Home » Togo Morocco Mali Ghana Burkina Faso Benin Algeria » 1992 Diary - Africa (Part 1)

On the evening of Sunday 26th January my best mate, Mark, drove me from London to the port of Felixstowe, where I was scheduled to begin my 9 month Trans Africa expedition! I entered the P&O Passenger Terminal and eagerly scanned the terminal for a likely looking crowd, sure enough there was a small group with backpacks and sun hats! Our boat was due to set sail for Zeebrugge, Belgium at 11.00pm, so I spent some time getting to know the group. It felt strange to think I would be traveling with this group for 20 weeks overland from England to Kenya! We boarded the ship and after a brief chat everyone decided to bed down. I soon realized the tone of the trip when I discovered that our 'cabin' was actually the floor of the lounge!

1992 Diary - Africa (Part 1)

Gjcmcclurg
2005-12-23 14:19:09

Displayed times (last time: )

/>mohassan.jpg (25332 bytes) On 2nd February we arrived in Ceuta, Morocco and began our trip proper on the African continent. It felt good to be away from the mid winter European climate and on our way across the world's second largest continent. Our first stop in Morocco was the charming coastal town of Asilah. The fortress like town was riddled with narrow winding streets and white washed buildings. The people seemed friendly and warm, however there were the typical insistent Moroccan guides who pursued us. I had thought that these types of guys would have been limited to the big tourist destinations. Next stop was the Moroccan capital, Rabat. Paula and I visited the main medina and checked out the hundreds of tiny shops stocked with everything imaginable. The huge variety of spices, grains and nuts caught my attention, as did the little tradesmen shops for leather, carpets and bronze ware. We also had a walk around the Tour Hassan (1195 AD) with its smartly dressed horseback guards.

From Rabat we traveled to Fez via the Roman ruins of Volubilis, built in the 1st century BC. For me the ruins were not really that impressive, but they made a pleasant stop on our journey. The city of Fez was quite a highlight of Morocco and it's culture. The old city and medina were built at the beginning of the 9th century and used to be considered as the 3rd holy city of Islam. We stayed for a couple of days and toured the Sultans Palace, Jewish Quarter, Jewish Cemetery, main medina and the El Bali medina. For me the medinas were the real highlight, with the never ending maze of winding narrow streets and every little cubbyhole containing an "industrial unit". Despite the harsh Moroccan sun, much of the medina seemed almost dark due to the overhanging houses hiding the sky. The medinas seemed to be a complete onslaught to the senses, with the sights, the colors, the smell of spices, smoke from the charcoal fires, the squalor, the sound of the little workshops ...