A trip to Morocco

I've been willing to visit Morocco ever since I did a presentation about the country for my English Class. When I watched Casablanca, I felt the need to visit this city as well. The country had many secrets for me. I didn't know much about it, about it's culture or it's tradition. Some people, whom I've talked to, wondered if it was a dangerous place, the fear of the unknown is what makes people wonder whether is good or not to travel somewhere. Therefore, I'll share my experience in this country with you; hoping you'll want to go too.

Personally I think is a country very similar to Mexico. If you haven't been there, maybe you have the same questions about safety that you have for Morocco. I'm a Mexican, and it's not that I've survived Mexico, it's that is not the war zone everyone believes it to be. Same applies to Morocco, just because their religion is Islam, it doesn't mean they are terrorists or rapists. It's about common sense, when you walk in certain neighborhoods in many cities around the world, you know you must be cautious, it doesn't have to do with religion.

Cities to visit (Chronological order on my trip)

Fes.

Average hostel price: 100 MAD (See exchange rate at the bottom)

Entrance to Fes' Medina.

It's one of the busiest cities in Morocco. At the Medina people would want you to buy something. You'll feel overwhelmed, they'll try to get you inside their store. Many will try to become your tour guides, most of the times their excused will be that you will get lost on your own (probably true, it's like a labyrinthine inside), but they might get you deeper and ask for more money to get you out. The hostel I stayed at, Funky Fes, offered me a tour guide. He showed me and a group of travelers places to eat and shop. It wasn't one of the best places I've been in, staff there is not very friendly but at least is a safe place near the Medina.

Leather industry.

I don't recommend this as your first city. For me it was too much to take in, specially because a few days before traveling, a lady told me to be very careful, that I might be kidnapped since I looked a bit Moroccan. However, after speaking with several people, among them Moroccan women, other travelers, local guides and local people, I found out that the main industry is the tourist one, therefore you're completely safe. It might be that some men might confuse kindness with flirting, but I've experienced that in Mexico and other countries as well. My advice is to show confidence while walking, something I do when walking alone in Mexico.

Scarf making.

Chefchaouen

Average hostel price: 100-120 MAD

Medina in Chefchaouen.

It's also known as the blue city. This was a paradise comparing to Fes. People are more relaxed. If you answer you're fine finding your own way, no one will insist. I stayed at Riad Baraka, very quiet hostel, with friendly staff.

I also did some exploration to a place in the mountains. It's called Cascades d'Akchour and God's Bridge. It's funny that those places were very similar to some back home.

Map to Riad Baraka.

Rabat / Casablanca

Average hostel price: 220 MAD

Avenue in Rabat.

Rabat is the capital city in Morocco. This was the first time I did some Couchsurfing, I stayed with a Brazilian girl. I also met another Couchsurfer who is a local, whose couch I surfed on my following visit. Hostels are a bit more expensive, therefore I decided to do so this way. I was traveling with an Argentinian I met in Fes, so it was easier to use the site.

Medina in Rabat.

Casablanca is a very European city. There's not much to see. I was curious since I watched the movie... It was one of the reasons I wanted to visit Morocco.

Biggest Mosque in Morocco, Casablanca.

Essaouira

Average hostel price: 100-120 MAD

This was another one of my favorite cities in this country. It's on the coast, so there's a beach but there's too much wind that won't let you have a nice sun bath. You might catch some nice waves and practice some Surf or WindSurf. I did it for the first time and it was amazing.

Sand Castle in Diabat, near Essaouira.

I used Workaway here for the first time, I spend a week working in a hostel. It wasn't a very good experience so I decided to quit and go enjoy my stay. People recommended me Green Milk Hostel but it was closed during that season due to maintenance or something. I stayed in Atlantic Hostel. It was a really nice place, they have Jam Sessions at night, so you can either play or enjoy the music on the terrace.

Marrakesh.

Average hostel price: 100-120 MAD

Snake charmers.

I only stayed one night in Marrakesh, at Kaktus. This hostel gives you a discount price if you come from Atlantic, they are partner hostels. There's a big market square, you can see snake charmers, buy some food and drinks, or get henna tattoos.

Food.

The cheapest meal was something like a sandwich and a juice for 13 MAD. This was in a local restaurant in Rabat, guided there by a Moroccan guy. It might have costed something like 40-50 MAD in a touristic area.
There was another occasion when a restaurant was selling a small portion of Tagine for 80 MAD, however we negotiated and it turned out to be a shared plate (4 people) and soup for 50 MAD total. There was no price list, so that's how we manage to get this.

Mint tea and pancakes.

Cooking pastilla.

Pastilla.

Homemade meal in Rabat.

Transport.

There are many bus lines, CTM is the first one I used, most hostels will tell you there's nothing else or that the local lines are not good. It's more expensive than the local lines, but also most comfy. From Fes to Chefchaouen I payed somewhere around 100 Dirhams, same as to Rabat. Another line someone recommended was Supratours. I didn't use this one, but there are options to go to Essaouira from Rabat.

Bus schedule in Chefchaouen.

As I've said, there are local buses, not that much cheaper (5 Dirhams) and of course with no AC. There are no seats assigned, so you might stand up all the way. Same happens with the trains.

Bus drive.

As for the local transport, there's a Tram in Rabat and Casablanca, price is 6 or 7 Dirhams depending on the city. There's an option to use taxis, Petit or Grand. Petit is only for 3 persons, they can be shared so don't freak out if you see your taxi pulling over to pick up someone in the middle of your journey. Grand Taxis are for 6 people plus the driver (crazy but true). You could ask to fit only 5 o 4, but the fare will be fixed one, if you manage to fit 6 people, it will be cheaper.

Other tips and recommendations.

I didn't plan a trip to the dessert, many people recommended this as I was travelling but I did't have it in mind since the beginning and didn't have the budget for it. It's around 800-1,000 Dirhams for a three day trip. The best option is to book a trip at a hostel in Marrakesh or Fes, that way you'll avoid scams. It also helps if you are travelling alone, since you get to enjoy it more if you have company.

Camel in Essaouira.

As I kept travelling, people were recommending other cities like Tangier or Agadir, which I didn't have time to visit. As an exploration trip it was amazing. I got to meet many people, from travelers to locals. Many recommendations of places to visit on my next journey. As always, the best plan, was the NO plan.

Mosque in Casablanca.

Currency change was about €10 = 1 Dirham (MAD) but for me it was easier to convert to 1 Driham = $1.50 MXN.

Para viajar a Marruecos...

Hace poco una amiga me pidió recomendaciones para viajar a Marruecos. Como lo escribi en alguna ocasión, escribir sobre este país es muy fácil ya que hay muchas cosas desconocidas y emocionantes por descubrir. No solo por tener una cultura diferente, sino porque realmente ¿cuanto sabemos del pais realmente? El miedo a lo desconocido regularmente nos frena, especialmente si creemos que puede ser muy peligroso. Es por eso que decidí escribir sobre mi viaje, los lugares que recomiendo y un poco de finanzas y algunos tips que me dieron otros viajeros.

En mi opinión es un país muy similar a México. Cuando le dices a la gente que planeas visitar Marruecos, todos te dicen que estás loca, cómo se te ocurre, vas sola como mujer, es peligroso y demás. Pero luego te pones a pensarlo y en Europa piensan exactamente lo mismo de México. Claro que hay que evitar ciertas áreas y no hay que mostrar que tienes mucho dinero o miedo en general por las cosas. Espero con esta introducción poder generar un poco más de confianza para aquellos que viven o han visitado países con situaciones similares.

Ciudades a visitar. (Orden cronológico en mi viaje)

Fes.

Precio promedio de los hostales: 100 MAD *

Entrada a la medina de Fes.

Es una de las ciudades mas agitadas de Marruecos. En la medina (el centro de la ciudad) las personas van a querer que compres algo. Te van a hostigar, intentar que entres a su tienda, muchos intentaran ser tus guías, te dirán que te puedes perder en la medina, que ellos te ayudan, a cambio lo que quieren es dinero. Yo me quede en un hostal cerca de la medina, Funky Fes, y ahí me ofrecieron un guía autorizado, quien nos llevo a pasear por la medina y nos enseño los lugares para comer y comprar. El hostal no ha sido de los mejores donde he estado, el staff no es tan amigable pero al menos te sientes segura.

Fábrica de piel

No recomiendo que esta sea tu primer ciudad. Yo sufrí mucho ya que justo antes de llegar una señora me asusto diciéndome que me podían raptar, especialmente porque mas que turista parezco marroquí (cosa que los marroquíes también me dijeron). Sin embargo platicando con varias personas, incluidas mujeres marroquíes, otros turistas, guías y locales, descubrí que Marruecos vive de los turistas y su dinero. No les conviene crear mala fama; estás segura como persona y como mujer. Eso si, no demuestres mucha amabilidad, o cuidado con la forma de mostrarla. Es común que las personas confundan amabilidad con otras cosas incluso en México. Se firme cuando pasees por las calles. Demuestra confianza y listo.

Haciendo pashminas.

Chefchaouen.

Precio promedio de los hostales: 100-120 MAD

Dentro de la medina.

También conocida como la ciudad azul. Después de Fes, ir aquí fue como el paraíso. La gente es mas relajada. Te preguntan una vez si te pueden ayudar, si dices que no gracias te dejan de molestar. Aqui yo me quede en Riad Baraka. Un hostal muy tranquilo, el staff muy amable.
Tambien fui a explorar un lugar por las montanas, son cascadas d'Akchour y God's Brigde, puente de Dios, curiosamente las cascadas se asemejan a Puente de Dios en Querétaro (otra similitud con México).

Mapa para llegar a Riad Baraka.

Rabat / Casablanca.

Precio promedio de los hostales: 220 MAD

Avenida en Rabat.

Rabat es la capital de Marruecos, esta fue la primera vez que hice CouchSurfing, me quede con una chica brasileña. Aquí conocí a otro chico de CS local, con el que me quede la segunda vez que fui. Los hostales aquí son mas caros, por lo cual decidí buscar hospedaje de esta manera. Para este punto había conocido a otra viajera en el hostal en Fes y habíamos empezado a viajar juntas.

Medina en Rabat.

Casablanca es la ciudad más europea que ví. No hay mucho que ver, pero yo tenia curiosidad desde que vi la pelicula... Qué puedo decir, fue uno de los motivos por los cuales quería visitar Marruecos...

Mezquita en Casablanca, la más grande.

Essaouira.

Precio promedio de los hostales: 100-120 MAD

Al igual que Chefchaouen, ésta es una de mis ciudades favoritas en mi viaje por este país. Está en la costa, por lo que tienes playa, pero hay mucho viento por lo que no vas a poder tomar el sol ahí, a los 5 minutos estas cubierta de arena. Lo que puedes hacer ahí es Surf/windsurf.

Sand Castle en Diabat, cerca de Essaouira.

Aquí usé por primera vez Workaway, donde trabajé en un hostal. Sin embargo no fue la experiencia que estaba buscando por lo que decidí dejarlo e ir a buscar otro lugar para disfrutar el resto de mi estancia. Me recomendaron Green Milk pero estaba cerrado, y escuché que unos amigos se habían hospedado en Atlantic Hostel. Fue un gran lugar, el ambiente es muy relajado, tienen noches de Jam dónde puedes tocar algún instrumento o simplemente sentarte a disfrutar de la compañía.

Marrakesh.

Precio promedio de los hostales: 100-120 MAD

Encantadores de serpientes en el centro de Marrakesh.

Aquí me quede solo una noche en Kaktus, es de la misma "cadena" que Atlantic Hostel, así que te dan descuento. Aquí también me recomendaron uno que Riad Marrakech Rouge. Creo que ambos son muy similares.

Comidas.

Recuerdo que lo más barato que comí fue algo similar a una torta (sándwich) y un jugo por 13 MAD. Esto fue en un lugar local, sin turistas. Una comida similar en un sitio turístico probablemente este entre 40-50 MAD. En una ocasión nos quisieron vender un plato chico de Tagine por 80 Dirhams; logramos que nos dieran un plato para compartir entre los 4 del grupo y una sopa por 50 Dirhams, el precio no estaba en ningún menú.

Té de menta con pancakes.

Cocinando pastilla.

Pastilla.

Comida casera en Rabat.

Transporte.

Hay varias líneas de autobuses, CTM es una de las lujosas por lo que los precios serán un poco altos. De Fes a Chefchaouen recuerdo que pagué cerca de 100 Dirhams, lo mismo con destino a Rabat. Otra opción es Supratours, con ellos es posible viajar a Essaouira. Yo no lo utilice pero me dicen que es una mezcla entre los autobuses y los trenes.

Horarios de camiones de Chefchaouen.

Hay autobuses locales, que son ligeramente más baratos pero no tienen aire acondicionado, no hay asientos preasignados y puede que ni siquiera tengas un asiento.
En los trenes también puedes ir de pie en caso de que esté muy lleno, en caso de que no, hay cabinas para 6 personas. No hay lugares fijos así que puedes sentarte dónde quieras.

Viaje en camión.

En cuanto al transporte urbano, en Rabat y Casablanca hay Tram. El precio está entre 6 y 7 Dirhams dependiendo la ciudad. También es posible utilizar taxis. Petit Taxi son taxis para 3 personas, estos se pueden compartir, es bueno que sepan esto de antemano pues en la ruta a tu destino puede que se detengan por alguien mas que haga la seña al taxista. También puedes hacer tu una señal y preguntar la dirección del taxista. Regularmente utilizan taxímetro, es importante que pidas este servicio si no quieres que te cobren extra. Hay taxis más grandes. En ocasiones también pueden ser compartidos y de esta forma se dividen el costo total del taxi entre los ocupantes.

Otros tips y recomendaciones.

Yo no fui al desierto, realmente no sabia que se podía hacer pero es posible. Mi recomendación por lo que escuche con otros viajeros es que llegues a Fes o Marrakesh y en el hostal te inscribas al grupo que va al desierto. De esta forma te evitas fraudes. En Marruecos es común que te quieran estafar (de nuevo, solo quieren tu dinero). Revisa que el hostal tenga grupos que vayan al desierto o que te contacten con una agencia. Regularmente hay mas personas del hostal que hacen el viaje, entre mas vayan, mejor. También la opción del hostal es buena porque luego encuentras gente con quien viajar.

Camello en Essaouira.

Otras ciudades que me recomendaron y me gustaría visitar es Tangier y Agadir. Realmente estando ahí también conoces otros viajeros que te pueden recomendar lugares que ellos ya han visitado, así fue como yo me entere de algunos lugares y fue que tuve la confianza de visitarlos, como Essaouira.

Casablanca, la mezquita.

El tipo de cambio cuando yo fui estaba muy sencillo de calcular, prácticamente 10 euros = 1 Dirhamñ pero para mi era más fácil convertir a pesos mexicanos 1.5 pesos = 1 Dirham.

The homeless traveler

As a traveler, I'm proud to say that my home is my backpack and all those places where I've found family. I have no fixed abode, but that doesn't mean I'm homeless, even if I couldn't go back to my parents, I left a piece of me in places I like to call a second home. For the moment, I've found a home, I'll be growing some roots in London, working in a Organization that reaches out for those in need; people living roughly, most of them homeless, rootless.

This has given me a small glimpse of what is it like to be homeless in the real world. Some travelers have already slept rough whenever it was hard to find accommodation. Friends have told me amazing stories about the time one of them slept in a train station, or a fire station. There are some who travel and camp outside the city. Some others have found a way to keep partying all night long.

Picturing this as a way of life is hard, specially in the society we live in, where we are supposed to have a good job, pay rent or buy a house, and do what ordinary people do. All the travelers I've met have some sort of hunger for trying out new things, discover what else is in life other than what we are suppose to be doing. We've found ways to do what we want without taking it out from others. We work hard but we work in a different way.

People doing some music on the street in Leipzig.

I'm was homeless traveler not because I didn't have a home, but because I had no fixed abode while traveling. I've been a nomad, searching for experiences. This has lead me to London, my new home for the upcoming months, where I'll learn new things about being homeless, about being rootless. This is a problem for many people in different parts of the world, I'm still a traveler, getting experiences from different places, sharing them and hopefully creating a ripple effect.

As for now, I can tell you this homeless traveler has found a place among the homeless. Hoping to get a break every now and again to keep on traveling...

How to travel

I quit my job about 5 months ago, encouraged by all the travelers whom I've hosted and met in Mexico. Of course I had many questions, mostly regarding how much money would I need, what's the best way to move around, how difficult is it to get there, and so on. Now I'm at the receiving end of the Questionnaire on How to travel, I can only tell you one answer JUST DO IT (not getting any commission from Nike for spreading the word). There are many tips I can give you (coming up, just keep reading), but you won't truly believe me until you've experienced it yourself. So pack up and get it over with...

Getting there...
There are many options, I haven't explore them all, my plane ticket was bought with mile points from my dad (thanks dad for being my number one sponsor), but for those who don't have any sort of sponsorship you can also go for Comparative Sites such as Skyscanner, Opodo or many others. If you don't have an agenda it will be easier just to get a one way ticket to any country with a great ticket discount and start exploring.

Ferry trip from France to UK

Accommodation...
This part will be the greatest challenge of all. It all comes down to what are you willing to pay in order to get some. Note that I did't write how much are you willing to pay, meaning that the money is not the issue here. Of course you can get into hotels or hostels by a monetary transaction, but even though we live in modern ages, we can't discard the trading payment method. You can also go for the AirBnb option and get a room, apartment or house in the area.

Maybe you got friends or family in this location, they might be able to host you for some nights. Of course you don't want to be a pain in the ass, so there are some things you'll do to help out and most importantly, don't overstay with them. If you have no acquaintance in your destination you can use sites like CouchSurfing, BeWelcome or Hospitality Club. Just remember it's like staying over at friends' or family and there are certain "rules" you will need to follow.

CouchSurfing in Rabat, Morocco.

Staying at someone's place isn't exactly a trading payment method. It's more about friends visiting friends, so much people won't be welcoming you for long periods of stay. That's where sites like Woofing or Workaway come in handy.

Workaway in Berlin.

This sites will ask you for a payment to register as a member, but afterwards you won't pay a thing. You arrange with a host your stay, they'll tell you what you're expected to do. Usually it's an easy job for 5 hours a day, 5 days a week. Jobs might include cleaning, from toilets to bedrooms, painting, gardening, pet care, aupair, cooking... Name it, there's a job for you. I've heard you can also negotiate with your host some extra hours so you can get some money out of it.

Work as a painter...

Another option I have yet to try is camping or sleeping out. This might be rough, and won't be your first option. It's all about what are you willing to do to keep traveling. Camping is easy, usually done outside the city. For sleeping out you need to consider it might get cold, it might rain and people may disturb your sleep. You can look for train or bus stations, fire stations, churches, or some open building. I haven't had to recur to this, hope you won't as well.

Food...
As part of Workaway and Woofing, you'll get some food as well. Most places will feed you as well as give you accommodation, but not all of them. You can also try some Dumpsterdiving, but it might not be easy since there are some regulations about this in certain countries.

Cooking at a Hostel in Essaouira, Morocco.

If you're couchsurfing, I'll recommend to go to a Supermarket and get some food to share with your host, or you can also just get some food for yourself. I prefer to share, it's also a nice time to get to know the person you're staying with.

Moving around...
So far I've traveled by almost every means of transportation: train, plane, bus, ferry... Most of them have been paid deals, but there's also the free option if you're up to do some hitchhiking. Here are some tips to decide which is your best choice.

Flying. I've used Ryanair so far. It's been ok, can't complain. My backpack isn't that big though every time I check-in I'm very nervous about being charged for it being too big or too heavy. Cheap airlines will find a way to charge you for the air you're breathing. Keep this in mind while booking, read the conditions.

Bus services. It might take you longer but at least you won't pay extra for oversize luggage (unless it's REALLY big). For traveling within Europe there are many cheap options, specially if you book in advance.

• Ecolines. Mainly used in EastEurope, cheap line. Internet access on board.
• Eurolines. Part of National Express, it's not very cheap but it's comfortable. Internet access on board.
• Megabus. West Europe, this can be from £1/€1 if booked in advanced. Haven't had the opportunity to get it this cheap, but you can try.
• MeinFernBus. German coach service. I've also used the one for Finland.

CarSharing. This option is about people sharing their car while traveling to point A to point B. It's about agreeing with someone about a time and place to meet, then travel, and arrange a dropping spot. It's easy, sometimes cheap and very safe. The most popular site now is Blablacar, where you create a profile and can receive and give references to keep the site safe.

HitchHiking or Autostop. I've recently used it, but it was just once. It consists on standing up near the road and put your finger out to ask for a free ride. The safety it's in your gut feeling, if you don't feel safe, don't get in the car. You can find some tips on HitchWiki, where you can also update the information to help more travelers get by.

HitchHiking to Leipzig from Berlin.

Final thoughts...
As written above, the main thing is that you get out there. Remember that everything comes with a cost, not necessarily monetary. If you plan on getting around by being a parasite to society, you must at least have money to give back (there are All-Inclusive Hotels which will take you for the right amount of money). Remember that traveling is about sharing experiences, meeting new people and being open to new cultures and ways of life. It's all about hard-working, being dedicated and passionate towards life.

Cooking food with other volunteers.

Working in an Organic Farm, feeding the pigs.