These are in the style of Morocco, right?

Draa Valley

  We went to tour of Sahara Desert by chartered taxi.
Since tourist information was closed on weekends, we bargained with taxi driver by front staff of Salam Hotel agency.
Of course the staff of lodging (Royal Hotel) where we stayed on the preceding night helped us to join some tour, however, we had some vague uneasy intimations toward his talk.
If we had had time to lose, we might have joined some overnight trip to Sahara from Zagora.

  We saw and took some nice pictures of Draa Valley on the way to Zagora.
We didn't bother to ask a driver to stop when pass along such a view point.
Because he often called in such places and then said in simple Japanese word "Shashin (means photograph)" with gestures.
But he mispronounced "Shashin" for "Sasshin."
It is crackjaw for Non-Japanese, isn't it?
Therefore we talked with only gestures because he didn't understand English and we didn't understand French and Arabic.
Well, not many driver can speak English, even others, I guess.

en route to Sahara tour

  By the way, I thought he seemed to be speed demon.
He seemed to pay no heed that his car came into collision with truck and was likely to fall down a precipice.
Though he failed to pass the truck in front and caused an accident, he never apologized to the other party.
At last our tour was suspended because a curious crowd was rapidly growing.
But as if nothing had happened after few minute, it was just like in the style of Morocco.
Allah willing might have brought us everything, right?

  Travelers often wish to take a picture with local children, I guess.
But I was amazed to hear that it have been important business for them to do modeling of traveler's photograph.
However, they might have charged only Japanese travelers with, what it is, "modeling charge."
Therefore its price was 1DH (12Yen) per person and the same as circular Moroccan bread.
By the way, some of them seemed to speak English.
Is Japan's teaching of English mistaken?

Sahara

  Finally, you might take care not to break your camera when take a picture on the sand dune.
If possible you bring disposable camera (film-with-lens) too and take a picture by it.
And I felt camel ride was not so comfortable.
Well, it was enough to get experience as I rode on a camel once and away, right?
Anyway, you should join a tour of Sahara Desert if you come to Morocco.
It would be your nice memory, I guess.

prelude to a storm

  Traveling in Morocco, especially buying bus ticket seems to be influenced by God willing.
When you go buying a ticket to ticket booth untimely, staff of booth may say "come at what time (means his appointed time) again!"
Then you take him at his word and kill time until appointed one honestly, you may miss buying bus ticket.
In such a case you should keep waiting near ticket booth in order to buy a ticket as soon as locals go buying one to ticket booth.
Well, you should not forget that time is worth next to nothing in Morocco.
And you may know how Japan is convenience country.

  In addition, you might make sure whether you have enough cash before departure.
Therefore travelers checks can be exchanged at BMCE bank in this town.
If you are planning to go to Marrakech on weekends, you should have enough small change.
Otherwise you may feel regret after arrival in Marrakech.
Because it is not taken for granted there that you may receive change when you pay in big notes.
It's especially at Medina, right?

  Every fishy character; for example touts, peddlers, improvised guides have been usually watching for us to come in Marrakech.
Hotel runners had watched for us on the last occasion, on the other hand mainly self-appointed guide did it this time because we stayed for 2 nights.
They asked us going to Medina to employ as guide one after another.
They said "only 5DH (60Yen)," but we didn't know how much they made us pay in the last result.
Well, if we committed ourselves to pay only 5DH, we wish we could have employed one of them because he beat other guys off.
We would have met conscientious guys if we had had good luck, right?
But it might have been difficult for us than winning of casino games, I guess.

  Do you know there is casino in Marrakech?
This city had two casinos, Casino de Marrakech and Grand Casino de la Mamounia then.
If you try to play the slot machines only, dress code generally allows jeans.
But if you try to play Black Jack or Roulette, you need to wear shirt with a collar and slacks.
In fact my friends didn't be allowed to play these games because they were wearing jeans.
By the way, I wish I could have spoken English well.
Because European style casino is social entertainment, I could have enjoyed to play games over a chat with seatmate if I had done so.
I thought "if I had studied English conversation harder, I might have been nifty internationally-minded person."
Japan's populer singer Chisato Moritaka sang like that in her song "Benkyo-no Uta," right?

Are ball-point pen and waist pouch our best card?

  Marrakech seems to be a den of fishy character; for example touts, peddlers, self-appointed (unofficial) guide and children of Karate-man groupie.
They were very interesting, but we had gotten tired after kept them company.
Especially, self-appointed (unofficial) guide appeared on the street for Jemaa el-Fna one after another.
If you get fed up of beating them off, you might employ an official guide.

  Jemaa el-Fna is highlight of Marrakech.
You may enjoy to see some street performance and shopping at Souk.
Before that, you should change big notes into small change at any bank.
If you do shopping at street market; sometimes ball-point pen, one-dollar bill or waist pouch may be useful for bargain.
We don't know why ball-point pen is useful for bargain in Morocco, but it really was right.
However, sidewalk vendors of Jemaa el-Fna had hankered after waist pouch that my friends had been wearing, it might have been trump.
Well, we would not have known whether their article for sale worth changing it.
Finally, when you are asked to join any performance, you might try to do it if you have balls.
If you do so, you may become a star.

Casablanca by night

  Traveling by Moroccan train is comfortable than what I expected.
If you take first-class coach, you may have a good sleep because it's air-conditioned, and then you can get over your fatigue of traveling.
However, since all trains from Marrakech don't approach Casa Port station and Casa Voyageurs station is some distance from downtown, it seems to be inconvenience for Casablanca visitors.
If you would like to bring traveling in Morocco to an end in Marrakech, I suggest you leave from there directly by air.
There is hardly tourist attractions in Casablanca if anything.
But there is some amusement; dining and after-dinner drink, I guess.
When you have a chance to visit there, you might go to Bar Casablanca.
You may gain in topic, right?

Actually, Belgium is gourmet country, right?

  What impressed me as we got to Belgium from Morocco?
It was that drinks was available anywhere and there was neither touts nor peddlers.
When we got to Grand Place in Brussels, I was surprised I could take a view of the sights quietly.
But to the contrary I regretted that I didn't feel great cultural shock.
I won't forget a babel of Moroccan cities.
And Moroccan people gave suggestions what good-natured Japanese must learn from.
I thought a cadre of Japanese national government and world enterprise employee should get training in any Arabic countries.

  Belgium is gourmet country.
French food is delicious as well as France and there is many kind of beers.
Of course many kind of chocolates are very popular with women.
Having after-dinner drink (beer) with some chocolates (as "Tsumami") is the best, I guess.
Therefore Japanese word "Tsumami" means such as a relish or an hors d'oeuvre.
Japanese people usually have "Tsumami" when drink at any bar, of course, the chocolates are included with one.
By the way, when you come to Brussels, you should go to restaurant even if you have a few time to spare.
It takes about 20 minutes from airport to downtown by train, it's enough to have a meal if you have half a day to spare at least.
Let's try to find some good restaurants by Michelin.