Tanger (Tangier) from the ferry
Tanger from the ferry, II
Tangers' train station is brand spanking new and ultra clean; during the several hours that we spent in the place, women continually mopped and swept the floors.
Boarding the train for an all-night, 300 mile trip; we stayed in Marrakech during the following day, and returned that night - time was too dear for an overnight stay.
Alice, Liz (preparing for Muslim suitors) and Tom; The train to Marrakech is small - one meter between the rails (U.S.: 4' 8 1/2") - and the four-person sleeping compartments are correspondinly cramped, but reasonably clean and comfortable. The car's toilet was another matter: phew!
Elaine and Matt's compartment, which they shared with two South African ladies. Obviously, Morocco is more secular than many Islamic countries.
Moroccan village from the train
Notice the peeved expression of the baggage handler at the Marrakech station. As Ed learned a few seconds after taking this picture, photographing trains in railroad stations is illegal in Morocco. After receiving this intelligence from the security guard, Ed noticed that, unlike other third world countries, there were no hords of people wandering over the tracks. Tom found out why when we departed that evening: he noticed a solid wall full of sniper rifles (with BIG scopes) through an open door of a nearby guardhouse. Yikes!
Alice just HAD to take a carriage ride around central Marrakech. here we see her and Liz thumbing through the dictionary trying to figure out how to say 'we are hopelessly lost" in Arabic.
The Marrakech bazaar; a wondrous affair easily worth nearly 24 hours on the train; This isle is the widest in the whole place - human gridlock is common in the smaller alleys. Unfotunately, we took no more decent photos, so we've ripped the ones below off of the Web. Also, click HERE for a short movie of folks walking through the market.
Left, the Djemma El Fna Square, heart of Marrakech's bazaar; Right nearby is the Koutouba Mosque, one of the largest in Islam.
A clandestine shot of the Marrakech depot from the train, prior to departure for Tanger.