Rabat, Morocco

Rabat is the colourful, mystical place I hoped it would be. The medina is big enough to get lost in, but small enough to explore in detail. And full of details it is. Getting caught in a storm and huddling under the ancient beams of a little store is more interesting than any movie. It gave me the time to truly experience the colours, designs and character of the place. It also afforded me the opportunity to watch the neighbourhood kids rush off to buy tiny painted chirping chicks for a dirham and cart them home in their pockets or shoeboxes as disposable pets...hmmm. What I really loved about the medina was its timelessness. It is a harmonious blend of traditionally dressed men buying fancy phones with the muezzin howling his call to prayer and motorbikes buzzing through the tiny back alleys.