We thought long and hard about what to do after Morocco. Originally we did think of this big adventure in three phases: Road Trip in the U.S., Europe & Morocco, and then something else but we weren’t sure if it would be more of Africa, Asia, South America or some far flung tropical island. But as the bike trip ended and we started into Morocco we felt a little exhausted from all the travel and moving from place to place. Privileged problems yes, but we wondered to ourselves if it was time to just throw in the towel and head home. We had enough money to do another big portion, but we could just save it for another time we thought. However, as we moved through Morocco, a totally new and different place to us, we gained renewed energy for discovering new lands and far away places, so we decided we would continue ever forward for another few months (4? 5? 6??). It came down to traveling to either Asia or South America, and we decided on the latter for a few reasons. First, the language. Javi of course speaks Spanish and Laura has a long-term unrealized dream of becoming fluent, and so that was a pro for that part of the world. Also, being from Mexico, Javi felt a desire to connect with other Latin Americans, especially in a continent he had never traveled. We figured Chile was as good a place as any to start, with good surf for Javi and it being one of the more developed countries in S.A. (so not as much culture shock). We found a good flight from Andalusia (which was just a hop skip and jump away from Morocco), and booked our new adventure.

We added to the excitement by also deciding that we needed to purchase a car to drive around and then sell before we headed back to the U.S. Yes, that’s right. The first car we ever buy together would be bought in a foreign country with so much bureaucratic red tape for stuff like that it boggles the mind. We arrived in Santiago in early December with plans to take care of some of that infamous red tape (and possibly even finding a car) for a few days before heading to a little surf town a few hours away called Pichilemu. Needless to say, we were in way over our heads as foreigners trying to purchase a car here, and none of the documentation or car-finding got done in those few days so we went to Pichilemu by bus, empty handed. In fact, the car buying would not occur until almost a month later because of how unprepared we were to go through this process. We will spare you the boring details but basically we had to make a friend, to get a number, to go to the notary, to secure the document, to give to the other guy, etc. Eventually we bought our 2012 Fiat Fiorino, lovingly dubbed “Condorito.” But we are getting ahead of ourselves….

Pichilemu was a cute little town. The surf break wasn’t as spectacular as Javi had hoped, given that this was supposed to be Chile’s number one surf destination, but he got himself a surfboard and wetsuit and managed just fine. We had booked a small cabin right near the ocean for about three weeks, including Christmas. It was janky but charming, with a wonderful host name Marta and two ridiculous and lovable dogs that followed us everywhere we went. It was nice to just chill for that long in one place. That’s really the main reason we booked it for so long, because it had been over a year since we stayed put and made a home. We cooked, listened to podcasts, did yoga, went running along the coast, walked the beaches, and all of those things we took for granted when we were stationary. We also worked on our juggling and poi skills and Laura finally made some headway on her Spanish. Most days we ventured out for delicious fried empanadas and Pisco sours (a national cocktail here), and even found a craft beer place. Not a ton was happening in the town; it was a little early in the season for the crowds so it was quiet. The biggest surprise was the weather. It was JUST LIKE Northern California! Cool, cloudy for the most part, and very windy. Admittedly, it wasn’t the South American summer beach destination that we maybe had in our minds, but we took what we could get. We had a nice quiet Christmas, with a yummy home cooked meal and few classic films it took about 24 hours and the entire town’s bandwidth to download. We had been searching for a car this whole time, but to no avail. The car market in Pichilemu wasn’t exactly top notch. One day we even rented a car to drive to other bigger towns to look at cars. We didn’t find a car but got super excited about road tripping through this country.

After Christmas we headed back to Santiago to spend New Years with some friends. Javi has a local friend Catalina who he met many moons ago in Virginia and reconnected with before we landed. She and her family and friends were kind enough to invite us to their beautiful home in Pirque outside of Santiago for a party and to stay the night. It was amazing, and just what we needed after not meeting many folks in Morocco and Pichilemu. After a little bit of a hangover day it was right back to it with the car search and of course finally finding Condorito.

We started heading south pretty much immediately when we got Condorito. We stopped at the Chilean versions of Wal-Mart and Lowe’s to build out a simple bed (nothing like Pick Up and Went) and get some kitchen and storage items. Before we knew it we had way too much stuff of course, and had spent a third of our budget on the car and supplies, but hey we figured we would sell it all later right?

Our ultimate plan is to head north through the Atacama in Chile, Bolivia, Peru, and Ecuador, and then return to Chile to sell the car (a requirement for foreigners). But first, we wanted to see at least some of Patagonia. We were so close, we had to! The plan we hatched was to head down the coast to the island of Chiloe, then kick around Northern Patagonia, and head back up to Osorno to attend a music festival and travel around the beautiful Lakes District before going further north. Of course when planning a road trip in South America, always be prepared for anything, including a major, terribly tragic mudslide blocking an entire section of your intended path….

More on those adventures next.

Chile Pt. 1

There is a type of travel that not everyone gets to experience. Now and again however, it happens. And the strange mix of memories and emotions that it illicits is best delved into using poetry, song, or some other art form. Like blogging. This type of travel experience is referred to as the proverbial “trip down memory lane” and after Morocco we managed to do a little bit of that ourselves. The time-warping factor of this next leg of our trip was heightened by the fact that we were (in some ways) following the flooding and ebbing of another empire; this tenuous thread of “civilization” throughout history that we had been following linking us from Greece, into Italy, then North Africa, and finally with the birth of a new empire from Morocco to southern Spain – Andalucia!

Years and years ago in another lifetime (a merchant of Al-Andalus? a knight of the Reconquista?) Javi had decided to turn a post-college backpacking trip into his first experience living abroad. He ended up in Sevilla, Spain and spent several months working in restaurants and bars and laying the groundwork for the wandering he currently does today (ha!). Anyway, it was an exciting time for him and he ended up falling in love with Spain, specifically Andalucia, as well as its landscapes and flamenco music. He also managed to forge a few friendships that survive to this day. After Morocco and before anything else, Javi felt that it was important to revisit this area and share with Laura a place of the world that had impacted him greatly. So we decided to hop back to Europe for one more go, despite having said some heartfelt goodbyes already. Psyche!

Our Moroccan trip came to an end with a flight from Casablanca to Lisbon and then on to Sevilla. We had booked a place a little ways outside of the center of the city but within striking distance using the city’s great Sevici bicycle system and public transit. It was a great place to reacclimatize to the public spaces, food, and great wine that we had gotten used to at the start of their trip to Europe. While in Sevilla we spent several days walking around the neighborhoods Javi used to wander (haunt?) and reveling in the changes that the city has undergone in his absence. Sevilla is AMAZING! It’s doing so many things right that Lonely Planet has decided to name it the Best City to Visit in 2018. (I guess we’re trendsetters) After several awesome days and a reunion with an old friend that is one of the reasons it’s such a great place to visit, we rented a car and were off to explore some more of Andalucia.

As we drove through the countryside listening to flamenco and arabesque music we couldn’t help but be drawn deeper and deeper into Andalucia’s allure. With the car we managed to make it all the way down to Cadiz on the Gulf of Cadiz then all the way back up to Ronda one of Andalucia’s famed sights. The city’s Christmas lights and decorations (and freezing weather) certainly gave us the sense that we were squarely in winter and the holidays were upon us. The entire time we were in Morocco (for various obvious reasons), neither the weather nor the decorations lent themselves toward any semblance of Christmas, so it was nice to get a taste of the holiday spirit; despite being woefully underdressed for it.

From there it was on to Cordoba and its famed Mosque Cathedral for a night, then Granada for a few days of sight seeing, “souvenir” shopping, and flamenco music. With each amazing city and jaw dropping sight we couldn’t help but imagine what the land and these cities must have been like during the 700 or so years of Islamic rule. In some ways so much of what we had seen in Morocco was culminating in what we were visiting in Andalucia. While the rest of Europe was in the “Dark Ages,” southern Spain was a land of enlightenment where three monotheistic religions coexisted (for the most part) peacefully, and we couldn’t help but get swept away not only in its physical beauty but its historic importance and plain, old-fashioned, magic – or as they say in southern Spain, “duende”.

Our last stop was Malaga and it too did not disappoint. Though very chilly at night (it was winter after all), the daytime temperatures were extremely pleasant and it was nice to get a taste of the Mediterranean one last time before departing from Europe…. again. The Christmas decorations in Malaga were also making a strong showing and we even felt swept up in the urge to do some shopping of our own. Granted, replacing worn out clothing isn’t typically how we tend to spend our Christmas dollars but sometimes you have no choice. After almost seven and a half months of travel overseas, things had started to look a little threadbare.

Andalucia cast its spell yet again; this time on both Javi and Laura and plans are already in the works to visit again sometime in the not so distant future (or in Laura’s case, actually move there). Our return to southern Spain after Morocco, and after so many other adventures in Spain and Europe, really was really the capstone that rounded out our Euro/Maroc journey.

Andalucia – ‘Ta’luego!!

Andalucia

We took the train from Casa to Marrakech, it was a nice chill ride in a shared car. When we arrived we had the first of several pushy and/or sketchy encounters, where a “guide” kindly showed us to our hotel (which was like 50 yards in a straight line from where the cab dropped us off).  The “guide” (who’s services we hadn’t asked for) then got mad at Javi for not giving him enough money. This happens often to tourists in Morocco, but as we stated in a previous post we had largely avoided terribly pushy encounters, save for that one time we just could not for the life of us get out of buying a small rug in Fez. But Marrakech would humble our overly confident traveler selves and show us what a hard sale and a well planned hustle in Morocco is all about. Another story happened when young guy #1 kindly gave us unsolicited directions to the tanneries in Marrakech (he doesn’t charge a thing, just trying to help!) even though we weren’t planning on going there. As we headed down the street we were thinking well maybe we will just go and check it out anyways, and after a few minutes young guy #1 ran up behind us and said actually if you are headed here you are in luck (!) because my friend is going there right now (!) and will take you. Cue young guy #2, who was friendly enough and walked us pretty far from the main square, right into the waiting arms of yet more guides waiting to take us in to the tanneries. At this point we were just going with the flow, being brought to all kinds of shops, where we actually even bought stuff, and when the time came to give what we thought was a nice tip the guides wanted double, of course. At the time we honestly didn’t realize the whole thing was set up from the beginning, with everyone working so fluidly together. It only occurred to us later that young guy #2 was definitely not randomly going to the tanneries and that the hustle was end to end. But oh well, you live and learn. And of course we don’t mind buying a few things here and there and giving tips, it’s all part of the experience and in the end it’s not that much money. We just couldn’t believe we didn’t see it coming! Marrakech, being the gift that keeps on giving, also turned out to be the most uncomfortable medina to walk around in, because of the constant (and we mean constant) stream of motorbikes and mopeds and their delightful accompanying fumes.  The motorbikes (most bearing more than one individual) would rush down the narrow streets, knocking over children, tourists, and the elderly along the way, we witnessed so many near misses that our nerves were practically shot after just a few laps in the medina.

Suffice it to say, Marrakech was not our absolute favorite place, BUT there certainly were some bright spots. The central square (Jemaa el Fna) is pretty amazing, especially at night. There are fresh juice stands everywhere, such a lovely treat on a hot day, and in the evenings there are drummers, entertainers, women offering henna, snake charmers, you name it. It is quite the scene and reminded us a bit of our Burning Man nights. During the day, we hit up a few neat parks and museums, like the city museum that is housed in the old Dar Menebhi Palace. We tried to visit the popular Yves Saint Laurent museum and gardens but the line was insanely long so we skipped it and decided that we needed a day trip out of town. We booked a group day tour to Ourika Valley and had a lovely time visiting some natural sites (including hiking up a beautiful canyon) and visiting some locals who showed us around their Amazigh (or Berber) village. The other folks in the tour were fun and it was nice to escape the craziness of Marrakech, albeit the canyon being a little overcrowded with tourists (likely all with the same idea of looking to escape the press of tourists back in Marrakech).

After Marrakech we were definitely ready for the chill and solitude of the Sahara. We had booked a three-day desert tour in Erg Chigaga close to the Algerian border in the southeastern region. The other more popular Erg to visit is Erg Chebbi, but we heard Erg Chigaga was much more rugged and remote so we opted for that one. We arranged to get picked up in Zagora, making it about a four hour trip to the dunes.

But first we had a stop to make in Ouarzazate for a couple of nights, the “Hollywood of Morocco” as they say. We stayed at a funny little hostel/campsite run by a French couple. It was a little out of town but we were fine just hailing collectivo taxis so it worked out. We visited Atlas Film Studios and had a great time checking out sets from all kinds of movies like Lawrence of Arabia, Cleopatra, The Last Temptation of Christ, Gladiator, The Mummy, Alexander, Prince of Persia, and so many more. We also got a glimpse of a nearby studio’s castle used in Game of Thrones, but didn’t get to visit. Our guide was a really nice dude (a law student that had actually played an extra as one of GoT’s “Unsullied”) and we had a blast doing super silly photo shoots. We also visited nearby Aït Benhaddou, a UNESCO World Heritage site and a major highlight of the whole trip. The views and feel of the earthen clay village is otherworldly. You truly feel like you are in a different era walking around the walled kasbahs.

We moved on to Zagora, a nice little desert town where we just spent one night and then we were off on our Sahara adventure. In a nutshell, IT WAS AMAZING!! There are a lot of desert tour operators to choose from, and we were so lucky with the one we used. Laura’s parents were kind enough to give us an early Christmas gift which bumped up our tour budget and it made all the difference. It wasn’t one of those super luxury camps but it wasn’t the cheap tours (and sometimes half-assed ones according to our research) that we would have likely booked. We had an excellent guide named Mohammad, and a driver incidentally also named Mohammad. On the way out, they took us to a few stops with nice views and a few hours later we were at the site. They have room enough for 10 or 12 people at the site but we were the only ones there at the time, so it felt like our own private spot. The tents were nestled in the dunes and you couldn’t see any other structures or people around. It was INSANELY quiet and out there, and very dark at night. We had downloaded some star gazing apps so the first night was spent eating yummy food, freaking out over the incredible night sky, and learning new constellations. The next day we took a ride on some dromedaries (not camels because they only have one hump). It was everything we imagined and more. The dromedaries were hilarious to watch and very gentle. Omar, the dromedary handler, was sweet natured just like his charge. Omar and Mohammad took us even further out into the Sahara from camp on the dromedaries, and set up a nice chill spot with an AMAZING lunch, including bread that Omar made in the sand. It was the perfect day. That night was spent eating a second delicious dinner, more stargazing, and the guys (including the Mohammads, Omar, our chef, and another helper) got together and made some music with traditional tribal instruments. We tried our hand at the drums and Laura showed them some poi moves, which the chef was especially excited to learn. The next day we drove through an ancient dry lake bed and picked up some fossils, stopped for tea, and said a sad goodbye to the Mohammads. All in all it was the absolute best part of our Moroccan adventure. Although these tours take a lot of money and effort (research, travel time, etc.), for us it was a necessary part of our trip, and of course the level of awesomeness of our tour was thanks mostly to a generous Christmas gift. None of these pre-planned tours and tent setups are necessarily “authentic” of course, these guys are running businesses and it’s not like you are going out there into the bush and assimilating into tribal culture. BUT the guys made us feel like it was as authentic as it could be, and they had a love for the Sahara that was infectious. They truly cared about showing us a good time and cooking us good food and it made the experience really special and fun.

After the desert, they dropped us back off in Zagora, where we immediately hopped on an overnight bus all the way to the Agadir on the Atlantic coast. Our last few days were spent in a couple of beach towns. The first was a tiny surf town called Taghazout. Javi got some surfing in and Laura relaxed on the beach. We also snuck up the hill to the fancy Hyatt Place to have a cocktail. Best decision ever. After that it was off to Essaouira, a much bigger town with a European/hippie feel. It was a beautiful place, and the coast was all done up with a beach walkway and all kinds of restaurants and hotels, but still had a nice relaxed vibe. We hit up some really cool restaurants and shops, listened to some street music, and walked around enjoying our last destination before heading back to Casa. We wished we could have spent more time in Essaouira, and also more time where we didn’t feel like we already had one foot out the door to the next place. It had been a long and wonderful month, but we were looking forward to going back to Spain for a couple of weeks. It was tough to stay focused on the moment knowing we were leaving so soon. But now we know Essaouira is super cool, and if we return to Morocco we will definitely go back there.

We took our final bus ride back to Casablanca, and ironically said goodbye to Morocco with a delicious cocktail at Rick’s Cafe. Rick’s is a copy of the famous lounge restaurant in the movie Casablanca. It was a fun little spot and we had a great time sipping one of the few drinks we had during our time in Morocco. We spent the evening looking at pictures and discussing our favorite parts of the trip.

Morocco was so many things to us, it was at different times beautiful, dynamic, interesting, strange, chill, delicious, friendly, inspiring, frustrating, wild, and utterly unique, among many many other adjectives we could use to describe it. We are so glad we made the trip, and that we made it a long one. We had never experienced a place like Morocco before, and it will stand out as an incredibly special experience during this grand adventure.

And now… back to wine and pork in southern Spain!

Morocco Part 3

Chefchaouen is a beautiful town in the Rif mountains. It’s famous for the various blue shades painted all over the walls and grounds in the Medina, hence the nickname the Blue Pearl. The blueness is best experienced while walking in the medina, but can also be taken in from outside of the village. We loved Chefchaouen for not only it’s beautiful color, but for so much else. The people were so kind and laid back. It was more touristy than Tetouan but everyone, including the locals, seemed to be enjoying themselves in a much more laid back atmosphere and it felt very welcoming. We stayed in a simple but comfy riad and took long strolls around and outside of the town. The area is also known for its copious cannabis growing. In fact, we found out that Morocco supplies something like 70 or 80% of Europe’s supply, making it a top producer globally. Apparently some of the longer hikes around Chefchaouen take you through the cannabis fields, and it is supposed to be a pretty relaxed and pleasant (not scary) environment. We didn’t do those hikes (no, really), but definitely were invited to people’s farms to check out the goods and drink some tea. We politely declined those offers though they were some of the least pushy, least sketchy offers to see “workshops” that we encountered, no sketchy vibes. All just friendly folks trying to make a little cash and proud of their chosen “craft”.

One of our days was spent taking a “collectivo” taxi (one that you share with others) to the town of Akchour near the Parc National de Talassemtane. We spent the day hiking around with a local guide, visiting some waterfalls and the incredible God’s Bridge with some Italians we picked up along the way. It was a perfect day to be out in nature. After a few days in Chefchaouen we said “Shokran!” to the Blue Pearl and moved on to Fez by bus.

We had prepared ourselves for Fez to be a little overwhelming and quite different from Chefchaouen, and it did not disappoint. But we loved it! Some people aren’t super charmed by the intense and maze-like atmosphere in the medina and it’s understandable, but we had a blast getting lost. And in fact, we didn’t even have that hard of a time finding our way around. We stayed in a simple hotel right outside the main bab (gate) so it was  a great way to get our bearings because there were signs to the bab along the paths in the medina. Our only complaint was honestly the huge tour groups trying to squeeze their way in through these tiny streets (much like Venice actually). Some other Fez highlights were the Merenid tomb ruins right outside of town with a fantastic view of both the old and new medinas, and of course the inevitable leather tanneries. We say inevitable because it’s a big thing to visit and you cannot escape the people asking if you want to see them while waving mint leaves in your face (for the smell). It is really neat to see and smell, though, and we are happy we checked them out.

After Fez we visited nearby Meknes for one night before moving on to Rabat. We had a nice walk around the medina per usual, and really the main thing we wanted to see were the royal granaries and stables constructed during Moulay Ismail’s rule. The buildings stored huge amounts of food, water, and horses.  How much food, water and horses you may ask?  THE PLACE COULD HOLD ENOUGH GRAIN TO FEED 12,000 HORSES FOR 20 YEARS!!!!!!!! It was surreal walking through the cavernous rooms and outdoor archways taken over by vines and other plants.  The place is truly amazing despite it only being a vestige of what it used to be before it was destroyed in large part by an earthquake.  That night we had a delicious dinner at a lovely little restaurant run by our server’s mother. Those are the best kind.

After Meknes it was back to the coast to Rabat, the capital. We went back and forth deciding on whether to visit, and we are so glad we did. We really liked the town, it had some interesting things to see like museums and a famous half-finished minaret that was enormous (as well as the even less finished mosque). It also had a river running through the town which Laura especially loves and nice riverside and seaside infrastructure to walk along and enjoy the views. One major highlight was the Museum Mohamed VI of Modern and Contemporary Art. Great works by Moroccan, French, and Spanish artists. Another major highlight was the Chellah site with both Roman and later Islamic ruins.  As had become almost routine we were flabbergasted by the amount of building upon building upon building of empire that the ruins represent. All of it was awesome, and Rabat turned out to be one of our favorite spots to visit.

Last stop before we headed to Marrakech was Casablanca where we only spent two days because we knew we would be also ending our journey here. It was just enough time to do the two big things to do there – walking along the coastal walkway and visit the Hassan II Mosque. For the former, we had a great 10k walk from the mall where we got dropped off (which had a two story aquarium inside!), all the way down the beach, through the corniche, down to the mosque. The visit to the mosque was absolutely breathtaking, and if someone only does this one thing in Casablanca then it is worth it to go.  It is the third largest mosque in the world.  It employed 2,500 laborers and 10,000 craftsmen! . . . and in contrast to most construction projects of this magnitude in the U.S., THEY FINISHED THE THING IN SIX YEARS!!! It was a mind-blowing architectural, engineering and construction achievement and really exciting to visit, especially since we couldn’t go into any other mosques as non-Muslims. The pictures can’t really do it justice. The mosque was enormous and the inside was beautifully decorated of course and just crazy big. The guide was funny and warm, and the whole experience was just great. Interestingly enough though, the call to prayer wasn’t that loud. Huh . . .

Now it is time to make our way out to the desert, but first Marrakech (and Laura opens her first pull tab soda)!

Maroc Part II

We wanted to go to Morocco for so many reasons. For Laura, North Africa is a place that has long been a dream destination. She has a love for belly dance, Arabic music, and Islamic art that goes way back to her teens, and has a deep appreciation of Moroccan culture specifically – the food, the history, the aesthetic, the list goes on. Javier having lived in Southern Spain eons ago has had his fair dose of North African influence and shares a lot of this love as well, so it was an easy choice to come here after Europe. Neither of us had been to any countries in this region, or in the Middle East, so this would be a completely new experience for both of us.

As we started planning how we were going to get from Italy to Morocco we were excited to learn that there was a ferry direct from Genoa, Italy which meant that we could spend more time there before leaving Europe. We originally thought we would need to go to southern France or Spain, but the Italian ferry company Grand Navi Veloci (GNV) has a number of ferries that connect the two continents. Although we would have loved to see more of France (we briefly visited at the start of the Camino) or southern Spain, we felt that there was so much we wanted to see in Italy that it would be better to save the other spots for another time. We spent two days on the ferry from Genoa, Italy to Tangier, Morocco and it was a ride like no other. Unlike previous overnight ferries where we slept wherever we could, we opted for a small internal cabin for the two day haul. So basically it was like a mini cruise! Except without all the fun amenities! We did, however, eat some surprisingly decent food and there were some things going on like film showings (albeit in French and Arabic). We mostly slept, ate, talked, read, and watched the sea go by.  The slow pace of ferry travel and the fact that it took two days allowed us to reflect on all the adventures we’d had in Europe.

We arrived in Tangier on the northwest Mediterranean coast. We had already become acclimated to hearing Arabic on the ferry and luckily a lot of folks in northern Morocco speak Spanish, so we were pretty comfortable getting around when we disembarked. Granted, the absolute first social encounter on the bus to the terminal consisted of a VERY heated argument in VERY loud Arabic among some passengers on the shuttle.  We weren’t sure if fists were going to start flying between the two parties but when the shouting suddenly turned into hysterical laughter among everyone (something we would see more than once) we relaxed a bit and figured it was just par for the new course.  Eventually a cab deposited us in Tangier (note to self, there are TWO ports in Tangier) and we made our way to the hotel with the help of a teenage kid that was eager to show us the way. There are always people asking to be your paid guide wherever you go, but a lot of the time people are just friendly and helpful.

For the next four days we got used to being in Morocco and enjoyed our time in Tangier walking around the medina and along the beach. We stayed in Hotel Continental, a classic place with a storied history in a gorgeous old building near the fishing port.  We had read that the hotel can be hit or miss, but we absolutely loved it and had an amazing time there. The design of the place, the dizzying geometric tiles everywhere, the incredible bazaar, were all exactly what you dream about when you think of Morocco. And the food at the restaurant was delicious as well. It was the best possible place for us to settle into our Moroccan travels. One day we took a taxi ride to Cape Spartel where the Mediterranean meets the Atlantic and also visited the cave where Hercules is said to have rested after one of his 12 labors (true story). Another day we took a train to Asilah, which is a super chill little beach town on the Atlantic coast with a beautifully artistic medina. We ate a ton of couscous and chicken with the local answer to salsa, HARISSA (we have since become Harissa experts). We both agree however that the biggest change from our European life was (and continues to be) the lack of alcohol. We heard you could find it if you really want to, but we have not seen a drop anywhere and are pretty cool with getting a little break after all that Italian wine. Still, cracking open a cold brewski after a long day of sight-seeing is something we’re both looking forward to. Someday.    

For certain, it took some getting used to the vibe in Tangier. The crowds, the sights, the smells, the disproportionate ratio of men to women in public spaces, and the hard sell every time you pass a shop. On that last point it actually wasn’t as hardcore as we had read. Some Moroccans hilariously told Javi he looked local, and we stopped carrying our day packs, so maybe that’s why we really didn’t get hassled too much when we walked around. We had read online and in our guidebook that it’s better to be with a guide or a group tour to avoid getting overwhelmed, but honestly the folks in the tour groups were getting hassled to buy stuff way more than any single or couple travelers. So we got a pass, and are grateful that it hasn’t been a distraction from our enjoyment of this place (which has been the case for some travelers here).

After Tangier we headed to Tetouan, a less touristed city with a big art school. We visited the lovely art museum and enjoyed the very local and lived-in feel of the place. Getting from place to place by train or bus has been super easy and inexpensive. Everything is (pretty much) on time and comfortable, and an hour train or bus ride costs about 5 bucks for both of us. So far so good!

Next on the list is further into the Rif mountains to the Blue Pearl – Chefchaouen! To be continued…

Maroc

Ah the bikes. It was a long crazy road from Athens. About 650 miles on the bikes plus two overnight buses, a motor boat ride, and four ferries, including the 11 hour beast to Italy. After a summer of countless beaches, beach bars, castles, fortresses, magical places, and friendly folks, we rolled into the Italian fall like champs. But soon it was time to lose the wheels and return to our backpacking roots, for a few reasons. When we bought the bikes we figured it wouldn’t last more than a couple of months. The bikes (though they performed admirably) aren’t exactly tip top gear for long term touring.  As they were intended to be used as city bikes by tourists, they were heavy and slow in comparison to a proper touring bike.  Furthermore, as we’d planned an open ended adventure and brought along everything we might need along the way we were carrying far too much shit for a biking long haul. We briefly entertained thoughts of taking them to Morocco, but after our humbling in the Tuscan hills we were getting a little weary of bike travel. We didn’t want the bikes to become more of a burden than a gift, and since we were going to be doing some faster traveling that would include train rides and quick city visits, we thought lugging the bikes around would be a pain. Plus, it just felt like that portion of the trip was done. Check. So to honor our achievement and not drag it out just for the sake of it, we made the decision to let them go. Bittersweet, but it felt right.

In Florence we found a super cool Brazilian dude named Aldo, who runs the bike rental shop “Giramondo by Bike,” to take them off our hands for a few bucks and a few beers (and great conversation sitting on the floor of his shop). Of course we didn’t make all our money back or come anywhere close, but it was totally worth it. We ended up sending some of our gear home, along with our camping stuff (we wouldn’t need it in Morocco), so at least we got some new helmets and other gear to use when we return. We loved you bikes, thank you for being kind to us.

When we were handing off the bikes, we had a serendipitous stroke of genius/realization/inspiration. Walking around Florence to find the bike shop, we came upon an actual brick and mortar circus/flow toy shop. This was shocking to us, given that we had never seen an actual shop like that in SF despite the prevalence of fire spinners and circus folks in the Bay Area. Quick background – in her former life Laura spun fire with her belly dance group, and still plays around with hoops and other flow toys every now and then, and Javi has picked it up a bit over the years. We actually considered bringing some poi with us to Europe but just didn’t have the room in our bags. Now that we were getting rid of our camping gear, we would have some room! A new hobby to fill our bike-free time! We had always discussed picking back up spinning and hooping (for real, not just once a month after a few beers). This was our chance. So we strolled into the shop and picked up a few things – glow poi, juggling bags, and a collapsible hoop. Jalamundo: Circus Edition.

But before we could dedicate some serious time to this very serious circus business, we had a little more traveling to do in Italy. It would be a fast paced blitz through Florence, Venice, and Genoa before hopping on a ferry to Morocco. Florence was beautiful, we hit up all the must-see art spots with the help of our buddy Rick Steves who has a bunch of free audio walking guides online. Only downside was the particularly youthful hostel we stayed in, with broken bunk beds and even broker showers, but hey we saved a few bucks and they had free pasta dinners (which were remarkably tasty).

Next it was a train to Venice where we walked and walked and walked, often squeezing past the very large groups of tourists bulldozing through tiny streets (and getting yelled at by locals). Venice is such a fantastical city, it just looks so neat with its canals and architecture. Taking a bus that is actually a boat is quite surreal. Laura had never been there and it had been years for Javi, and we had a blast seeing everything we could possibly see in two days. Laura thought the best parts were the quiet back streets and parks. Javi loved the atmosphere of the place, especially on our super foggy day. It flew by of course, and then suddenly we were on the way to Genoa.

Genoa was really cool. We both were surprised at how much we liked the vibe. We had booked our ferry out of there and figured it would just be a last quick stop, mostly spent planning Morocco. But we really enjoyed walking around the city. After the very touristy Florence and Venice, Genoa seemed more laid back and lived-in. We loved the layers and elevation changes, it felt like there was so much more to see and do than we had time for, so it’s definitely on our go-back list for Italy. It was a fun place to spend our last few nights in Europe (!!).

We posted some of the math on IG. We spent 156 days in Europe and slept in 101 different places, from a penthouse in London to medieval monasteries in Spain and Italy to a patch of dirt behind a bar in Albania, and everything in between. We walked well over 500 miles in Spain and Scotland, biked about 650 miles in Albania, Montenegro, Croatia, and Italy, and took trains, planes, cars, buses, shuttles, ferries, and boats to get around. We had both visited Europe in the past, Javi much more extensively. But this was different. This was the ultimate European adventure for both us, and we barely even went anywhere! We looked at a map of where we had been, and because of our mostly slow travel it looks hilariously lacking. But we really got in there and truly saw these places and experienced them and we are very grateful and stoked. One day we will return to visit places we missed that we really wish we could have seen, especially Germany, Portugal, and Romania.

Before final goodbyes though, we realized we had one more European stop halfway through our ferry ride to Morocco. Barcelona. One of our favorite cities anywhere and our first stop on our international travels. We couldn’t get off the ferry as it was just a stopover, but the ferry parked right in front of Montjuïc with a nice view of the city and coastline. How fitting, the place where our European adventure began and ended. We cheersed to the city with some wine in plastic cups over the ferry railing. Adios and arrivederci Europa!  Until we meet again.

Next up, culture shock.

Ciao baby!

We decided to ride directly out of Rome instead of taking a train further out into the country. Not sure it was the best decision. Riding out of a major city can be stressful and hectic, and that is exactly what it was. In all honesty, we probably overromaticized and underestimated those first couple of days, which weren’t the beautiful rolling hills we expected but the typical industrial and suburban areas that you would expect outside of a big city. And it was our first taste of the tough hills to come, so we had some harsh realizations those first couple of days about how this “ride to florence” was going to go. Despite praising the non-planning aspect of our travel in the previous post, sometimes not doing enough research can result in some unpleasant surprises.

That being said (because honesty is good), there were several bright spots those first couple of days. The first being our time spent at the Bracciano castle and our first night camping at Lake Bracciano. It is a large and gorgeous castle overlooking a large and gorgeous lake. We found a really cool craft beer place right in the shadow of the castle and enjoyed checkin out the neat town. Definitely what you would think of as the quintessential Italian castle and old town. We biked a little further around the lake to the campsite later that evening and spent some time hanging out at the campsite’s beach looking at the eerily lit castle on a hill underneath the full moon. Definitely made the tough ride worth it.

The next day, another bright spot (hint: not the ride) was ending up in this random town called Civita Castellana with virtually no tourists and a little food festival going on. We had some amazing food truck paninis and picked up some local spicy goods. We have been eating amazing food, but sometimes we crave that extra kick that seems to be missing in the European countries we’ve visited.

Then, we had a choice to make. We knew that at this pace, because of the intense hills, we wouldn’t make it to Florence in time. We didn’t want to miss Tuscany so we decided to take a train ahead to Cortona and wind our way to Florence from there. This turned out to be the best decision because if we thought the few hills out of Rome were tough, it was nothing compared to Tuscany. We had heard it was difficult, but because we had just biked over huge MOUNTAINS we thought we were golden. But instead we were humbled. The relentlessness of the climbs, which were not rewarded with the long coastal downhills but depressingly short ones, was a shock. But…. the views. They make it worth every drop of sweat.

Tuscany is incredibly picturesque, just like you imagine and in fact better. Everywhere you look there are green and golden hills dotted with beautiful trees, homes, and farms. And in between are these magical-looking hilltop towns with medieval stone castles, walls, and churches. It’s almost unbelievable. Fortunately for our cardiovascular health but unfortunately for our legs, we were dead set on visiting several of these hill top towns. The climbs were brutal for sure, but the reward is what every traveler to Italy wants. Strolling peacefully along the stone streets of these ancient towns, drinking wine, eating delicious pizza and pasta, checking out the views of the countryside, people watching (Italian people-watching is amazing), and just enjoying life.

Cortona, Pienza, Siena, Chianti, then finally Florence. The moments in those places, and in between them, were just a constant stream of YES. One night we camped at a farm with a nice restaurant, and splurged on our one full Italian 5 course meal. It was the best meal we have had in Europe by far. Another time, Laura was so enchanted by Siena that she started imagining living there forever. Yet another major moment was gliding serenely into Florence after a sweet gently-sloping 10k downhill. Biking the Italian countryside was the most awesome way we could have seen this place. Nine straight days of cycling (including the two days after Rome). And we are so grateful for such a badass yet graceful experience.

That being said… we decided to ditch the bikes in Florence. More on that next.

The ferry from Split to Ancona, Italy was our third overnight ferry, the first two being to and from Crete back in early August. Those previous ferries had been at the peak of the season for tourists and both of them were packed to the gills. Our friend Christine was on the first one with us, and she smartly got a dedicated chair whereas we were stuck with whatever space we could find. On that first ferry, we didn’t realize how cutthroat the declaration of space would be, and we ended up (not) sleeping on our mats on the outside deck. There were people sleeping EVERYWHERE, in the hallways, on stairwells, literally everywhere. Despite not sleeping a wink, it was a really interesting and fun travel adventure, particularly because Crete tourists, especially those taking the ferry, are mostly Greek and it felt like an authentic local experience. One the way back from Crete we ended up getting a chair, which was a bit nicer but still more like trying to sleep on a larger airplane or train seat.

For the 11 hour ferry to Ancona we were much luckier, and given the time of year we had a ton of empty rows of seats to choose from, and were able to luxuriously stretch out across a row. We had met a badass German student and bike tourer named Susanna, and after several beers and a couple of hours of story swapping, we all got a pretty decent night’s sleep and woke up in Italy. We had decided that we would head straight to the train station after the ferry and book it straight to Rome. Ancona, we hardly knew thee.

Since we originally planned to take a ferry to Venice, and we knew we would end up in Genoa, we had a tough time trying to figure out the best route. But we chose to start in Rome and go up to Florence by bike, then just train to Venice and train again to Genoa. Given we wanted to spend two or three days in each city, it didn’t leave us a ton of time on the bikes, just about a week (because we had booked a ferry to Morocco from Genoa on Oct. 21). But we figured it was enough to explore Umbria and Tuscany by bike a bit, so we thought it was a reasonable decision (little did we realize the Tuscan hills are BRUTAL, more on that in the next post).

So we headed to Rome from Ancona and after 11 hours on a ferry and a few more on a train, we were in Rome. We had two full days and were damn sure going to make the best of it. We made a plan: first day would be all of the ancient sites, the next day the Vatican and art. We woke up that first morning and hit it hard, going all day long and seeing so much neat stuff it made our heads spin. Laura had never been to Rome so it was especially fun for her to see everything for the first time – the Colosseum, the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill and some additional sites like Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps. It was literally walking through history and Laura’s previous incarnation as a student of ancient philosophy back in college added an extra layer of time warp. For Javi, revisiting all these sites brought back fun family memories from previous trips years ago. For both of us, our tour of ancient sites contributed so much to our ever-growing well of knowledge, awe, and sometimes dismay at the evolution of human culture, politics, and expression.

The next day started at the Vatican. It was a Wednesday, and we didn’t realize until we were there that the pope has a public appearance and speech every Wednesday morning. As lapsed Catholics, we figured we should check it out as a nod to our roots. It was a bit of a madhouse but worth seeing the scene, which was celebratory and full of excitement. We then did a tour of the Vatican’s vast collection of art and climbed to the top of the famous basilica for an incredible view of Rome. St. Peter’s Basilica, the Vatican Museum, and Sistine Chapel were all worth the crowds and hectic atmosphere, and we were thrilled that we accomplished all of our “tourist” goals in Rome, AND had time to chill, ride bikes, and walk around cool neighborhoods like Trastevere. For Laura, Rome was a delightful surprise, given that she hadn’t expected to like it so much (because of preconceived notions about tourism, large cities, and the Catholic presence). For both of us, it is a vibrant and just plain cool city that ended up being one of the best experiences of Italy.

And now…. back on the bikes.

We’ve mentioned this before, but one of the favorite aspects of our travels abroad (and to some extent in the states) is that we don’t really plan too many details ahead of time. We generally have a vague idea of our route, some bigger spots we would like to hit, but rarely book any accommodations or do any research before we end up somewhere. We just sort of figure it out as we go along, which makes for an interesting and often surprising traveling life. So many times we have rolled up on a place and been like “Whaaaaaaaat?! We had no idea!” Not knowing where you’re headed can be stressful sometimes to be sure, but we’ve never ended up stranded and the magic outweighs any anxiety. Laura especially had not envisioned the trip like this but found that her type A-ish tendency toward trip planning melted away fairly easily, replaced by more flexibility and a more acute sense of adventure.

Which is all to say it’s a good thing we’ve developed that flexibility, because there are invariably curveballs thrown at us along the way.  Originally we had plans to cycle up to Zadar and at some point we thought we would even make our way to Pula and then ferry to Venice, Italy around the beginning of October. But when we were in Korcula we realized there was no way we would make it to Pula by then. Even using ferries to  hop through the northern islands, it would  be far too expensive  and likely take far too long.  Additionally, we spoke to the ferry company and were informed that Zadar ferries to Ancona, Italy stopped running in September. So our only option to ferry to Italy was from Split. Given our generally relaxed attitude towards planning, this was obviously news to us but no biggie, we would just bike around for a week and then come back to Split.

We discussed the idea of heading to the Bosnia/Herzagovina border and crushing some mountains, but our leg muscles said “NO WAY!” Instead we opted to chill in a beach town named Makarska a little south of Split.  But before leaving Split the area had one final gem to offer.  The archaeological treasures of Salona / Solin are just north of Split and offered us one more amazing stop before we headed south.

We had a hell of a time getting down to Makarska over the course of two days; those coastal mountains are brutal. We camped near Omis the first night and the next day after another brutal ride we were finally chilling in our tiny Airbnb apartment up on a hill. We absolutely loved Makarska. We had a great time cooking in, looking at the ocean from our little terrace, doing some planning for Italy, and of course exploring the area. We liked it so much we decided to stay an extra night for a total of 5 nights. One day we did our very first paid tour on this trip, a “safari” tour on a sit on top Land Rover to the Biokovo Nature Park, which is the breathtakingly beautiful mountain range behind the town. It was so lovely to hang out in such a neat place and actually stay put for a while. Other than London and Crete, we hadn’t really stayed put anywhere for very long.

On the last morning we reluctantly packed the bikes, started pedaling and made our way back to camp in Omis, which is equally beautiful, where river meets ocean, and a haven for climbers and river rafters. We had an amazing ride along the mountains and river to Omis and another good ride to Split the next day. We camped at a site south of the city and had the best sausage and French fry stuffed sandwiches ever (aka Cevapcici). Then finally the next day we hopped on our (third!) overnight ferry to Italy!

We were on the Dalmatian Coast (which is the name of the region) almost three weeks and loved every minute. It is SUCH a gorgeous place with layers of history and beauty everywhere you go and we hope we get to explore the rest of the country some day. Hvala Croatia!

Croatia Pt. 2

After Dubrovnik we decided to head up the Pelješac peninsula. We camped out at a place near a marina, our first night trying out our new tarp. We took a walk to the marina for a drink and in the course of about 5 minutes it was suddenly the craziest wind storm we have seen, with large 60 foot sailboats on their side and people running all over the place trying to batten everything down. We knew when we returned to camp it wouldn’t be a pretty sight. And it wasn’t…. the tent was basically upside down and the tarp totally wrapped around a tree. But luckily our stuff survived and we moved on the next day a  little windblown and damp but feeling good.

We moved on to our next campsite near a town called Ston, which we had no idea was another walled fortress (there have been a lot of those on our travels), with what the info sheets said was the longest wall after the wall of China. We took a bike break to walk a ways up the wall but gave up after our buns were burning, given that we had a little more to bike. It was a neat town though, and we wish we could have spent more time there.

After camping near Ston we had an awesome downhill, Javi reckons our best so far, right into a town called Orebic. From there we took a ferry right away to the island of Korcula. We spent one night in the old town of Korcula, happily checking out the sights, including a Marco Polo museum (apparently he is from there). We also experienced a crazy two hour blackout on the whole island! It was surreal, tourists finishing their dinners by candlelight, and the only major artificial lights coming from the yachts in the harbor. The stars were beautiful. The next two nights on Korcula were spent camping and biking around exploring local vineyards and rock beaches with crystal clear water.

We left Korcula and took another ferry to the island of Hvar. Another day, another amazing old town. Hvar old town seemed like a more hip scene with more cocktail bars and a younger crowd. We stayed at a hostel and were by far the oldest people there, a jarring change from our Camino hostel days. But since we are still young and carefree at heart, we decided to drink our age insecurities away with the party crowd. We had a great time hanging out at what was surely the only late night dance party, drinking beers well past our usual 10:30 – 11 pm bedtime. It was well worth it, a fun scene indeed and much needed after a party drought in our lives.

After Hvar old town, we spent the next few nights in a little town on the other side of the island called Ivan Dolac. Basically we chose it because it was the cheapest Airbnb we could find, but turned out to be a cute town and awesome apartment. It was tough getting there on bikes, but quite an adventure on a crazy rocky coastal road seemingly still under construction. We caught up on some cooking, reading, and internetting there. After that we rode to Stari Grad and took another ferry to Split.

We had been talking about going to Split since the beginning of all of this, so it was so fun to finally arrive. It was a much bigger city than we knew, and had not only the typical old town, but huge block housing and mixed architectural areas way up into the hills. We stayed in someone’s apartment in the block housing area near the university so we experienced a whole range of city areas, not just the touristy parts.  We had a blast exploring Diocletian’s palace and different museums. Most exciting of all, we got to meet up with some San Francisco pals who were doing a bike tour of their own. It was fun to hang with not only other cyclists but folks we knew from back home. Getting to be social with people other than ourselves is always a treat.

After three nights it was time to move on, but we would be returning in a week for our final Croatian goodbye. To be continued….

Croatia Part 1