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I was in Vancouver one summer with nothing to do when a French girl suggested that I take the ferry to Vancouver Island, and to find a small town called Tofino. She said that it was pretty there and to spend a few days by the ocean, and if I was interested to go on a whale watching tour. When I found Tofino I found it as she had described, a secluded little fishing village on west coast of the Island, with beautiful beaches, mountain trails, and a small guesthouse that sits quietly on the harbor. I spent several days surfing and kayaking with some Australians who were staying at that guesthouse. The ocean there has good, regular swells, and most days they come in well overhead, and there are surf shops in town with wetsuit and board rentals. Don’t be surprised to see a sea lion or a whale while you are in the water. If you like sushi you can stop in at Tough City Sushi in the evening, and several restaurants offer fresh seafood from the local fishing boats that operate from the harbor.

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   August 2, 2007 @ 10:42 am · Edit

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In Antigua, Guatemala I once stayed for three weeks in a hospedaje called Hotel El Posado de los Viajeros. There I took a simple room for seven dollars a night, with my own private shower, and the Senora did well to keep the place clean and accommodating. A maestro came in the mornings to give me lessons in Spanish, which left me time to explore in the afternoons. One afternoon I decided to hike up a nearby volcano. Driving two hours out of town on a dilapidated school bus, I was dropped off with some tourists at the base of Volcan Pacaya, where a guide led us up on foot. Along the way we saw lava and there were fissures with noxious fumes, and after two hours trekking we came to the summit which, as it turned out, offered one the most incredible views I was to have of that country. Guatemala has dozens of dormant Volcanoes, the most impressive being Volcan San Pedro, which stands high over Lago Atitlan. There are also some beautiful pools at Semuc Champey in the north of the country, and the ancient Mayan pyramids of Tikal.

In Morocco there are some waterfalls outside of Marrakesh, the Cascades D’Ouzoud, that are rather exotic. The falls flow steeply from high within the Atlas mountains, and along the fertile valley are small camps and huts, where people can relax and swim or sit for tea. There is a small hotel above the falls where you can have good Moroccan soup, and for 10 dirham (one-dollar twenty) you can lay your sleeping bag out on the roof and sleep beneath the stars. I once spent a night there with some other travelers that had come over from Marrakesh. I remember there was an Argentine fellow who had stayed a month at that hotel, just swimming and relaxing by the streams that flow down into the mountains.

Because of plans for the desert I hadn’t enough time to explore Ouzoud, but I hope to go back there someday. If you are ever in Marrakesh it is well worth the trip. There are some good trails that run along the cascading streams, and many good places where you can swim and jump from the smaller waterfalls. At the hotel Chellal D’Ouzoud you will find good, clean rooms, and they serve mint tea in the cafe, as well as traditional Moroccan food.