We flew on Vueling (again) from Barcelona to Amsterdam on a very inexpensive paid ticket. Amsterdam is a compact city and I love that it only takes 15 minutes to get from Amsterdam’s airport to Centraal Station, the main train station, by direct train.
Art’otel guest room
We stayed at the modern and hip Art’otel, directly across from Centraal Station, using 50,000 Club Carlson points for two nights (last night free through the co-branded credit card; the redemption rate has subsequently increased to 70,000 points). As soon as I walked out of Centraal Station, I felt like we had been transported to another world. The city is so much more charming than its shady reputation leads you to believe. The Old Centre and Canal Ring areas where tourists tend to spend most of their time is full of quaint storefronts, stunning canals, and bicycle-riding locals.
Many bridges
When we arrived, it was already evening and time for dinner. We settled on the Indonesian popular restaurant called Kantjil & de Tijger. We don’t have very many Indonesian restaurants in California so we didn’t exactly know what to expect. We each ordered a mix plate of flavorful dishes whose names that I can’t pronounce. All I can say is that the food was very tasty and we really liked it.
The next morning, after gorging ourselves with a fantastic breakfast at our hotel, we headed out for some sightseeing.
We only allocated one full day in Amsterdam so we had to jam all our activities into that day. I wanted to take a canal tour because the view from the water lets you see the city from a different perspective.
Canal boats
Canal Tour
Given our limited time in the city, we decided to join a walking tour. We chose SANDEMANs New Amsterdam Tour, a “free” tour company. Our guide was a hilarious and energetic German student who lives and studies in Amsterdam. In three hours, we covered many major sights, learned about Amsterdam’s golden period and subsequent downfall, and discussed the Dutch attitude of tolerance (as it relates to cannibis and prostitution). The tour group was very large (~40 people) but the tour guide was incredible and he was able to keep everyone engaged.
Our tour guide with the group at Dam Square
Begijnhof: The Secret Garden
One of the people on the tour brought his young daughter who was about 8 years old. Although the tour occurred during the day, we did briefly walk through the Red Light District because of its importance to the City. We all felt uncomfortable that such a young child was seeing prostitution in action; we hoped that she was too young to understand what was going on. Later that evening we returned to the Red Light District to “sightsee” and to watch a stage show at Casa Rosso. I can only say it was amazing and shocking. It was basically like watching porn, except it was live right in front of you.
After a week in Morocco, I was pretty excited to get back to Europe. Marrakech has an international airport with a decent selection of flights to Europe, including a direct flight to Barcelona four days a week. We flew on Vueling, the Spanish low-cost airline.
Vueling
We landed at Terminal 1 and we took the airport shuttle to Terminal 2 in order to stop at the RENFE station and purchase a pack of T-10 tickets. T-10 (10 trips, can be shared with multiple people) only costs €10.30, while a single ticket on the standard city trains and buses within the city zone costs €2.15 a piece. Even though we had to go out of our way to buy the T-10 tickets, it was well worth the savings.
We stayed at the newly converted Crowne Plaza Fira Center near Placa d’Espanya for two nights. We had the option of taking the Aerobus for €5.90 per person but we chose to take the 46 bus using our T-10 tickets at just over €1.00 per person. The best part was that the 46’s final stop was just a block away from our hotel. The hotel was modern and clean and was a reasonably priced redemption for 30,000 IHG points per night. I would’ve loved to shell out 5,000 points more per night to stay at the more centrally located Hotel Indigo but I wasn’t able to find availability when we needed it. From Placa d’Espanya, there are two metro lines and numerous buses that connected us to every we wanted to go.
Placa D’Espanya
On our first evening in Barcelona, we pulled up Yelp and found Bosque Palermo, a neighborhood restaurant known for its paella. I had hoped that we were going to encounter a hidden gem and was kind of disappointed when we realized a majority of the patrons there were tourists speaking English. We stayed anyway and ordered the famous paella and we were pleasantly surprised by it. It was really really good. We paired it with a huge bottle of house red wine for only €3.50. We were in food heaven!
The next morning, we woke up fairly early to take the metro to Sagrada Familia. We weren’t actually there to see the magnificent cathedral (I had visited it 12 years ago when I studied in Barcelona); we were headed to the Vesping shop just around the corner. We rented a 125cc Vespa for €65 for 6 hours and followed the preset GPS tours for a ride around Barcelona’s sights and neighborhoods.
Beautiful church we toured
Roman ruins in central Barcelona
At first, we were following each of the stops in the tours but as the day went on, we became hungry (what a shocker) and decided to tailor our itinerary to cover food stops.
La Boqueria market
Chili pepper galore
Veggie vendor
Preparing for Easter
We headed toward Barceloneta to eat at the famously crowded hole-in-the-wall, Can Paixano. The GPS indicated that we had arrived at the destination but it looked like a construction zone. We ended up circling the streets a couple of times before we finally decided to get off the Vespa and follow the GPS signal on foot. I was second-guessing myself and was thinking about giving up when we finally saw a door with people spilling out of it. Inside was the noisy cozy bar we had been looking for. Henry and I shared a bocadillo, a plate of sausages, and a bottle of refreshingly cheap cava.
Can Paixano menu
We were on the clock with our Vespa rental so we didn’t linger around too long after we finished eating. We climbed back onto the Vespa and I was feeling particularly tipsy because I had consumed a majority of the bottle of cava (I didn’t want a drunk driver). We had so much fun on the Vespa that day and highly recommend it as a means of sightseeing.
Vesping
Don’t I look cool on the Vespa? Don’t worry, it’s in park.
Our Vespa rental ended at 4:30pm and we had no time to spare because we had to meet our Taste Barcelona food and wine tour guide, Paul, at 5:00pm. There was only one other couple on the tour that evening and they also happened to be Chinese Americans. Paul took us to 4 different tapas restaurants and taught us interesting tidbits about the history and culture of Barcelona.
Tapas
More tapas
When I had initially signed up for the tour, I was somewhat hesitant due to the high price (€95 per person) and length (5:00pm-10:00pm). The time ended up passing by very quickly and enjoyably with good company and the price seems totally justified considering the small group size, the number of dishes we tried, and the fact that we opened a new bottle of wine at every stop. Barcelona is really a lively city that is beautiful during the day and at night.
Street life
La Rambla at night (Miro design in foreground)
The next morning, we packed for our departure to our next destination. With a little bit of time to spare, we explored Montjuic and Placa d’Espanya near our hotel. We had lunch (terrible food, by the way) at a mall at Placa d’Espanya that was converted from a bull-fighting ring. Bull-fighting has been outlawed in Catalonia since 2010 so the city explored adaptive reuse options and turned the space into a modern mall.
After separating with Jalil, we still had two days in Morocco. Without a set itinerary for those two days, we slept in, relaxed, and took our time. There were only a couple of things we really wanted to do. One was to try a hammam, a communal Moroccan spa. I had read about the process online but the procedure still sounded intimidating and way more complex than the Korean spas I’ve visited in Koreatown, Los Angeles. We ended up going to a hammam for foreigners. The experience included sitting in the steam room, being scrubbed and washed by an attendant, and enjoying a nice naked massage. I’m not sure how much Henry enjoyed it on the men’s side; all I know is that I had a good time. The facilities could have been better but the experience was relaxing.
Beautiful Bahia Palace
Bahia Palace Detail
We only did a tiny bit of true sightseeing in Marrakech. I know tour books have a long list of must-sees but we had already seen so many similar attractions in other cities and we just wanted to wander the souks instead. The most interesting part of Marrakech for us was the Jemaa El-Fna Square. The square is bustling with people at all hours. During the day, there are snake-charmers, monkey tamers, henna tattoo ladies, and other sketchy characters.
Place Jemaa El Fna being transformed into a night food market
In the evening, the square transforms into a huge food market popular with both locals and tourists. Many of the stalls sell similar types of food and I had a hard time picking which one to try. One of the stalls’ touts proclaimed “If you eat here, I guarantee you will not get diarrhea.” We walked by him a few times and he said the same line each time we passed him. On our last go-around, we told him we had already eaten, to which he responded with a curse that we would have diarrhea that evening. Luckily, I felt fine but Henry may have fallen under his spell.
Henry wanted to eat escargot
Excellent Food Stall 32 – Hassan
Shopping in Morocco is a lot like shopping in China. There are no set prices and you have to bargain for everything. But as a tourist unsure of local prices, it’s a daunting task to tackle. I was looking for a teapot in the souks and when I approached one shop and asked the shopowner the price of his teapot, he responded “How much do you want to pay?” I really had no idea what to say.
Shops open at night. Bargain hard!
Marrakech felt much more cosmopolitan and modern than the other Moroccan cities we had visited. It has a reputation of being the Las Vegas of Morocco and is full of clubs, bars and lounges. We’re lame and couldn’t stay up late enough to partake in the nightlife.
During our 8 day trip, we covered all of the major sights in Morocco that we had wanted to see. It was a great cultural experience to be in a Muslim country with no pork (our favorite type of meat), a lot of bread (if you’re on a low-carb diet, you will really struggle in Morocco), conservative clothing (everyone wore long sleeve shirts and long pants; I can only imagine how uncomfortable it can get in the summer), and interesting customs (bargaining, corruption, slower pace of life). I’m glad we ended up hiring a driver to make this trip happen. It would have been much more difficult to try to visit so many places in such a short period of time had we been relying on public transportation and Grand Taxis.
It was so wonderful to see a nice big bed and a warm shower waiting for us when we returned from our camel ride in the morning. Our night in the desert tent had been a bit rough; the sandstorm and the hard bed made it difficult to fall asleep. We were sleep deprived and tired and although I really wanted to take another nap, we had a tight schedule to follow. Shortly after breakfast, we were off again. We were nearing the last leg of our Morocco journey as we headed West toward Marrakech.
Merzouga to Ouarzazate to Marrakech (over two days)
When people think about the Sahara Desert, they often think of golden sand dunes as far as the eye can see. In actuality, sand dunes make up a small (<20%) of the desert; the rest of the desert is comprised of the type of scenery you’d see in Arizona or New Mexico.
Our driver, Jalil, overlooking the desert landscape
We trusted Jalil to pick the most interesting route to our destination for that evening, near the desert city of Ouarzazate. On the way, we checked out a weekly countryside market that sold everything from olives to sheep to binoculars.
Countryside market transaction in action
Locals shopping at the weekly market
Along the road in this part of the country, we saw many entrepreneurial individuals selling minerals and fossils. Instead of buying them, Jalil took us to a spot where we could find our own fossils. I had a hard time finding any but Jalil was a pro.
Next, we visited Todra Gorge, a deep canyon that has been featured in many films that Henry and I have never heard of. It somehow reminded me of a kitschy tourist attraction in China.
Todra Gorge
The buildings in the desert are primarily painted red like the earth while the buildings in Northern Morocco (along the sea) are generally white.
Desert civilization in Skoura oasis
Sometimes I wondered how desperate the early people must have been to live in such a barren, harsh environment where summer heat of 120 degrees Fahrenheit is common. The desert villages tend to be far apart and sometimes you can go for miles without seeing a house. Inevitably, however, there would always be a few individuals hiking the distance between these villages. Every so often, they’d turn around and hold out their hand to hitchhike. We learned that Moroccan culture is very giving and hitchhiking is actually quite acceptable there. Also, there are countryside buses that pass along major roads at random, unscheduled times. If you happen to be walking along the road at that time, they will stop to pick you up. There’s also the concept of a Grand Taxi, which is an old Mercedes sedan that is essentially a long-distance minibus whose fare is sold by the seat. They will jam up to 7 people going the same general direction and prices are negotiated up front. This is contrasted with Petit Taxis, which are more similar to the taxis we’re familiar with in the west. Petit Taxis are usually private, smaller (only up to 4 people including the driver), have a meter which may or may not be used, and can only travel within the limits of the city in which it is licensed.
We spent that evening in the desert at a wonderful kasbah style hotel called Ait Ben Hada in Skoura, an oasis about 20 minutes east of Ouarzazate. We called last minute and got a fantastic deal; €45 including room and board. The hotel is set up to be able to accommodate tour groups but it was rather empty when we were there. As soon as we settled in, we were offered hot mint tea in the beautifully decorated dining room. After checking out the sunset from the rooftop, we returned to the dining room for a dinner of two huge tagines (the best we had in Morocco) and other delicacies. We were so full yet we stuffed ourselves because we didn’t want to waste the yummy food. We slept early that night and the bed was incredibly comfortable. The next morning, we were greeted by a huge breakfast of a variety of homemade Moroccan breads. I loved the hospitality at this little gem and I was sad to have to go.
Henry, Jalil, and me in front of our hotel, Ait Ben Hada
Looking out to the dining room/kitchen building of our hotel, Ait Ben Hada
At this point, we were on our last day with Jalil (although we had two more days left in Marrakech without him). To be honest, I was getting tired of the desert. Our day was filled with visiting kasbahs and doing some last-minute shopping. I really had never heard of a kasbah before but apparently it’s famous because of a song called “Rock the Casbah.” The definition of a kasbah is a fortified home of a local warlord and back in the day there were many warlords. The kasbahs were historically built with mud and straw (kind of like an adobe) and had to be redone every few years due to the significant wear from the harsh environment.
First, we visited Kasbah Amridil, which is still operated by the descendants of the original warlord. Unfortunately, cousins from the same family are disputing claim to the kasbah and two cousins each operate a portion of the kasbah. The road leading up to the kasbah suddenly splits into two and each fork ends in the “Main Entrance.” We went to the more restored of the two parts and took an entertaining private guided tour of the kasbah.
The “Main Entrance” of Kasbah Amridil
The biggest of the kasbahs we visited is the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Ait Ben Haddou. It’s a huge maze-like complex and has been in movies such as Gladiator and Lawrence of Arabia. We hiked up to the top and took in the surrounding views.
Impressive UNESCO World Heritage site, Ait Ben Haddou
Inside Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou
My favorite thing about this area is their unique art of saffron painting. The saffron “paint” is initially invisible to the naked eye when applied on paper. Once the painting is heated over an open flame, the paint gradually darkens and the picture appears. It reminded me of the fancy Crayola Changeables and Overwriters markers I collected in elementary school. It was very cool to see local artists make magic and we must have bought 10 of these special paintings.
That afternoon, I announced my desire to buy Moroccan pottery. We ended up stopping at a wholesaler along the road to pick out some very lovely handmade designs. It was far more affordable to buy pottery from the wholesaler than from shops in Marrakech.
About an hour before reaching Marrakech, we were pulled over along the road because Jalil was speeding. We had a decent understanding of Morrocan law enforcement by this point and it kind of entertaining to see bribery in action. Instead of getting an 800dh speeding ticket, good negotiation tactics allowed the violation to be settled for a mere 100dh ($12 USD), directly into the pocket of the officer.
Just before arriving in the city center of Marrakech, we also stopped by Carrefour, a French hypermarket, to purchase some argan oil as gifts. Although there are many argan oil cooperatives along our drive, it’s hard to guarantee the integrity of the product in small mom-and-pop shops. We were advised that Carrefour was the safest place to go and had the most competitive price.
Colorful spice aisle in a Moroccan supermarket (not Carrefour but Marjane)
By the time I was done shopping, it was late in the afternoon. Jalil dropped us off in the medina, as close to our riad in Marrakech as possible. I was kind of sad and a little scared to continue on without Jalil. Would we be able to get by without him considering our lack of French and Arabic skills?
Adventures of Yi 