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The Atlas Mountains, Morocco
Inspiration: "You are not in New York any more little girl" is what I thought to myself as I took in all of the views of the Atlas Mountains, Berber Villages and the Ksar Ait-Ben-Haddou.
Now that I am back in the city, amid the usual rush of cabs, buses, and purposeful people, it's hard to believe that just a couple of days ago, I was hiking in the Atlas and sharing bread and coffee with a Berber family.
Marrakech, Morocco
Inspiration: Marrakech is a fantastic city. It is a complex mixture of Berber and Arab, French and Spanish, residents and tourists, ancient and modern, rich and impoverished, gentility and hostility, peace and cacophony. It is a hospitable and warm city as well as the apex of hard bargaining and the perpetual hustle. An unforgettable experience.
I will post more photographs of Marrakech and the Atlas mountains over the next couple of days. And then I will return to my love affair with New York.
The High Atlas Mountains, Morocco
Inspiration: In addition to being photogenic and willing to be photographed, I found the Berbers in the Atlas Mountains to be some of the friendliest and warmest people that I've met. At the end of two days in the mountains, our guide (who was born in Paris, grew up in a village in the Atlas Mountains, lives in Marrakech and speaks five languages) took us to meet his grandparents in the small village in which he grew up. We were treated to an hour of wonderful hospitality (including watching Sleepless in Seattle on their satellite TV - the first and only time we watched TV during the whole trip) and big, giant hugs upon our departure.
Heading to Ouarzazate, Morocco
Inspiration: Today, we drove over the High Atlas Mountains to Ouarzazate, the gateway to the desert. As we neared our destination, the terrain became ruddy in color and arid. We saw fewer donkeys and mules and more camels.
Essaouira, Morocco
Inspiration: I love how beach scenes are so familiar no matter where on earth you find them.
Inspiration: I like this town. Even though it's an ancient port city, it's really just a beach town. Essaouira is so laid back compared to Marrakech. The people who live here seem more relaxed. There's something about a beach and an ocean that makes people more chill. More on Essaouira tomorrow.
Inspiration: Snakes freak me out, but this is one touristy shot that I had to take.
Marrakech: Rue Sidi El Yamani in the late afternoon
Inspiration: I love the light and the shadows in this photo.
Inspiration: Did I tell you? I am in Marrakech for a week. See The Photodiarist in Color for a few more photographs.
The Medina is fascinating. I stepped out of the quiet oasis of my Riad into a pell mell of activity. But there are quiet places. Certainly, if you stray from the main streets in the old city, you may find yourself caught in a bit of a labyrinth (see above). Since I was lost, I thought it would be a good time to take photos.
New York: 58th and 5th Ave.
Inspiration: Another i-phone pic taken this past Saturday morning as I ran errands before leaving for my vacation. Had to make an emergency trip to the Apple Store. This shot is a bit grainy, but still not too bad for an i-phone. The building in the background is the one in which the Bergdorf Men's Store is housed.
