Showing posts with label Ouarzazate. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ouarzazate. Show all posts
Friday, February 09, 2018
Thursday, October 05, 2017
Marrakech to Ouarzazate Flights Now on Sale
From November the National Moroccan Tourist Office (ONMT) and the national airline Royal Air Maroc (RAM) are launching a new airline service to link Marrakech and Ouarzazate
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| Kasbah Taourirt in Ouarzazate |
As of November 11 the two tourist cities will be connected by three flights a week (Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday) operated by an aircraft of type ATR72, with a capacity of 70 seats.
This new service, which is part of the strategy by the ONMT to increase the attractiveness of the Ouarzazate region, will allow foreign tourists to enrich their stay in Marrakech by discovering the city of Ouarzazate and to take full advantage of the tourist attractions of the region, such as Kelâat M'Gouna, the Gorges du Dadès and Zagora.
Flights are offered at fixed rates: 300 dirhams for a one-way economy class (round-trip: 600 DH) and 600 dirhams for a one-way ticket in business class (1,200 DH: round trip). The flights are on sale on the www.royalairmaroc.com website, in the company's sales offices and on the network of travel agencies.
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Monday, April 03, 2017
World's Largest Solar Energy Complex Launched
On Saturday, King Mohammed VI launched the final stage of the world’s largest solar energy complex, the Noor Ouarzazate IV power station, with a total capacity of 582 MW
This new project, which will be developed on an area of 137 ha using photovoltaic (PV) technology, shows King Mohammed VI’s determination to optimise the exploitation of Morocco’s natural resources, preserve its environment, promote its economic and social development and to ensure the future of upcoming generations.
According to a report carried by Morocco World News, it reflects the special interest given by the King to energy projects and his desire to further promote Morocco’s expertise in a sector at the cutting edge of technology benefiting both Morocco and the African continent as a whole.
The construction of Noor Ouarzazate IV power station is in line with Morocco’s international commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and its major goal of increasing the share of renewable energies in the national electricity mix to 52 pc by 2030.
Worth over 750 million dirhams, Noor Ouarzazate IV has a capacity of 72 MW. It uses photovoltaic technology which makes it possible to produce electrical energy directly from the solar radiation captured by semi-conductor cells.
Noor Ouarzazate IV power station, scheduled to start operating in the first quarter of 2018, will be developed as part of a partnership involving the National Agency for Solar Energy (Masen), a central player in renewable energies in Morocco, and a consortium of private operators led by the group ACWA POWER.
German Development Bank KfW Bankengruppe, contributed 659 million dirhams to the financing of the project.
The second and third power stations of Noor solar complex (Noor II and Noor III) were launched by the Sovereign on February 04, 2016.
With a capacity of 200 MW, Noor II plant is developed on a maximum area of 680 ha, based on solar thermal technology, with cylindrical parabolic trough.
Noor Ouarzazate II, III and IV, combined with Noor Ouarzazate I (160 MW) that started operating in February 2016, make Noor Ouarzazate the largest multi-technology solar production site in the world, with a total investment of MAD 24 billion.
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Wednesday, May 04, 2016
The Igrar Festival 2016
The Igrar Festival will take place in Ouarzazate from May the 6th to the 8thThis Festival is organised by a group of young people who decided to contribute to the evolution of the region. The festival is open to working with many local and national NGOs, all of whom have contributed their activities voluntarily.
The Igrar NGO for Development and Art, in partnership and coordination with various organisations, institutions and other NGOs, has organised the Festival IGRAR for Development and Art of Ouarzazate under the motto “All together for development”.
The previous two editions of the festival have left a positive impact in the region by its interest in development using art and has attracted a large number of visitors.
The IGRAR Festival celebrates and commemorates several personalities from various sectors in recognition of their contributions to the region and Morocco. The three nights of the festival take place at the Kasbah of Taourirt.
The environment awareness activities associated with the festival start three months before the festival. The festival volunteers collect used plastic water bottles, distribute them to local school students to design art works, within the framework of the competition “Schools and Environment”
As in previous editions there will be a number of training workshops in the fields of photography, showmanship, traditional cuisine, music, pottery and reading.
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| During the festival a stage is always available for young talent from the region |
There will be a "solidarity walk" around the main streets of the city highlighting environmental awareness. During the three days of the festival, visual artists will illustrate the "solidarity wall" that will be signed by people of all ages and the festival participants.
IGRAR Festival is unique, characterised by its diversity. Culture, art, development, history, heritage, solidarity, awareness, education, exchange, sharing, training, creativity, talent, taste, feeling, exhibition, workshops, parties, competitions, meetings and much more
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Monday, March 14, 2016
Ouarzazate Film Festival 2016
The Ouarzazate International Film Festival (OIFF) is scheduled to take place between the 18th and 23rd of April in Qouarzazate. The festival will showcase emerging filmmakers from Morocco and abroad. The festival takes place on the edge the sahara desert in unique settings of culture and filmmaking history
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| Festival organisers had to sift through almost 3000 entries |
Interest in the festival from filmmakers is intense with 2978 films received by the organisers whose task it was to cut that number down to the 100 films to be featured at the festival.
For this first edition, the Ouarzazate International Film Festival accepted only short films (up to 26min) of all genres. Films could be submitted via online screener (Vimeo, YouTube, FilmFreeway or Reelport Screener). All non-English language films had to be subtitled in English.
There are only four awards on offer: Best Short Fiction Film, Best Short Documentary, Best Animated Short, Best Moroccan Short (all genres).
For visitors to Morocco. Ouarzazate is a must-see destination. Nicknamed "The door of the desert", the city is the capital of Ouarzazate Province in the Drâa-Tafilalet region of south-central Morocco. Ouarzazate is at an elevation of 1,160 metres (3,810 ft) in the middle of a bare plateau south of the High Atlas Mountains. To the south of the town is the desert.
The town is chiefly inhabited by Berber-speakers, who constructed many of the prominent kasbahs (locally known as: iɣeṛman) and buildings for which the area is known. Ouarzazate is an important holiday destination in Morocco, as a base for excursions across the Draa Valley and into the desert. The fortified village (ksar) of Ait Benhaddou west of the city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Ouarzazate area is a noted film-making location, with Morocco's biggest studios inviting many international companies to work here. Films such as Lawrence of Arabia (1962), The Living Daylights (1987), The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), The Mummy (1999), Gladiator (2000), Kingdom of Heaven (2005), Kundun (1997), Legionnaire (1998), Hanna (2011), and Salmon Fishing in the Yemen (2011) were shot here, as was part of the TV series Game of Thrones.
For more info visit the festival website: OIFF
Tuesday, November 24, 2015
Morocco - Renewable Energy Superpower?
The World Bank recently stated in an article on its website that: “Morocco is poised to make history soon when the first phase of one of the world’s largest concentrated solar power plants starts generating electricity. When fully operational, it will produce enough energy for more than one million Moroccans, with possibly extra power to export to Europe.”
In addition to providing electricity, the Noor-Ouarzazate power complex is expected to reduce carbon emissions by 760,000 tons per year which could mean a reduction of 17.5 million tons of carbon emissions over 25 years. The power complex is aimed at cost reduction whilst using new technologies to emit low-greenhouse-gas.
Morocco’s great advantage is the fact that it is the only African nation that is connected to the European electrical grid which will give Morocco access to a 400 billion Euro market for electricity.
Morocco’s environment minister, Hakima el-Haite, said that there could be a similar impact from solar energy to the region comparable to the impact of oil production in the past century. “We are very proud of this project. I think it is the most important solar plant in the world,” she said.
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| Environment minister, Hakima el-Haite |
The Noor-Ouarzazate power complex is funded by around US$9 billion by international institutions, including the European Investment Bank and World Bank. The Saudi-built solar thermal plant will be one of the world's biggest when it is complete with mirrors that will cover the same area as the country's capital, Rabat.
Paddy Padmanathan of Saudi-owned ACWA Power, which is running the thermal project, said: "Whether you are an engineer or not, any passer-by is simply stunned by it. You have 35 soccer fields of huge parabolic mirrors pointed to the sky which are moveable so they will track the Sun throughout the day." He also predicts, "If Morocco is able to generate electricity at seven, eight cents per kilowatt - very possible - it will have thousands of megawatts excess.It's obvious this country should be able to export into Europe and it will. And it will not need to do anything at all… it needs to do is just sit there because Europe will start to need it."
The first phase (Noor 1 - 160 MW) is expected to go live by the end of the year.
The thermosolar cylindrical parabolic troughs at the 160-MW power plant will be coupled with three hours of energy storage capability. The power plant has contracted a sale price of MAD 1.6 (USD 0.159/EUR 0.150) per kWh and is expected to start feeding electricity to the grid by the end of the year.
Noor II, a 200-MW power plant with thermosolar cylindrical parabolic troughs and seven hours of energy storage capability, will sell its electricity output at MAD 1.36 per kWh.
Noor III, an installed capacity of 150 MW which will employ central tower technology with salt receivers and seven to eight hours of energy storage capability, will sell power at MAD 1.42 per kWh.
All three projects are being developed by two companies of the Saudi Arabian group Acwa Power.
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| Morocco's Noor 1 solar plant |
Morocco has officially announced plans to continue its renewable energy development policy beyond the 2020 horizon with about 2,500 MW wind, solar and hydro capacity to come online between 2021 and 2025.
The new goals were revealed by Minister of Energy, Abdelkader Amara, at a ministerial meeting of the International Energy Agency (IEA) in Paris. Wind power is seen installing 1,000 MW new capacity between 2021 and 2015 while solar will contribute at least 1,100 MW and hydro will add some 450 MW.
In total, between 2015 and 2025, Morocco is planning to boost its renewable energy generation capacity by 6,760 MW, in which solar power will bring the majority with 3,120 MW, wind will add 2,740 MW more and hydro will grow by 900 MW, Amara, adding that the investment will total some USD 25 billion (EUR 23.5 bn).
With the new additions planned for after 2021, the total wind power capacity installed in the country should go over the 3,000 MW mark while solar will hit at least 3,140 MW in 2025.
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| Morocco's Dahr Saadane wind farm |
Besides the 800 MW of wind farms which are already producing electricity, Morocco currently has 550 MW more under development and another 850 MW are soon to be awarded in a tender. The process will be finalised by the end of the year and contracts will be signed in the first quarter of 2016.
Wind power could be a major contributor in the electricity sector of Morocco. According to data presented by minister Amara in Madrid last June, the country’s onshore potential is estimated at 25 GW, of which 6 GW could be installed by 2030. The average wind speed is 5.3 metres per second (m/s) at more than 90% of the country’s territory, according to the wind atlas, developed by the Moroccan Renewable Energy Development Centre (CDER). The Tanger and Tetouan region (North of Morocco) measured particularly high at 8 to 11 m/s and 7 to 8.5 m/s were recorded for Dakhla, Tarfaya, Taza and Essaouira.
The offshore potential along the 3,500 km coast is estimated at 250 GW.
Since 2000, when the first wind farm in Morocco, the 50 MW Abdelkhalek Torres project, started turning, the sector has moved up on a steep learning curve. It had already achieved grid parity and in recent years, it has become an investment magnet with significant increase in projects.
In hydro, Morocco has 1,770 MW in operation. A further 450 MW, of which 100 MW by private investors, are expected to join the grid by 2020, and 450 MW more are now planned for construction between 2021 and 2025
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Monday, November 02, 2015
Coming Up ~ 9th Tamawayt Festival in Ouarzazate
On November the fifth the Tamawayat Festival will draw thousands to the city of Ouarzazate to experience the style of sung poetry known as Tamawayt
Ouarzazate is known worldwide as a platform for film production, but it is far more. The city has always been a cultural crossroads, where its wealth and its openness and its ability to adapt has made it a cultural hub.
Tamawayt, (Tamhawacht) is a form of poetry sung by the women of the Middle Atlas. It is described as the "sound of the mountainous regions that echo to the women's majestic voices and captivates the soul and expresses the core of human existence and the communion with the earth and life".
Tamawayt produces a magic harmony between the voices, melodies and poems.
Giving the festival a unique sense of history is the location at the foot of the World Heritage listed Taourirt Kasbah.
Since its creation, the festival management has encouraged artistic collaboration between local musicians and major names who have made it on the national and international art scene. They have also built in platforms for cultural exchanges to enrich the artists and the public.
Visitors are promised a rich and varied program from exponents of Zajal and Amazigh poetry over three poetic and musical evenings.
On the opening night (November 5) highlights "Qantara"led by the artist Abdel Majid Bekkas and will showcase readings with poets and Ahmed Lmaseyeh Hafid Lamtouni.
On November 6 there is a show with Samia Ahmed and Rachid Zeroual, accompanied by the poet Mimoun Alghazi.
November 7th sees a performance by the artist SaidaFikri, followed by the musical performance by Lahcen Khokhto.
The 9th edition of Festival Tamawayt also features: Jamila Mimoun Elghazi Abitar, Majida Dahiri, Driss Melyani, Sanâoui Bouazza Mohamed Ouakrar, Hamida Belbali Driss Rguibi, Kabira Tabaâmrante, Fatima Chahid and Naziha Abakrim.
The visual arts will be present at Tamawayt, through a collective exhibition of painters: Guy Demont (France) Saâdia Moukrine, Khadija Tantawi Mohamed Benyahia and Omar Aksbi (Morocco)
Tamawayt theatre will feature the Diées'Art Casablanca troupe presenting the show "Travel Hackers" directed by playwright Abdellah Hajjaj.
This edition is organised in partnership with ATLASINFO, the General Council and the City Council of the city of Ouarzazate with the support of Ministry of Culture, the Manajim Foundation, the Regional Council of Tourism, the National Agency for the Support of the Argan tree oasis and the voluntary development network of the city of Ouarzazate.
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Monday, December 08, 2014
Huge Jump in Major Movie Production in Morocco
Last year foreign film projects in Morocco injected more than $120 million USD (1,075 million Dirhams) into the economy. There were more than thirty foreign films as well as major TV productions. The list of films included A Hologram for the King, Mission Impossible 5, The Red Tent and Queen of the Desert. With a 420% increase on the previous year, it was a great result for Morocco and the upswing appears set to continue
Now comes the news that the next film in the James Bond franchise will have scenes filmed in Morocco. The film, Spectre, to be directed by Sam Mendes, will be based at the UK's Pinewood Studios, with location shoots in London, Mexico City, Rome and Tangier and Erfoud, here in Morocco. Spectre, as Bond fans will know, stands for "Special Executive for Counter-intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion".
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| Daniel Craig and Sam Mendes |
According to film industry insiders in Morocco Sam Mendes and Bond star Daniel Craig recently visited Oujda in search of a location for shooting a train sequence. According to Zakaria Alaoui from Zak Productions the requirement was for a non-electrified train.
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| Daniel Craig filmed in Oujda |
It appears they were happy with what they found as a crew will return in June for a ten day shoot which will include scenes in the desert and Tangier. Alaoui says the filming is on a such a scale that it will require at least four months preparation. He and Zak Productions last worked on Mission Impossible 5 which, according to Alaoui, boosted the local economy to the tune of $30 million.
Alaoui received a career tribute at this years Marrakech Film Festival.
International Correspondent Elsa Keslassy, writing for Variety, agrees that 2014 was a good year for Moroco after three or four years downturn in the wake of the so-called Arab Spring. Along with Mission Impossible 5, Keslassy sites two other major U.S. productions that filmed in Morocco in 2014 - Tom Tykwer’s A Hologram for the King, an adaptation of Dave Eggers’ novel starring Tom Hanks as a struggling American businessman who travels to Dubai to get a fresh start, and Werner Herzog’s Queen of the Desert with Nicole Kidman as British explorer and diplomat Gertrude Bell.
Karim Debbagh at Kasbah Films, a production company with offices in Germany and Morocco, co-produced Hologram. The movie was supposed to be filmed in Saudi Arabia, but after the production failed to get a shooting permit, Debbagh arranged for the filming to take place in Morocco.
A Hologram for the King filmed for 40 days in Morocco with a crew of 250 technicians and invested $5 million in Morocco (out of a $25 million budget), said Debbagh, who described the film as character-driven and praised Hanks for his down-to-earth behaviour and friendliness during the shoot.
Queen of the Desert, meanwhile, shot for two months in the country with Kidman, along with James Franco, Damian Lewis and Robert Pattinson.
“A driving force behind the foreign productions surge is the big comeback of bible-themed shows and movies,” explained Abderrazzak Zitouny, head of the Ouarzazate film commission.
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| Morena Baccarin and Rebecca Ferguson in “The Red Tent.” |
Ouarzazate, a picturesque city located in southern Morocco, and its Atlas Film Studios remain attractive backdrops for such film and series projects. Lifetime’s miniseries The Red Tent shot there this year on an epic scope. Starring Morena Baccarin and Rebecca Ferguson, The Red Tent is an adaptation of Anita Diamant’s bestseller retelling a short chapter of the New Testament centring on the fate of Dinah, the strong-willed daughter of Jacob. Debbagh, who line-produced the two-part miniseries for Sony Pictures Television, said it required over 2,000 extras.
A flurry of upcoming biblical or related projects have also chosen Morocco. Among them: King Tut, the six-part series about the youngest Pharaoh to rule Ancient Egypt, produced by Canada’s Muse for Spike TV (with local company K Films); The Book of Dead, the Weinstein Company’s Egyptian detective series (with Kasbah Films); and Chris Menaul’s Killing Jesus, starring Dominic West (with Dune Films).
On top of the diversity of landscapes and professionalism of crews, the country’s offers the full support and hospitality provided by authorities, including King Mohammed VI ( a movie buff), Morocco’s Film Institute (CCM), the Ouarzazate film commission and locals.
As The View from Fez reported at the time, for the shoot of Mission Impossible 5, Moroccan authorities allowed the production to block the main freeway between Marrakech and Agadir for three weeks. Locals didn’t protest even though it caused a deviation of 40 kilometres. “Anywhere else, blocking a major freeway for that long and for the needs of a movie would have caused uproar, but in Morocco we know how beneficial these foreign film productions are to our economy,” pointed out Zitouny.
Many U.S. productions pair European and Moroccan shooting locations. “American producers opt to film abroad because it’s cheaper than shooting in the U.S. and also, in many cases, because it increases production values and international appeal,” argued Zitouny, citing Mission Impossible 5, which shot in London, Vienna and Morocco.
In addition to fuelling the local economy, American productions have also benefited the local film industry by giving crews and actors high-standard training.
Today, Morocco boasts Africa’s biggest pool of qualified technicians and well-established film schools: Marrakech’s Superior School of Visual Arts, ISMAC in Rabat and Ouarzazate film institute.
Morocco is, however, increasingly challenged by South Africa, which offers attractive locations as well as a tax rebate and cheaper crews.
Local industry players are therefore lobbying lawmakers to establish a competitive tax incentive.
Looking ahead, industry insiders across the board agree on the need to produce even more high-skilled technicians and actors who speak English, as well as build additional high-profile hotels to host more than three major productions at a time.
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Wednesday, October 08, 2014
Morocco Solar Festival Aims High
A new festival devoted to solar energy and sustainable development is to be held for the first time in Ouarzazate on October 17 - 19
Morocco Solar Festival is dedicated to the sun and the sustainable development of desert areas. Science and technology, knowledge discovery, art and culture will be at the heart of this unique event that aims to demonstrate that "gold is in the sun."
The Morocco Solar Festival came about as the result of a meeting between Mehdi Alaoui Mdaghri, organizer of the Forum of the Sea, and Patrick Bauer, founder of the Marathon des Sables. This event is billed as a "festive promenade of knowledge to meet the sun."
Morocco Solar Festival will be held a short distance from Ouarzazate, in the desert. The event is free. It is dedicated to families, young people and anyone concerned with the discovery of the potential of the sun. Occasionally, a "Village of the Sun" will be set up during the festival. It will be open daily from 10:00 to 6:00 p.m.
The official opening is scheduled for Friday, October 17 at 6:00 p.m. and will be followed by a "space opera." The day of Saturday, October 18 will be marked by a conference on "The sun, myths and realities." The MASEN Solar Awards will also held that day. This is a ceremony to award "exemplary initiatives for the exploitation and development of solar energy." At night, the musicians of the Paris Opera and other guest artists, including Oum and Amel Brahim-Djelloul, will perform under the starry desert sky.
On Sunday, October 19, visitors will be able to visit the site of the Ouarzazate solar plant. It will be followed by a conference on "Solar Stratos", a solar airplane of the Swiss Raphaël Domjan, developer of solar boat Planet Solar, which has completed a world tour under his leadership.
For more information, CLICK HERE.
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Ahwach Festival in Ouazazate 15 - 17 November
The National Ahwach Festival of Arts will take place in Ouarzazate from 15 to 17 November
Ahwach is a traditional folkloric style of music and associated dance from southern Morocco. An Ahwach performance often features more than one hundred both male and female performers. However, in some regions the groups comprise only males. Ahwach is famous in the Amazigh (berber) regions of Morocco, especially, the region of Ouarzazate, Zagoura and Souss.
The performance style and instruments used vary from region to region. For example, troupes from the Souss region include flute in addition to the usual Ahwach instruments.
Since this music requires anywhere from 20 to 150 participants, it is not easily portable and so rarely heard in the cities.
Under the patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, the festival, organized by the Ministry of Culture, is part of a strategy outlined by the Department for the Preservation of Popular Intangible Heritage and the promotion of festivals that support sustainable development.
The 2013 edition, launched in cooperation with the provincial council, the municipal council and the provincial tourism board of Ouarzazate will feature more than 400 artists from 22 Ahwach troupes from different regions of Morocco.
The theme of the festival is "Between Heritage, Memory and the Future."
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Sunday, October 28, 2012
Friday, August 17, 2012
124 Year-Old Moroccan Shares Secrets of Longevity
Taki el Mehdi, the oldest living Moroccan just celebrated his 124th birthday in Ouarzazate. On this occasion, the man delivered the secrets of his longevity.
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| Taki el Mehdi at 124 |
Taki el Mehdi is healthy. He watches what he eats and mainly consumes natural products. "I eat healthy and natural food, including soup made of barley and wheat," he said. This elderly farmer lives with his family in a small house in a humble neighbourhood of Ouarzazate, close to the desert, where the thermometer often reads 40 degrees in the shade.
Despite his advanced years, the thin-faced man still walks with only a cane. He says he has never set foot in a hospital. The most impressive thing is that his memory is still intact. El Mehdi Taki is able, without hesitation, to recite his family tree, saying that one of his ancestors was Moulay Ali Cherif, the founder of the Alawite dynasty of Morocco. He also remembers, "the Second World War very well and the worst famine, which hit Morocco seriously in 1941," while the country was under the French protectorate.
The View from Fez wishes him a happy birthday!
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Monday, June 25, 2012
Game of Thrones Will Return to Shoot in Morocco
The news that the hit TV series, Game of Thrones, will return to Morocco is good news on many fronts. The series, which has been hugely successful, will provide much needed employment in the Atlas Corporation Studios in Ouarzazate and possibly Marrakech, as well as a tourism boost for the area.
Game of Thrones is an American medieval fantasy television series created for HBO by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. It is an adaptation of A Song of Ice and Fire, George R. R. Martin's series of fantasy novels, the first of which is titled A Game of Thrones.
Primary filming for seasons one and two occurred on a soundstage at Paint Hall Studios in Belfast, Northern Ireland, as well as on location elsewhere in Northern Ireland and in M'dina on Malta and, in Croatia, Dubrovnik and the Minceta, Bokar, and Lovrijenac fortresses. In Iceland the filming was done at the Svinafellsjokull calving glacier in Skaftafell, followed by shooting near Smyrlabjorg and Vik on Hofdabrekkuheidi. Morocco featured in the original pilot as well as in series two. Ouarzazate and Marrakech have both been used.
The news about Morocco being included in the shooting of series three came from Vancouver cinematographer Robert McLachlan who revealed in an interview that the final two episodes of season three would include locations in Morocco
"I just received the schedule for the show and they've got units going in Morocco and Croatia and Ireland, and indoors and outdoors, and logistically I've never seen anything like it. It's incredible," says McLachlan. "It's absolutely gigantic."
Because of the size and scope of the show, Game of Thrones uses about five different DOPs (directors of photography) and five directors working in teams of two, he notes.
The first season debuted in the U.S. on April 17, 2011. Two days later, it was picked up for a second season, which began airing on April 1, 2012. Nine days later, it was picked up for a third season.
Highly anticipated since its early stages of development, Game of Thrones has been very well received by viewers and critics.
Season 1 was nominated for or won numerous awards, including Outstanding Drama Series for the Emmy Awards and Best Television Series – Drama at the 69th Golden Globe Awards.
Interestingly, due to the limited availability of the series, it has achieved a dubious record as the most pirated series this year. The number of pirated downloads stands at around 3,900,000, while the USA viewer numbers are estimated to be 4,200,000. HBO held up the release of series two in Australia until after the release in the USA and so Australians became the country with the highest illegal downloads.
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Thursday, June 14, 2012
Solar Plane Aborts Morocco Flight
After completing its historic 2,500-kilometer intercontinental flight to Morocco last week, the Swiss solar-powered plane, Solar Impulse, took off yesterday for Ouarzazate in southern Morocco, but returned to Rabat after experiencing unexpectedly strong headwinds.
The Solar Impulse team announced on its website Wednesday that headwinds and turbulence between Casablanca and Marrakesh was twice as strong as expected and prevented the solar airplane from making progress. The website said the pilot is not in danger, but the flight director ordered him to turn back due to concerns about the unexpected weather conditions.
A running joke within the team is saying André couldn’t handle the desert heat (43°C yesterday afternoon), choosing the cooler and more enjoyable climate of Rabat instead.
The experimental Solar Impulse plane took off from the Moroccan capital, Rabat, at 8 a.m. local time (0700 UTC) Wednesday, with Swiss pilot and businessman Andre Borschberg at the controls. The plane was heading south toward the city of Ouarzazate as part of Morocco's plan to launch the world's biggest solar power plant in the desert region in 2014.
The Switzerland-based Solar Impulse team has been working with the Moroccan government to promote the use of renewable energy technology. Borschberg's team partner and fellow Swiss pilot Bertrand Piccard flew Solar Impulse from the Spanish capital Madrid to Rabat last Wednesday, completing the first intercontinental journey by a manned aircraft operating without liquid fuel.
The single-pilot plane has a 63-meter wingspan covered by 12,000 solar cells, but only weighs about as much as an average family car. The flight over the Moroccan desert is the most difficult the team has attempted because it subjects the plane to hot and turbulent conditions for the first time.
Borschberg said his team took a variety of steps to mitigate the risks of the flight.The steps include preparing multiple flight paths to avoid windy conditions, soaring to a high altitude of 9,000 meters and planning a descent only after sunset. Organizers scheduled a landing time of around 12:30am Thursday (2330 UTC).
“If the situation gets worse, we have some escape routes which would bring us back to Rabat. so all these measures should help us to get away from this difficult environment,” said Borshberg.
“I think it is very much a question of preparation, anticipation and being able to give up if the situation is different from what we would have predicted. So that is the reason why we accept the risk, because the mitigation measures are extremely solid.”
The Swiss pilot said the desert flight also is a good opportunity for the Solar Impulse team to train for a round-the world flight attempt in 2014.
In the past week, Borschberg and Piccard met with Moroccan officials, businesses and students in Rabat to explain how solar technology can be used on the ground to boost the Moroccan economy.
“The Moroccans saw that they have a big asset with the sun,” Borshberg said. “They do not have fossil fuels in their country, so they know that using solar energy is a good way to reduce their dependence on fossil energy and sending money out of the country. I think they are very much willing to invest in this technology.”
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Thursday, March 29, 2012
Maroc Challenge - A Cheap and Cheerful Rally
Driving across the sand dunes or wandering remote mountain passages of Morocco as part of a rally usually means having deep pockets or a friendly, sports-minded bank manager, but the Maroc Challenge bills itself as the ‘Low-cost Rally’, giving almost anyone the chance to take part in a fund-raising adventure to support women and children in remote areas.
This Sunday forty-four vehicles will set off from Javea, on Spain’s Costa Blanca, and Lisbon in Portugal. They will rendezvous at Almeria on the southern coast of Spain to begin a 2,000 kilometre adventure through the wilds of Morocco. Billed as being a ‘unique raid which aims to provide a low cost alternative for those who wish to experience an extraordinary event that incorporates both sporting and humanitarian spirit,’ unlike the souped-up and shiny cars you normally see undertaking this sort of ride, the first and foremost rule of Maroc Challenge is that every vehicle must be registered before 1st December, 1995. The organisers suggest that you really wouldn’t want to pay more than about 300€ for a car, assuming, of course, that you haven’t got an old scrapper lying around somewhere that only needs some air in the tyres and a change of engine oil.
Brian Hampshire and Rob Hull will be sharing a Nissan Patrol loaned to them by a friend. Hull is an English builder living in the Costa Blanca, and has only been to Morocco on holiday a couple of times; Hampshire is a painter and decorator and has never been to Morocco at all. Neither knows a thing about car mechanics, and as Hampshire says, “If we break down Rob can build a garage and I can paint it, but we have absolutely no idea how to put the car right.”
The whole event is slightly tongue-in-cheek, with no rushing for first place or being at the head of the race, but it does have a serious intent – to deliver clothing, school supplies and toys to remote schools and villages.
Hampshire and Hull, (who’s joint names sound like a comedy act) said that every cent raised through events and donations would go to buying materials, and have had such support from local people and businesses that they had to take a full car load to the depot in Javea before they fill up their car a second time with toys that will be distributed along their way. Children’s shoes supplied by a local manufacturer; chalk and chalk boards, note books, pens, rulers, pencils, pencil sharpeners, colouring books and felt pens, skipping ropes, etch-a-sketch pads and musical recorders bought at an enormous discount from a local shop – they even have a sack-full of deflated footballs to blow up and hand out along the way.
This year’s rout takes the cars from Nador, through Missour, Erg-Chebbi, Ouarzazate and Agadir to end in Essaouira.
More information HERE
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Thursday, March 01, 2012
Students' 4L Rally helps Moroccan Children
On February 14th a group of students from the University of South Westfalia, left their home in Soest, near Dortmund in Germany, to take part in the rally, driving through France, Spain, the heat of the Sahara and the bitter cold of the High Atlas Mountains in winter, to Marrakech, a round trip of seven thousand kilometre. On the way they delivered tons of educational supplies and contributed to building a school. For The View from Fez, Derek Workman reports.
In 1998, six French students from the Ecole Supérieure de Commerce in Rennes, set off in three Renault 4L cars to drive through Morocco and deliver educational materials to impoverished children and schools along their route. This year the rally celebrated their fifteenth trophy, and each of the 1,300 cars, carrying two people aged between twenty and twenty-seven, delivered ten kilos of food and forty kilos of school materials. Over eighty tons of education supplies were handed over to the Association Enfants du Désert, and for the first time in the rally’s history, the participants also donated twenty euros per car, to help build a school. It became known as the student version of the Paris to Dakar Rally.
“It took us a year of very hard work to get the project together,” Tobi Hügemann tells me. “We were split into two groups, one to raise the 36,000 euros we needed to buy the cars and pay all the expenses, and another of mechanics, who are engineering students, who spent three days a week for eight months finding the cars and then almost totally re-building them. But we also had to work on our degrees, so it meant that we had to double up on our study time when we weren’t working on the project.”
With their great adventure ahead of them, they set off on February 14th, pointed in the direction of Poitiers, where the Rally officially began – but didn’t even make it to France. Max Müller was driving one of the cars when the fuel pump failed. Fortunately, it was one of the spares they were carrying, so a change by the side of the road got them going again. At Poitiers, proudly displaying their official plaque with their car number 1443, they began the first stage – only to get as far as one hundred kilometres south of Bordeaux, where this time their problems were more serious.
“One of the wheel bearings went but you need special tools to do the job, which we didn’t have, so we had to call a tow truck to take us to a garage to do the repair.” A long nervous night was ahead; not only because the hotel they stayed in and the cost of the repair was eating into their limited budgets but because they had a deadline of six a.m. two days later to reach Algeciras for the specially reserved ferries to take them over the Straits of Gibraltar into Morocco.
“We barely slept that night, worried that we might not even get to the ferry, but the mechanic at the garage was great. He found some second-hand parts and worked late to get the job done. The drive through Spain was one of the most nerve-wracking I’ve ever experienced, but we got to the assembly point at Algeciras in time.” Which they shared with 2,500 other people – and not a toilet in site!
The adventure really began when they drove off the ferry at Tangiers, (which is probably what the cleaners on the four ferries also thought when they surveyed the results of a night without toilets for their six hundred passengers.)
“It was incredible,” comments Lukas Twittenhoff. “We were in Africa. It was such an amazing culture change, but that had been part of the adventure for us, to go somewhere so different from what we would usually experience.” But they soon discovered that Africa isn’t always hot, and the summer clothing they’d taken didn’t give them a lot of protection from the bitter desert nights or the minus ten degrees they experienced driving over the High Atlas Mountains.
“We were driving over a mountain pass and we could see cars coming toward us covered in ice,” says Max. “A few snowflakes started to fall, and the French drivers in front of us were terrified. They went so slowly that at one point we began to slide backwards. It was the same in the desert; we’d charge through the soft sand to keep moving while they would drive so slowly that they began to sink.” And the stalwart German team laugh at the memory of the French, who seemed to spend more time at the side of the road cooking a meal than actually driving.
Maren Rump is the only girl in the team, but played her part equally and had no problem with being the solitary female. “It was a bit strange the first time we went off-road, and I think we were all a bit nervous, but we soon got used to it, even though at times, when you were driving through a dust storm thrown up by over a thousand cars, you weren’t too sure where anyone else was around you.”
The route sidled south along the coastline from Tangiers, skirting inland above Rabat and passing through Meknes, Midelt, Erfoud, Merzouga, Tighremet and Quarzazate, before arriving at Marrakech. The nights were spent sleeping alongside their increasingly grubby Renaults, the workhorses that carried everything they needed for the eleven day rally; food, drink, sleeping bags, clothes and spare parts – and a camp chair each so as not to totally deprive themselves of a semi-civilised life.
A two-car team from the university completed the Rally in 2011, selling on their cars to this year’s team, who added two more, which will in turn be sold on to another group who will continue the new ‘tradition’ next year.
“It was a wonderful experience,” reminisces Tobi. “We worked so hard for a year, not just on the project, but also to make sure our studies didn’t suffer. But it is such an incredible event, not just for the rally itself, but for all it does to help children with their education.”
I leave them as they get ready for a night on the Valencian town, and pray that the three day drive they have ahead of them to get home will be free from failed petrol pumps and broken wheel bearings – but I can be pretty sure that they won’t be getting bogged down in any sand dunes.
Derek Workman is an English journalist living in Valencia City, Spain – although he admits to a love of Morocco and would love to up sticks and move here. To read more about life in Spain visit Spain Uncovered. Articles and books can also be found at Digital Paparazzi. Derek will be in Morocco to cover the Sufi Festival for The View from Fez.
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Monday, February 13, 2012
Morocco - Upcoming Events
There is plenty happening in Morocco over the next few weeks. So take out your diary and make some notes!
Moussem des Femmes Créatrices d'Assilah - the Festival of Creative Women in Asilah takes place again this year from March 1 to March 6.
Asilah is a fortified town on the northwest tip of the Atlantic coast of Morocco, about 31 km from Tangier. Its ramparts and gates remain fully intact. Its history dates back to 1500 B.C., when the Phoenicians used it as a base for trade. The Portuguese conquered the city in 1471, but John III later decided to abandon it because of an economic crisis in 1549. In 1692, the town was taken by the Moroccans under the leadership of Moulay Ismail. Asilah served then as a base for pirates in the 19th and 20th centuries.
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| Asilah waterfront |
The Festival of Creative Women (not to be confused with the Asilah Arts Festival in August) is always a good time to visit as the exhibitions and events add to the atmosphere. The emphasis of the festival is on supporting and promoting the artistic skills of rural and urban women in the Arab-Mediterranean nations. L’Association Marocaine des Créatrices Contemporarines created the festival to showcase the achievements of women and to encourage the artists to sell they artistic products nationally and internationally as an independent means of income. More details about this year's event when they become available.
The International Nomad Festival (8, 9 and 10 March) was first staged in 2003 and is based in the small Moroccan village of M'hamid El Ghizlane, some 60 kilometres south of Zagora in the Draa Valley. This, the ninth edition of the festival, features dance, music, exhibitions, conferences and handicraft displays and draws international artists from France, Spain and Brazil. This year will feature a major exhibition of local produce and crafts of Morocco.
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| the festival is full of surprises |
This is a great opportunity to take a different journey and find a new experience of the desert.
During these three days will be held roundtables, conferences and workshops related to the heritage of the region. Local artists, regional, national and international will join the festival and share their musical universe on two stages: one at 4 km north of El Ghizlane M'hamid in the dunes, the other south in the center of M'hamid.
For more information call (212) 662104793 or email clubnomades@gmail.com
The Maroc Classic
Provisional Programme
Sunday, March 18th LEG 1: RABAT – VOLUBILIS – FES (260 kms)
Monday, March 19th LEG 2: FES – KENIFRA – BIN EL OUIDANE (390 kms)
Tuesday, March 20th LEG 3: BIN EL OUIDANE – DEMNATE – OUARZAZATE (320 kms)
Wednesday, March 21st LEG 4: OUARZAZATE – TAFRAOUTE – AGADIR (498 kms)
Thursday, March 22nd LEG 5: AGADIR – TAROUDANNT - AGADIR (283 kms)
Friday, March 23rd LEG 6: AGADIR – TAROUDANNT – MARRAKECH (396 kms)
Saturday, March 24th LEG 7: MARRAKECH – MARRAKECH (148 kms)
Aïcha Gazelle Rally
This competition is the standard reference for women's motorized adventure. It is open to amateur or professional women only who are then immersed in the Moroccan Sahara for 14 days on their 4X4, motorbike, ATV or truck. With its unique concept involving eco-driving without excess speed, based on traditional navigation without GPS the Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles du Maroc was the precursor to a new vision for auto rallies.
22nd edition takes place from 17th to 31st of March 2012. The Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles was the first rally to offer internet users the opportunity to follow, live, the competitors or the team of their choice, thanks to a satellite tracking system installed in each vehicle.
Against a Google Map background, internet users can experience the competition in real time.
They can keep track of the number of check points located, the route taken by their team, the team’s adventures throughout the day. The rankings, posted on line every evening, allow them to follow the progress of their favourite teams.Find out more on the rally website.
Tan Tan Moussem - The Tan Tan Festival
This important gathering (21 - 26th March) of the "Blue Men" takes place each year in the small desert town of Tan Tan in South Morocco. Members of neighbouring tribes gather for the Sidi Mohammed Mâa El Aynine Moussem which is both religious and for tourists.
Started in 1963, primarily as a religious festival, the annual Tan Tan Moussem draws thousands of members of nomadic tribes to gather together for a celebration of tradition and culture. In the past the focus of the Tan Tan Moussem was the tomb of the great Saharan leader Cheik Mohamed Laghdaf, who died in 1960 after fighting for decades against French and Spanish colonial invaders. In addition to being a festival of worship, this is an opportunity for tribes to socialize with song and dance, swap stories, share herbal remedy knowledge, compete in horse races and engage in some serious camel trading.
Due to the turmoil being experienced in the region in the mid-1970s, authorities at the time banned the Tan Tan Moussem. However, the festival had life breathed back into it when in 2004, UNESCO teamed up with the Moroccan Ministry of Tourism to revive the festival which they considered to be a “masterpiece of the oral and intangible heritage of humanity.” The response was overwhelming and the Tan Tan Moussem has reclaimed its spot as the largest gathering of nomadic tribes in northern Africa.
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