $$ for the nice bus meant a smooth ride and upon disembarking it was on to the beach promenade. The huge beach was relatively deserted and the strong summer winds absent which made for a nice stroll into the old town in search of some accommodation. In Morocco there are always people wanting to help you, normally for a small fee but occasionally not. Mohamed was a young surfer guy who probably wished he had just let us walk by as we set about driving a very hard bargain on a place to stay, by the third hostel we were satisfied and settled in. 

The hostels in Morocco have been some of the best we have encountered on our travels with most having a nice terrace and central atrium lounge perfect for eating the delicious fresh fish filled sandwiches which were so cheap in Essouira. Having already ticked off some huge geographical landmarks on this trip including the African continent, High Atlas Mountains and Sahara Desert it was time to tick off another with our first swim in the Atlantic Ocean. Although not as crystal clear and inviting as our beloved Pacific it still provide the same cool refreshing sensation and perfect backdrop to a setting sun. 

After a leisurely breakfast and a nice stroll along the beach it was time for a little work out as the boys went for a run and continued the daily routine of 10 down press ups. Unfortunately the surf was flat so instead we opted to check out the local fishing boats and their catch which consisted of all sorts of fish big and small and also plenty of hungry cats looking for a feed. Cats seem to be everywhere in Morocco which is not particularly pleasant. Being Friday night we thought we had earned a cold beer and to our relief their was a tiny “hole in the wall” bar overlooking the beach which served ice cold but kinda expensive beer, they hardly touched the sides! 

The next morning it was time to say goodbye to Tim who had been a fantastic travel buddy for the last week as he was off back to the London grind. After putting him on a bus and sorting out one for ourselves the next day we tried to get to the beach on the north side only to be thwarted by 12 foot high walls. We did however discover the old fort complete with a large arsenal of cannons and seagulls. With our days fast running out until we start work it was time to drag Nick into a local barber and sharpen him up. Wow what a process, the young barber was stoked to have a foreigner in his shop and did an immaculate job removing the mullet. Next came the 3 and a half month beard and after battling through the scrub with a weed eater it was time for the cut throat. It took the biggest brand new blade before a fresh smooth faced boy appeared. 

What a change, Nick was hardly recognisable and no longer got all the attention of the local shop owners shouting Alibaba (a famous movie man who was white, rich, had a big beard oh and had 40 wives) but had lost his ability to intimidate persistent local touts. Note to fellow travellers, big scruffy beards do the world of good at warding off little weasel touts. 

With only a couple more nights left in this cool sunny country we headed further south to the wee surf town of Taghozout where we hoped to catch a wave. Although the local board renters informed us the waves were excellent they were tiny and not worth renting a board for so instead it was time for some rays and for Nick to loose his beard tan lines. We didn't do much to be fair, a long walk along the beach one day and a run the next plus a few swims, ice cream, pizza and fresh fish and before we knew it we were on the bus back once again to Marrakech for our flight back to cold old London. 

We were surprised with level of construction occurring in Morocco with a huge resort complete with about a dozen pools and numerous golf courses being built on the waterfront in Taghozout. This will certainly change the atmosphere of the place but maybe it might bring improved services to the area and treat some of the sewage that currently just drains untreated straight into the ocean.

One unfortunate lasting memory from Morocco was the huge amounts of plastic bags and other plastic rubbish discarded and left to blow over the barren flat land for miles. Not only unsightly it must be a real problem to the farmers trying to plough and seed their land not to mention the problems it causes to our marine life. 

Black to the future

Wow what a two weeks in the UK it has been, we are certainly leaving in a very jovial state although still battling from too many beers and late nights out! Anyway last time you tuned in we had managed to board our plane and eventually take to the air bound for London. Being far too excited for sleep we arrived Friday morning before the the big quarter final (only finding out on the plane France were our opponents) but still with a fair bit of travel in front of us. A quick reunion with Nick’s brother Tom at the bus station before the three of us set off to Cardiff. 

After a quick photo at the now famous rugby ball in the Cardiff Castle wall it was on a train bound for a small village where a good friend of Toms (they had met once on a camel ride in Morocco) lived. After a feed of kiwi staples (pie and fish n chips) we settled into cold old Wales. 

Rugby day consisted of firstly working out either a place to stay in downtown Cardiff or how we would get back to the little village an hour away… Luckily after a bit of networking we were offered a postman pat van right in the city center. With that sorted we did a quick whisk around an interesting open air museum full of old houses and gardens before trying to battle our way into a pub to watch the first quarter final.

Cardiff was heaving and we lined up for what seemed like ages before eventually squeezing into a rammed bar with only 2 screens… It is amazing how many people we knew and we were bumping into long lost friends all night. And what a night, we were confident in beating the French and redeeming the 2007 loss but then you also never quite knew what to expect. Let's just say our seats were epic, the atmosphere awesome and the night stretched into morning making watching the two Sunday quarter finals a battle.

Thanks to Gushy we now had a some extra clothing and a paraglider to cart around but we managed to lug it across country to our new 2 week home in London with Timmy! It was great to catch up and knock the top off a bottle of Cuban rum before we set about exploring London’s attractions. We had a lot to cram in but unfortunately Lucy picked up a tummy bug just after we had been skiting about not getting sick and having iron stomachs thus hampering our exploration. We did manage to get out and about and catch up with a number of old pals. 

A vast number of these had tickets to the semi and although we tried we could not manage to secure any. Instead we kitted up in black and headed to Twickenham for some pre-match ales and a faint hope of scoring scalper tickets. This failed so we set up camp at the now relatively deserted pub with the Gush boys and a nice mix of other nationalities. I don't think we need to go into the game other than after such tension the elation of winning caused for celebration. Lucy still not feeling a hundy snuck away after the match while Nick and Tim managed to make it home thanks to the awesome pool bikes (which are everywhere) by sunrise. 

Sunday was a beautiful day so we made the most of it by strolling through Hyde park and checking out the sights around there before hitting up the Trafalgar Square fan zone. We all know England didn't make the quarters and therefore didn't really care any more but we thought the guy at the fan zone entrance was having us on when at 3:50pm he said that the fan zone was closing in 10 min and not showing the game… He wasn't, so feeling very dumbfounded we stumbled around London before eventually finding a pub to watch it and settled in with a nice cold water. 

The other big sporting news about town was the Chris Cairns trial so Nick and his brother went along to sit in the public gallery. They found it very interesting with lots of he said she said shared but very little hard evidence. The boys met up with a rejuvenated Lucy in the afternoon and strolled through the Tate Modern Museum and left feeling no more enlightened (confused) about modern art. 

An old Otago friend of the ours (Nina) is studying in Oxford (where Nick used to live) so we went and paid a visit for a couple of nights. After a picnic in Christ Church Meadow and a walk through the spired city past Nick’s old house and a few of his hangouts we ended up at the Ashmolean Museum. Not only is the building fantastic the five floors are so full of artefacts you would need a whole week to explore it all. Nina is on the climbing club so the boys jumped at the chance to hit the indoor wall with her and test out their skills. 

Taking advantage of Nina’s student card and local knowledge we got inside a couple of the colleges and checked out their impressive dining halls and chapels before having a sit down lunch at her college. The afternoon was spent in the very cool Natural History Museum. Before getting the bus back to London the next day we wandered through the covered market before letting Lucy loose again in the Ashmolean Museum again, what a mistake. Well she was only 40mins late for our rondevioux. 

Nicks old house

Feeling a little dusty after a Friday night fair well drinks and a Halloween party but fizzing with excitement for the game it was a big breakfast before a truck across town to the Richmond fan zone that we were promised was showing the game! England is famous for its foul grey weather but as a whole it had been pretty good throughout our stay and finals day was superb. The fan zone was in a huge paddock with outdoor screens and a huge one in a marquee. Unfortunately with all this space they still couldn't provide enough beer tents and the que was at least an hour long as they poured a beer one at a time and had a huge drinks menu. Luckily the rugby and atmosphere was much better so we won't dwell on it and with a crowd of two thirds kiwi it was a huge party. London is a big place and can be difficult to navigate especially in the wee hours of the morning when the fog has rolled in and you can't see the anything. We did make it home by sunrise though!

Sunday was a very slow day but as we recounted the night, celebrated the victory and absorbed the media response we could bask knowing we are world champs for four more years once again! 

Havana Club

Touching down in Cuba you got a sense right away that things were different here… the relic terminal posed few problems and we were greeted at the entrance by our prearranged friendly taxi driver who of course was driving an old 1950’s car. After nearly choking to death on the diesel fumes we made it to our casa (house) which was a cool old apartment with everything we needed. 

Breakfast consisted of freshly made donuts for 8cents and bananas which were the cheapest yet at 25 for a dollar! Walking the streets of old Havana was great fun the cars and buildings are fantastic if a little strange as they are all so grand but there are so few people. We visited the revolution plaza complete with huge faces of Che and Castro as well as an old sugar barons house which has been turned into a museum. Lunch was a 25 cent pizza and a much needed cold juice before we continued our walk towards the sea. Although the streets in Havana were much cleaner than in neighbouring Central America the waterfront was not. The crystal clear waters were spoilt by rubbish including tar which had clearly just been dumped over the edge. 

Continuing on with the local street food theme we were out wandering the streets when a persistent local sold us a plate of the usual rice and beans accompanied with either pork or chicken, avocado and banana. Also included was a cold drink, home baked cupcake and cigar and an inflated tourist tax and it still only came to $4! 

Unfortunately the diesel smoke or some other more sinister bug took nick down and he spent the next 2 days more or less in bed with a fever which is very unlike him! We did manage to get out for an ice cream which are excellent and dirt cheap in Cuba but didn't make it to the local botanical gardens though not through lack of trying… Every time we went they said it had just closed and come back in the morning..

Nick managed to drag his sorry arse out of bed and we took an early morning taxi to the bus station only to find out our ridiculously overpriced bus wasn't going for another 3 hours therefore turning the already long 6 hours bus trip into a very big day. Milking tourists for all they are worth, the bus stopped for an hour at an elaborate buffet restaurant before continuing on the journey down the huge four lane highway in each direction without a single other vehicle in sight. 

Finally making it to Trinidad bus terminal we were greeted with the most desperate and aggressive touts yet trying to sell accommodation. Pushing our way through the hordes and walking off we were approached by a quietly spoken, friendly lady who offered us a room for a tenner so we took it. We were more or less forced to buy dinner from our casa but it was a reasonable price and turned out to be pretty damn tasty. The old colonial streets were in parts very run down making it particularly hard to ride our hired bikes over but we managed to dodge the potholes and countless horse poo and find our way to the beach for a welcome swim. The uphill slog on the way home was a hot affair but the lobster for dinner replaced the burnt calories. 

The two of us have been together for nearly six years and in that time Nick has never been convinced to get on a horse, whether or not it was because he was still suffering from his mystery bug or it was just the very pushy nature of our casa host I'm not sure. What did happen though was we saddled a couple of old nags and headed out into the countryside. Never having ridden a mule before Nick was not particularly comfortable with being on a horse but did manage to hang on and only complained about having a sore bum after the SIX HOUR tour had ended! We did plod up to a nice waterfall where we had a refreshing swim though bypassed the optional pressured lunch.

The return leg from Trinidad to Havana was undertaken in a 1962 v8 Ford station wagon shared taxi which was considerably smooth and comfortable given its age. Being back in Havana we hit the streets to see the port area which we had missed on our previous visit and stocked up on cheap Cuban rum for our trip to London. We certainly did just that, in total we got 7 bottles of aged Cuban rum for less than $30 (we opted to avoid the local fill your own litre bottle for 80c). 

80c rum for 750ml...

Everyone's a car mechanic 

So with bags stuffed full of rum and our stomachs filled with the worst tasting hamburger ever we headed out to the airport early only to be greeted with a 2hour line for checkin which extended out the door. After one final unexpected tax, a broken bag escalator and a passenger who lost their passport we departed almost on time. 

Cuba was certainly a buzzy country that is well worth visiting and we are richer (not literally) due to the experience.