October 26, 2024

Busy Market Samples - Dates were yummy! Passed on Oysters.

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After a stop at a government approved shop rugs and Moroccan wares. We were leaving new city and headed into Medina, the oldest part of walled city. Lots of food vendors, cooking in tagines. The Jewish quarter is here, with synogue for 2M jews who live here.

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Casablanca mosque only have one minaret, always green at peak. Muslim Homes typically have 4 rooms around a center courtyard with a fountain to keep cool, no windows, balconies or Air Conditioning; but they do have rooftop gardens. Four bedrooms, because they are allowed 4 wives. Women stay completely covered with outsiders and can leave off face covering when with family.

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Below 2 Landmark's - Rick's Cafe for Tourist and Hassan II Mosque - 2nd largest in Africa, 14th largest in World. The Minaret is 60 stories high topped with a Laser, directed to point to Mecca 9 it's 2nd highest in World. Was completed in 1993 and sits alongside the Atlantic Ocean. 105,000 worshipers can pray here - 25k inside mosque and another 80k on outside grounds.

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GUILIN, CHINA - RED YAO LONG HAIRED WOMAN

By Pat Patrick • September 10, 2026
The women in the Huangluo Village of Guangxi, China are famed and record holders in the Guiness World Records as the Long Hair Village. They grow their hair up to 2.1 meters or 6.8 feet and cut it only once in their lives, at age 17 or 18 when they have a "coming of age" ceramony. We visited the village and went to a performance where they showed us their history and customs.

GUILIN, CHINA - Night Lights

By Pat Patrick • September 10, 2026
Guilin is such a pretty little town; tons of tourist seem to know it too! I really enjoyed walking around it at night! I went for a stroll, along the river, to just soak it all in. I grabbed some street food, kung pow chicken and rice for dinner, that I had back in the quiet of my hotel room and had an early night.

GUILIN, CHINA - Bamboo raft tour of Lijiang River

By Pat Patrick • September 10, 2026
The Guilin area of southern China is known to have some of the most stunning karst rock formations. We took a bamboo cruise boat with a tiny electric motor, from the villages of Yangdi to Xingping this morning. The rafts are limited to 4 guest each - so I road with a Chinese family, there on vacation from the Beijing area, who was very sweet. Mom and Dad spoke no english, but their son, who is in his final year of college study environmental science, was able to converse and intrepret what the driver said to me the whole ride, about one hour.