A Sunny Weekend: Saturday 30th & Sunday 31st May

Our apartment is on the left had side of the red building Canary Wharf The Thames Clipper Leeds Castle This weekend was lovely and sunny so on Saturday Mike had hired a car and Paula, Mike, Josh and I went out to leads castle - very pretty! In the evening we went down the road for a BBQ and Josh played catch in the park - what a nice change. We didn't want to waste the weather so on Sunday we went to Greenwich park and brought some lovely food from the market then sat in the park and ate it. We caught the ferry back (check out the photos of our apartment from the water) then sat on the balcony drinking wine and burning - Josh is quite red now - but it was heaps of fun.

Harrogate - Saturday 23rd - Monday 25th May

Dinner at the Chinese

Yorkshire Dales We have a picture of this bridge with snow around it!

Pub Lunch - outside! Vodka Shots We have had quiet weekends for the last two following Marrakech - mostly because we have both been sick - as a direct result of Marrakech - it has taken a good week plus to feel 100%!!! Last weekend was a long weekend so we decided to hire a car and visit Marz and Shane in Harrogate - nice weekend and lovely weather but bad idea to drive - the weekend before mid-term break as well! We left home at 8am had to catch a bus to the car rental because the DLR was down, finally got there and waited in a que for 45 min to pick up the car keys - we had already paid on line. So 1.5hrs after leaving home we finally had car keys and could leave. We then spent the next 6 hours doing a 4 hr dive in traffic crawling along - so enjoyable - we did take on 20 min break to get some lunch and change over drivers so I could give Josh a break - first time driving in the UK and the speed limit is higher than NZ - I won't say what speed I managed to get up to when we finally got a break - but it was fun! We arrived in Harrogate at 3.30 and had a walk around town, its really beautiful and has some amazing homemade fudge and sweet shops!! We went out for dinner and enjoyed some drinks in the old pubs and bars. Josh and Shane enjoyed vodka shots whilst Marz and I enjoyed Cocktails. On Sunday we set out to Whitby only the traffic was still terrible so after 30min of going 10 min down the road we turned around headed back the way we came and out to the Yorkshire Dales - we re-visited some of the towns we saw last time in the snow and they where very beautiful we got out and had a wander around - had an amazing pub lunch and stopped for tea and scone in the afternoon. The weather was great which made it a real plus. We ate dinner in a Chinese restaurant in the old bath house. Monday was a public holiday so we went out for breakfast at Bettys - very nice old style English tea place and had a great breakfast before getting some more fudge for the dive home. We left Harrogate about 12.30 and made it back in 4 hrs thankfully - no traffic.

Marrakech, Morocco Friday 1st May - Tuesday 5th May

The Souks

Outside the Mosque

The road to the palace

View of the rooftops from the old palace

Old palace ruins

Village - notice how it is brown everywhere then all of a sudden there is a green area - a river runs there, looks really odd with all the sand then the green. View from the top of the mud village hill

View of the mud village below

Top of the hill in the mud village - check out the dog!

Walking accross the water to the mud village

New village - mud village in the background.

Pictures of views as we drove through the Atlas mountains.

Breakfast on the roof

The Bathroom in our Riad Courtyard

Inside our room

Lights in the main square at night

Mosque at prayer time

Gardens

Donkey and carts that where everywhere

Tannery - Mike and Lou sniffing the mint

Looking around some old museum/buildings

Josh and his new leather satchel

Souks

Marrakech is famous for its organge juice, so everywhere there are stalls selling freshly squeezed orange juice for about 2 pounds a glasss.

Mosque

Main Square

Souks

Main Square

New Town - Plaza Marrakech Old Town

Where do i start! We (Mike, Lou, Terry, Lou T, Josh and I) flew out at 8pm on Friday night with Atlas Blue. The plane had seats crammed in everywhere, which meant that there was practically no leg-room! The flight was 3 hrs, when we arrived, passport security took ages but when we finally did make it through our bag did not arrive. Josh and I packed 2 suitcases one with out clothes in and the other toiletries, shoes, etc and the one with our clothes in did not arrive! Where was it - who knew! We filled in a missing bag form at the airport and trundled out to get in a cab with no clothes!!!!! In Marrakesh there is very little English and since all of our Arabic and french left a lot to be desired we found the whole excursion very interesting! The taxis dropped us in the middle of nowhere and after paying the taxi driver we then had to pay some local kids to show us where the hotel was. We arrived and it was lovely - thank goodness! We all had these themed rooms that where around a central courtyard and all in Moroccan style - lots of Mosaics so very pretty. We had breakfast included and had it on the roof top - very nice. The buildings are all only allowed to be 2 stories and the Mosque's are higher. Morocco is a Muslim country so the call to prayer can be heard 3 times a day.

Day One

Since Josh and I only had jeans we went to the new town and brought some clothes first thing, before catching up with the others and having a look around the old town. In the main square other than masses of Souks - which sold teapots, pottery, leather, spices, food there where also snake charmers, monkeys and henna painting. At night storytellers where there also. The monkeys are on chains and the people want you to pay to watch them do things or have your photo with them. Mike was walking along and a man came up behind him and put the monkey on his shoulder (so Mike had to pay) but the monkey bit Mike on the finger!!! A very quick application of antiseptic sanitizer occurred - luckily Mike's finger did not drop off and all did seem to be fine. Mike must have attracted these people because on another day a man put a snake around his neck from behind! Josh and i saw a snake charmers snakes get out of hand and run away from him all across the car park as he chased them and tried to catch them! that was it for me, I was not going to go anywhere near them! Everywhere you went there where Donkeys pulling carts, motorbikes and bicycles, if you didn't watch out you would get run over! In the afternoon we went and saw a tannery - big leather industry in Marrakesh - the place stinks! They use poo to tan the leather, so when you go around they give you mint to smell so you don't vomit from the stench! All over the streets are these 'guides' - they are usually kids who want to take you places for money. We couldn't find the tannery so this person showed us how to get there and then we went on a tour around and because we didn't buy anything we had to pay for the tour - they never tell you how much things are beforehand, just afterwards, you have to barter for a good price. Then this 'guide' appears again and despite claiming he worked at the tannery so wouldn't want a fee for showing us where it is - he did! and he was not willing to take a small amount so I call ed his bluff and yelled at him that he was liar and we where only going to give him a certain amount - take it or leave it - luckily he decided my yelling was scary enough and he took the money and left! Everything was a battle with everyone, even the taxi drivers you had to negotiate a price before you got in. There where also these little children who would carry out manky looking donuts open to the air and follow you tapping you to buy them! We had dinner in the main square which was very nice, alcohol free - as alcohol can't be drunk in sight of the mosque.

Day Two

Today we went on a tour through the atlas mountains (Josh and i still didn't have our bag back), it was really beautiful, we went to this old mud village that has been used in lots of movies and had a lovely day. The highlight for me was when an 8 year old boy thought he might put his hand up my skirt and touch my bum! Louise yelled at him and I hit him, so here's hoping he thinks twice before doing that again! We didn't arrive back until 7.30pm. For dinner we had the traditional tanjine at the hotel (riad = guesthouse), it was beautiful, it is food that is slow cooked in clay pots over night.

Day Three

Today we walked around the old palace ruins and past the palace where the royals live - no photos allowed! Josh and I finally got our bag back this afternoon - just in time to go home! We again went to the old town to have dinner.

Day Four

To top it all off I am now starting to feel very unwell, i have a stomach upset and am feeling hot (it is hot there ) but incredibly hot - so Josh and i spent most of the day sleeping whilst the others did bits and pieces of shopping and a little more sightseeing. We flew out that evening at 6pm on Easy Jet, which felt like a palace compared to Atlas Blue - our bag did arrive back - thank goodness! I am still sick now and have a fever, stomach upset and dehydration - fantastic!