WE HOPE YOU HAD A GREAT CHRISTMAS AND WISHING YOU A HAPPY NEW YEAR……..

 

 

With the best of intentions and in good time I sat down and prepared the Pre-Desert Detours Christmas and New Year Blog entry……… Then it all “went to rats” as they say and it didn’t get posted. So with some minor editing we now have the shortened in-between event version.
 

WHERE DID IT GO? ...........................

 

I know, as time slips by we all say that at some time or other during the year. But honestly where has this year gone?

Against all the odds 2015 has turned out to be one of our busiest touring years ever….yes we had some “odds” to overcome….. Lol ….. as they say. New and additional staff, vehicle matters, additional legalities and regulations etc. etc……. not to mention the inevitable anti-Morocco references. But the fact is that we ran EVERY scheduled tour. Only one tour [due to late cancellations/breakdown] ran under numbers, which was not a problem, while all the others were fully booked.

Anyway the best advert for touring Morocco is……Morocco. So I am leaving you this month with just a selection of photographs taken by an American client, Ryel and Joll Kestano,  on our November tour…….

 

 

 

 

 

And client comments are by far our best recommendation so with permission I quote from an email from Steve and Lynda Hugill who also recently joined us on tour.

 

"We had a fantastic time on our tour of Morocco.  Our expectations were all well exceeded.  We think your pacing of the tour was perfect.  You gradually introduced us to the Moroccan culture and way of life.  We've never experienced anything like it on our previous travels!  We would like to say a big thank you to you, Debbie and Hammid for such a wonderful experience".
 

2016 TOUR DATES………..ALL THAT’S LEFT

Next year [2016] has already well surpassed our best expectations; leaving us with just a few places available on the March/April and Sept/Oct tour dates…..and incredibly we already have confirmed more than a few firm bookings for 2017…………Retirement is on hold yet again!!!!

1st Mar ‘16	THE MOROCCAN “CLASSIC” TOUR Trans Riff-Atlas-Forest-Sahara-Atlantic Coast	JUST TWO PLACES LEFT
1st April ‘16	THE MOROCCAN “CLASSIC” TOUR Trans Riff-Atlas-Forest-Sahara-Atlantic Coast	ONLY ONE PLACE
3rd SEPT ‘16	THE MOROCCAN “CLASSIC” TOUR Trans Riff-Atlas-Forest-Sahara-Atlantic Coast	FOUR PLACES
1st Oct ‘16	THE MOROCCAN “CLASSIC” TOUR Trans Riff-Atlas-Forest-Sahara-Atlantic Coast	THREE PLACES

 

Inevitably we get clients cancel or change tour dates but rather than continually post our full 2016/17 schedule contact us to check if there is availability…….remember, except for high summer we are in Morocco EVERY month. 

Should there be demand we may perhaps schedule additional tours during MAY and NOVEMBER. Let us know as soon as possible if you have these months in mind.
 

WHEREVER YOU MAY BE…………….
 

 

 

From our [Desert Detours] point of view and observations Christmas and the New Year can be very special and so much fun in Morocco. Our own tours over this period have always been some of our busiest, with bookings running years ahead. Christmas day on the sand dunes of the Sahara and then moving on to celebrate the arrival of a New Year in Marrakech is by any standard both astounding and amazing.

In the West the celebration of Christmas has become mired in confusion and commercialism and that modern and mercantile "spirit of Christmas" has it seems reached Morocco. While many are embracing some aspects, for other Moroccans the festival is an anathema  

"We don't need Christmas in Morocco," one Moroccan Riad said, owner said “In fact a lot of my guests say they are coming to Morocco to escape what they call the “Christmas madness". One of our clients said that there were Christmas commercials on TV way back in the beginning of November!"

Ask many tourists arriving in Morocco over the festive holiday period and they will tell you that they want to get away from the commercial hype and secular "celebrations" of Christmas. In England and in many European countries the Christmas season gets under way weeks before the actual date and its biggest impact is on the national economies and personal credit cards.

For devout Christians, Christmas can be observed in simple ways, but each year it becomes more and more secular and divorced from its roots. Sadly, it is this style of Christmas that has arrived in Morocco. And, it will be no surprise that Christmas is embraced far more strongly by the younger generations. At the same time many young Moroccans are forgetting elements of their own culture.

 
Tinsel, toys, candle-holders, candles, candies, garlands and wooden ornaments can be found in markets. The lights, sounds and sentiment that symbolised and celebrated home and family has moved outward into public streets and stores. There are now street decorations in some parts of Morocco.

Since the celebration focuses on the secular aspects of the “Prophet” Jesus, some conservative Muslims frown upon the act of celebrating Christmas, arguing that it is a sort of “bida”, a fad that has not been taught by Prophet Mohamed.

Most modern Moroccans do not have this attitude. Yet opinions vary widely. Some say that Christmas is an occasion for them to greet their Christian friends. Others see it as a way of showing tolerance, while others are less than impressed with the commercialisation and also reject it on cultural and religious grounds, saying that Christmas does not represent Moroccan Islamic culture and celebrating it is synonymous with blindly adopting others’ lifestyles and cultural aspects.

I should stress that this does NOT manifest itself into any sort of physical or verbal conflict.

ANYWAY………….

 

…….. That’s it, just a short Christmas/New Year Blog issue [I may get around to an early New Year one!]. So once again from all at Desert Detours……have a great holiday wherever you may be? 

PRE XMAS NEWS .....

RIGHT, THAT’S ME DONE…………………

……..Well, ‘till next March anyway!

Recently back from a perfect November tour with both fantastic weather and clients I have decided that after a busy and hectic year I am going to take a much needed 3 month personal break. Of course all scheduled tours [Dec, Jan and Feb] will in the meantime continue without me.

Leaving behind extraordinary storms in mainland Spain and a cold front drifting down from the UK we were a little apprehensive as to what to expect in Morocco during November…..but as we crossed the Med the grey and cold gradually receded and we were greeted, as usual, by sun, sun and even more sun for the whole tour.

Horizon to horizon blue greeted at our desert camp

 

After 3 nights, during which some camped at a luxury “Deep Dune Camp” overnight, it was a shame to leave.

By the time you receive this blog issue I will hopefully have headed off to the UK for the annual pre-Christmas family gathering, so have little time to re-issue and update our 2016 schedule…….but taking just a quick look at the booking-list in the office it looks like there are just a few places left only on the March and April, September and October 2016 tours………. So if you are thinking of joining us next year don’t think too long! 

AMIDST THE CHAOS, TRANQUILITY……………
 

 

Jardin Majorelle is one of the most beautiful tourist attractions in Marrakech and is rated as one of the world’s best tourist destinations.

 

Created by the French painter Jacques Majorelle (1886-1962), the Majorelle Garden is a twelve-acre botanical garden and an art’s landscape in Marrakech.

For tourists or inhabitants of the city looking to escape the crowded old medina and Jamaa El fna, the peaceful atmosphere of Jardin Majorelle offers a moment of rest and refreshment in the shadows of its exotic plants.

The garden, a little heaven, is an ideal place for those who love nature and colors. Painted with dark blue with bright yellow vases in every corner, the garden is a masterpiece combining Moorish and Berber-style.

Visitors enjoy walking through the clean pathways under the shade of the trees and plants that draw artistic shapes on the ground, or sit on a colorful bench listening to the tweeting of birds.

 

The ticket price of MAD 70 is perhaps a little expensive compared to other public sites in Marrakech, but the money goes to promote the Berber culture and organize events and exhibitions.

NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT………….

 

Perhaps I should rephrase that…….Not a lot of people have realised………

Given the combined billions concerned or entangled I am surprised that nobody has pointed this out before……. Someone probably has I expect!!

During my latest research project [Political Islam] I realised that this year [2015] “Eid Al Mouloud,” or simply “Al Mouloud,” the observance of the birthday of Prophet Muhammad, will occur twice. That’s because Muslims first celebrated it earlier when it fell first on January 4, and they will observe it again on December 24 or 25.

Even more remarkably “Al Mouloud” and Christmas Day will fall on the same day for the first time in 457 years. This rare coincidence, specially separate events for both Muslims and Christians, has taken place only three times in the history of humanity………not withstanding that Islam has only been around for something less than 1500 years….and did I say “Humanity” …. Now there’s a laugh!

Anyway to explain…….. “Al Mouloud” falls on the 12th of Rabi’ al-Awwal, that’s the third month in the Islamic calendar. However, the date in the Gregorian calendar varies from year to year, since the Gregorian calendar is a solar calendar, while the Islamic calendar is a lunar one. In the Gregorian calendar, “Al Mouloud falls on a different day every year by approximately 11 days.

The date of “Al Mouloud” may also vary from country to country depending on the sighting of the lunar crescent, which marks the beginning of a new lunar month.

Given this rare coincidence of Al Mouloud with Christmas, some are divided on when to celebrate it. Will Muslims celebrate the birth of Prophet Muhammad at the same time as the birth of Jesus or will they skip a day to celebrate “Al Mouloud” on December 24 or 26?

Whatever, I expect they will find a consensus and slaughter one another on this special day as on all others……..

 

 

SO TOO SPEAK…………..

 

For months the debate about linguistic identity has raged in Morocco. The tussle is between French, and English, with clear lines between those who favor retaining what they describe as the "language of history and the protectorate" and English, the language of "science and civilisation"

The politicians have been vocal in the debate with Prime Minister Abdelilah Benkirane, expressing his desire to give English prime importance in the educational system and to become the second language after the Arabic.  The Minister of Higher Education, Lahcen Daoudi, has repeatedly stressed of English in the scientific disciplines, saying "We are obliged to gain proficiency in English" .

According to a recent poll by the Hespress Newspaper, the overwhelming majority of voters want English over French in Morocco's educational system in Morocco.

The results of the poll of  41,526  people saw the support rate for English at 85.98 with only 14.02 per cent of respondents wanting to keep French

.

Dr Abdel Kader Fassi Fihri, International expert in the field of linguistics, said the result was "good news", because it reflects the awareness of Moroccan citizens in regard to the choice of foreign language, and the language of education in particular.

He added……"Being the universal language, English is the language of trading and if you want to reach out to the world or want to move between one region and another, even in the Arab countries or  China, you need English." He also pointed out that English is the global language of science and scientific journals internationally and are all indexed in English and noted that "English has become the first language in Europe.  For example, in Spain, Germany, Portugal, and France the first other language is English," adding that "You only find  French as the first foreign language in some African countries, which were a colony of France and Belgium."


ANOTHER GOOD READ………..

 This slim volume of stories contains local stories that Herron collected and some that she created herself. They are poignant tales of magic, love and loss. Their brevity makes them vignettes rather than short stories and yet they have a power that belies their short length. 

The stories are retold in modern times and so from time to time a character will produce a smart phone, or mention watching television. This intrusion of the contemporary into ancient tales is a device that works to enhance the notion that the reader is getting a remarkable insight into the longevity of traditional beliefs held by Moroccans living today in the Draa valley.

I studied classical Arabic and the Quran with the women of the village, travelled in the desert, learned how to take care of camels and sheep, how to wash and pray, and helped the other women in the family with the day-to-day running of the home. I fell in love with storytelling and stories, which are at the heart of everyday life in Morocco: sharing old stories handed down from generation to generation, embellishing jokes, spreading gossip or simply recounting a personal experience. I began to document the stories I was hearing and then found myself imagining and composing my own - Samantha  Herron

The author of 'Travels with a Tangerine: A Journey in the Footnotes of Ibn Battutah', Tim Mackintosh-Smith agrees: 'Samantha Herron found some of her Moroccan stories ready-made. Others she imagined or dreamed. In size they are miniatures; but they all express big things on a small scale. Reading them is like peering through a series of keyholes – and, each time, glimpsing something momentary but momentous, instants with life-long consequences. They will make you smile, and shiver. And they will tell you as much truth about their Moroccan setting as a shelf-full of ethnologist.'

2016 TOUR DATES

DEC-JAN 15/16	NEW YEAR IN THE SAHARA AND MARRAKECH	FULLY BOOKED [Standby Places Only]
1st FEB ‘16	THE MOROCCAN “CLASSIC” TOUR Trans Riff-Atlas-Forest-Sahara-Atlantic Coast	FULLY BOOKED [Standby Places Only]
1st Mar ‘16	THE MOROCCAN “CLASSIC” TOUR Trans Riff-Atlas-Forest-Sahara-Atlantic Coast	JUST TWO PLACES LEFT
1st April ‘16 10th April ‘16	THE MOROCCAN “CLASSIC” TOUR Trans Riff-Atlas-Forest-Sahara-Atlantic Coast EXCLUSIVE FRENCH CLUB TOUR	ONLY ONE PLACE FULLY BOOKED
1st MAY’16 7th May ‘16 20th May ‘16	THE MOROCCAN “CLASSIC” TOUR Trans Riff-Atlas-Forest-Sahara-Atlantic Coast “FOOTSTEPS OF MOORS” From the Moroccan Sahara to the Spanish Sierras [40 PLUS DAYS] A “DISCOVERY” Tour Remote, Hidden, Spectacular Morocco. THE TRANS ATLAS-IMISHIL EXPEDITION	NEW TOUR WITH PLACES STANDBY PLACES ONLY NEW TOUR WITH PLACES
1st Sept ‘16 2nd Sept ‘16	ALL NEW – AMAZIGH [EASTERN MOROCCO] TOUR. [Small Group only “GRAND TRANS-MOROCCO” From the Algerian Border to the Atlantic Coast [40 PLUS DAYS]	TWO PLACES THREE PLACES
3rd SEPT ‘16	THE MOROCCAN “CLASSIC” TOUR Trans Riff-Atlas-Forest-Sahara-Atlantic Coast	FOUR PLACES
1st Oct ‘16	THE MOROCCAN “CLASSIC” TOUR Trans Riff-Atlas-Forest-Sahara-Atlantic Coast	THREE PLACES
1st NOV ‘16 3rd NOV ‘16	THE MOROCCAN “CLASSIC” TOUR Trans Riff-Atlas-Forest-Sahara-Atlantic Coast THE MOROCCAN “CLASSIC” TOUR Trans Riff-Atlas-Forest-Sahara-Atlantic Coast	THREE PLACES NEW TOUR DATE ADDED
1st Dec ‘16	THE MOROCCAN “WINTER WONDER TOUR” A Stunning tour for those who wish to escape the cold and grey of Europe [Give Christmas/New Year/Plus Time in Morocco option]	FULLY BOOKED [Standby Only]
17th Dec ‘16/17	XMAS-NEW YEAR “CELEBRATION” TOUR Imperial City – Xmas Dunes – New Year In Marrakech	FULLY BOOKED [Standby Only]