Back to Africa

Lyon TGV gare from airport
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I lost a day.  I headed out to the tourism office of Lyon to find info on shuttles to the airport.  I had no ticket yet.  While there I ran into Carolyn a Canadian woman I met on the small tour in Eastern Turkey.  We had a nice coffee catch up.  She seemed as burnt out of travel as me.

I decided to find a travel agent for the flight ticket.  The lovely lady spoke only French but she diligently found me info on flights that day to Marrakech.  If I wanted to leave at 2 She could not issue the ticket at her office in time but I could try to make it to the airport and buy it direct.

The Koutoubia mosque
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I dashed to the hotel. Checked out then to the metro and off to the burbs where I caught the airport shuttle.  I arrived to find that Atlas Blue the North African budget airline was so budget it didn't even have a counter.  Only by internet or phone.  A kind gentleman at the info counter found the phone number.  Then my pay phone card ran out and I had to spend beaucoup euro for another I got a women on the line who issued me a ticket.  Whew.  A flight but the catch was it leaves at 10pm not 2.  So I spent the next 8 hours at the airport waiting.

lanterns at the souk
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Bought two meals and a book and used the very expensive internet at the Sofitel hotel attached to the airport.  At least it was there and I could use it.

The flight got me into Marrakech at 11pm. My backpacker hostel turned out to one of the worst of my trip.  The smell from the bathrooms permeated the entire building.  The place was packed so there was a lot of commiseration on conditions.  I met a couple of helpful British women who gave me some clues for  cheaper accomodation and travel in Britain.

Balcony from tour bus
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I got up and immediately went room hunting.  If you walk more than five steps in this town someone will attempt to help you.  This involves a good amount of ingratiating action and some very helpful direction.  A mere 5 dirham will suffice as payment.

Let me amend that last statement.  Since then I have been harrased like crazy with guys trying to get more money from me.  I am currently hiding out at this cyber cafe and hoping they will just go away.  Here it seems once they are on your tail they can wait and wait forever for you.