To Marrakech

Our skilled driver twisted and wound through the High Atlas Mountains, challenged only by the car rally drivers who swooped around us with barely an inch to spare. The sand gave way to rock; the empty landscape became dotted with date palms and oleander; small villages grew to large cities and we arrived in Marrakech. Our hotel is splendid; the city is fascinating; the minaret (12th century) of the central (Koutoubia) mosque is magnificent and continues its calls to prayer. We have explored the souks, a magnificently decorated 19th century palace, the Aman Museum which has a comprehensive display of water in Morocco, its use, capture, collection, and management. We saw spice markets, magnificent ceilings, and Hope had her hands painted with henna. It looks rather like she has a skin disease. Tomorrow we leave at 8 am, so this is likely the last blog entry on Morocco. We have come to love this country and its people; we are blessed by this opportunity to visit here; we are very glad to be returning home.