Morocco

Ewoks Jawas and Turbo Viagra in Essaouira, Morocco

by phil December 27, 2010 Morocco
Thumbnail image for <strike>Ewoks</strike> Jawas and Turbo Viagra in Essaouira, Morocco

Essaouira, Morocco. The town that inspired Jimi Hendrix’s “Castles Made of Sand.” Actually, that’s not true. In fact, just about everything hasslers tell you about Jimi Hendrix in Essaouira is false. Some of their other talking points – Othello was filmed here – are true, but they are just as aggravating because the information is [...]

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Mountain. Desert. Camel. Photo. Parrot Cake.

by phil December 17, 2010 Morocco
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Among the many benefits of writing a travel blog: making new friends and reconnecting with old ones. Me and Nicky were last together in 2007, on a group tour to Colca Canyon in Peru. Group tours are silly affairs. Everything gets colored by the other people you are herded around with. For me and Nicky, [...]

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Things to Eat and Drink in Morocco that Taste Good

by phil December 13, 2010 Morocco
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By now I assume you have reached camel drawing proficiency. If you have not sent me a picture of one of your camels, please do. Phil.paoletta at gmail dot com or post it on the facebook page. For each camel drawn, $1 is being donated to Partners in Health. There has been a lot of [...]

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3 Fun Strategies to Deal with Hasslers, Hawkers, and Touts

by phil November 30, 2010 Camel Drawing
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“My friend!” This is the universal greeting offered by those who want your money. They may or may not be offering a service in return. They are well versed in the art of psychological warfare. The more touristic the area, the more practice they’ve had. I used to play a lot of Toe Jam and [...]

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Capping the Loose Stool Count at 70, First Thoughts on Morocco, and Camel Drawing in Bamako

by phil November 26, 2010 Camel Drawing
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The loose stool count is at 61. A conservative 61 due to negligent bookkeeping in Timbuktu. Also, pooping blood should probably count double. But let’s pretend it’s 61. My goal for the remainder of this trip? Keep it under 70. In Mali, Cote D’Ivoire, and Ghana that might have been too ambitious. Here in Morocco, [...]

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Inside my Head: Five Months Alone in West Africa

by phil November 19, 2010 Mali
kid in bamako, mali

This title is misleading. It hasn’t quite been five months, I’ve spent very few days alone, and if you read this blog, you are already inside my head in one way or another. More than anything, you’re inside my bowels. My efforts at transparency have been somewhat one-dimensional. While I’ve been keen to explain my [...]

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