Home Run From Marrakech
I hadn’t expected this trip to be one of my home runs, but after abandoning the holiday in Marrakech, that is how it turned out. So I’m putting up this start page for the adventure.
So now there is a tag called Home Run From Marrakech.
Welcome To Marrakech
This picture sums up Marrakech to me!
Welcome To Marrakech
I did see an open-topped tpurist bus, which might have been worth riding, but there was nobody about to sell me a ticket.
A Holiday In Marrakech
The idea was supposed to be very simple. I would fly out of Gatwick on British Airways, have four nights in a riad in Marrakesh and then fly back on Thursday afternoon. I’d booked through a well-known travel agent and they had arranged everything.
Ten years or so ago, C and myself had flown to Marrakech and stayed for a weekend in the Villa des Oranges and I’d hoped to bring back some happy memories, with perhaps a trip to the Atlas Mountains, taking a lot of photographs and writing my blog. I’d also checked out that the riad had wi-fi and was rated to be friendly and good for solo travellers.
But everything went pear-shaped when I found that my mobile-phone had been lost at Gatwick. I use it constantly for keeping in touch with the world, but no matter as I’d bought a small netbook computer with me and the riad had wi-fi.
The riad was good, except for the wi-fi, which perhaps ran for a minute or so before it dropped out. I even found it virtually impossible to send an e-mail using my Google account. I think I managed just one short post about my mobile phone. But no matter, as from previous experience there were some nice Internet cafes in Marrakech. But of course, I couldn’t find it and all I found was a grotty place, where the computers were virtually unusable. These days, who needs an Internet cafe? Only those in trouble.
I should say there was a nice computer for guests to use in the hotel, but it had the most complicated keyboard I’d ever seen. I couldn’t find the @-sign and it just turned me off everything.
I then booked a tour of the historic sites in the centre. I had been told it would be 400 Moroccan dinars, when I booked it, as I’d have to pay for two people, but in the morning, the guide wanted 400 each for me and my non-existent companion. I also found the tour would be just me and the guide.
That was it! I don’t like being ripped-off and I can afford to take a stand, but others perhaps cannot, so I told the guide where to go in no uncertain terms.
Marrakech was also depressing me, as it wasn’t the place I remembered and i couldn’t seem to find a nice cafe for a drink anywhere outside of the riad.
So as I didn’t want to be trapped there, I did what I always do. I cut my misery and took a taxi for the airport to get a flight home. I had checked that seats were available on easyJet, so perhaps I could be in London by nightfall.
I’ve Lost My Mobile Phone
Somewhere on the Road to Morocco my mobile phone has gone missing.
If anybody, who reads this can they please inform O2, as I have no means of contacting them.
Plastic Belt Buckles
I object to taking my belt off in airport security, as because of my gammy left hand, I need a mirror to get it back in again.
At Gatwick, I said could I not and said why, but the guy said you’ll have to take it off, if it beeps in the machine.
It didn’t beep and I kept it on.
In the 1970s I worked for ICI Plastics and there were plastics then, that were strong enough to make belt buckles, that wouldn’t be dangerous or set off medal detectors.
So why don’t we have them now?
If nothing it would speed up security!
Gatslow
There used to be adverts that talked of Gatquick, but on my flight out, it was one of the slowest experiences I’d had in any of London’s airports.
As I was travelling economy and the airport was extremely busy, I found it very difficult to find anywhere to sit.
One mistake I did make was to eat at Carluccio’s in Islington before I left for the airport, as I thought this would be easier, than queuing up at Jamie Oliver’s in the airport. It was easy and I had a good lunch, but if I’d gone to Jamie’s I’d have had somewhere pleasant to sit.
I thought Gatwick was getting better since it was sold, but it still isn’t fit for purpose!
Barclays Loses Customer Data
Why is it the banks always seem to get things wrong? Or are they just accident prone?
This morning customer data from Barclays is reported to be on sale, here on the BBC.
I will not prejudge where the leak of information came from, but it will be interesting to see who did the dirty deed.
I suspect though we’ll see an increase in phishing scams tasrgeting Barclays customers.
WH Smith Go Backwards
I’m a subscriber to The Times and get vouchers to pay for my paper.
Where I live there are two shops that take them and I usually use them, when I’m staying in for the morning. Or I might use the supermarket, when I do an early morning shop.
But when I travel by train, I usually pick my paper up at the station to read on the journey.
Until earlier this week, I just went into the WH Smith picked up the paper and put the voucher in the box.
They’ve now removed the boxes and expect you to use the self service machines. It’s a pain, so now they won’t get my custom.
Usually, when I go to the station, I don’t pass a paper shop that takes vouchers. So today, I’ll have to walk the other way to the shop that does, before I go to St. Pancras.
I can’t help feeling that lots of people will forgo their morning newspaper or buy it elsewhere.
The Anonymous Widower 