Author: DT Le
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A Tour of Fes, Morocco
Examples of ceramic crafts lining a staircase Furniture and home decorative pieces for sale A stall selling dried fruits and nuts A person making fresh fluffy flat bead Olives are, of course, everywhere Street sweet treats Need to sharpen your tools and knives? This is your guy. This shop is in an area that specializes in metal crafting. Meat market -
Chefchouen
On our arrival to The Blue Pearl, we were greeted with a full rainbow. A little info about this Smurfiest of towns:
Chefchaouen, Morocco, is a picturesque mountain city famous for its blue-washed buildings, earning it the nickname “The Blue Pearl”. Founded in 1471, its distinctive blue color is attributed to Jewish refugees who settled there, symbolizing the sky and God, though other theories suggest it repels mosquitoes or keeps buildings cool. Visitors explore its labyrinthine medina, visit the Kasbah, hike in the Rif Mountains, and enjoy local handicrafts and cuisine in the main square, Outa el-Hammam. – Google Summary
A typical alleyway in the iconic blue. In some locations, local entrepreneurs would wait for unsuspecting tourists to come by to help take pictures for a nominal “contribution”. -
Desert Moments
A camel rests while we watched the sunrise. 
Dark Helmet ordered Jeet to comb the desert. 
Standing atop a dune after a stop during a dune buggy tour: Jeet, Duff, Simmi, G, and DT (not necessarily ordered as pictured). Guide is on the right. 
Having a great time! 
Fam-7 waiting for the sun to come up. 
One of two tents that housed us for two nights. Each has a full bathroom and generous beds for sleeping. Nights were cold but heavy blankets were enough to keep us warm. Surprisingly, the sand was not an inconvenient as feared. Very fine and dry, the sand could be swept by hand from clothes easily. -
Kasbah of Tifoultoute
On our way to Ouarzazate for a one-night stay before heading to a glamping experience in the Sahara, we stopped by this famous Kasbah, which appeared in some famous Hollywood films and TV series. Kasbah used to mean a secured compound to protect local leaders or wealthy locals. Now it can also mean luxurious homes.
Look down into the courtyard. 
Look up from the courtyard. -
Amazing Rug
Presented as a wall hanging in the lobby of the AMANAR Ouarzazate Boutique Hôtel & SPA in Ouarzazate, Morocco, this rug’s design is striking. I had to stop and admire it.
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Trivia
Did you know Punjab, India, shares a unique feature in their public bathrooms with Morocco? If you’ve consumed this blog before, then you already know the answer: tall urinals!
I may have to pack a foldable step stool for my next international trip.
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Palace in Marrakech
This is the courtyard of Dar el Bacha, a Palace in Old Marrakech. The fountain is the central point of the palace, which is now a museum. Among the plants and flowers in the courtyard are many bitter orange trees. -
Leather Crafting
A Man Working on a Manual Machine to Press Leather in Marrakech. -
Marrakech Bellhops
Our Stay in Marrakech Was in the Heart of the City, Which Meant No Cars or Vans Could Traverse the Small Streets and Alleyways. These Workers Served as “Bellhops” to Take Our Bags to Our House Rental. Here, We Were Leaving to Meet Up with Our Driver and Tour Guide. -
Casablanca
Hassan II Mosque, One of the Biggest Mosques in the World. The Square Tower is Distinctive to Morocco Mosque Architecture, as Most Towers are Round. 
Inside the Mosque. There is A Floor Beneath Which Houses Many Fountains for Cleansing Before Prayers. Above in This Picture is a Sliding Roof to Let in Natural Light and Takes About 5 Minutes to Open. 
The Mosque Standing Mostly in Sea Water and Supported by Massive Concrete Pillars Was Built This Way to Emphasize Water’s Importance in Sustaining Life. Construction Began in 1986 and Took 7 Years to Complete. -
Dublin and a Loch Ness Sighting
Vegas-Style Presentation of Guinness Storehouse 
A Shell Picked from the South Dublin Bay 
Trinity College Library 
Setting Sun on Ha’Penny Bridge in Dublin 
A Coke by Any Other Name 
Often Cited, Seldom Sighted -
Some Pics from First Day in Edinburgh
Figure outside of St. Giles 
Inside St. Giles… 
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Road Trip to Khachrod
Tractor with one-of-a-kind canopy 
Lunch in Khachrod 
As cute as this little one looks, she’s somehow even cuter when she speaks! 
House decoration 
Street sweets 
Fruit shopping 
Some locals who were kind enough to pose 
All kinds of fruits -
TMZ’ed
Not G’s finest moment. Arrested for driving while lost and confused.
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Traffic Jam of Traffic Jams
On our way back from shopping, we got swallowed up in a jam so thick, you’d have thought a Smucker’s 18-wheeler jackknifed and spilled its guts everywhere.
Our cab stuck in the middle of an intersection with no escape route in any direction. The best you can do is centimeter along (India uses the metric system after all) and honk to pretend like it’s doing something. -
More of Indore, Galore
Traffic Cop Mostly Watching 
Napping Before the Rigor of Shopping 
Letter E Found! 
Dried Goods 
Street Foods 
Shopping for Men’s Suits 
Hung Fabric Goods 
Mule Took a Break So G Stepped In 
Motorcycles Rule 
Women’s Tops for Sale 
Dark (But Safe) Alley 
Well Traveled 
Surana Shop for Condiments and Snacks 
Munchies 
And More 
Bangles for Sale 
A Local Helping Another Local Load -
Driveway of Vimla Bua’s House
View from house looking at driveway into access road 
Pretty sight along the driveway 
Building blocks across from driveway 
Gagan posing for his new album cover of “Lost and Confused“, his first solo release in years. 95% discount if you use code AINTGOTACLUE. 
Tourists….you can spot ‘em from a mile, er, street away. -
And Just Like That, We’re Back in Indor(e)!
Interestingly (or amusingly) on our way home from the airport, I noticed this declarative sign in town. No, the city has not changed its name, but it does need a search-and-rescue for the missing letter, which also amusingly sounds like a segment on Sesame Street: Today’s show is brought to you by the letter, E.
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My First Complaint of This Trip
We’re leaving Goa today (as I’m writing this) and I’m reminded of the many, many wonderful things, some even exceeding my expectation. But the horse-and-carriage of a van, looking like a full-sized tour bus chopped in half and serving as our only mode of transportation, was, however, not one of those wonderful things.
The suspension system for wheeled vehicles, invented so many civilizations ago, somehow escaped the design specifications of this van. Sitting over the second axle of this van is like saddling up on a fully galloping horse chasing down errant cattle. If not fastened, small children and body parts fly like you’re on a turbulent flight hitting an unsettled pocket of air.
It’s not hyperbole to describe some bumps as lifting one’s body out of the seat, resulting in momentary “free fall” as one astute fellow traveler noted. If you have seen the original Exorcist where the possessed girl bounces on her bed with limbs a-flailing, you get the idea.
Not helping matters is the fact that speed bumps in Goa come in sets of six. Yes, you read that correct. Six bumps. Two axles times six bumps equal lots of thrashing.
For what it’s worth, though, I do respect the hustle of our driver. For his own comfort over these speed bumps, as soon as he clears his front axle from the last of the six speed bumps, throttling the gas with great care and precision, it’s full-on, rocket ship-like acceleration as soon the front wheels touch even tarmac. Unscathed by the experience each time around, I wonder if our driver is even aware of the plight of his passengers. Still, our tip for his services will be generous.
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Golden Temple!
Ready to Enter the Temple 
Short Walk to Temple 
In Line to Enter 
Inside at Last! 
Food Served 24/7/365 
Where Food is Made (1/3) 
Where Food is Made (2/3) 
Where Food is Made (3/3) 
High View of Temple and Surroundings -
Rural Punjab
Huts of Unknown Purpose 
Some Locals Watching Us as We Travel by Van 
Trees in Foreground of a Farming Field 
More Locals Watching Us Watching Them 
Tree Farm Possibly 
Transporting Firewood 
House Amid Farming Land 
Colorful Mural 
A Group of Men Up to Something 
Colorfully Decorated Trucks 
Men on Bicycle Passing Roadside Debris 
Carrying Goods the Old Fashioned Way -
Goa Pics – Enjoy!
The LaLiT Golf & Spa Resort, Our Hotel in Goa 
Beach Next to LaLiT 
Dinner at Sufna with Live Music by Locals 
Flowers in Court of LaLIT 
Portuguese-Inspired Residences in Fontainhas, Goa. 
Papayas in Fontainhas, Goa 
Fish Market 
Buying Tickets to See Dolphins 
Waiting for Tickets 
Dolphin Sightseeing Boats 
Ready to Go Meet the Dolphins 
Anchored Boat in Harbor 
A Boat Coming Back into Harbor After Sightseeing 
Passing an Anchored, Empty Boat on Our Way Out to See Some Dolphins 
Dolphin Facts 
Lunch After Sightseeing 
Pizza Hut Ad 
Bikes and Pay Toilets 
Casino! 
Hotel Lobby 
Stained Glass Window 
Tourist Sitting in Wing of Lobby 
Ladies Filling Garden with Water 
One of the Ladies 
Tropical Plants -
Much Ado ‘Bout Laddu
Killing some time at the Delhi airport, I wandered across these choke hazards. Indian lore says that this sweet used to be square in shape and made in wooden blocks as far back as 10 AD. The story furthers tells of a village man who choked many times eating his favorite treat, which prompted the village high priest to declare in 11 AD that laddus shall no longer be square. He decreed that it shall be round for safety as he believed it would be easier to ingest.
Fast forward to 2022 AD when a man in the US choked violently almost to the point of suing his relative.
As a public service to help newbie’s learn about the safety of eating laddus, I have created this scale called the Likelihood of Choking Rating (LCR):
LCR 1 – safe to consume without liquid
LCR 2 – safe to consume only with a preceding dry swallow
LCR 3 – have a warm liquid by your side
LCR 4 – if you want to disown a family member
LCR 5 – suicide
This year the laddu treat is celebrating its 740th year of existence. What could you do to make laddus better for you, too?
LCR 5 
LCR 1 
LCR 2 
LCR 4 
LCR 5 
LCR 5 
LCR 5 
LCR 4 
LCR 3 -
Aim High
We just got back to Delhi waiting for our connecting flight to Goa. While Delhi airport has had its share of challenges, I do appreciate the normal height of the men’s urinal stalls. Back in Punjab, all the native men are tall apparently as I had to tippy toed when using the “washroom”. Or apply physics by aiming at an angle greater than 30 degrees to employ the parabolic trajectory to safely land the stream of…well, you know.
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Respect
Morning in Delhi -
My Contribution to the Delhi Air
In the aftermath of this picture, I was able to clean my feet to pristine-USA condition. At the time of this photo, however, my wife didn’t want to sit next to me.
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Pho Real? In Kathmandu?
The Vietnamese noodle soup phenomenon knows no border. Its ubiquity is rivaling the global reach of Starbucks by the day.
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More Nepal Pics
7-star unisex bathroom 
Two men walking their cow 
Statue greets guests at entrance of Soaltee Kathmandu 
Statue greets guests inside Soaltee Kathmandu 
Gift shop 
More shops 
Group shot 
Inside bell 
Bell 
Outfits 
Nik and Duff IRL browsing 
Colorful gifts 
Memorial lighting 
More gifts 
Respect -
Hello from Patan Durbar Square!
Here are some pics of the medieval royal palace where the Malla Kings of Lalitpur resided.
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Dining Table Where Many Belts Were Loosened
Here’s a selfie at Bhua’s dining table.
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Good News – This Laddu Does Not Cause Suffocation Says One Foreign Visitor to Indore!
According to one visitor to Indore from the US, eating a laddu, a type of Indian sweets, can get stuck to the esophagus if eaten without regard to chewing, i.e., swallowing whole. The visitor said he experienced this first hand from eating a laddu given to him by a relative and has been careful ingesting the sweet treat ever since. Scarred from the experience is not how he would describe it, but he says being cautious is prudent.
And how has his visit to Indore changed his perception of laddus? “The sweets here in Indore are phenomenal,” says the visitor who is on his second visit to India. “As for the laddus, they are so easy to eat even if I don’t pace myself! But I will have to resume my vigilance once I’m back in the States, especially in places like Irvine, CA.” When asked to elaborate on this comment, the visitor politely declined to expound further.
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Physically Far From (But Digitally Close To) Home
Although we’re half way around the world, being able to look up or do things on the cell phone that I would normally do at home is satisfying and awe-inspiring at the same time. The world may have shrunk by air travel, but home is everywhere with the computer in your hand.
Our patio at night -
From iPods to AirTags
Over a decade ago, we traveled with a modest collection of gadgets. Now? We’ve got Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs looking over our stuff!
AirTags named after Disney characters
