Chatting in YM has given me a chance to meet new people (and also diss more of them, but that is not kind of me, so we'll not talk about it), and make new friends. I know it sounds desperate to some people why people have to resort to the internet to make friends, and since I already have a lot of friends, I shouldn't need anymore, right? Okay, I admit, it's a surefire way to cure loneliness. Instead of just reading harry/draco fics over the internet, I can add making new friends to the list.
One thing I like about all of this is that I get to know about different cultures and also brush up on my knowledge about a lot of other countries. So, today I would like to travel to two countries which are not in everyone's list of travel destinations, but I found extremely fascinating.
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Morocco
Tangier, Casablanca, Marrakesh... just the names of these cities stir a hint of spice in the nostrils. Morocco has been thoroughly mythologised and for good reason. Travellers extol the country's unique living history, its shimmering light and its extraordinary art.
The old romantic notions of a conservative nation steeped in Islamic and feudal history now clangs with a contemporary reality. The medieval labyrinthine medinas of Marrakesh are what Morocco is all about for many, but don't be surprised to hear the shrill ring of a mobile phone or see a sign pointing down some darkened alley to the nearest internet cafe.
Marrakech, Morocco
One of Morocco's most important cultural centres, Marrakesh is a lively former capital famed for its markets and festivals. Its wildly beating heart is the Place Djemaa el-Fna, a huge square in the old city. Rows of open-air food stalls are set up here and mouth-watering aromas fill the air. Jugglers, storytellers, snake charmers, magicians, acrobats and assorted benign lunatics take over the rest of the space. The souqs (markets) here are among the best in Morocco and a large budget hotel strip makes exploring the old city area cheap and easy.
Among the many attractions of the ancient quarter is the rare Almoravid-style Koubba Ba'adiyn mosque annex, the magnificent Koutoubia mosque and the Palais Dar Si Said (Museum of Moroccan Arts). Trains and buses to this inland city run regularly from Casablanca and Rabat.
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Cambodia
Ancient temples, empty beaches, mighty rivers, remote forests ... and (outside Angkor) only a handful of tourists. But the word is out - Cambodia has emerged from the decades of war and isolation that made it a byword for atrocities, refugees, poverty and political instability. Those magical Angkor temples are drawing gaping travellers by the busload once more, and Cambodia is well and truly back on the South-East Asian travel map.
Angkor, Cambodia
The celebrated temples of Angkor are Cambodia's greatest tourist attraction. The 100 or so temples are the sacred remains of what was once a much larger administrative and religious centre, and were built between the 9th and 13th centuries to glorify a succession of Khmer kings. The three most magnificent temples are Bayon, Ta Prohm and the immense Angkor Wat.
Most of Angkor was abandoned in the 15th century and the temples were gradually cloaked by forest. The site became the source of scholarly interest in the late-19th century after the publication of Voyage à Siam et dans le Cambodge by French naturalist Henri Mouhot. Efforts were undertaken to clear away the jungle vegetation that threatened to completely destroy the monuments, and restoration continues today.
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I know, I know...I'm a little lazy in researching stuff about these places, but I love the brief, lovely description of Lonely Planet about these places and I would love to visit the souks in Marrakech or the temples in Angkor, that I just have to post these and take a mental note to self that if I won millions of pesos, I'll be sure to travel here.
So the connection with chatting? Actually none. I didn't get to talk to anyone from Morocco or Cambodia. But New Delhi isn't really in my list of top 10 places to visit, so there.
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