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Morocco’s Coolest City: Majestic White Essaouira

Posted by David Paul Appell in Snapshots - (0 Comments)

Ever since first visiting Morocco more than a dozen years ago, I’ve always marveled that this North African country manages to pack such a whole lot of interesting into such modest dimensions (it’s a little bigger than California, less than a third the size of Quebec, and merely a little over a quarter as spacious as the U.K.). I mean, here the fascinating destinations just keep on coming – Fez, Marrakesh, Meknes, Rabat, Tangier, Casablanca, Ouarzazate, the Atlas Mountains, Tetouan, Agadir (the resort town that’s the site of Iberostar Founty Beach) and so on. But one place in Morocco that I especially love because of its vibe, style, location, and unusualness, is a city called Essaouira, a drive of 2½ to three hours from Marrakesh and 2½ hours from Agadir.

Something a Little Different

What makes it unusual? Well, as with many cities in Morocco, in Ess you can certainly “come with me to the kasbah” and wander the byways and caravanserais of a deliciously mysterious old medina (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) and Jewish quarter, sampling exotic shops, galleries, restaurants, tea shops, and cafés along the way. But unlike even other Moroccan coastal urbs like Tangier, there’s just something especially charismatic about Essaouira. To begin with, it’s breezy, white, and bright, perched just over halfway down the country’s Atlantic coast, with temperatures rarely dropping below the 50′s Fahrenheit or rising above the low 70′s (it’s so breezy, in fact, that it’s one of the world’s better regarded windsurfing/kitesurfing meccas). But another big part of what makes it different is that much of what you see of Essaouira today was built along European lines, starting in the early 16th century with the fortress of Mogador, built by the Portuguese, and continued by a Moroccan ruler in the 18th century using European architects and engineers.

Simplicity & Celebrities

As in centuries past, fishing is still very big here; on my first visit I’ll never forget going down to the docks and lunching at a simple table on squid literally taken right off a boat not ten feet away and charbroiled right in front of me. But beach and cultural tourism have been making big inroads for years, and since Orson Welles filmed his Othello here in 1952 Ess also became a spot on the international hippie trail in the 60’s, it’s been a destination for celebs and artsy-fartsy types, from Jimi Hendrix, Cat Stevens and Maria Callas to Colin Farrell, Orlando Bloom, and Liam Neeson. It’s also been a center for a form of Moroccan music called gnaoua, and June’s International Gnaoua and World Music Festival has become known as “Morocco’s Woodstock.”

Pretty  fun-kay, no?  Check it out, and I guarantee you’ll fall as much in love with Essaouira as I did.
photo | jonl1973

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Tunisia’s Ancient Glory: The Ruins of Mighty Carthage

Posted by David Paul Appell in Snapshots - (0 Comments)

Chances are you’ve heard of Hannibal, and maybe even that he and his army tried to invade Italy by crossing the Alps with elephants. The city-state he fought for, Carthage, was classical Rome’s biggest rival in the Mediterranean, and one of the big kahunas of the entire ancient world. Even if you’re coming to Tunisia mainly for a warm beach vacation, you owe it to yourself to not miss this important UNESCO World Heritage Site (especially if you’re staying in Hammamet, less than an hour’s drive away).

Just across the bay from the modern capital Tunis, “Kart-hadasht” was founded even earlier than Rome, in the 8th or 9th century BC, as a colony of Phoenicians from farther east along the Mediterranean coast, under a queen that history most commonly knows by her Greek name Dido; eventually the city became a commerce-oriented republic rich and powerful enough to rule over hundreds of other Phoenician (aka Punic) cities along the coast, as well as coastal areas of what are now Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica, and Spain. But its rivalry with Rome led to what are called the Punic wars, and Rome finally defeated, invaded, and refounded Carthage in 146 BC. It was later overrun by the Vandals, then became part of the Byzantine Empire until it was conquered by Arabs in 698 AD. So the ruins you’ll find here today include various and sundry cultural and historical influences.

The sprawling and utterly fascinating modern-day archaeological site includes ports, an acropolis, necropoles (cemeteries), an amphitheater, temples, baths, residential areas, early Christian churches, Islamic mosques, and more (there are also several nearby archaeology, oceanography, and history museums). There’s a lot of ground to cover, so bring a hat, water, sunscreen, and good walking shoes!

Photo | Unitopia

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Cesária Évora, Cape Verde’s Immortal Gift to World Music

Posted by David Paul Appell in Snapshots - (1 Comment)

Not too many people know much about (or have even heard of) the tiny, 10-island West African country of Cape Verde (home to Iberostar Club Boa Vista, on Boavista island). But even though relatively few actually understood her song lyrics, plenty in Europe, Africa, and the rest of the world certainly knew and loved its most famous native daughter, a soulful singer whom we lost on December 17 at age 70.

Like one of my favorite U.S. jazz icons, Alberta Hunter, Cesária Évora started her career young and at one point left music, only to stage a spectacular comeback, in Évora’s case starting with a hit album in France, La diva aux pieds nus (“The Barefoot Diva”; she always sang barefoot because she said it was more comfortable). She won a Grammy nomination for 1995’s Cesária, and international fame didn’t lag far behind; her album Voz d’Amor (Voice of Love) later won her a world music Grammy in 2004. Évora’s health started declining in 2010, and in September 2011 she finally retired from her beloved music.

But the lady has left behind a gorgeous legacy of more than 20 studio, live, and remixed albums (including Club Sodade, a cool bunch of dance-club remix tracks), that have taught the world about Cape Verde’s distinctive national music, called morna. Like Portugal’s fado, it’s usually sung in a minor key and deals with loss, regret, and longing. As executed by Évora, it’s rich and jazzy, with lush arrangements and hints of blues and bossa nova. The language is crioulo, an Afro-Portuguese sprinkled with local African languages like Wolof and Fulani. Her success – and the video below, one of her better-known songs, “Sodade” (“Longing”) – prove that you don’t need to understand the words to be moved by the music and that evanescent voice. Still, for your delight, here are the simple yet powerful lyrics:

Quem mostra’ bo ess caminho longe?
Who will show you that long road?

Quem mostra’ bo ess caminho longe?
Who will show you that long road?

Ess caminho pa São Tomé
That road to São Tomé

Sodade sodade
The longing, the longing

Sodade
The longing

Dess nha terra São Nicolau
For this land of mine, São Nicolau

Si bo ‘screve me ’m ta ‘screve be
If you write to me I’ll write back to you

Si bo ‘squece me ’m ta ‘squece be
If you forget me I’ll forget you

Até dia qui bo voltà
Until the day you return

Sodade sodade
The longing, the longing

Sodade
The longing

Dess nha terra São Nicolau
For this land of mine, São Nicolau

Muito obrigado (thank you so much), Cesária. Today, December 20th, may be your funeral; but your music will always live in our hearts. Rest in peace.

Photo | Bruno Bollaert

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Riding Cape Verde’s Waves with Josh Angulo

Posted by Nellie Huang in Local Characters - (0 Comments)

Cape Verde

With huge swells, strong winds and an emerald coastline dotted with perfect surfing spots, Cape Verde is lauded by some as the hottest surfing destination. Located in the Atlantic Ocean, this archipelago of 10 islands is found just 350 miles off the coast of Western Africa, but it’s worlds apart. Featuring volcanic terrain and long, sweeping sandy beaches, the Cape Verde islands are blessed with tons of wind and undiscovered beaches.

Slowly gaining a reputation for its waves and wind, these islands finally got the attention they deserved after the launch of the annual Cabo Verde Wave Championships in 2007.  Having created rippling waves in the surf scene, the islands have their new ambassador to thank: Josh Angulo, a Hawaiian surfing champion who has introduced the world to Cape Verde.

It was Cape Verde’s raw beauty, winds and alluring ocean that brought him here. Since calling it home, Josh has played an integral role in promoting the destination via his worldwide connections with brands and media. He now runs the nation’s leading windsurfing center, Angulo Cabo Verde, which offers a variety of surfing lessons and stand up paddleboard (SUP) classes for people of all levels.

Surfing spots are scattered all over the islands. On the east coast of Sal, Sierra Negra offers some easy free-riding sessions far away from civilization. The Cabessa de Salinas (Kite Beach) provides powerful swells suitable for expert surfers, but it’s located just in front of a reef so be careful especially at low tide. On the west coast, swells can get dangerously huge – particularly at Ponta Preta and Ali Baba. In the south, the bay of Santa Maria has the safest spots for beginners: try Ponta Lema with the easiest wave.

Cool off from the adrenaline by exploring the islands’ attractions and cultural heritage: visit the salt flats of Pedra de Lume on the island of Sal, the old capital of Cidade Velha and Forte Real de São Filipe on Santiago, go whale-watching around Boa Vista and enjoy the pulsating nightlife of Mindelo on Sao Vicente.

If you’re looking for more adventure, there is a plethora of activities on offer, such as off-road buggy rides, quad bikes, sailing, scuba-diving and trekking along volcanic terrain.

Photo | IDS.photos

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Capture the Magic of Adventure Films in Morocco

Posted by Susana Alosete in The View - (0 Comments)

What to do in Morocco

When you think about films associated with Morocco, your mind can’t help but shift to black and white, as the faces of Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart appear along with the soundtrack of “Casablanca.” However, this mythical movie was shot entirely in California, though it has left us with the memory of a romantic, but dangerous, Morocco.

Many movies have been filmed in this African nation, which prides itself on its own version of Hollywood or, as we Spaniards would say, its own Almería in the age of Westerns. One city in particular stands out for its popularity amongst American film productions which frequent the famous Atlas Studios: the city of Ouarzazate. This city is unique in that it combines its location in a valley with its proximity to both mountains and desert, with photogenic adobe houses that have acted as the set for a variety of films, including “Lawrence of Arabia” and “Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra.” The film crews for other productions such as “The Sheltering Sky”, “The Mummy” and our beloved 007 in “The Living Daylights” have also wandered these same streets.

Set in the south of the country, this city is a must-see for film lovers who, in addition to recreating scenes from their favorite flics, can enjoy the spicy Moroccan cuisine and delicious mint teas (just be careful not to fall into the pot like Obelix!).

As in many other movie towns, visiting the studios is a tourist attraction in itself, and though it doesn’t have the typical attractions you may find in other movie-themed parks, lovers of classic cinema may evoke their silver screen memories and imagine Elizabeth Taylor dressed as Cleopatra exiting the temple in the luxurious recreation of Egypt in Joseph Leo Mankiewicz’s film, which was also shot here.

As with any city so close to the desert, summer is not really the best time to visit. But since we can’t always choose our vacation dates, just remember to load your suitcase with light, white clothing and end your day with a refreshing swim at any of the beaches you’ll find only a few kilometers away on Morocco’s gorgeous coast.

Image | Universal Pictures

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