Morocco was number 1 on my bucket list. Now it's number 1 on my list of beautiful memories.
My trip to Morocco started in Sotogrande in Spain from where I took a fast ferry boat to Tangier in Morocco. A glimpse of Tangier made me see why it has been the favorite of artists from Henri Matisse to Paul Bowles, as well as writers of the Beat generation. From there, Marrakech beckoned with the sight of colossal mosques,the taste of olives and couscous, the sound of prayerful chants, the touch of exquisite carpets in markets, and the smell of morning dew in the refreshing garden of Yves Saint Laurent.At the medina, the minaret of the Koutoubia Mosque loomed along with forts in the sky, reminding me of how Morocco rose as the only country not to have fallen to the Ottomans. Casablanca, Morocco's commercial and financial capital, showed how this ancient kingdom has moved towards modernity. A drive through Rabat meant seeing the university town and the country’s political and administrative capital.
Words can only describe, but photographs can preserve memories. My wonderful Samsung Galaxy camera enables me not only to take photos, but also to instantly share them with friends via Instagram and Facebook, and e-mail as well. Instagram started three years ago, but it was only last July that I started Instagramming. And I’ve never stopped. It allows me to de-stress and find out what pictures fill the consciousness of other people on this planet. What makes them smile, laugh and dream. And what ruins — or makes — their day
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Follow the author on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter @milletmartinezmananquil. E-mail at mananquilmillet@gmail.com. photos by MILLET M. MANANQUIL