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White and Blue

After our few days in and around Marrakech we altered our travel plans to include a quick stop in Casablanca. As romantic as it sounds, Casa is actually off of the typical tourist circuit, which is a double edged sword. The positives are that we could be more anonymous, not constantly being harassed by people trying to get us to go somewhere or buy something. I also had a day of freedom from wearing the travel money belt (we lovingly refer to it as my ‘travel gunt’). The big con is that it didn’t have the tourist conveniences like restaurants or anywhere handy to buy a snack or drink. Our evaluation is when it comes to tourist infrastructure, ‘too much’ beats out ‘too little’.

Aside from having some downtime to do laundry, relax, and drink cafe nes nes (half coffee, half milk), we visited the main tourist attraction of the stunning Hassan II Mosque. It’s the 3rd largest mosque in the world, fitting 25,000 praying people inside and 80,000 outside.

Last night we took a train-bus combination to the blue city of Chefchouen. Everything in the medina (old town) is painted various shades of blue, making it appear like a beautiful version of the ‘bedrock’ area at Calaway Park. It’s cold and rainy here, so even my lips are matching the hues of the city.

In RobO’s last blog he was so busy describing me as a pink convertible that he failed to mention that he has transformed into a different loveable, funny, Canadian actor. During the goats in tree viewing, RobO got so excited that he clapped his hand to his mouth. His wedding ring hit his tooth at the perfect angle and velocity to give him a handsome Lloyd Christmas (from Dumb and Dumber) look.
Thankfully it is not painful (other than in aesthetics) so we’re not having to blog about his experiences with Moroccan emergency dentistry!
Tomorrow we will make our way to Fez, which is one of our last stops in our Moroccan adventure.
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Water buckets and bucket lists

We have spent the last two days doing excursions outside of Marrakech.  Yesterday we went to the coastal town of Essaouira.  It was a welcomed change of pace from the big city.  The weather was beautiful, the noise was minimal and we had room to walk along without dodging donkeys, scooters and shoppers.
When we got back to the city we had what I might call an awkward couples hammam.  If you are long time readers of our blog you may remember a post I wrote about a rather awkward, yet amazing Turkish bath experience…  See ‘Bloggle Bloggle” for the full story.   Consider this hammam experience to be along the same lines.  If you don’t already know, a hammam is when you, a consenting adult human, allow an adult stranger to wash and scrub your almost naked body until your top layer of skin comes off.  Sounds pretty normal so far, right?  Well, the place we are staying at has a hammam so we thought after a nice day at the beach, we would come home and get a good scrub down.  We booked it and at the time I wondered, if the hammam was in our place, does that mean one of the 3 staff members gets the lucky job of hosing me down?  Would it be bachelor number 1? The manager with a twinkle in his eye?  Bachelor number 2?  The guy that can’t speak English but is fluent in all things French? Or the lady that has been cleaning our room for the last 3 days?  I had convinced myself that they probably hired outside help for that job.  Well what a jerk I was.  Not only was it the lady that was up to the task, but she was taking us both on in the same room.  Now I’m not sure how a threesome is supposed to go, but I’m certain what I saw in that room was not a show I ever need to witness again.  When she was washing one of us, the other one was sitting on the smallest stool in the world I’d like to call the stool of the scary truth.  It was so hot.  Like temperature hot.  We were down to our underwear and she was wearing pants.  The most awkward moment for me was when I was getting scrubbed a bit too vigorously and I made a face, revealing my comfort level all while locking eyes with my wife of ten years who looked like a freshly washed hot-pink convertible with her top down.  And the most amazing part?  The lady didn’t even get her pants wet.
Today we took our clean selves to Ouarzazate, a city south of the High Atlas Mountains.  It has been featured in many films and even has its own movie studio.
We also visited Aït Ben Haddou which can be seen in Lawerence of Arabia, Gladiator, and Game of Thrones.

DawnO and I have a bucket list.  While Dawn adds things to it well in advance, I find it hard to add items to the list.  I usually see or do something and then afterwards say, “That goes on the bucket list! Check!”  What I saw on the way to Essaouira was put on the list once we knew it was a thing.  We actually only booked this trip because we heard we might see this mind blowing sight.  Ladies and gentlemen, we give you goats in a tree:

Props to Peggy Nelson for telling us that this was even a thing.

Apparently the goats climb the trees to eat the nuts that grow on them.  Bucket list item, check!

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“I will cooking tagine for you”

We’ve made a couple of rookie mistakes in our first couple of days in Africa, but nothing that hasn’t turned out to be a pretty good story in the end.

On our first night we settled into our Riad (Moroccan accommodation with rooms around a central courtyard). Our little courtyard is filled with orange and lemon trees, and we get a fresh squeezed OJ every morning with breakfast. We had our first tagine, and since then RobO has had tagines steady for every lunch and dinner!
Yesterday we wandered the narrow, windy streets, staying as close to the sides as possible to avoid bikes, scooters, donkeys, horse and carriages, food carts, and the occasional truck.

We got lost a couple of times, but only because we listened to the touts who say that “X (X=wherever you’re going) is closed”, or “The big square is this way” followed by pointing in the direction of the shop that they’re promoting. Because ‘X’ was closed, we were led by a ‘friendly’ young man right to the tanneries, where they clean and dye hides of leather. Interesting process, though it would have been nice to know we were taking a $20 tour prior to the end of the tour!

We really enjoyed seeing the tile work in the Bahia Palace and Ben Youssef historical site. I could have (and did) take and endless number of photos.
And, of course, we’ve spent a lot of our day and night time at Place Jemaa El Fna. This is a UNESCO cultural heritage site for good reason. I mean, where else can you hang out in a square filled with king cobra snake charmers, acrobats, banjo playing storytellers, henna painters, strange gambling games, rows of food stalls (that include sheep brains on display), and much much more. A lesson if you’re ever planning to go: every picture you take costs money, and the amount is likely more than the pocket change you were planning to give. And they’re determined. But you can always leave your little lady hostage with the snake charmers while you go to the bank machine across the street.
(This is RobO’s worst nightmare. I’m very surprised he was smiling. When asked, he said, “I didn’t want to make any sudden movements!”.)
Stay tuned. We have some pretty action packed days planned!
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“I feel lucky every day”

On Sunday I took the bus to Montevideo and was picked up by my friend Javier. I met him and his dad Hugo while walking the Camino de Santiago last year. It’s amazing to think that we only met for 4 days but have stayed in contact. One of the great things about Facebook!

We went straight to the 40th anniversary of Hugo and his wife, which was held at a winery just outside of town. I enjoyed a Uruguyan steak, wine, dulce de leche, and meeting many amazing people who were interested in speaking slow Spanish with me. There were even opera soprano and tenor singers who performed.
I think we look better than we did with hiking clothes and back packs!
I have been lucky enough to be hosted by Javier, his wife Mari-Noella, and his 3 kids (Juan Agustin – 8, Felipe – 6, and Mari-Amelia – almost 2). They live in a huge home with a live in nanny (from Peru) and a pool. The boys have been learning English is school so we practised speaking together. I guess afterwards Juan Agustin said, “Dawn speaks much better English than papa.”. Too cute.
On Monday we drove along the coast of Uruguay past Punta del Este, a beach city. It feels very European here. I kept having to remind myself that we weren’t on the Mediterranean. The coastal views are spectacular and we had the chance to go to a house built by a local artist (looks like a mix between Santorini and Gaudí architecture). We also had the famous Chivita for lunch (a thin, very tender piece of beef in a bun and garnished with lettuce, tomato, cheese, bacon, and a fried egg). I enjoyed spending the day with Javier, Emelia, and Javier’s Uncle Milton.
At one point we were sitting, watching the waves and I said to Javier, “Do you feel lucky to be able to be sitting here?” and he replied, “I feel lucky every day.” Me too. I’m so grateful for this amazing life.
Today I went into the center of Montevideo to check out the ‘old town’ area. It’s a mix of old buildings and new buildings and reminded me a lot of Havana. I was enjoying wandering around until it started to rain in sheets! I took cover in a cafe, then eventually made my way to Javier’s office, lunch, and the airport. I’m ready for the long trip home.
Next blog posts should be from Morocco in February. Hasta luego!
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Colonia

I arrived in Colonia de Sacremento, Uruguay last night and got right into taking some night shots of the beautiful city.

Then I got up early this morning to see the sights without having to fight through the crowds of ‘day trippers’. If you’re ever in Colonia you’ll be glad for this tip!
For lunch I splurged on a patio table in this tiny restaurant right beside the main tourist spot. I felt like I was in a secret garden because I could see these hoards of tourists walking by, but they didn’t notice my little window. At one point a brilliant blue hummingbird flew in and was checking out the plants on the wall beside me. I had the local wine called Tannat and an artesian meat and cheese plate. There was only one thing missing… and he’s singing and dancing on stage in Medicine Hat!
I had a nap in the afternoon to try to shake this cold I picked up, then I spent golden hour listening to a band play in a park.
Tomorrow I’m taking the bus to Montevideo. I’m looking forward to a couple days of reconnecting with my friends Hugo and Javier who I met while walking the Camino last year.

 

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Sunny days, steamy nights

Other than all the learning I’ve been doing, I’ve been able to explore Buenos Aires a bit more.

When I was researching tango shows I had almost given up. The ones that I found all started at 11pm or later and many were in different barrios (neighbourhoods) in the city. If you know me at all, you know that I am not a night owl at the best of times, especially when having to manoeuvre myself in a foreign city (and, disclaimer in case my boss is reading, I wanted a fully rested brain for ideal learning).
On a whim, I searched something like ‘afternoon tango shows’ and came up with Cafe Tortoni. This show starts at 8pm, is in my neighbourhood, is the least expensive of shows I found, and is in a historic cafe with a theatre that seats only 65. Call it kismet.
I’m so glad I went! Check out these artsy photos:
And in case you actually want to see what was going on:
There was a guy who played a big drum with amazing stick work:
And he also spun these long ropes with beads on the end so they sounded like tap dancing when they hit the ground (this was super cool, though, because I was sitting about 5 feet away, my enjoyment was slightly affected my my fear that he was going to accidentally let one go and one would hit me directly in the eye socket):

 

Today when the course ended I took the bus to a famous neighbourhood called La Boca. Though it’s a bit of a tourist trap it was cool to see the painted buildings, some local artists, and one of the beloved futbol stadiums.

Now I’m sitting in the sunshine waiting to board the ferry to Colonia de Sacremento, Uruguay.
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Lessons from Street Art

Yesterday on my way home from my course I went to the Plaza de Mayo, which is the main government square in Argentina.

These benches look like they’re covered in fancy upholstery, but they’re actually decorative concrete.
This afternoon I had the awesome opportunity to do a ‘street art tour’ in a couple of areas in the north of the city. I didn’t realize how much history and political information I would learn from graffiti but I guess when you think about it, it makes sense. People use art to express themselves, so what better way to check the pulse of the people than looking at the street art?
This was one of the most interesting to me:
The ‘ghost-like’ paintings at the top are a well known symbol in Argentina, representing the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo. We learned that in the late 70s and early 80s, many Argentinians who were vocal against the dictatorship government disappeared. It is believed that they were tortured and killed, though their bodies have not been found.  About 500 of them were young pregnant women. The mothers of many of the missing banded together and protested by silently walking around the Plaza de Mayo wearing cloths on their heads as shown in the painting. They still do this weekly to highlight human rights.
It is believed that the kidnapped pregnant women gave birth, then were killed and their babies adopted to ‘politically agreeable’ families. The Mothers organization has set up DNA testing and have found something like 240 of these missing children.
Pretty moving, especially to think that I am the age of one of these missing children.
The tour also covered numerous sites and a couple of street art galleries.
Even Argentinians know that this US election is crazy…
Otherwise I’ve been filling my brain with great info at my course, and filling my belly with great food! My strategy has been to walk along until I see a restaurant that is filled with Argentinians. This strategy has not disappointed thus far.
‘Break a leg’ to the cast of Rock of Ages, which is starting tonight in the Hat. I know Rob’s going to kill his role as a gay seeming German!!
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Buenos Aires through the blood-shot eyes of a sleepy Canadian

In United Airlines’ defence, I knew they were crappy and I still booked with them. My trip from Medicine Hat to Buenos Aires took a total of 42 hours, 4.5 of which I was able to spend in a horizontal position.  I thought I was in luck because I was upgraded (I thought it was Business, but it was Economy Plus), which I guess was a more comfortable place to spend 3 hours sitting on the Tarmac prior to being herded off the plane, standing in line for 2 hours, sent to a hotel at 4am to get up at 9am to get back to the airport for the noon flight.  As you can imagine, I was pretty tired when I arrived at my guesthouse in the middle of the night on Sunday.

So when I got up this morning I did what I do best – wander around the city on foot. I got my bearings in my neighbourhood, checked into my conference in the fancy waterfront Hilton, then hit up the world’s most beautiful theatre turned bookstore.
Next I headed to the Recoleta cemetery which is filled with elaborate above ground graves, including one housing the remains of Evita.
After sampling some Argentinian wine and snacks at my conference welcome party, I headed back home for an early night to bed. The lit up waterfront reminds me of Vancouver and my ‘theatre district’ neighbourhood is full of nightlife and energy (the opposite of me tonight!!).
Now time for an epic sleep. This brain’s gotta rest so it can take 4 days of learning!

 

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Portlandia

The city of Portland gets a high five, or at least a ‘hang loose’, from us. How could we not love a bike friendly, food mecca, funky city filled with genuinely helpful people?  Many times local folk have come over to strike up a conversation, give recommendations, and help with directions, all with a ‘lovin’ life’ kind of vibe.

Yesterday after another morning tennis match we headed downtown to the converted warehouse area called the Pearl District. We had a heavenly visit to Powell’s book store, one of the largest independent bookstores in the country, where I drooled over the travel section and new releases. We then rode over to Brewcycle, where I had rented us 2 seats on a 15 seater bike brewery tour.  We had an eclectic group made up of 10 people from a social media advertising company (most of which played Pokemon Go while we biked along – “Did you know we’re going slow enough that this is going to count for my walking distance?!”), a couple from LA, a local Portlander, and us! My favorite part of the bike is that the people are the signal lights, so at every turn the people on the appropriate side of the bike had to stick our arms out. We stopped at 3 different breweries for tasters. One of them had ‘reduced gluten’ beer, which has some enzyme in it that destroys the gluten particles. Say what?! So far RobO’s guts are still happy (though his head is NOT due to a bit of a hangover).
Working hard to go up a hill!
Our next stop was tasters and eats a Gluten Free brewery called Ground Breaker.
Our final stop on the day was at the First Thursday festival, an array galleries, art vendors, food trucks, and street performers. After a wander through we enjoyed sitting in a park, spectating a game of bocce, followed by an early night to bed. Beer drinking in the sun takes a lot out of a person!

 

Today has been a relaxed final day in the city: tennis, food trucks, hanging around our funky neighbourhood, Indian food, ice cream. When I suggested this Indian place to RobO and described the location as being right beside the Salt & Straw ice cream shop (see last blog for details) his eyes lit up.  He says, “That’s perfect. If the Indian food is really spicy we can just go next door for ice cream afterwards! It’s like doing jumps with your motorcycle right across the street from the hospital!”  How can I argue with that logic?
In case you’re curious, we each sampled many of the flavours that we didn’t try the last time. The olive oil? Surprisingly good. Fennel and maple? Also good. Vanilla? Boring. We settled on the Cinnamon Snickerdoodle (me) and Freckled Woodblock Chocolate with caramel sauce (RobO).
Tomorrow we fly back to Calgary, then stop off in Drumheller for the Blue Rodeo concert. I guess then back to the grind until next time!
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Keeping Portland weird

  The city slogan, “Keep Portland Weird”, is more than just a quirky saying.  From what we have seen, it’s a way of life.  However that is exactly what makes this city so charming.  Portland has been recommended to us by many people that must know our travel style.  We are living in a flat built in a garage that we rented through AirBnB.
  The streets are designed to handle the traffic of both bicycles and cars (what’s plural for Prius? Pri-eye?). We have already rented bikes from our neighbourhood shop and get this, they were already named!  I’m riding Sonny, and DawnO is mounting Dan Marino.

So far we have yet to have a bad meal.  Yesterday we went to a highly recommended taqueria named, “por qué no” (why not) and it was a home run without the runs.

Today is DawnO’s birthday so we have built the day around a few of her favourite things.  We started out at a coffee shop and then biked to a tennis specialty store where she got new shoes and 3 racquets on loan for her to try out.

  She then proceeded to kick my sorry ass all over the public tennis court with all that new equipment.

We decided to try another critically acclaimed restaurant for her birthday dinner.  This time we went for Thai Food on the main strip in our area.  Here are the before and after shots:

Afterwards we went to the popular “Salt & Straw” ice cream shoppe that creates unique (aka intimidating) flavours of ice cream.

  After sampling “Pear w/ Blue Cheese” and “Caramel Corn on the Cob”, I settled on the more normal “Sea Salt w/ Caramel Ribbons” + 1 squirt of hot fudge.  DawnO was having a tough time deciding but after numerous samples chose “Almond Brittle w/ Salted Ganache”.
  On our way home we encountered what I can only describe as a poor man’s The Weekend, Korean Frieda Kahlo, and John Lennon during the ‘bed in’ days walking down the street blasting “Chattahoochee” by Alan Jackson.   Keep up the fine work, citizens of Portland.