20231103 Leaving: On Wednesday I packed. Had been packing in my head for a long time. Clothes are easy. It’s meds and stuff that I wanted to make sure made it. Suitcase if filled to the brim! It all gets rearranged when I get there, of course.

Went online Thursday AM to check in with Delta only to find I had to check in at airport and show the cc I used to book the flight. Did chat with Delta and found this is new requirement for international travel to avoid fraud. Would have thought passport would be enough, but ….

Thursday midday took Sadie to Wendy’s to live in luxury there until I get back. Then Marian drove me to St. Louis Airport Hilton about 4:00. Had dinner in the bar area. Nice food. Went to sleep way to early so I was up a lot during the night

20231104 En Route: Got up at 4:30, dressed, ready to go downstairs to get shuttle to airport. Almost forgot my iPhone in the room! Did final check, and…there it was! At Delta counter I had to present not only my passport, but also the credit card I had used to buy the ticket. Agent said it was Morocco requirement, but later events casts doubt on that.

David Levy and I were on the 7:15 flight to Atlanta. Got in on time and went to the Delta Sky Club for the six hours between our flights. Found out that David’s credit card that he had used to book the flights had been replaced and had a new number. He went out to the airport yesterday to deal with this since we had been warned by Delta when we wanted to check in online yesterday what the requirements were. Found out that this same thing happened to two other trip members, Kent and Ingrid. In all cases, Delta cancelled their tickets, issued a cc refund, and then reissued their tickets and charged their new cc number. Of course, the charge for the tickets will come in days before the credit gets to them. From what we can glean from others travelling it seems this might be a Delta thing and not something Morocco required. Very odd.

Met two of our fellow travelers in the Delta lounge, John Kalson and Kent Sweitzer, both from Madison, WI. Trying to see if Terry knows John who grew up there. So, the four of us got to know each other and we had a nice time. No politics or current news. Just personal histories and camera equipment. Food in the club was terrific and lots of it. And there is a set of machines that make gelato! Attendant puts in refrigerated liquid and it is made into gelato. Will wonders ever cease?

About 3:30 we all went to our gate. Met Ingrid there. Got onboard around 4:00 and took off about 4:45 for the flight to Paris. I’m in seat 4A. Lovely supper service…good food. Spotty WIFI, but what can you expect at over 30,000 feet. We will land about 6:00AM Paris time.

As I write this, it’s about 1:00 AM in Paris. Now, hope to get at least a few hours of rest. Sleep? Who knows.

20231105 The Last Time I Saw Paris: I dozed on and off, never got really comfortable. Slept a couple of hours, perhaps. Was awakened at about 5:00AM Paris time for breakfast. Landed a bit after 6:00. CDG is one long hallway after another. Up and down we went following the signs for transfers to other flights. Had some confusion where the signs were not clear. Finally got to a security checkpoint. I remembered from last year that they want laptop, iPhone, etc. out of carryon. But did not know they also wanted cameras out. So, my camera bag got sidetracked to be inspected separately. I’ll know next time when we return to US at the end of the trip through Paris.

Found our gate and sat. We were there until boarding for Casablanca at Noon…roughly 6 hours. Could not find any Air France Club, so the three of us just sat there, watched people, dozed, talked, got up to walk, went to the potty. Met another of our trip, Ruth, who found us.

Thought there was no food service on the Casablanca flight and got a sandwich and cookie. But there was food. Lots. I was so tired that I really couldn’t eat much, but felt better after I did eat some.

Landed in Casablanca a bit after 4:00….26 hours from first flight to landing here. Met Strabo driver outside the airport after going through passport control and customs. Long drive into the city and to the HYATT REGENCY, CASABLANCAwhere I am in room 427. Met the whole group downstairs in the hotel dining room for a casual meal and Ron updated us on various parts of the trip

When I had gotten to the hotel, Ron and our guide, Ishmael, said that they could run a Jewish Heritage tour for those of us who wanted it tomorrow afternoon. Seems as if there had been crossed wires regarding when Ishmael would be available tomorrow. So, I emailed our scheduled guide telling him that there was a change in conditions that I had not expected and wanted to cancel. Got nice emails back from him and the tour agency owner saying it was okay and they understood.

Time to organize things for tomorrow, wash my clothes, shower and shave…and go to bed. Been a long, been a long, been a long day.

20231107 Casablanca to Essaouira: Got up at 7:00 for 7:30 breakfast, luggage outside room by 8:30, in the bus at 9:00. Drove around the city to a park where there is a view back on the King Hassan II Mosque. Very hazy, UV, but interesting images. And I have not said this before, but there are cats everywhere. Nice, friendly cats. Everywhere.

After about a half-hour of shooting, back in bus for a long day that ended in Essaouira

at 5:00. Did a potty stop and did lunch at about 1:00 at a lovely seaside restaurant, L’Hippocampe. Spent some time taking images after lunch.

Back on the bus, we travelled several hours altogether to get to Essaouira passing through different landscapes. Some verdant, some just rocks, and hills as we got nearer to our destination. Ishmael talked to us quite a bit giving us a primer on Islam and lots of history of Morocco. Very interesting.

At Essaouira we left our big luggage at the bus for porters to schlep it into the Medina to our hotel since there is no motor traffic in the Medina. About a quarter-mile walk with all our hand luggage and gear. The hotel is RIAD AL MEDINA, ESSAOUIRA. Nice, quaint, and no elevators. My room, 21, is on the third floor up steep stairs. Small, but adequate.

Downstairs about 5:45 for a walk through the Medina out to the port with its hundreds of fishing boats. We walked around looking for a good place for sunset. It was colorful even with no clouds. Back to the hotel about 7:00 and met at 7:30 for a mediocre dinner.

Then up the stairs to my room to download images and write this log before shower, shave, and bed. Tomorrow, we have a half-day here starting with sunrise shoot, leaving here after lunch. Will post this tomorrow since the Wi-Fi here is weak and goes in and out. (P.S., got on another server the next morning.)

20231106 Casablanca: Had a good night’s sleep altogether. Got up at 7:30 for 8:00 breakfast with others on the trip. Huge array of all sorts of foods, of course. Went up to the room, got things together for the day, and met our group in the lobby to leave by 10:00.

We are on a 40-passenger bus for the 13 of us for the entire trip. So, we can leave things like tripods on the bus overnight and have whole rows to ourself. Drove around the city with Ishmael telling us some of the architectural history. Stopped in Mohammed V Square to see not only the buildings and fountains, but there are thousands of pigeons there. Fun.

From there, drove to the astounding King Hassan II Mosque, a real treasure. It is HUGE and accommodates tens of thousands inside and even more in the courtyard. Ishmael gave us a tour of the main worship space and the lower level where men perform ablutions before prayer. Had free time to wander around inside and then on the large grounds/courtyard. It is one of the wonders of the world. Hard to take in all at once.

Drove to the flower, meat, and fish market, which is somewhat different from other ones I’ve been to. More variety of fish and lots of animal carcasses! Walked to Restaurant Les Fleurs for a nice lunch of Moroccan cuisine.

From there, we drove to the Beth-El Synagogue where we were given a tour by one of the members of the congregation. Beautiful interior. Lots of Stars of David on the ceiling. A very interesting part was that the torahs are kept in a room rather than in an ark. So, they go into the room to do the torah readings. The Moroccan Jews are Sephardic in background, so the bema is in the center of the sanctuary.

Next to the Casablanca New Medina, which is pretty much just knock-off stuff and shops. No craftsmen like we will see in Fes. Ishmael led us through the maze of alleyways that make up the medina.

Back to the hotel a bit after 4:00 where I downloaded and keyworded images. Met Ron in the bar area at 6:00 where he gave the first of what will be many lectures on photography. Interesting. He stressed attention, intention, and awareness as being prime to good photography.

7:00 was a set dinner at the restaurant. Great food, but way too much to eat. Then up to the room to shower, shave, and sleep. Will be putting our luggage outside our rooms by 8:30 and will leave by 9:00.

20231108 Essaouira to Marrakech: Had a lousy night’s sleep, up about every half-an-hour. Got up around 6:45 and met those going out for sunrise shoot at 7:30. Nice colors on the water by the beach as the Sun came up. Went over to the fishing boat area. They are jammed together. We have no idea how they get out to sea.

Back to hotel for breakfast and up to room until 10:00 when we had to have our big luggage outside our doors and carry all of the other stuff down those uneven stairs to lock away until later. Ishmael then gave us a full walking tour of the medina including the spice market and fish market. Cats. Lots of cats. Got back around Noon, gathered our stuff, and headed to the lunch restaurant dragging our things along. I started to notice I was lightheaded. At that point, and later, just figured I was pooped not getting good sleep the night before.

By the time we got to the restaurant, Chrysalis, I had had it. Thought sitting awhile would perk me up, but it didn’t. Then loaded up our gear and went toward the bus. I was so tired I stumbled and was helped to the bus. When the group made a stop at a women’s coop, I stayed on the bus. All of this seems tied in as I found out later.

I rested on and off for the three-hour trip to our hotel in Marrakech, HIVERNAGE & SPA HOTEL, MARRAKECH. My sister and son suggested I do a Covid test…and, I was positive. Symptoms are low fever and some body ache. Lucky that I have Paxlovid along and immediately started on its regimen. Told Ron Rosenstock, the leader of the trip and sent an email to the others so they would know. Ron had room service deliver a really special three-course meal. Got to eat most of it before my tastebuds started to go the way of Paxlovid.

I will stay at the hotel (Room 104) probably most or all of tomorrow to rest and not expose others. Will wear a mask when with them, sit separated on the big bus, and when we eat together.

I am fully vaccinated, regularly wear a mask in crowded areas such as the airports on the way over, and, up until today, have avoided getting sick. Guess it was a matter of time. Figure I must have caught it on or around when we came over with it showing up now.