Negotiating with Yertle the Turtle

So here’s the problem, for me at least, in a system based on haggling. Everything is available for a price, but almost nothing has a price on it, so you have to ask about anything in which you have the least amount of interest. Want to know how much that ras el hanout costs to […]

The Merest of Hikes Was Eye Opening

A hike begins with a few steps, and this was no different. Mohammed guided me up into the lower levels of the Atlas Mountains, and the going wasn’t easy, over ground that varied from hardscrabble turf, to massive boulders, to a balancing act along the edge of a concrete irrigation ditch. It was, in fact, […]

The Souks. Where “No” Is Just A “Yes” Waiting To Happen.

Frequent readers of my blog may remember my visit to Turkey, during which I conceded that I was incapable of bargaining and therefore didn’t buy a rug. In retrospect, this remains a wise decision. Today, I was incapable of not bargaining. After breakfast on the roof of our riad, I headed back into the central […]

Eating My Way Through Marrakech

The late afternoon sun glowed in a faint haze over the vast square of the Djema el Fna, and I processed a black figure out of the corner of my eye. I knew it would be coming, but I wasn’t prepared for it just yet. And I jumped away. I was probably ten feet from […]

A Little Trip to Pass the Time

My dear readers, there’s a big trip in the offing; a trip that has been almost a year in the planning, and I simply can’t wait. But this is not that trip. That trip is a little bit longer than usual, so the remaining vacation days shook out leaving me with a limited number to […]

In Which I Make A Find. By Accident.

I haven’t written much about my fellow divers this trip, but I have absolutely enjoyed every minute I have spent with everybody with whom I’ve shared the dive boat. They’re easy-going, friendly people. I couldn’t ask for a better group of people with whom to be randomly paired. If somebody offered me the opportunity to […]