Travel writing about Morocco - Part 17.

Oh dear! Now the Wall Street Journal has succumbed to tabloid writing about Morocco. Yes, sad but true. The usual standards you expect from the WSJ have plummeted.

In an article headed: Morocco's Dangerous Mystique, one STAN SESSER manages to get in snake charmers and faux guides in the first paragraph. Mind you this is a man who got lost in the Marrakech Medina... now if it had been Fez, we might have understood.

Visiting Morocco can evoke that kind of anxiety. There are real safety concerns: The U.S. State Department says the potential for "violence against American interests and citizens remains high."

Oh really? According to the people who said Sadam had WMDs.

And then there is:

Moroccan families who own crumbling old mansions are discovering that they can sell them for a small fortune to be turned into these high-end boutique hotels. Marrakesh, the center of Moroccan tourism, got its first one only a decade ago, but today there are more than 500. Fez, the cultural capital, has 40.

Where has this man been?

While the riads are indeed luxurious, there's a downside. The rooms are long and narrow, with windows only on one side looking out into the inner courtyard. You have to keep your curtains closed since guests are walking past, making the rooms dark and stuffy. And since the alleys are too narrow for taxis, going out for dinner can be a hassle.

Stan, walking is good for you and going out for dinner is part of the fun...Oh forget it... I give up.


Earlier Travel Writing stories:


Travel writing Sixteen.
Travel Writing Fifteen.
Travel Writing Fourteen.
Travel Writing Thirteen.
Travel Writing Twelve.
Travel Writing Eleven.
Travel Writing Ten.
Travel Writing Nine
Travel writing eight
Travel writing Seven
Travel Writing Six
Travel Writing Five
Travel Writing Four
Travel Writing Three
Travel Writing Two
Travel Writing One



Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news