Morocco, Hong Kong and coming home

Date: 04 March 2008 21:00:28

Morocco was my last stop before heading back to Australia. I spent a blissful week wandering the streets and purchasing presents for people at home. It was a great finish to an epic 16 month overseas journey.

Here are some photos of Marrakech and the surrounding areas:

The gateway to the Medina (and to my accommodation).

A spice stall.

Huge plant boxes?

Me and my friends the storks who nested around the old city walls.

Look closely, these are actually antennas, not palm trees.

Carpets, carpets, lovely, lovely carpets.

Decoration on a door in the Jewish quarter of Essouira.

Essouira.

The stall where I bought my fresh orange juice every morning.

I had two successive overnight flights. My first flight was to Hong Kong where I was greeted by an Australian friend who entertained me for the day. I had a much needed shower at her apartment and then, not wanting to waste my day, we all headed up the cable car to the giant Buddha:

I boarded my next flight that night but was too excited about going home to really get any worthwhile sleep. I arrived at Sydney airport to be greeted by my parents, my grandmother, my sister and brother, my little nephew and my boyfriend. I was completely exhausted but the adrenaline kept me going for the next few hours, enough time to give out presents. Two days on and my sleep patterns are not quite right since I went to bed at midnight and was wide awake at 6.15am.

I feel really lucky to have had the opportunity to go on such an amazing journey and to have to returned safe and well. I also feel very blessed to have met the people that I met along the way and to have received such generosity. Thank you to everybody who fed me and housed me. Whether it was just for a meal, a bed for a night or more, it all made a difference on my trip. I hope that I can be just as generous and giving when I receive visitors here in Australia.