Our get-together yesterday coincided with the champion's league played live. In the restaurants we went to there was Real Madrid versus Ajax Amsterdam broadcasted. We took advantage of our chat while waiting for the food to watch some of the game.

Adil distributed the postcards that Takahiro Iwasaki left for each volunteer, that he was too shy to handle theme himself, he said. This made us remember some of his jocks with Umberto his roommate and interpreter. Also, the sweet Louise and Michael, they left us last week as well. 

On the other, new volies click it off with old volunteers, as I smell plans are getting set for travel the coming weekend.  

The weekly photo 

Tetaoun is located in the North of Morocco, slightly inland from the Mediterranean Sea, only 40 km east of Tangier, on the edge of Dersa Mountain facing Ghorghez Mountain from which the range of the Rif Mountains stretches east-wards all the way to the frontiers with Algeria. The city was founded back in the 14th century. 

Years later the city was destroyed by the Spanish. Afterwards, the city was rebuilt by the Moorish refugee coming from Spain mainly. Tetaoun played an important role in terms of commerce thanks to its location. In 1912 Tetouan was taken over by the Spanish protectorate and for more than 30 years Tetouan was the capital city of the protectorate. The Medina of Tetouan is a UNESCO world heritage, and there are a number of festinating museums and landscapes to visit; it's unique for its Hispano-Moroccan look, a cheerful place washed all in white whit an Andalusia style. 

Besides the forests and natural springs of crystal clear cold rich mineral water in this area, there are a number of different activities that the city offers. Also, it is possible, on clear days to see the Mediterranean Sea from a distance of approximately seventy kilometers. However, the city is small in size it merits at least one day to be explored, you may even find yourself want to stay longer. Moreover, the city is becoming more and more a tourist destination; therefore new projects have been launched in order to offer more options for tourists such as "Marina Playa Vista"  

Enjoy 

Every Tuesday we have a get together meeting organized by Projects Abroad. This meeting is very important for our volunteers to meet to share their thoughts and experiences. It is also a good opportunity for them to plan trips. This time our visitor Frank, Projects Abroad's director in France, attended with us he met all the volunteers as well as the host family, Lmrrakchi Family, where we had our meeting. As usual we've met at Bab Bouiba and walked all along the way through the Medina until the house where we found our volunteers waiting for us. Also, there was henna tattoo artist whom we thank once more. Volunteers put nicely designed Moroccan tattoos and Arabic expressions, while sipping and eating Moroccan pastries, juices and wild mint tea. Speaking about Lmrrakchi family is also speaking about Music and dancing the host father is a lovely cool man who likes old music such as: James Brown, The Beatles, Nass Lghiwan and different other old pop music. So each time we are at his house, it's a chance to listen to good music at the end, everybody was invited to dance. In a nutshell are you on the road? Have a safe trip to Morocco! Lmrakchi will be always there waiting for you J  

As always here please find attached the photo of the meeting J

The first editions of the International Salsa festival Marrakech (FSIM) were a huge success! Over 2000 participants from around the world to attend workshops, shows and great parties!

The fourth edition of SFIM is held from September 22 to 26, 2011 in Marrakech with a new artistic palette and a program tailored to make you live unforgettable breath taking moments. The largest Latino and Salsa dancers in the world will greet you for 4 days where you can take courses in Latin and Salsa dance suitable for all levels, attend performances and dance throughout the night in this prestigious Palmeraie Golf Palace.

Organizers want to make this festival one of the most popular festivals in the world and make the city Ochre becomes the final destination of Salsa and Latin.

The French institute Rabat in partnership with Pietri hotel will present Karim Soussan live this Friday at 20:00h in a Musical project that consist of a fusion between Afro-Moroccan rhythms and Jazz Music. The project called Palimpsestes and it's the result of a musical search through time and space of stringed, percussion and wind instruments. Karim came back to Morocco, after a visit to the USA, Canada and France to collect instruments and study about Music, Jazz in particular. He lately joined the band Africa United and working on a unique musical fusion of Jazz, Aissawa and Hmadcha. 

Remember Friday the 16^th at L'institue Français De Rabat, see you there J    

Bab Mansour is the most magnificent famous monumental gates in Meknes. Located southeast of El Hdim place, It was built by Moulay Ismail in the 16^th century for the reason to serve as a link between Lalla Aouda and El Hdim place, which falls between the medina and Kasbah, it has been partially restored, embellished and decorated by his son Moulay Abdellah in 1731. The wall was almost built by a labour power that goes over thirty thousand worker to turn the dreams of one man into an incredible reality "the door of dreams. 

It pierces the first two walled enclosures of the imperial city and takes broadly the traditional Moorish architecture style. It is flanked by two prominent basins high arches and two each on four massive columns of white marble. Overall, the decor consists of a web of interlacing diamond-shaped, glazed on the bottom of zellij especially blue and green, blue stands for clarity and green stands for Islam, the central part of Bab Mansour that has been rehabilitated since the 90s by a gallery for temporary exhibitions.   

Almost a whole new group of volies gathered yesterday at Lbourki's family for the weekly get-together. Everybody click it off with everybody quickly. A number of weekend plans were set up after presenting the new volies to the old ones. There is always a fun part of the get-together; this time Umberto from Italy was serving a Moroccan hand pan cake similar to Pasta to everyone, Johan who is living with the family we were at served Moroccan tea for everyone as well and I took some photos that I'd like to share with you J  Enjoy! 

Johan serving tea 

U

well sorry he only served himself :) 

While reading randomly about the Moroccan Sahara, I skimmed an article on the Moroccan touristic book guides' that I wanted to share.

The Sahara:

Its history is linked with that of mankind. A mineral universe that formerly enriched an entire continent, holding in its core unimaginable wealth. An immensity of sand and rock, mirages and oases, it will always be the focus of our dreams and our yen to escape.

On the borders of the great desert, near the Atlantic, a few places stop the traveler in his/her tracks. One of these is Tan-Tan beach, by the ocean, and a bit further along the coast, cape juby, then Tarfaya, Laayoune and so many other stops emerging from the sand, revealed in its triumphant modernity. Also Smara, the Sahara's spiritual capital, in the heart of the Saguia Al Hamra, and right in the south , at the mouth of Wady Dahab or Rio de Oro as Sahrawi people prefer calling it, Dakhla, with its sports fishing harbor nestling in the prettiest bay in the southern Sahar. 

A group of volies riding camels in the desert 

All this together makes of the desert a real attraction and makes it on the top of to visit places while coming to Morocco.