Morocco 2010 - the Medina and Mausoleum

This was threatening to be a 77 picture post. I try to keep them at four pictures, but this one is probably going to be in the twenty range. Thursday morning I woke up at 0430. This phenomenon would be repeated Friday morning as well which made me a little grumpy.


I've been awake at 0430 three days in row now after getting home quite late after more army gigs, so apparently jet lag just makes me lose morning sleep. Thursday was our only day without a concert and a trip to Fez was planned. Unfortunately the embassy thought that we would get drunk, crazy, arrested, etc . . . The trip to Fez got cancelled.


Off we headed after the morning formation to the Medina. Morning formation was on the fifth floor of the hotel by the pool. Nice view from the top.

The Medina is an open market in Rabat just blocks away from our hotel. The embassy employee said there was no way we could walk there - it was less than a half mile walk to the entrance. Taxis are for sissies.


The Medina is a hustle and bustle market surrounded by a fortress wall in Rabat. I think the word Medina is generic for market as there are medinas in other cities; I could be wrong. There were oodles of shops selling everything from books to leather to spices to produce to woodwork to carpets to waiting to be slaughtered chickens. There was even a guy who had a bowl of live turtles. Not sure if they were for pets or soup.

Lots of the Medina is residential

I had my first taste of Poms soda. It's an apple soda which has been mysteriously absent from American markets since the demise of Apple Slice. You can get Apple Manzana in the walmart brand of soda and it's pretty good - not as good as Poms.

You can see the Medina wall behind the stop sign or stop sledding sign if you believe MaryElla.

We grabbed a bite to eat and then headed for the Hassan tower grounds to tour the Mausoleum of Mohammed V. As we approached the grounds, an aggressive henna tattoo artist put tattoos on two of my traveling companions. Not exactly sure what henna is (it might be camel droppings) or how long it would take to wash off, I passed.

The mausoleum grounds are guarded by ceremonial soldiers some on horseback. The site of the never completed mosque still has the pillars throughout.

and the mausoleum

inside the mausoleum

too many pictures already - wikipedia link to the mausoleum


More in a couple of days


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