A Journey to Morocco

One of the joys of being a tour organizer is that you get to choose places that hold a special fascination. After several trips to Egypt and Bali I decided it was time to expand, including other sacred and ancient cultures.
Morocco, an exotic country basking under the clear African sky.
I contacted women who had been with me on other journeys, told them about my idea of Morocco and 5 immediatley said YES! Other women heard, contacted me, and soon it became an all women tour with 15 of us heading for Morocco and the Sacred Music Festival.
Several people said I was mad to put a group of middle aged women together, I was asking for trouble. Well I am here to tell you that it was one of the most supportive, sharing, high-spirited, life changing experiences in all of our lives. It was not without it's moments either.
Travel stretches and expands like no other experience. You might learn things about yourself that have been hidden for years. The interactions with people from different belief systems enhances your tolerence for diversity. I have observed people blossom into their authentic selves while traveling.

After hiking in the souks with backpacks filled to maximum there were massages given to sore shoulders, and a bit of reflexology for those sore feet. One woman could tell us the name of every tree and flower we encountered. Artists, the identical twins, saw the beauty in everything. So much so that they bought one of the incredible Riads in the Fez medina to hold art and writing workshops.
Morocco is a photographers paradise. Our traveling professional photographer changed the film in my broken camera each day in her makeshift "black box" while giving tips for the best photos in such harsh bright light. Everyone brought something to the mix.
A sharing supportive camaraderie developed as though we were all best friends from the start, when in fact almost none of us knew each other.
We arrived in Casablanca, met up with the American women and boarded our Mercedes mini bus. With Hassan at the wheel, and Omar as our guide, we headed straight for Marrakech
High spirited, independant women were not at all like Omar's usual groups. With lots of laughing and teasing he finally began to unwind, relax, and share in the laughter.
As we entered Marrakech every building was the terra cotta colour of the earth. We made our way to our Riad, down narrow lanes that wound through the medina. As we entered it was like stepping into Ali Baba's living room.
Riads are old townhouses located in the medinas of Morocco. Several stories tall, no windows, only a door on an alleyway. Inside they are magnificent, all different to each other except....they all have a water feature of some kind from a fountain to a dipping pool. Roses, lemon trees, Ficus trees, all planted in the center with an open sky that provides the only natural light for the Riad.
On the roof you will find outdoor living to perfection. There are canopies to block the harsh sun, potted trees, palms, flowers, with comfy furniture to lounge around on.
Peep over the side and you can watch the bustling medina below.