Magical Morocco #5 (Casablanca) & A Glimpse of Doha, Qatar

Travel is the only thing you buy that make you richer.

-Anonymous

This is my last posting on Morocco Trip. Our end of trip was in Casablanca. We just stayed one night here and dropped by at the largest mosque in Morocco, the Hassan II Mosque.  It is the 13th largest in the world while its minaret is the world's tallest reaching 210 meters.

Starbuck at Casablanca (when my friend bought all Morocco tumblers to be sold in Jakarta & yes, they're all sold out)

Souk (market) Waqif in Doha

From Casablanca, we headed to Doha, Qatar, enjoying a one-day-free-trip in Doha, accompanied by the best hosts ever, Pak Nazar and Ibu Neni and also their friend, the owner of the one and only Minang Restaurant in Doha, Pak Herry.  We're speechless receiving their sincere hospitality. We're forever indebted. Huge thanks, Pak dan Ibu #RejekiAnakYangSemogaSoleh

No... it's not Hong Kong, it's ...Doha

All trips have their endings including this Magical Morocco Trip. One of the best highlights in 2017 (perhaps in my whole life). I would like to thank my travel mates, thanks for being so supportive and fun...even at our worst condition. Let's plan another trip next year ...!!! 

Our biggest happiness after two weeks leaving in the desert: Nasi Padang.. #pelukrendang

I am not the same, having seen the moon shine at the other side of the world.

-Mary Anne Radmacher     

Book Review: My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry

Title: My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry

Author: Fredrik Backman

Translator: Jia Effendie

Publisher: Noura Books 

November 2016

496 pages

If you're tired with the political issues that spread almost everywhere, in the social media, on TV, lunch topic and many more, I really recommend you to read this book, My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry written by a Sweden writer, Fredrick Backman. The writer with his witty way will take us meeting  Elsa, a seven-year-old-unique girl and her 77-year-old Grandma who is 'crazy'.

Elsa  finds difficulties in making friends, but lucky her, she has the best friend in the whole world, yep...her Grandma. Her Grandma will take her to some crazy adventures such as standing on the balcony firing paint ball guns at strangers. At night Elsa and Grandma will go to the Land-of-Almost-Awake and the Kingdom of Miamas, where everybody is different and no body needs to be normal.

Elsa's life turns upside down when Grandma dies. Although drowning in her sadness yet Elsa also found that her Grandma leaves behind a series of letter that must be delivered to other tenants that live in the same apartment building as Elsa. 

The letters are apologies from Grandma to the tenants there. These letters become Elsa's greatest adventure. Through the letters, the lonely Elsa finally can build bonds of friendship with other tenants in the building. Moreover Elsa also realizes that the make-believe characters in her Grandma stories are all based on real people and real events. 

A very charming and warmhearted tale. Love it.

   

Magical Morocco #4 (Essaouira)

Inside the souk in Essaouira

credit to Rani

After enjoying the mystical Sahara Desert, our next destination was a beautiful laid back coastal city in Morocco, Essaouira.

What a beautiful blue sky

At the moment I arrived in Essaouira, I kind of felt that I was not in Morocco yet it's more like in some coastal cities in Europe instead. Perhaps because  French left its strongly influence here. Just walking along the area, you'll find an old fort, souk (market) that sells all kinds of artisan stuffs, petite yet pretty cafes, awesome paintings, patisserie with really good smell of cookies, birdwatchers, surfers, street performances, bookshops with beautiful collection of postcards (hey...I sent some postcards but it seems none arrives yet), people just lay down on the beach with the family, warm and kind people, art galleries, boutique, and all, everything is beyond belief. You don't need a high skill of photography here since all spots are already beautiful themselves.

Special Tintin Statue from Thoya Wood

One more thing that I love about Essaouira is the affordable price for almost everything such as food, souvenirs, cloths, and many more. When I saw a Carrefour nearby the city, I was curious to know the products sold there. Who knows they've got some alternative local products. So we decided to take taxi to go there. To avoid misunderstanding, before we got on the car, we asked the taxi fare first. The taxi driver fare was about Rp 7.000 (if I converted to Rupiah). We thought it's the price for one passenger while there were four of us. But the driver seriously said that it's a total price. Wow...

 

Choosing Essaouira as our 4th destination in Morocco was just one of our best decisions, this place is perfect for us who spent almost  12 hours on the bus from Sahara to Essaoira. #TenggakMinyakAngin.