go sightseeing during transit in Singapore

Marlion Park	Singapore Zoological Garden

  Taxi drivers in Singapore seemed to be chatty.
I was thankful that most of them who headed for tourist attractions gave me some tourist information off-the-cuff.
Without time to lose, movement by taxi might have been not bad.
Therefore their recommendation was Jurong Bird Park and Crocodile Paradise.
Unfortunately, Marlion Park was only photogenic subject.

  In Bayview Inn Singapore, there was tour desk where Malaysian woman staff worked for.
Visitors could book sightseeing mainly tour of Gray Line Tours there.
And Japanese guided tour could be booked as well, however, it cost us three times as high as English one.
Hence, I chose English one because I didn't need Japanese speaking guide in order to get to only Singapore Zoological Garden and Mandai Orchid Garden.
Of course I wouldn't have used package tour if I had had time to spare.

  Japan's common saying "On the road you need a companion (Tabi-wa michidure)" is often said, but I didn't expect to go sightseeing with Japanese woman and her child.
In the end, we were like a family all day.
Solitary traveler may get various chances to meet.
But such a case is included, right?
Well, since we had seemed to be family on the face of it, we might have given uncomfortable feeling.
By the way, if you take a shower after checked out your room, you can do it at the side of the rooftop pool of this hotel.
And that may refresh you before leaving, especially in case of overnight journey, right?

  You can have a taste of multinational food in Singapore.
Of course representative food is Chinese one, you should go to Chinatown once at least.
If you would like to save your money, you might go to hawker's center.
However, since Singapore government insisting on keeping sanitation have a ban on doing street stand, there is not an atmosphere of hawker's center unlike other countries.
If anything Singapore's hawker's centers seem to be like fast food shops.
I was glad that the water was safe to drink from the tap like Japan.
There is seldom such a thing except Japan, right?

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In Sha' Allah! (If Allah wills.)

  It was the flight for about 16 hours and a half from Singapore to Madrid including the transit in Paris.
I strongly felt an atmosphere of rising Asian economy because there was many Chinese stock in the plane than what I had expected.
And it might have been caused by plunging European currencies.

  I boarded at business class from Madrid to Casablanca.
Because as for this section, business class ticket and normal economy class ticket were sold for same price at Japan's travel agency "HIS" that I used.
I used C-class lounge first time, it was very comfortable.
I sat drinking a cognac and reading a newspaper leisurely on soft sofa until departure.
As for the rest, I only worried whether I reached the hotel of Casablanca in safety.

  I had arranged to meet my friends who came from Tokyo at El Kandara Hotel in Casablanca.
We only booked this hotel through different Japan's travel agencies by necessity.
After all, that caused trouble what I had not expected.
I had sinking feeling because my friends said "travel agency made us change of reservation from El Kandara to Safir" when I called them up from Jakarta.
After all, both my reservation of El kandara and their one were canceled by mistake.
If I had not called them up from Jakarta, we might not have met in Casablanca, right?

  Since I was at pains to exchange travelers checks, you might bring cash rather than it when you come to Morocco.
You can take a bus or train downtown from airport, however, because it may be hard to find their terminal and these are not frequently, you might take a taxi.
If you take a taxi, you always need to bargain because there isn't usually regular price in Arabic countries.
You should ask a information staff of going rate in airport.

  There is couscous, tajine (stew of lamb or poultry) and harira (Moroccan national soup) as typical Moroccan food.
Talking of drinks, locals always have a mint tea called national drink.
I guess Non-Arabic people seldom have these food, but you should try to do once when you come here.
Of course restaurants where travelers can drink is restricted because here is Muslim country.
According to Japan's guidebook, harissa (hot sauce) which is used in dish rarely cause traveler's diarrhea.
It is God's will who is having diarrhea, right?

The reality of Morocco

  I thought there doesn't seem to be many tourist attractions in Casablanca.
If you dare to go sightseeing, one of tourist attractions is Hassan II Mosque and the Old Medina.
And if you intend to leave here from afternoon onward, you should go to the Old Medina and feel an atmosphere of Morocco.
Of course you don't forget to bargain when buy something.

  It is possible to get to Marrakech from Casablanca by any of buses, train and air.
However, cheapest and convenient way among them is buses.
Morocan bus service is divided into CTM (Compagnie de Transports au Maroc) of national bus service and private bus companies.
In the first case passangers can easily find a CTM bus station (near Farah Casablanca (ex Safir Hotel) and Sheraton Hotel) and share in the bounty of seat reservation system.
In the latter case, according to a guidebook, if you don't have time to lose, it would be better not to use private buses.
Of course it is not bad to take a train, but Casa Voyageurs station is some distance from downtown and all trains for Marrakech don't approach Casa Port station.
If you travel by air, you should fly to Ouarzazate, Fez, Agadir and other faraway cities.
Otherwise traveling by air may have no value for you.

  We had not booked any lodging yet when arrived Marrakech, we needed to be looking for one by ourselves.
However, it was hard for us to find a lodging as we turned hotel runners away because they came close to us one after another.
Hence, you should leave bus station after you put evasion into your mind against coming hotel runners.
In addition, you don't always receive a proper answer when you ask how to get to anywhere of locals.
And since I heard they don't say "I don't know. (Je ne sais pas.)" in order to keep their pride, it may be a headache for travelers.
After all, if you can size locals up and gain over good luck (God's good graces), you may win success in travel in Morocco, right?

  In Marrakech, only touts had not approached us.
We were invited to some Moroccan married couple being in business with Japanese for dinner.
They took us to Medina and guided Jemaa el-Fna for a short time.
And then we all had a dinner at local restaurant.
It is good that travelers have sometimes a chance to be such a case during on independent travel.
Of course our conversation was in Japanese, right?
They said me as parted, "when you come back here, please call on us." but I was sorry we couldn't meet again.

Are we Japanese Karate-man?

  Long distance buses between Marrakesh and Casablanca, Ouarzazate, Zagora, and other cities arrive in and depart from the Gare Routière bus terminal at Bab Doukkala of west side of Medina.
Needless to say, it is God willing whether you can take the target bus.
If you cannot take one, you should change your plan and go sightseeing in Medina.
I'm sure touts and self-appointed (unofficial) guide may be a good friend to talk to you.

  It is popular with tourists that get to Ouarzazate from Marrakech across the Atlas Mountains.
I really suggest you take a bus and enjoy driver's operating technique.
Since they burn up whatever punishing road, passengers are likely to hit own head against a roof.
Well, if you were to take a worse-case scenario, you may be rescued, God willing.
In Taddert Village on the way, you might have a brunch with circular Moroccan bread and mint tea.
Its bread was only 1DH (12Yen), it might have been locals' price.
Now that many flies are buzzing, it may be an unpleasant experience depends on tourists.

  Kasbah is only tourist attraction in Ouarzazate, I guess.
If you are planning to tour of Sahara Desert with camel, you might go to Zagora further ahead.
However, if you have hopped on consecutive days like us, it is important to take things easy and a rest.
Well, I don't know whether you can take a rest because local guide or touts come close to you.

  By the way, locals seemed to think all Japanese do Karate in Morocco.
Especially, children came close to us and said "Karate man," "Jackie Chan" or "Bruce Lee."
I gathered, locals imagined hero of the Kung-fu movie to be Japanese.
Maybe if we had walked around the town with Karate uniform or Yukata (Japan's kimono-like cotton robe), we might have been popular among them, right?
But Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee are Chinese, we are Japanese, right?
Well, it may be difficult to differentiate Chinese and Japanese for them.
It is the same as we cannot differentiate Moroccan and Egyptian.