A WEEK IN
MOROCCO
Day 1: Marrakech
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We arrived in Marrakech around midday. We took a taxi to go to our riad in the heart of the medina (the old city) (tips: bargain the taxi price at the airport). Warm welcome in our riad called Jnane Mogador with a Moroccan tea. A charming riad with a lovely staff. We planed to walk in the souk of Marrakech the afternoon and to discover Moroccan craft objects. (tips if you want to buy a souvenir bargain the price, divide it by 2 or 3). But first we took a fresh orange juice on the place Jemaa el Fna, so sweet and so good! And we had lunch on one of the rooftop restaurant of the place Jemaa El Fna. At the end of the day we came back to our riad where we book a hammam and massage so relaxing and the prices were fair! The night in the middle of the place Jemaa al fna, animation and restaurant take place. We decide to have dinner in one of those restaurant, simple and authentic food.
Day 2: Desert trip : Marrakech - Atlas Mountain - Ait Ben Haddou - Ouarzazate - Dades
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It's easier and cheaper to book a desert trip with an agency. It's lot of drive to do in few days! They usually propose you 2, 3 or 4 days in the desert, with 2 days you will not see at all the nice desert dunes so we advise you 3 or 4 days. We personally choose 3 days with Traces Berbères (We booked more than once with them they reply quick and are reliable).
First stop was in the Atlas Mountain, it wasn't snowing but around December you can see snow. We were at 2260m above the sea level the view was amazing. Second stop the village of Ait Ben Haddou, a traditional village made famous by the cinema, use for exemple in Game of Throne. Third stop the city of Ouarzazate, the Moroccan hollywood, with cinema studios, most of the movie related to middle east are made here! Crossing the rose valley where they made rose water, we finally arrive in our hotel in Dades Boulemane. A charming hotel called Jardin de la Source and a lovely staff.
Day 3: Desert trip: Dades - Tinghir - Todra - Merzouga
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On the way to the desert of Merzouga but two more stop before. The first stop was in the village of Tinghir, a berber village. We were welcomed by a guide that show us around and the berber rug weaving. (tips: during your trip don't forget to give to the guides and driver a little something at the end). The second stop was in the Todra Gorge. We feel so small in front of this canyon cliff. Morgane went there younger to climb it. In fact it's a nice natural climbing spot!
We arrive before sunset in the dunes of Merzouga, our camels were waiting us for a ride of 1h30. Amazing landscape with the sunset but ride camels is painful after a while! We finally arrived in our camp for the night. The berber guide offered us a shisha, before dinner, and after we were all seating around the fire singing and listening traditional berber song. The sky was full of stars and be careful you can also see shooting stars (tips: in winter is really cold in the desert, so bring warm clothes)
Day 4: Desert trip: Merzouga - Marrakech
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The next morning we woke up before sunrise and we did the way back at the back of a pick up! We first drunk a tea in a nomad village. And after we drove to the highest dune, that we climbed (it wasn't easy!) to see an breathtaking view with the sunrise! A magic moment. Back in the pick up, riding the dunes we had trills! And now 9h of drive to come back to Marrakech! A long trip but it was worth it!
Day 5: Marrakech
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Last night we change hotel to be in the Palmeraie and discover another side of Marrakech more peaceful. This second hotel is called Murano. The morning we went to the visit the Jardin Majorelle, an amazing place that inspire YSL for it's creation. I advise you to also visite the Museum YSL it's really interesting and well done. Both of them cost around 15£ and we advise you to go early morning because there is always a queue in front!
For lunch we came back in the hotel to enjoy the swimming pool and relax like a real princess and prince life! And the afternoon we did a quad tour. It's an activity that Morgane was always doing young when she was going to Marrakech. And it's so much fun! Daniele love it too! Don't be scared of the speed, and to be dirty because you will eat lot of sand!
Day 6: Essaouira
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On the road between Marrakech and Essaouira, look around because you can see goats on argan trees! We arrive for lunch in Essaouira a costal city. We first went to the fish market, authentic place where you can't be picky with the smell and the cleanliness. You can also see all this blue fishermen traditional boats. Next to it you have a square with lot of restaurants that propose you fresh fish from the market on the BBQ, super good and super cheap, we paid 30£ for 4 poeple. After that we walk to the rampart of the medina. We got lost in the street and bought our souvenirs here because so much cheaper than Marrakech. In this relaxing atmosphere we drunk a tea in a cafe under the sunset listening street singer. We really enjoy the simplicity, authenticity and relaxed atmosphere of the city. After having dinner in a rooftop restaurant we come back in our cute riad called Chems Bleu.
Day 7: Oualidia
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On the costal road direction Casablanca we stopped for lunch in the city of Oualidia. Famous for its oysters. We advised you to eat in the restaurant L'araignée Gourmande. Since she is kid Morgane was going there, it's a safe bet! After dinner enjoy a walk on the beach. You can also do a little boat tour on this colorful and cute boats. And you can drive to Casablanca.
IN AFRICA
RESTAURANTS
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NORTH EUROPE
. ICELAND . AMSTERDAM . BRIGHTON . LONDON .
IN AFRICA
We moved to Colombia in February 2020, just three weeks before the Covid lockdown. We arrived in Cartagena thinking it would be easier to find a job for us as it's a super touristic city, but Covid decided otherwise.
THE VISA
Everyone might think that getting a visa for living in Colombia should be easy, but it's not at all. And the administration isn't very helpful because the Migration office and the Cancillería (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) that grant the visas are two separate entities, and you need to manage both. Hiring a lawyer to help you with the documents is helpful but doesn't guarantee that you will get your visa. And over the years, visas are getting harder and harder to obtain. Morgane got three visas during our stay in Colombia, while Daniele's were refused three times... We are going to share our experience and what we know, but every case is different.
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Working Holiday Visa: If you are French, you can apply for a working holiday visa at the Colombian consulate in your country of residence. As only Morgane is French, she applied for it when we were living in London. It was easy to get, and the consulate was really helpful. This visa allowed her to find a job easily because the company didn't have to apply for all the paperwork.
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Visa V Servicio Temporal: The second year, Morgane applied for this visa. Her company was earning less than 100 times the minimum salary, so she couldn't apply for a more permanent visa. The maximum duration of this visa is two years. She applied twice; we believe that because it was like a second and third application in education, it was easier to get. But after that time, she couldn't apply anymore... so it's like, how can one build a life here? It's almost impossible unless you get married to a Colombian.
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Visa M Married: This is the easiest visa to get in a way, and it assures you of staying for a good amount of time without the stress of potential visa refusal or having to leave the country in less than a month. We met a lot of people who had "fake weddings" to get the visa. But at the end of 2022, we heard they were getting stricter about it. Obviously, we couldn't apply for this one as we were a couple.
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Visa M Worker: You can get this visa if you have a contract with a big company that earns more than 100 times the minimum salary. Daniele applied twice for this visa. The first one was refused due to unemployment after Covid, and the second time because of a stamp error made by Migration on his passport. In the system, he was illegal in the territory, but on his passport, he was legal... But as I told you, the Migration office and the Cancillería that handle our visas are two different entities and don't communicate with each other.
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Visa M Investor: After two and a half years in Colombia, we were planning to open our business. Dani applied for this visa; he had to invest around 24,000 euros. The money was sent, the company was established, but the visa was refused. We don't know why, and we will never know... (and we had a lawyer helping us). The problem is that your visa depends on one person you never meet. So, we had to transfer the money back, losing some in the process, close the company, sell our furniture, give back our apartment, find a new family for our cat, and Morgane had to resign as well, all within three weeks...
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If your visa is refused, you can't apply again directly; you need to wait six months, and you can only stay in the country for six months on a tourist visa. That's why we had to leave.
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If you look around, most foreign investors in the country are married to Colombians. And even if you have been settled in the country for years, they can refuse your visa when you renew it. We unfortunately heard many stories from European citizens where their visa renewal request was denied or they struggled to get it. I can't imagine the stress after you physically invest a lot of money and then have to leave.
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We loved Colombia so much, but after this visa refusal, for us, it was a sign not to try again because it's a lot of stress. And we were really planning to open something with our savings, but under these unstable conditions, it's too risky. So, with a lot of sadness, we left Colombia and moved to an easier country to get a visa: Panama.
P.S.: If you get your visa, you need to go to the Migration office to get your Cédula de Extranjería (Colombian ID). You will need it in your everyday life. You first need to make an appointment and fill out a document online, then go to the Migration office, pay, and wait ten days to receive your ID.
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THE ACCOMMODATION
Finding accommodation is not as easy as in Europe. We were in Cartagena; maybe it's different in other cities. But don't expect to find something online. You need to walk down the street, enter buildings, and ask the security guards of the building; they always have contact numbers of landlords who rent apartments. Then, contact the landlord to visit, and always negotiate the rent. You can usually get it down by around 200,000 COP.
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THE JOB
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Obviously, if you want to work legally, you need to get a visa. The minimum salary is low in Colombia; don't expect to earn the same as you did in Europe. And you need to get a job that a "Colombian can't do" to get a good salary and also to meet the visa requirements.
THE BANK ACCOUNT
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To open a bank account, you need a Colombian ID and then go to the bank to open it; it's quite easy. Bank interest rates are ridiculously low in Colombia. The main banks are Bancolombia and Davivienda. We had Davivienda.
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FOOD SHOPPING
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Food shopping is cheap in Colombia. For fruits and vegetables, you should go to the market. If you want to find imported products, check Carulla, which is obviously more expensive. For a medium range with a large choice, you have Éxito. And for cheap options, similar to Lidl, you have Ara and D1.
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