Tag Archives: Ray Chaput

Morocco

Views of the atlas mountains

Today we left Marrakech and drove through the Atlas mountain range in Morocco which are defined as High Atlas, Middle Atlas and Sahara Atlas. These Great Atlas mountains form part of the mountain rage of the Maghreb in North Africa. We stopped several times along the way to admire the fantastic views.

Shelley and Ray in the Atlas mountains of Morocco.

The Atlas Mountains separate the Sahara Desert from the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.  We drove through the High Atlas mountains and normally there would be snow on the peaks at this time of year, however there has been a major lack of rain and warmer weather than normal.

View of the High Atlas mountains in Morocco.

We continued our drive up through the mountains eventually driving over the pass of Tizi n Tichka, where we stop for a few pictures of the amazing views before heading downward and stopping for lunch in Tisseldeï.

Lunch with our group in Tisseldeï

The view from the restaurant was beautiful and we enjoyed a great meal.

After lunch we continued our journey and stopped to take in the view of a traditional Berber town called Ait Ben Amer which is located on the hillside of a mountain. Berbers or the Berber peoples, as they are known, are a diverse and distinct ethnic indigenous group to North Africa: The Berbers predate the arrival of the Arabs in the Arab migrations to the Maghreb. They are indigenous to the Maghreb region, where they live in small scattered communities across parts of Morocco, Algeria, Libya.

View of the Berber town of Ait Ben Amer

We continued our drive until we reached the town of Ait Benhaddou which has an incredible ancient fortified Kasbah. It is listed as a Unesco world heritage site and was built in the 11th century for defence purposes.

View of the Kasbah in Ait Benhaddou

The fortified kasbah is located on the slopes of a hill next to the Ounila River.

We walked along the riverbank before crossing the river bed using rocks and then headed through the entrance of the kasbah.

View of the inside the kasbah of Ait Benhaddou

It is a well preserved medieval town which has been featured in many Hollywood movies, including Gladiator and Laurence of Arabia.

After visiting the kasbah we drove through the city of Ouarzazate, which is famous for being the filming location for many other Hollywood blockbusters and famous TV shows including James Bond – The Living Daylights, The Mummy and more recently Game of Thrones. Quarzazate is considered the Hollywood of North Africa. We ended our day in Quazazate. It was a long day of exploring the Great Atlas mountains and seeing some amazing sites.

“السفر هو العيش”.-Han Christian Anderson

Morocco

Medina in Marrakech

We went to explore the UNESCO world Heritage site – the Medina of Marrakech. We began our day by meeting with our local guide Youssef. He was a very enjoyable guide with a great sense of humour and very attentive to us.

Shelley with Youssef in the background

The Medina which is located in the center area of Marrakech and is surrounded by around 19 kilometers of walls. The narrow streets and walkways are full of vendors, riads and souks.

It was amazing to walk the narrow streets and think about the long rich history of the Medina which was founded in the 11th century. We walked along the narrow streets and soon found ourselves in different sections of the Medina.

Pottery, baskets and other items for sale in the Medina

Metal lamps and other pieces of artwork for sale that were handmade on site.

We came to an area that was selling different spices. We could smell spices and there was an array of colours and spices on display. 

There was so many different spices to choose from including Morocco spices like Ras El Hanout used in Tagine meals. 

Ray and Shelley in front of a spice shop in the Medina of Marrakech

As we were walking along the narrow streets we could hear scooters and motorbikes behind us and at times we would need to be close to the wall as they drove by. 

There were also feral cats in the Medina and blended in without much problem. 

Feral cats within the Medina

Scooter in the Medina with Feral cat laying on the back

The streets sizes in the Medina vary from small to almost an impassive alleyways.

One of the many narrow alleyways in the Medina

We walked along the alleys were you could smell the food and sweets that were being made right there. 

There was even a vender selling pickled lemons, olives and other unique items.

Vendor selling pickles, olives and preserved lemons
One of the wider alleys in the Medina of Marrakech
Narrow alleyway in the Medina

It was easy to get lost walking through the Medina, there were small alleyways and turns which made it feel like a maze. We were fortunate to have a guide and able to find our way without much trouble. Each alleyway had a name and a sign posted above.

There was a 6.8-magnitude earthquake that struck in Morocco’s High Atlas mountain range at 11:11 p.m. local time on Friday, Sept. 8, 2023. The earthquake cause some major damage inside the Medina in Marrakech. We could see where some of the ancient structures had been reinforced as a result of the earthquake.

We walked around the Medina taking in the sites and sounds. We arrived at Jemaa el Fna which is a huge open square in the center of the Medina. In the square there were snake charmers, monkey handlers, and different types of vendors. 

Snake Charmer with cobras and other snakes

Berbers dressed in the traditional Berber attire in the Medina Square
Ray in front of the Koutubia mosque in the Medina of Marrakech which was damaged from the Earthquake.

After walking through the narrow streets and alley ways of the Medina for a few hours we stopped for lunch in the Jemaa el Fna square.

Our sitting area in the restaurant overlooking the Medina

We went to the roof top of a local restaurant and enjoyed some traditional Morocco food while observing the hustle and bustle of the Medina below. 

View of the Jemaa el Fna square below
A Morocco traditional food called a Chicken Bastilla. It is a pastry filled with chicken and has a sweet taste of sugar and cinnamon along with a chicken centre.

It was an amazing day walking and exploring the narrow streets and alleys in the Medina. The hustle and bustle made for an adventure beyond the normal shopping experience. Prices of items were negotiated and involved a long drawn out negotiation that  eventually resulted in an agreement on a price. 

Truly an enjoyable day.

“عش كل يوم كما لو كان يومك الأخير، يومًا ما سيكون هذا صحيحًا.”

Morocco

Jardin Majorelle in Marrakech

We went for a visit to the Jardin Majorelle in Marrakech, which is a large garden that extends over 9,000 m². It is said to be one of the most enchanting and mysterious gardens in Morocco. The garden was created over the course of forty years and is enclosed by outer walls. 

The outer wall of the Majorelle Gardens

Inside the Garden there are multiple walkways on different levels with unique and interesting plants. We took the first walkway and began to explore this large garden full of amazing plants and flowers.

We walked through the different paths admiring the variety of plants and listened to the many birds singing. It seemed at every turn we would come across another unique feature. 

There were frogs, turtles and even large fish. It was very relaxing and peaceful walk. We came to some brightly coloured buildings with some water features.

The French painter Jacques Majorelle created the large and luxuriant garden as a sanctuary and botanical ‘laboratory’. In 1922, he began planting it with exotic botanical specimens from the far corners of the world.

Ray and Shelley in Majorelle Gardin in Marrakech.

 

As we walked along the different walkways we came across different type plants including large sections of different cactus plants. 

We even came to a bamboo “forest” within the garden. These bamboo where quite tall and very green.

We spent an hour or so exploring the Jardin Mojorelle. It was a great relaxing way to start our adventures in Morocco. 

“السفر – يمنحك منزلا في آلاف الأماكن الغريبة ، ثم يتركك غريبا في أرضك.” -Ibn Battuta (1304 – 1368) 

Italy

Birthday visit to Mount Etna Volcano

It was Ray’s birthday and we decided to do something different and exciting. So we booked a full day tour to explore Mount Etna which is one of the world’s most active volcanoes and is in an almost constant state of activity. Mount Etna has been designated a Decade Volcano by the United Nations and was added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.  Our private tour began early in the morning and we meet with our guide Giuseppe who was very informative and an excellent guide.  

Shelley, Ray and the our tour guide Giuseppe
Shelley and Ray on the south side of Mount Etna

We drove up the winding road through the ancient lava flows to the souvenir shop located part way up the south side of Mount Etna.  We parked there and began hiking up from there. 

The road through the lava fields leading to Mount Etna

Hiking up to the ancient crater was so surreal as the landscape felt like we were on another planet. Walking on the ancient lava was similar to walking on beach sand except with soft stones that crush under your feet.  

Along the way we came to a large bolder approximately 1.5 meter high which was ejected from a previous eruption. 

We would stop along the way up to catch our breath and to take in the panoramic views.

It was truly an amazing experience looking at the ancient and recent lava flows.

Ray on the way up to the Silvestri crater

At one of the stops as we catch our breath our Guide Giuseppe explained some interesting facts about Mount Etna and the plantation.

Giuseppe explaining some facts to Ray about Mount Etna

There is a local plant that grows only on the ancient lava flows.

This particular plant apparently can keep a person alive eating only this for quite a while. It contains many nutrients and water. So Ray of course had to try it.

We eventually reach the Silvestri crater of Mount Etna. The view was spectacular.

After exploring the crater area we headed back down to continue our adventure. Here is a quick overview of our time on Mount Etna.

 

Our next stop was at a lava cave. We put on helmets and entered the ancient lava tube passage which was made by ancient flowing lava. 

Ray and Shelley at the mouth of the lava cave near Mount Etna
View from inside the lava cave
On our way out of the lava cave

The walls inside the lava cave was quite unique with features from the ancient flows of lava.

After exploring the cave we continued on our way to the Valley Del Bove. We arrived at a small parking area and Giuseppe took us along a narrow path that came to an amazing view of the valley.

Shelley and Ray overlooking the Valley del Bove

We had breathtaking panoramic view of this ancient and incredible valley.

Valley del Bove

After spending most of the day exploring Mount Etna we headed to a small town to try some local honey and wine.  Then we were off to our next adventure. It was a great day and we highly recommend our guide Giuseppe.

Lava flow from Mount Etna- Photo taken by our guide Giuseppe

If anyone is interested in a tour he can be contacted by email giuseppelapila@gmail.com

“Possano le tue avventure avvicinarti, anche se ti portano lontano da casa.” — Trenton Lee Stewart

Italy

Catania Sicily.

We spent a few days in the heart of the beautiful city of Catania. Our hotel was located beside the Piazza Duomo with a great view of the Basilica Cattedrale di Sant’Agata. 

View of the Basilica from our hotel room window.
View of the Basilica Cattedrale di Sant Agata from Piazza Duomo.

In the centre of the Piazza Duomo there is a fountain with a statue that is the symbol of Catania known as u Liotru.  It is a small looking elephant located on the fountain.

The history of this elephant is believed to originate around 900 AD  when Catania was part of the emirate of Sicily.  In that time the city was known as the “the City of the Elephant”. It was believed that the elephant was a talisman that provided protection against enemies, both human, natural or geologic.

We saw several symbols of elephants while exploring the city.  

 

One of the elephant symbols in Catania

There is a very popular place called Don Peppinu which apparently sells the best gelato in Sicily.  There were people lined up outside the door waiting to buy a gelato, so of course we lined up and had to try the best gelato in Sicily. 

People lined up for Gelato at Don Peppinu in Catania Sicily
Gelato in Don Peppinu

After our gelato we walked along the streets exploring some of the city before our next adventure to Mount Etna. 

One of the many statues in Catania
Ray at a donut store in Catania
Fountain statues in Catania
Fountain in Catania
One of the many interesting restaurants in Catania

We enjoyed Catania, it was an interesting city with a rich history. 

“A mio avviso, la più grande ricompensa e il lusso del viaggio è quello di poter vivere le cose di tutti i giorni come se fosse la prima volta, di essere in una posizione in cui quasi nulla è così familiare da essere dato per scontato”. – Bill Bryson