Chefchaouen - The Land of Blue Doors

Chefchaouen... a beautiful village set beneath the striking peaks of the Rif Mountain range. It has an old medina with red-tiled roofs, and several mosques scattered about. Every shade of blue coats the entire town--from
the buildings to their homes. Narrow lanes pave the way up through the blue saturated dewlings and is one of the most picturesque place we've been to in Morocco. The town also has a pleasant hippy vibe where we've come across several dread-locked backpackers who are drawn here by the laid-back atmosphere and the easy availability of kif. The days were comfortable cool here with the sun burning off a light morning mist both days we were here.

As we walk around the alleys we come across tons of little kids playing futbol, jumping rope, and wandering around with interlocked arms saying "Hola" to us with a smile. A few kids ask for money but most are happy to speak in a foreign tongue - mostly spanish. The prices here are marginally lower than Fez and Marrakesh however Lee-Anne sadly noticed many shop keepers were not willing to haggle.

We met an American couple, Jesse and Kristen, in their late twenties from Jackson, Wyoming. We chatted for a couple hours over breakfast. Jesse is a snowboard photographer who is friends with Travis Rice (one of today's premier snowboarders and winner of SF's 2008 Icer-Air contest) and Kristen who is a graphic artist. It was so nice to chat for a while with Americans about our travels and common interests. They're doing a similar trip as ours - a one month trip through parts of Spain, Morocco, and Portugal. Russ was able to get some insider information on the best snowboarding videos coming out for next fall. ;)

Lee-Anne and I also hiked a few kilometers to an old ruined mosque that sat on a hillside overlooking Chefchaouen. As we searched for more hiking adventures we came a cross a goat trail that lead up a rocky chute between two towering cliffs. We tightened up our shoelaces and climbed up several hundred meters which was half way to top of the saddle.

During our stay here Russ was experiencing some stomach problems. It was just a bad case of indigestion but Russ is looking forward to Spain for a new variety of cuisine. Morocco seems to have a small variety of foods: Tagines - clay pots with a stew of carrots, potatoes, onions, green peppers, a type of meat, and moroccan spices; Brochettes - shish kabobs, Couscous, omelette, Olives, Bread, and mint tea. You notice most of these foods are in french due to the heavy french influence here.

Au revoir Maroc!
Russ and Lee-Anne