'DON'T YOU KNOW WE'RE RIDING ON THE MARRAKECH EXPRESS!"
THURSDAY! WE MADE IT! Sometimes it just pays to have no plan at all, throw caution to the wind and let destiny determine your fate (particularly if "Destiny" is the dancer we're thinking of at that strip club in Stockholm!). Folks, we know that many of you think that small portions of this website are a farce and made up, so for documentary purposes we will label the true parts (and also label the parts where Kevin perhaps gets a little "flexible" with the truth).
TRUTH BEGINS HERE: Without any tickets, reservations or maps we set off yesterday morning from civilized Cordoba, Spain and took a four hour train south to the city of Algeciras on the Mediterranean Sea. From the train station there we walked across the city to the port and bought passage on a local ferry across the Straits of Gibraltar arriving in Tangiers, Morocco (Africa) about 7pm last night. From the port in Tangiers we hired a taxi (for about a buck!) to the train station and bought tickets for "the" Marrakech Express (just like in the song!). It's an overnight 11 hour journey in a six person upright seat compartment, but we arrived alive, smelly and stiff at sunrise here in Marrakech. At the train station we heard about a "riad" (small private home that rents rooms) located inside the walled old city (2,000 years old!), so after paying another taxi a couple of bucks, and then walking a bit from where he dropped us outside the wall, we found "Riad Hassim" It's been a long 24 hours with no idea of where it would end, but after 1,000 miles on two trains, in two taxis, by ferry and by foot, WE ARE IN F'ING MARRAKECH!
Folks, wherever you are, lets just say that you can't get here from there! As you know we have traveled allot in our lives, and circled the earth on the 2008 Riding4Beer World Tour - sponsored by Budweiser - thank you Jesus! (and Allah, and Mohammad and Buddha and Pamela Anderson), but this is one far out place. There are people pounding drums, people kneeling on carpets praying in the middle of the streets, snake charmers blasting flutes, guys breathing fire - and that's all within a block or so of our riad (think hotel when we use that word). And there's even better news - we have all this sh_t on video and made a deal with a local bank (NOT KIDDING) to use their high speed internet to upload it. Today it's just still photos, but tomorrow you won't believe your eyes, we don't...
6 PICS TODAY AND A YOUTUBE VIDEO TODAY - BUT TOMORROW THERE WILL BE OUR VIDEO!
On the ferry - That's the Rock of Gibraltar behind Stacy. Waiting at the train station in Tangiers (NOT KIDDING!)
A few cracked windows on the Marrakech Express is no big deal! We made it! Sunrise at the Marrakech station!
Finding our hotel was easy. The streets are plainly marked. The view from the roof of our riad (hotel).
IT'S A VIDEO FROM YOUTUBE - JUST CLICK ON THE PICTURE BELOW!
TRUTH BEGINS HERE: Without any tickets, reservations or maps we set off yesterday morning from civilized Cordoba, Spain and took a four hour train south to the city of Algeciras on the Mediterranean Sea. From the train station there we walked across the city to the port and bought passage on a local ferry across the Straits of Gibraltar arriving in Tangiers, Morocco (Africa) about 7pm last night. From the port in Tangiers we hired a taxi (for about a buck!) to the train station and bought tickets for "the" Marrakech Express (just like in the song!). It's an overnight 11 hour journey in a six person upright seat compartment, but we arrived alive, smelly and stiff at sunrise here in Marrakech. At the train station we heard about a "riad" (small private home that rents rooms) located inside the walled old city (2,000 years old!), so after paying another taxi a couple of bucks, and then walking a bit from where he dropped us outside the wall, we found "Riad Hassim" It's been a long 24 hours with no idea of where it would end, but after 1,000 miles on two trains, in two taxis, by ferry and by foot, WE ARE IN F'ING MARRAKECH!
Folks, wherever you are, lets just say that you can't get here from there! As you know we have traveled allot in our lives, and circled the earth on the 2008 Riding4Beer World Tour - sponsored by Budweiser - thank you Jesus! (and Allah, and Mohammad and Buddha and Pamela Anderson), but this is one far out place. There are people pounding drums, people kneeling on carpets praying in the middle of the streets, snake charmers blasting flutes, guys breathing fire - and that's all within a block or so of our riad (think hotel when we use that word). And there's even better news - we have all this sh_t on video and made a deal with a local bank (NOT KIDDING) to use their high speed internet to upload it. Today it's just still photos, but tomorrow you won't believe your eyes, we don't...
6 PICS TODAY AND A YOUTUBE VIDEO TODAY - BUT TOMORROW THERE WILL BE OUR VIDEO!
On the ferry - That's the Rock of Gibraltar behind Stacy. Waiting at the train station in Tangiers (NOT KIDDING!)
A few cracked windows on the Marrakech Express is no big deal! We made it! Sunrise at the Marrakech station!
Finding our hotel was easy. The streets are plainly marked. The view from the roof of our riad (hotel).
IT'S A VIDEO FROM YOUTUBE - JUST CLICK ON THE PICTURE BELOW!
Great to see the predicted "black out" predicted didn't come to pass. Panic attack over! Some quick questions and a couple of requests.
Do you think you will be able to find Budweiser in sufficient quantities to sustain yourselves. Its critical that you keep your fluids up.
What do they smoke in those big water pipes?
Can we get a picture of Kevin as a snake charmer? ( the reptile type)
We gotta see Stacy on a camel.
You guys are great!
Ted -
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You went on the Marrakach Express? Why ya silly bastards ya! You both have done just about everything we can think of! May Allah be with you kooks, drink lots of refreshing Budweiser and remember, we cannot help but love you both. Have lots of fun.
guy and cary.
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WOW!!! Congrats on getting to Africa. You are so right; sometimes you gotta go without a plan. What a fantastic adventure you are having. Can't wait to see the videos...
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I'm only hoping that you "Rock the Casbah". Isn't that right up the street?
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You two are aware that your path may lead you to what some consider to be , "Jihad Central," right?
SOOOO, before we succumb to the widely held view that you two are a few bricks shy of a load, quickly return to Spain!!!
uuuh, and more photo's of Stacy please!..........ok and Kevin too.
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