I'm not trying to steal your identity, I promise...

 I barely want my own identity, what would I do with yours too.

So, whenever I try to share my BlogSpot link on some sort of platform, it links to this scary looking screen.  I thought it was just Facebook that hated BlogSpot but this happened on Teams too.  So, Microsoft also hates BlogSpot.  

If you click on Advanced, you get this slightly less scary screen.  Do not get tempted by "back to safety".  

From there just click on the link that you wanted in the first place.  Although I think the (unsafe) at the end is a bit over the top.  You already scared most away, this just adds insult to injury at this late point in the process. Your computer will not blow up, I promise.  

See, look at where you get from that windy pathway:  here!  Fun stories and pictures.  Yay!  Go into the darkness, reject the safety option.  

Oh, here's something interesting and lightly troubling.  You remember that I mentioned that I borrowed Amy's camera because I killed mine in Antarctica.  So, I was looking for something today and found a camera case that I wondered if it might be better than Amy's camera case.  I opened it and there is a camera in there.  I do not know where this camera came from.  Is it mine?  Did I buy it? Did someone give it to me?  Or, god forbid, did I borrow it years ago and never give it back? Have I used it before? It is the exact same camera as Amy's just an older model!  

I'm going to take 'mine' to Morocco.  If I am going to lose or break it, I would rather it not be Amy's.  The battery is just enough different between the two models that I can't use Amy's multiple batteries.  But it uses the same battery as my tiny little Canon (pocket size) so I have two.  I think that should do it.  Especially since I don't have time to get a new one. I can use the charger from the compact camera.

Packing updates.  I talked to my lovely friend, Missy, who spent some time in Morocco and she talked me out of taking a tank top and capris.  Stay covered.  First, the culture.  Second, it is going to be cold.  Done.  Now, do I take sandals?  I am reconsidering based on the tank/capri advise.  Update: Two friends who have been to Morocco, two votes for no sandals.  Fine, I got a pedicure for NOTHING!  

I ordered Euros and they are ready to pick up.  I have zero time tomorrow, back to back meetings, including over lunch.  So, I will have to get to the back at the end of the day before they close at 5pm.  Let's all say a little prayer that I don't forget.  

Ok.  It's getting serious now.  I have to go shove things in my backpack.  Maybe I'll look at my to do list that I wrote last week and never looked at again.  

Do everything to get ready day (today)

(UPDATE:  everything is not ready and it is two days later)

My little 'vacation countdown' app is not helping with my vacation tranquility.  At the moment, 4 days, 19 hours and five seconds. That's soon!  I have to work right up to the day before I leave so that doesn't leave much time for organizing! 

So, you are probably saying, Joanne you have one day to get ready and you are blogging.  Yes, it is pretty hard to deny it.  Because here I am, you are reading the evidence.  Actually, I am sort of waiting for the cat sitter to come by for a walk through. He has been here before but it's been a couple of years.  I am doing 'mini-tasks' that don't mess up the house (so he is fooled into thinking the house should be tidy :).  Filling travel shampoo bottles, attempting to make that sleeping not-bag as small as possible, laundry, hunting down bug spray and sunhats.  You know, vacation stuff.  

You all may remember my good friend/neighbour Chris.  Well, she passed away last month.  She was so excited for me about this trip.  She was already compiling a shopping list of Moroccan treasures for me to find for her.  It's hard not to let that put a bit of a damper on my excitement.  She wanted the most ridiculous purse, round with a fringe?  I will probably have to find one as a tribute.  

something like this? 

Chris has a nephew who lives in the UK, Jordan.  Jordan is like family.  I'm not even sure he is aware that we are not blood related.  I met him and his brothers in Aberdeen when I was in my 20s and he was about 9 or 10.  He has been to visit us in Canada many times.  

Did I mention that I have a 10 hour lay over in Paris on my way to Morocco.  Jordan is going to pop over and spend the day with me!  That will be fun.  All I really want to do is have at least one more Parisian croissant in my lifetime.  I wish I could have told Chris about this plan.  She would have been so tickled!   She loved that Jordan got absorbed into the Cumberland family and that we got absorbed into the Aberdeen family.  This picture should tell you everything you need to know about Jordan.  

Now we just have to hope France/Paris doesn't implode before I get there.  They had a general strike last week and I heard two (TWO!) transit drivers were working in Paris that day.  I don't think two is going to cover the city's transportation needs.  Fingers crossed for Jan 28.  

  

Back to trip planning.  Valerie upstairs is going to take me to the airport in 4 days and 16 hours.  

Oh LORD.  I didn't hit post and now it is TWO DAYS 13 hours, 6 minutes and 24 seconds!  

You will be surprised to learn I did not get everything done in one day.  It is Tuesday now.  I got home from work and started throwing things at the spare bed.  That is packing process in this household.  

I'm just going to hit post and watch some Netflix.  I've got Thursday after work.  That's fine.  No worries.  Nothing to see here, no panicking happening. I assure you. For sure.  

Friday 4am: 

8 days. 8 DAYS. EIGHT DAYS!!!!

On Monday, someone asked me when I am going and I answered 'next week'.  And then I realized:  I'm going to Morocco NEXT WEEK!  And then I kind of freaked out a bit.  

Is there such as thing as jet lag for vacations?  I am all out of synch and I can't wrap my head around this vacation.  It is too soon after my last vacation.  I'm discombobulated - finally a good excuse to use that word. 

Like I said in my last post, I am not doing much prep for this trip.  I haven't even shopped.  But I am borrowing. I've heard it is tempting fate to have a purse hanging off you in the markets (it might get cut off) so I borrowed a under-shirt travel pouch from Valerie upstairs.  And I need to bring a sleeping bag apparently.  So I borrowed a down sleeping not-quite-bag from Rob who used it on his trip to Morocco. And as you all remember the tragic demise of my camera in Antarctica (not fixable as yet), I am borrowing Amy's camera. 

I haven't started packing but I am hoping to move back to my smaller backpack for this trip.  I needed the next size up for the Antarctic to fit the rubber boots.  No boots this time.  The sleeping not-bag packs up pretty tight but we'll see.  

So far, the biggest challenge has been to find Dukoral.  I figured if I was going to get traveler's diarrhea, Morocco seems a likely place.  Yet, Dukoral is in very short supply.  All of those other February travelers I guess.  I spent my lunch hour yesterday calling every pharmacy I could think of.  I called upwards of 15 with no luck.  Jen, my next door office neighbour mentioned Save-On pharmacy. They had one dose of Dukoral!  That's all I need.  

Since you are asking.  Dukoral is a vaccine for E-coli and Cholera.  I took my last dose four months ago.  The E-coli part is only good for three months. I do not want to be on a bus tour and need that E-Coli half, if you catch my drift.  

This may be true but I am going to take ALL precautions available

Anyway, Save-on put their one dose aside for me but I am a big believer in a vaccine in hand as opposed to a shelf where some other desperate traveler can sweet talk it out of a pharmacist.  I had an afternoon meeting at the other campus so I stopped in at Save-on on my way, got my Dukoral and then mixed it and drank it in my meeting.  Everyone gets to participate in my E-coli aversion!  

I am sewing my secret pocket in my travel pants.  I bought a new pair of travel pants to replace the pair I left in Ushuaia.  I guess I did do a bit of shopping.  

I should re-confirm with the cat sitter, Daniel.  I got a new mattress for the guest bed so that should help with the enticement of living with the aloof cat.  A decent night's sleep might help with the "you're not my mom" meoweling.  

I have exactly one day before I leave that isn't completely booked with work or social engagements.  Let's call that packing day.  I'll let you know how it goes. 

This is going to be the least planned trip ever

You may remember that I recently went on an epic vacation to Argentina followed by a tour that included the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and Antarctica.  I got back less than a month ago and the thought of putting as much energy into my next trip (in 6 weeks) as I did into that one, well, it seemed exhausting. 

I have had to put a bit of effort in though.  I booked my flights with Air France.  I get to spend 10 hours in Paris on the way there and overnight on the way back.  I land two days before the tour starts and I leave one day after it ends.  So, some hotels are needed.  To my favourite hotel site:  Booking.com.  

Again, lazy planning, keep that in mind and don't judge my lack of adventurousness.  I just booked two nights into the hotel where the tour starts in Casablanca.   It is fine.  Big hotel.  Whatever.  At least I don't have to take a taxi again.  Hotel Gomissine.  The tour info states that we don't spend any time in Casablanca so hopefully two days will do (I'm sure it won't). 

I ran into a bit of trouble trying to book into the hotel where the tour ends in Marrakesh. The hotel is fully booked!  So, I looked around but, curse you Booking.com, they showed me the top rated hotel in the city and it is beautiful.  Nowhere near the hotel with the tour, but did I mention it is beautiful!  And top rating (9.6!) and on sale!   Additional taxi be damned, I booked.  Riad Mazaj.  Hey, they have airport service.  This just gets better and better!  

And then, the least imaginative of all, my overnight in Paris. I arrive at 8pm and leave at 10am so I just got a hotel in the airport.  There is a train from the airport into the city, which I will definitely take advantage of for my day there but I'm not sure about the overnight bit.  We'll see where am at when the time comes.  

You know how sometimes you plan and sometimes you don't...

Have you ever bought something that you took the time to research and find the best option for that thing.  And then other times you just happen to be walking by a store and you see some random thing and you say, that looks nice, and then you buy it.  

Or when you research a trip to Antarctica and choose the very best option and then wait almost two years to go on that trip.  But another time, you look at G Adventures website and see a trip to Morocco is on sale and you book it for next month.  Me too!  

I just booked a trip to Morocco in January/February.  I have dinner guests coming in a couple of hours so I will write more later.  

But, I'm going to Morocco.  Next month.  Hmm, should I have given this more thought?  Nah. 

G Adventures: Highlights of Morocco