# Back from Marbella and Morocco



## Zac495 (Jul 10, 2008)

I just finished and submitted my review! I'm not sure how long it takes to show up, but just pm or email me if you want to see it before it's up.

It was GREAT! It was exhausting!!!!!!

Hi Jim, Heather, Carol, Nicki, Bev, Lee, Joey, Bob  

We LOVED meeting TUGGERS!!!! We loved everything. No - not true. We hated getting lost and we did that a lot. :hysterical:


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## Blues (Jul 11, 2008)

Welcome back!  Can't wait to see your report.

-Bob


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## Keitht (Jul 11, 2008)

Just to confirm that the review is sitting in the system and I hope to post it 'live' within the next 24 hours.  From the little I have read so far it will be worth the wait.  "War & Peace" is shorter


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## Jimster (Jul 11, 2008)

*review*

In addition to hard cover, is the review also available in paperback?


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## hibbeln (Jul 12, 2008)

Welcome home!  I just finished reading your review and enjoyed it so much....what great memories it brought back!  I am SOOOOOOO glad you found the Rick Steve's book helpful.  Isn't he hysterical?!

Was the Cueva de la Pileta awesome or WHAT?!  Simply amazing.  And Senor Bullon......when he was smoking his cigarette, looking down the mountainside, silently waiting to see if ANYONE else showed up (it was just our group of 5), I had a moment of panic thinking "Oh no, he's a grumpy old man and I dragged my family way out here and made them wait on a windy hillside for him and this is going to be TERRIBLE!"  And then he stumped out his cigarette and we went inside and he was so darn charming and so great with my kids (they literally glued themselves each to one of his legs, they must have bumped him the whole way through).  So who got the "lantern at the end of the line" in your group?!

And Ronda.......I was all set to not like it because it is such a spot on the tourist circuit.......but LOVED it.  I still can feel the quiver in my tummy from looking over that gorge, nearly about to die from the fear of the height.

So where did you eat in Nerja?  Did you do the restaurant "under" the Balcon de Europa or somewhere else?  Did you get down on those adorable beaches on either side of the Balcon?  Did you hear the bells in the church on the Balcon de Europa plaza make their incredibly unharmonious clunk clunk clunk chiming? (Or maybe they were just servicing the bells while we were there and had hung up garbage cans in their place??!?!?).  Funny story about Nerja, we ALSO lost our car!  We kind of sort of knew which direction to head, but were criss crossing up and down streets going "Hmmmm?!?!?"  Their was NO ONE on the streets at all.  The kids were starting to drag, so we popped in a bakery to get them a sugary treat to pep them up and the baker came out of the back room and was SO ANNOYED (!!!!)     to have to wait on us.  He was the only cranky person we saw in all of Spain.  Then my husband saw the t.v. in the back room with the soccer game on, and put 2 and 2 together with the empty street outside.....apparently all of Spain was watching some big soccer game and WE were wanting baked goods!  We apologized profusely and paid rapidly and beat it out of there so the poor baker could go back to the game.


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## Zac495 (Jul 13, 2008)

Jimster said:


> In addition to hard cover, is the review also available in paperback?



You think I'm giving it out that cheap? :hysterical:


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## Zac495 (Jul 13, 2008)

hibbeln said:


> Welcome home!  I just finished reading your review and enjoyed it so much....what great memories it brought back!  I am SOOOOOOO glad you found the Rick Steve's book helpful.  Isn't he hysterical?!
> 
> Was the Cueva de la Pileta awesome or WHAT?!  Simply amazing.  And Senor Bullon......when he was smoking his cigarette, looking down the mountainside, silently waiting to see if ANYONE else showed up (it was just our group of 5), I had a moment of panic thinking "Oh no, he's a grumpy old man and I dragged my family way out here and made them wait on a windy hillside for him and this is going to be TERRIBLE!"  And then he stumped out his cigarette and we went inside and he was so darn charming and so great with my kids (they literally glued themselves each to one of his legs, they must have bumped him the whole way through).  So who got the "lantern at the end of the line" in your group?!
> 
> ...




LOL - Debbie - We sat outside and ate Tapas near Marbella the night of the game. We were so tired from our long trip,but it was fun watching everyone so excited. We did eat in Nerja, but just on the balcony. We didn'tmake our way downto the beach due to my sore foot (remember my sprain before Spain?). But it was so fabulous.


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## hibbeln (Jul 13, 2008)

How WAS your foot?!!?
I'm guessing if you could manage to make your way through the Cueva de la Pileta without sliding around and BREAKING your ankle, it must have been almost OK?!  How much did it slow you down?


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## andrea t (Jul 13, 2008)

Ellen,
Your report was a "good read" and the pics amazing! I really enjoyed them both.  Thanks for sharing.   I'm glad it was an amazing trip for you and hubby.


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## Zac495 (Jul 14, 2008)

Andrea - thanks for the compliment. i pick tuggers brains for a year, so I really try to do a good job with my reviews and pictures.

Debbie - the ankle STILL HURTS!  I wore a brace in the cave and was nervous about falling and making it worse. But nothing was going to stop me from seeing it. WOW


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## pianodinosaur (Jul 24, 2008)

ZAC495:

Loved  your reviews.  Are they going to be published on hard back or paper back?  The photos were excellent.  Glad you had a good time.


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## linmcginn (Jul 26, 2008)

Hi Ellen!
The pictures brought back such wonderful memories of our trip to Morocco! Aziz was an awesome tour guide and I would highly recommend him to anyone thinking about touring Tangier!


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## Zac495 (Jul 26, 2008)

linmcginn said:


> Hi Ellen!
> The pictures brought back such wonderful memories of our trip to Morocco! Aziz was an awesome tour guide and I would highly recommend him to anyone thinking about touring Tangier!



Definitely! I think I included his email. Just in case: aziztour@hotmail.com


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## GrayFal (Jul 26, 2008)

I can't wait to read your report - so glad u bumped this up!


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## Zac495 (Jul 29, 2008)

GrayFal said:


> I can't wait to read your report - so glad u bumped this up!



Did you read it? Did you like it?


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## GrayFal (May 14, 2009)

It's getting close to my trip so I am bumping this up!


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## GrayFal (May 14, 2009)

Zac495 said:


> Did you read it? Did you like it?



Yes, I did - and I REALLY think I am going to do the Morrocco trip  - will be in touch with your guide.
ou said in your review that he purchased the tickets for the boat????
How does this work?
And I have the Rick Steve's book.....


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## ScoopKona (May 16, 2009)

I can help out with this one. I lived in Morocco for awhile.

If you're on a tour, great. But if not, GET THE HELL OUT OF TANGIER THE MINUTE YOU ARRIVE. Tangier is a festering cesspool of touts and thieves. To quote Obi Wan Kenobi, "You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villany."

Have a map IN HAND leading you from the port to the train station (it's too far to walk), and use that to make sure your taxi driver takes you to the station and does not lead you into the medina. You'll pay some stiff extortion if you get stuck in the Tangier medina.

Once you get to the station, Meknes, Rabat, Agadir, Safi and (my favorite) Marrakech are all short train trips away.

You will get the occasional tout in Agadir, and some more leading to the Jamal el Fna in Marrakech. They're easy to deal with. Treat them like you would a timeshare OPC -- ignore them, don't engage them in conversation, and walk directly to wherever it is you're going. If you don't know where you're going, walk as if you do. We found that keeping an animated, running conversation was a useful ploy -- the touts couldn't get a word in edgewise. 

If the touts get to be too much for you, there's a police officer with a machine gun standing on the corner, every few blocks. The touts won't get within 100 meters of the cops.

The touts are (for the most part) harmless. Here's a link:

http://www.buten.net/max/Morocco/touts.htm


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As for shopping, you will find 1,000 things you want to buy at the craft stalls in Morocco. Their leather and brass work is simply amazing.

Everything you've read about haggling in Morocco is bogus. Do not offer the shopkeep half of what he asks -- you'll be paying 10x too much. Here's how to do it. Haggle the shopkeep down as far as you can. Leave the store a couple times in order to get the absolute best price. (1/10th the original asking price is fairly reasonable.)

Then, LEAVE. Go next door to the next shopkeep who is selling the EXACT SAME STUFF, and tell him, "The guy next door will sell me that brass pitcher for 30 dirhams. What will YOU sell it for in order to get me to buy it from you instead of him?"

Eventually, you'll get the hang of "power haggling" in Morocco.

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I don't know how long you're staying, but one of our favorite activities was to walk into the medina, get hopelessly lost, and spend all day finding our way out. We saw the coolest stuff that way -- the actual artisans who make all that stuff you want to buy, for instance. Sometimes they'll sell it to you.

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Sunglasses and T-shirts with english stuff on them make great currency. In fact, I'd pack all the clothes I want to give away, and trade it with the locals.

The street food tastes excellent. (Their orange juice is a thing of wonder.) I did get really sick once, though. 

Speaking of which, bring some toilet paper over from Gibraltar. YOU ARE GOING TO NEED IT.

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Finally, without a doubt, try to befriend a local and get an invite for lunch or dinner in their Riad. (Took me about a month before I could find someone trustworthy, though. Might not happen for you.)

All those dingy buildings you walk past in the medinas of the cities of Morocco are drop-dead gorgeous on the inside. Try hard to get a look inside one.



Edit - Learn some French if you don't already speak it. You'll need it for directions. The more Arabic you learn, the better your time in Morocco will be. As goofy as it sounds, rent "Ishtar" and watch it.

PS -- My wife cracked our tagine. Any chance you'd send one to Las Vegas?


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## Garry (May 16, 2009)

We booked with Aziz as well.  Late in the evening before we were heading off, Aziz called our room and gave us instructions and a reference number to quote at the ferry for our tickets.  When we arrived at the terminal, we simply quoted the number he gave and they issued the return tickets.  He met us in Tangiers as we got out of the dock area.  He stayed with us all the time and it was a great tour.  He charged us a bit more than we were originally quoted so confirm the rate with him if you're at all concerned.  He was great to deal with.


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## Bob Andrea (May 17, 2009)

Where can I find this July 2008 review by Zac495 ?

Thank you.


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## Zac495 (May 19, 2009)

Bob Andrea said:


> Where can I find this July 2008 review by Zac495 ?
> 
> Thank you.



http://tug2.com/RnR/TabResortReviews.aspx?Tab=R&ResortGUID=eac1f826-ad31-4399-88c1-9c9b263461a8

Please feel free to email or pm me with any questions - sorry it took me this long to see your question! Be aware my review is 2 parts - 2nd part talks about Morocco.

I did find it a bit tricky to find the review myself!


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## Bob Andrea (May 19, 2009)

Thanks Ellen. I found it. I didn't know that it would be under Marriott. Very nice report and great trip. It will be helpful to me.

We are planning a 50th Anniv. trip for next year and will incorporate some of your experiences. If I could talk my wife into it, this one will be 60 days.

London, Paris, Le Havre, Bordeaux, Lourdes, the major cities of Spain, Lisbon,
most of Italy and finish up in Sicily. Two or three days in each stop and 4/5
days each in Malaga, Lake Como, Rome, Sicily.

We followed Rick Steves books a few years ago for a 30 day trip to Italy/ and French Riviera. It was great. I will be using his books again.

Thanks again
Bob


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## Zac495 (May 23, 2009)

Have a GREAT time! If you email me, I have word docs I created with information! Zac495@gmail.com

Here are direct links to pictures: 
Marbella http://www.picturetrail.com/sfx/album/view/20057024

Morocco http://www.picturetrail.com/sfx/album/view/20064804

Seville and Gibraltar http://www.picturetrail.com/sfx/album/view/20065407


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## GrayFal (May 30, 2009)

Zac495 said:


> Have a GREAT time! If you email me, I have word docs I created with information! Zac495@gmail.com
> 
> Here are direct links to pictures:
> Marbella http://www.picturetrail.com/sfx/album/view/20057024
> ...



Ellen, I just sent you an email but thought I would post here as well.
These are the two options Aziz gave me - and I am leaning toward the second...also, what time did u get the ferry from Tarifa? 9am, 10 am? and how long did it take to drive from the Marriott?

I would like to inform you that I do run 2 types of tours: the Walking Tour and the Gran Tour:
1-      Walking Tour : 

                          Covers all of the old city, with visits to the Kasbah, Medina, snakes charmers, Berber markets, Gran Socco, Petit Socco, the Old American Legation, Mendoubia gardens, the souks for shopping and more for 5 hours. It costs 15 euros each.

 2-      Gran Tour :  

                   Gran Tour is with an airconditionned minibus, a beautiful drive through the richest area of Tangier, zone of villas and palaces passing via the King´s Palace and celebrities homes. Visit Cape Spartel which is the northest western point of Africa, it is the exact point where the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Ocean meet. Then visit the Caves of Hercules. Then a stop to take pictures of the camels and if you like to experience a ride on a camel.

Then we go to the Old city to visit the Kasbah, the Medina, the Old American Legation, Mendoubia building + gardens and the markets for shopping etc….

This tour costs 35 euros per person.


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## ScoopKona (May 30, 2009)

Wait, you're spending just one day in Morocco? In Tangier?

That's kind of like spending one day in Elizabeth, NJ, and saying you've seen the United States.  

Instead whatever this Aziz guy is doing, I'd head straight for the train station and spend my day in Rabat. It's close enough to Tangier, and it's far, far nicer. It's not like Moroccan hotels cost anything, so your only real restriction is time.


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## Zac495 (Jun 14, 2009)

ScoopLV said:


> Wait, you're spending just one day in Morocco? In Tangier?
> 
> That's kind of like spending one day in Elizabeth, NJ, and saying you've seen the United States.
> 
> Instead whatever this Aziz guy is doing, I'd head straight for the train station and spend my day in Rabat. It's close enough to Tangier, and it's far, far nicer. It's not like Moroccan hotels cost anything, so your only real restriction is time.



Problem is - if you're staying in Marbella for a week  - no time to do more. Tangiers will give you a taste - I agree with you that a trip deep into Morocco would be a great trip -but for us, it wasn't in the cards. Hopefully I'll live many more years.


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## ScoopKona (Jun 14, 2009)

Zac495 said:


> Problem is - if you're staying in Marbella for a week  - no time to do more. Tangiers will give you a taste - I agree with you that a trip deep into Morocco would be a great trip -but for us, it wasn't in the cards. Hopefully I'll live many more years.



Morocco is worth juggling your return flight and spending a little more time. It's not easy to get there, after all. 

Because most tourists do exactly what you're doing -- the "Tangier day trip" -- the bulk of the beggars and touts congregate there.


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## Zac495 (Jun 15, 2009)

ScoopLV said:


> Morocco is worth juggling your return flight and spending a little more time. It's not easy to get there, after all.
> 
> Because most tourists do exactly what you're doing -- the "Tangier day trip" -- the bulk of the beggars and touts congregate there.



You make a good point. When we went, we extended our trip and did Seville. actually, were I to do it again, perhaps I would take your advice (well, if I do it again I WILL take your advice). My only issue with Morocco is I hated the food - though my husband loved it. I guess I would lose a lot of weight. :rofl:


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