ramblings of a Seattle travel, food and photography hound
We had a choice of sharing a bathroom or having our own. Eh, what? A bathroom in the middle of the Sahara? My wife doesn't mind a simple tent, dirt floors, sleeping in bags and eating out of tin plates, but she'd much prefer to have her own bathroom. So when there was the option... Continue Reading →
When we planned our Morocco trip, my wife wanted very much to have the experience of riding camels in the Sahara. I liked the idea a lot, too. After all, how often does one get to ride the ships of the desert in their native habitat? On top of that, we chose to stay overnight... Continue Reading →
"It's jam." So said Fouad when I asked him if the reddish chile seed-laden paste was harissa. He chuckled. A little dab on my tongue told me it was ground up fresh chiles and preserved lemon, salty, intense, definitely spicy. Later, as the pastilla was served, he pointed at the plate of powdered sugar. "This is... Continue Reading →
The ancient ruins of Volubilis near Meknes, Morocco, are one of the best preserved of the ancient Roman Empire. Only partially excavated and surrounded by wheat fields, the Romans established a colony on this southeastern edge of the empire before finally being abandoned in the third century.
It’s hard to describe what I felt when I first saw Chefchaouen. It’s like no other town I’ve ever seen, a city awash in blue. Some say it’s the color of the sky or the Mediterranean, but the hue is neither. My first view was from a highway overlook outside the city. From there, one... Continue Reading →
Play it again, Sam. Is there a more enduring image of Casablanca than the landmark Warner Brothers movie of the same name? Romantic in a noirish sort of way yet memorable. It was a cultural phenomenon in the U.S. America had just entered the second World War; the film tackled the subjects of resistance to... Continue Reading →
I lately have gotten fascinated with Morocco. A presentation on travel to Morocco at a local travel store convinced my wife and me that we should make it our next international destination. As a kid, I remember hearing about cities with exotic names like Casablanca, Tangier, Marrakesh and Fez, having no idea where they were.... Continue Reading →
Talk about alpine scenery, the Fitzsimmons Range in British Columbia has it in spades. A hike along the high trails will have you singing ‘The Sound of Music’ in spite of yourself. Whistler and Blackcomb, the two most well known mountains, not only have the best skiing in North America but are a major attraction... Continue Reading →
Streets in the old part of Ollantaytambo are narrow, cobble-stoned, inaccessible to cars and trucks. Along one side, water flows in ancient Inca canals, still used today, no more than a foot wide. Quechua is spoken more than Spanish. Life goes on here as it has for centuries. There is no indication that less than... Continue Reading →
After the jaw-dropping visit to Glacier, my wife and I headed for another national park we never visited. Grand Teton was predictably snowed in ten years ago when we drove past on our way to Yellowstone. We'd finally get to see what many consider the most beautiful mountain range of the Rockies. The experience was... Continue Reading →
zoomeboshi 