Round the World Trip around the World 2008

Round the World Week One

It has been a long time since last writing, but I promise it will become more frequent in the future.
Last Saturday, I escaped from Morocco.  My contract had finished and everything was in order to turn the page.
I will miss many good friends and coworkers.  In typical Moroccan fashion, nothing was easy.  I wanted a first
class train ticket to Tangier.  Of course, they were all sold out.  second class train travel in Morocco usually
involves sitting on the floor near the bathroom with maybe some chickens.  THe washroom on the train reminded me of the movie
trainspotting...no pun intended.  On top of this, they tend to overbook the whole system.  Add plus 40C temps, well you get
the picture.  After about 2 hours on the floor, I did a recon trip to first class.  At least there, even the hallways had air con.
Lukcily for me, somebody in a first class compartment had left.  I scooped the seat!  Aha, problem solved.

Tangier was busier than normal.  I had my last Moroccan meal in a typical street cafe.  I got a place for the night and decided
to get an early start on Sunday.  The port area was pretty quiet until passport control.  The area sees alot of "action".
 While I wwaiting in line, a Moroccan lady completely "lost it" with a border guard.  Lots of yelling, screaming and crying!I cleared Moroccan
customs and spent another two hours waiting for the first available boat.  I swapped stories with Spanish and American travellers. The boat finally
set off for Spain about 1130 am.  The scene was utter chaos.  Kids running and screaming, while the parents slept on the carpet. The washroom was also quite
the scene with the Moroccans washing their feet in the sink.  

Algerceras, Spain was very quiet.  On Sunday in Spain, things literally all shut down.  You are hard pressed to find an open Hostal,grocery store or restaurant.
I managed to find a place to stay for the night and also a bite to eat.  The food in Spain is really delicious!  After 11 months in Morocco, it was time
for a cold beer (just one!) and pork chops.  On Monday, I took the train to Cordoba.  Once I got there, I met Janet..a fellow Canadian teacher from Casablanca.
She had just finished a teaching contract in Madrid and had a few days off.  We explored the old city, shared some laughs and generally enjoyed what
Cordoba had to offer.  It was kind of like a mini version of Seville.  It was hot!!!!   Mid afternoon heat was pushing plus 40 C.  On Tuesday afternoon, I took
the bus to Granada.  I stayed in a motel near the bus station.  The next morning I took a cab to the airport.  My  Ryanair 2.5 hour flight would take me to
Frankfurt Hahn airport in Germany.


My father's cousin Detlef and his wife Sabine picked me up about half past twelve.  He said we would spend the night camping in a small town  near the
Mosel River.  We had some wine and an excellent meal in the small town.  This was wine country.  The vinyards streched for miles on the steep slopes.
The next day we drove to Kaarst, a small village near Dusseldorf.  The last time I had been here was about 25 years ago.  Everything was so green and
organized.  The people seemed really laid back compared to Morocco.  Yet, something was missing....the energy of the people!  This was more like Canada.
Strange how cultures can change in the matter of hours.  The next day Delef took me for a ride on his BMW 1200 motorcycle.  He also has a 94 Harley Davidson.
Its pretty interesting doing 195 kph on the Autobahn!  I asked whether I could drive their little car.  They said no problem and I drove on the Autobahn for
the first time.  No big deal really, just a little faster than you would normally drive back home.  On Sunday we went to a festival called Schutzenfest |
"Shooting fest" I think in English.  There were six thousand musicians and approximately one million people in town for the festivities.  Lots of colorful
costumes and horses.  Unlike Morocco, the Germans like to start drinking beer about 10 am.  We wandered around in the +31 C heat and saw the sights.
Tomorrow I will organize my gear and get ready for the next leg.  On Tuesday morning I have a flight from Dusseldorf to Istanbul, Turkey.  I spend one night
there before heading to the UAE and Qatar later in the week.  Ahhhh, back to the heat!  It is also Ramadan in the Muslim world.  I will be careful to plan
my meals carefully.  After that its off to Kathmandu, Nepal on Sept 7th.

Please find attached a few photos from Spain and Germany.

Keep in touch!

Darrel