Comments for Travel + Photo | A blog by Nathan Busscher http://travel.busscher.us See More | Hear More | Explore More Wed, 18 Jul 2012 19:23:31 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 Comment on Antarctica – 12/27 & 28 – Passing back through the Drake Passage by Ralph Robinson http://travel.busscher.us/2011/02/antarctica-%e2%80%93-1227-28-%e2%80%93-passing-back-through-the-drake-passage/comment-page-1/#comment-38415 Ralph Robinson Wed, 18 Jul 2012 19:23:31 +0000 http://travel.busscher.us/?p=1508#comment-38415 I took my son on the National Geographic Explorer to Antartica leaving Jan. 7, 2012. It was a terrific adventure and I love your photographs! I culled my pix down to 137 and look at them from time to time on my computer. We had a flat passage on the Drake heading south, picking up 1/2 day. Gale force 7 on return and when we crossed from the Wadell Sea to north on the pennsiular. Not too bad but it's interesting to see where other ships had a really rough crossing. Loved the kayacs, hiking up the steep hills and getting an overview of it all. Have been to Spitsbergen but liked the Antartica trip better. Regards, Ralph Robinson I took my son on the National Geographic Explorer to Antartica leaving Jan. 7, 2012. It was a terrific adventure and I love your photographs! I culled my pix down to 137 and look at them from time to time on my computer.

We had a flat passage on the Drake heading south, picking up 1/2 day. Gale force 7 on return and when we
crossed from the Wadell Sea to north on the pennsiular. Not too bad but it’s interesting to see where other ships
had a really rough crossing.

Loved the kayacs, hiking up the steep hills and getting an overview of it all.
Have been to Spitsbergen but liked the Antartica trip better.

Regards, Ralph Robinson

]]> Comment on Tangier, Morocco – The Worst And Most Expensive Day Tour Ever by Jennifer http://travel.busscher.us/2011/10/tangier-morocco-the-worst-and-most-expensive-day-tour-ever/comment-page-1/#comment-36830 Jennifer Thu, 21 Jun 2012 16:42:01 +0000 http://travel.busscher.us/?p=2059#comment-36830 Ooops I see I copied my review twice sorry for the extra read! Ooops I see I copied my review twice sorry for the extra read!

]]> Comment on Tangier, Morocco – The Worst And Most Expensive Day Tour Ever by nathan http://travel.busscher.us/2011/10/tangier-morocco-the-worst-and-most-expensive-day-tour-ever/comment-page-1/#comment-36389 nathan Fri, 15 Jun 2012 15:05:56 +0000 http://travel.busscher.us/?p=2059#comment-36389 Just goes to show you how much a good guide can make a difference. I'm glad you had a good time. Just goes to show you how much a good guide can make a difference. I’m glad you had a good time.

]]> Comment on Tangier, Morocco – The Worst And Most Expensive Day Tour Ever by Jennifer http://travel.busscher.us/2011/10/tangier-morocco-the-worst-and-most-expensive-day-tour-ever/comment-page-1/#comment-36317 Jennifer Thu, 14 Jun 2012 17:42:09 +0000 http://travel.busscher.us/?p=2059#comment-36317 It's a shame you had such an unpleasant experience, ours was quite the opposite! I am actually glad I didn't see your review until now or we probably would have missed out on a great tour, as we were uncertain with the idea of going with a smaller tour group. We had Aziz himself and I am certain that that is what made a major difference. Aziz has been in business for 15 years and I could find very few negative reviews on him. I think that in itself speaks volumes for his track record. I contacted Aziz via e-mail on Monday June 4th, 2012 which was very short notice as we were hoping to book a tour with him on Wednesday June 6th, 2012. He e-mailed us back a few hours later saying yes he could accommodate us on the 6th and outlined our options. We opted for his grand tour catching the 9am ferry with him booking the tickets for us. Our quote was 98 Euros each for the day tour & return ferry from Tarifa. When we arrived in Tangier, we disembarked the boat and followed everyone else up the ramp and along the overpass corridor. Halfway along there was a check point. There we were turned around by the police as we had not gotten our entry stamp on board. This was a very unnerving experience to see all the tourists walking away and being stuck behind. We ran back to the boat. Fortunately another couple also missed their stamp so we were not alone. I saw a well dress man (dress pants, dress shirt and dress shoes) on the overhead bridge waving and I assumed it was Aziz so I signaled we needed a stamp. He called my cell; it was him and said don't worry I will wait for you. About 20 minutes later the disgruntled customs agent came back, he looked VERY unimpressed. (the guards told the other couple we were very lucky, for some reason he came back otherwise we would have had to wait til 4pm for him to return) He stamped our passports and we were off. (In hindsight seeing both how respected and how much pull Aziz seemed to have, we can't help but wonder if he had some influence on the return of the customs agent, although this is pure speculation.) Aziz greeted us and we met up with another couple from California. For the first hour or so of the tour we felt bad for detaining the other couple so we stayed pretty quiet and let them do all the talking and question asking to Aziz. Aziz provided us with a lot of information on Tangiers history, Moroccan culture and Berber traditions, he was actually extremely informative and we learned a lot. We both love history and after taking many tours in Portugal and Gilbraltar it was interesting to hear the history from the other side of the straight. Our camel ride was on top of a cliff overlooking the ocean (albeit yes in a dirt parking lot). It cost us 2 Euros each and lasted about a 5-10 minutes. We were able to take as many pictures as we wanted. Our next stop was Hercules Grotto which Aziz took us into personally. The entrance fee was .50 Euro each and although there were many souvenir spots along the cave to make purchases at no point was it suggested we do so. Our time inside the cave was spent explaining the cave both the natural and man made parts and more of the Berber traditions. There was a man inside the cave taking photos for 2 Euros in front of the Africa shaped opening and developed it for you right there with a good quality camera. We opted to do this as we only had a disposable camera, our phone camera and Aziz's camera. (None quite captured the image the same as the professional camera) It had been suggested to us by friends who had not yet visited Morocco not to bring our camera over to Tangier. I would advise to bring a camera because at no point did I feel unsafe to have one. This actually brings to light another point. When Aziz realized we didn't have a camera with us he offered us the use of his digital camera for the day and then he'd email them to us later. (I do have to follow up on getting them however which I will do after I finish this :)!) Next was lunch. Aziz gave us the choice of going somewhere more touristy or somewhere more authentic and local. We opted for authentic and local. The meal was amazing and cost a total of 25Euros for all five of us! That's 5 Euros each! We each had a main course and a drink and then we all shared two appetizers and two baskets of bread, oh and three of us also had tea! During our walking tour we weren't harassed at all. Not while passing through the shopping areas nor passing through areas where people were making items right there. And there wasn't anywhere we went that Aziz dissuaded us from purchasing directly from anyone. The other couple on the tour bought two blankets and I ended up buying a scarf. I hadn't planned on purchasing anything but seeing the workers in action hands on is so different then seeing it on a shelf somewhere. My fiance actually saw a pair of shoes in a downstairs area that Aziz had not planned on bringing us to. We asked Aziz if we could go there he said sure he would take us there if we wanted no problem. Aziz explained he hadn't planned on taking us there because it was more a flea market type place but if we wanted to go he will take us. My fiance bought some shoes and again Aziz did not dissuade him, he actually helped with the negotiations when he heard the vendor try to switch the price. Also on the walking tour we visited the area where the Bourne Ultimatum chase seen took place. (Yes in our driving part of the tour we also passed the cafe from the Bourne Ultimatum although it never occurred to us to ask to stop as it was very early in the tour and we had just finished the fiasco at the port and had already held the other couple up so long at that point.) At one point during the walking tour we actually felt very fortunate to be with Aziz. This is because we passed a house that was under renovations and the contractor knew Aziz so we were invited in the see the house. What an amazing and unique opportunity!!! Other places Aziz took us on our walking tour was into a local bread making "house" that caters to the community where they gave us samples of sunflower seeds and roasted peanuts right from the oven (it was a tucked away location and something I doubt you'd experience on the larger tours). We also visited various hands on small tile shops and a cafe where the Rollingstones had chilled while in Tangier. The cafe had pictures on the wall of Mick Jagger enjoying extracurricular activities in that cafe. Aziz seemed to be a very well known and respected man in the community acknowledged by many many people as he passed through the community. Also walking with Aziz we weren't hassled with people trying to sell us stuff everywhere. If we weren't interested Aziz would say something to them and they would stop trying to sell to us. At the end of the tour Aziz "allowed" some vendors for a brief time to show us what our experience may have been like without a guided tour lol or maybe that is just what the people were like in that particular area. They were relentless trying to sell to us, worst then anywhere I have ever been and I have been to the Caribbean, Mexico (Tijuana, Puerto Vallarta, Cancun & Juarez), Egypt, Kenya, Australia etc...I would not have enjoyed the day at all if that was what we had to deal with all day! Aziz then took us back to the ferry where he personally walked us right to the boat. He was able to pass by customs etc and wait with us until we boarded. Talk about door to door service! There are many other parts of our day but I mostly tried to address the parts of the tour that were a disappointment to you and show how our experience differed greatly from yours. Again sorry to hear you didn't have the same wonderful experience we did but for us thanks to Aziz it was truly a memorable day! It's a shame you had such an unpleasant experience, ours was quite the opposite! I am actually glad I didn't see your review until now or we probably would have missed out on a great tour, as we were uncertain with the idea of going with a smaller tour group. We had Aziz himself and I am certain that that is what made a major difference. Aziz has been in business for 15 years and I could find very few negative reviews on him. I think that in itself speaks volumes for his track record. I contacted Aziz via e-mail on Monday June 4th, 2012 which was very short notice as we were hoping to book a tour with him on Wednesday June 6th, 2012. He e-mailed us back a few hours later saying yes he could accommodate us on the 6th and outlined our options. We opted for his grand tour catching the 9am ferry with him booking the tickets for us. Our quote was 98 Euros each for the day tour & return ferry from Tarifa. When we arrived in Tangier, we disembarked the boat and followed everyone else up the ramp and along the overpass corridor. Halfway along there was a check point. There we were turned around by the police as we had not gotten our entry stamp on board. This was a very unnerving experience to see all the tourists walking away and being stuck behind. We ran back to the boat. Fortunately another couple also missed their stamp so we were not alone. I saw a well dress man (dress pants, dress shirt and dress shoes) on the overhead bridge waving and I assumed it was Aziz so I signaled we needed a stamp. He called my cell; it was him and said don't worry I will wait for you. About 20 minutes later the disgruntled customs agent came back, he looked VERY unimpressed. (the guards told the other couple we were very lucky, for some reason he came back otherwise we would have had to wait til 4pm for him to return) He stamped our passports and we were off. (In hindsight seeing both how respected and how much pull Aziz seemed to have, we can't help but wonder if he had some influence on the return of the customs agent, although this is pure speculation.) Aziz greeted us and we met up with another couple from California. For the first hour or so of the tour we felt bad for detaining the other couple so we stayed pretty quiet and let them do all the talking and question asking to Aziz. Aziz provided us with a lot of information on Tangiers history, Moroccan culture and Berber traditions, he was actually extremely informative and we learned a lot. We both love history and after taking many tours in Portugal and Gilbraltar it was interesting to hear the history from the other side of the straight. Our camel ride was on top of a cliff overlooking the ocean (albeit yes in a dirt parking lot). It cost us 2 Euros each and lasted about a 5-10 minutes. We were able to take as many pictures as we wanted. Our next stop was Hercules Grotto which Aziz took us into personally. The entrance fee was .50 Euro each and although there were many souvenir spots along the cave to make purchases at no point was it suggested we do so. Our time inside the cave was spent explaining the cave both the natural and man made parts and more of the Berber traditions. There was a man inside the cave taking photos for 2 Euros in front of the Africa shaped opening and developed it for you right there with a good quality camera. We opted to do this as we only had a disposable camera, our phone camera and Aziz's camera. (None quite captured the image the same as the professional camera) It had been suggested to us by friends who had not yet visited Morocco not to bring our camera over to Tangier. I would advise to bring a camera because at no point did I feel unsafe to have one. This actually brings to light another point. When Aziz realized we didn't have a camera with us he offered us the use of his digital camera for the day and then he'd email them to us later. (I do have to follow up on getting them however which I will do after I finish this :)!) Next was lunch. Aziz gave us the choice of going somewhere more touristy or somewhere more authentic and local. We opted for authentic and local. The meal was amazing and cost a total of 25Euros for all five of us! That's 5 Euros each! We each had a main course and a drink and then we all shared two appetizers and two baskets of bread, oh and three of us also had tea! During our walking tour we weren't harassed at all. Not while passing through the shopping areas nor passing through areas where people were making items right there. And there wasn't anywhere we went that Aziz dissuaded us from purchasing directly from anyone. The other couple on the tour bought two blankets and I ended up buying a scarf. I hadn't planned on purchasing anything but seeing the workers in action hands on is so different then seeing it on a shelf somewhere. My fiance actually saw a pair of shoes in a downstairs area that Aziz had not planned on bringing us to. We asked Aziz if we could go there he said sure he would take us there if we wanted no problem. Aziz explained he hadn't planned on taking us there because it was more a flea market type place but if we wanted to go he will take us. My fiance bought some shoes and again Aziz did not dissuade him, he actually helped with the negotiations when he heard the vendor try to switch the price. Also on the walking tour we visited the area where the Bourne Ultimatum chase seen took place. (Yes in our driving part of the tour we also passed the cafe from the Bourne Ultimatum although it never occurred to us to ask to stop as it was very early in the tour and we had just finished the fiasco at the port and had already held the other couple up so long at that point.) At one point during the walking tour we actually felt very fortunate to be with Aziz. This is because we passed a house that was under renovations and the contractor knew Aziz so we were invited in the see the house. What an amazing and unique opportunity!!! Other places Aziz took us on our walking tour was into a local bread making "house" that caters to the community where they gave us samples of sunflower seeds and roasted peanuts right from the oven (it was a tucked away location and something I doubt you'd experience on the larger tours). We also visited various hands on small tile shops and a cafe where the Rollingstones had chilled while in Tangier. The cafe had pictures on the wall of Mick Jagger enjoying extracurricular activities in that cafe. Aziz seemed to be a very well known and respected man in the community acknowledged by many many people as he passed through the community. Also walking with Aziz we weren't hassled with people trying to sell us stuff everywhere. If we weren't interested Aziz would say something to them and they would stop trying to sell to us. At the end of the tour Aziz "allowed" some vendors for a brief time to show us what our experience may have been like without a guided tour lol or maybe that is just what the people were like in that particular area. They were relentless trying to sell to us, worst then anywhere I have ever been and I have been to the Caribbean, Mexico (Tijuana, Puerto Vallarta, Cancun & Juarez), Egypt, Kenya, Australia etc...I would not have enjoyed the day at all if that was what we had to deal with all day! Aziz then took us back to the ferry where he personally walked us right to the boat. He was able to pass by customs etc and wait with us until we boarded. Talk about door to door service! There are many other parts of our day but I mostly tried to address the parts of the tour that were a disappointment to you and show how our experience differed greatly from yours. Again sorry to hear you didn't have the same wonderful experience we did but for us thanks to Aziz it was truly a memorable day! It’s a shame you had such an unpleasant experience, ours was quite the opposite! I am actually glad I didn’t see your review until now or we probably would have missed out on a great tour, as we were uncertain with the idea of going with a smaller tour group.
We had Aziz himself and I am certain that that is what made a major difference. Aziz has been in business for 15 years and I could find very few negative reviews on him. I think that in itself speaks volumes for his track record.
I contacted Aziz via e-mail on Monday June 4th, 2012 which was very short notice as we were hoping to book a tour with him on Wednesday June 6th, 2012. He e-mailed us back a few hours later saying yes he could accommodate us on the 6th and outlined our options. We opted for his grand tour catching the 9am ferry with him booking the tickets for us. Our quote was 98 Euros each for the day tour & return ferry from Tarifa.
When we arrived in Tangier, we disembarked the boat and followed everyone else up the ramp and along the overpass corridor. Halfway along there was a check point. There we were turned around by the police as we had not gotten our entry stamp on board. This was a very unnerving experience to see all the tourists walking away and being stuck behind. We ran back to the boat. Fortunately another couple also missed their stamp so we were not alone. I saw a well dress man (dress pants, dress shirt and dress shoes) on the overhead bridge waving and I assumed it was Aziz so I signaled we needed a stamp. He called my cell; it was him and said don’t worry I will wait for you. About 20 minutes later the disgruntled customs agent came back, he looked VERY unimpressed. (the guards told the other couple we were very lucky, for some reason he came back otherwise we would have had to wait til 4pm for him to return) He stamped our passports and we were off. (In hindsight seeing both how respected and how much pull Aziz seemed to have, we can’t help but wonder if he had some influence on the return of the customs agent, although this is pure speculation.)
Aziz greeted us and we met up with another couple from California. For the first hour or so of the tour we felt bad for detaining the other couple so we stayed pretty quiet and let them do all the talking and question asking to Aziz. Aziz provided us with a lot of information on Tangiers history, Moroccan culture and Berber traditions, he was actually extremely informative and we learned a lot. We both love history and after taking many tours in Portugal and Gilbraltar it was interesting to hear the history from the other side of the straight.
Our camel ride was on top of a cliff overlooking the ocean (albeit yes in a dirt parking lot). It cost us 2 Euros each and lasted about a 5-10 minutes. We were able to take as many pictures as we wanted.
Our next stop was Hercules Grotto which Aziz took us into personally. The entrance fee was .50 Euro each and although there were many souvenir spots along the cave to make purchases at no point was it suggested we do so. Our time inside the cave was spent explaining the cave both the natural and man made parts and more of the Berber traditions. There was a man inside the cave taking photos for 2 Euros in front of the Africa shaped opening and developed it for you right there with a good quality camera. We opted to do this as we only had a disposable camera, our phone camera and Aziz’s camera. (None quite captured the image the same as the professional camera) It had been suggested to us by friends who had not yet visited Morocco not to bring our camera over to Tangier. I would advise to bring a camera because at no point did I feel unsafe to have one. This actually brings to light another point. When Aziz realized we didn’t have a camera with us he offered us the use of his digital camera for the day and then he’d email them to us later. (I do have to follow up on getting them however which I will do after I finish this :) !)
Next was lunch. Aziz gave us the choice of going somewhere more touristy or somewhere more authentic and local. We opted for authentic and local. The meal was amazing and cost a total of 25Euros for all five of us! That’s 5 Euros each! We each had a main course and a drink and then we all shared two appetizers and two baskets of bread, oh and three of us also had tea!
During our walking tour we weren’t harassed at all. Not while passing through the shopping areas nor passing through areas where people were making items right there. And there wasn’t anywhere we went that Aziz dissuaded us from purchasing directly from anyone. The other couple on the tour bought two blankets and I ended up buying a scarf. I hadn’t planned on purchasing anything but seeing the workers in action hands on is so different then seeing it on a shelf somewhere. My fiance actually saw a pair of shoes in a downstairs area that Aziz had not planned on bringing us to. We asked Aziz if we could go there he said sure he would take us there if we wanted no problem. Aziz explained he hadn’t planned on taking us there because it was more a flea market type place but if we wanted to go he will take us. My fiance bought some shoes and again Aziz did not dissuade him, he actually helped with the negotiations when he heard the vendor try to switch the price.
Also on the walking tour we visited the area where the Bourne Ultimatum chase seen took place. (Yes in our driving part of the tour we also passed the cafe from the Bourne Ultimatum although it never occurred to us to ask to stop as it was very early in the tour and we had just finished the fiasco at the port and had already held the other couple up so long at that point.)
At one point during the walking tour we actually felt very fortunate to be with Aziz. This is because we passed a house that was under renovations and the contractor knew Aziz so we were invited in the see the house. What an amazing and unique opportunity!!!
Other places Aziz took us on our walking tour was into a local bread making “house” that caters to the community where they gave us samples of sunflower seeds and roasted peanuts right from the oven (it was a tucked away location and something I doubt you’d experience on the larger tours). We also visited various hands on small tile shops and a cafe where the Rollingstones had chilled while in Tangier. The cafe had pictures on the wall of Mick Jagger enjoying extracurricular activities in that cafe.
Aziz seemed to be a very well known and respected man in the community acknowledged by many many people as he passed through the community. Also walking with Aziz we weren’t hassled with people trying to sell us stuff everywhere. If we weren’t interested Aziz would say something to them and they would stop trying to sell to us.
At the end of the tour Aziz “allowed” some vendors for a brief time to show us what our experience may have been like without a guided tour lol or maybe that is just what the people were like in that particular area. They were relentless trying to sell to us, worst then anywhere I have ever been and I have been to the Caribbean, Mexico (Tijuana, Puerto Vallarta, Cancun & Juarez), Egypt, Kenya, Australia etc…I would not have enjoyed the day at all if that was what we had to deal with all day!
Aziz then took us back to the ferry where he personally walked us right to the boat. He was able to pass by customs etc and wait with us until we boarded. Talk about door to door service!
There are many other parts of our day but I mostly tried to address the parts of the tour that were a disappointment to you and show how our experience differed greatly from yours.
Again sorry to hear you didn’t have the same wonderful experience we did but for us thanks to Aziz it was truly a memorable day! It’s a shame you had such an unpleasant experience, ours was quite the opposite! I am actually glad I didn’t see your review until now or we probably would have missed out on a great tour, as we were uncertain with the idea of going with a smaller tour group.
We had Aziz himself and I am certain that that is what made a major difference. Aziz has been in business for 15 years and I could find very few negative reviews on him. I think that in itself speaks volumes for his track record.
I contacted Aziz via e-mail on Monday June 4th, 2012 which was very short notice as we were hoping to book a tour with him on Wednesday June 6th, 2012. He e-mailed us back a few hours later saying yes he could accommodate us on the 6th and outlined our options. We opted for his grand tour catching the 9am ferry with him booking the tickets for us. Our quote was 98 Euros each for the day tour & return ferry from Tarifa.
When we arrived in Tangier, we disembarked the boat and followed everyone else up the ramp and along the overpass corridor. Halfway along there was a check point. There we were turned around by the police as we had not gotten our entry stamp on board. This was a very unnerving experience to see all the tourists walking away and being stuck behind. We ran back to the boat. Fortunately another couple also missed their stamp so we were not alone. I saw a well dress man (dress pants, dress shirt and dress shoes) on the overhead bridge waving and I assumed it was Aziz so I signaled we needed a stamp. He called my cell; it was him and said don’t worry I will wait for you. About 20 minutes later the disgruntled customs agent came back, he looked VERY unimpressed. (the guards told the other couple we were very lucky, for some reason he came back otherwise we would have had to wait til 4pm for him to return) He stamped our passports and we were off. (In hindsight seeing both how respected and how much pull Aziz seemed to have, we can’t help but wonder if he had some influence on the return of the customs agent, although this is pure speculation.)
Aziz greeted us and we met up with another couple from California. For the first hour or so of the tour we felt bad for detaining the other couple so we stayed pretty quiet and let them do all the talking and question asking to Aziz. Aziz provided us with a lot of information on Tangiers history, Moroccan culture and Berber traditions, he was actually extremely informative and we learned a lot. We both love history and after taking many tours in Portugal and Gilbraltar it was interesting to hear the history from the other side of the straight.
Our camel ride was on top of a cliff overlooking the ocean (albeit yes in a dirt parking lot). It cost us 2 Euros each and lasted about a 5-10 minutes. We were able to take as many pictures as we wanted.
Our next stop was Hercules Grotto which Aziz took us into personally. The entrance fee was .50 Euro each and although there were many souvenir spots along the cave to make purchases at no point was it suggested we do so. Our time inside the cave was spent explaining the cave both the natural and man made parts and more of the Berber traditions. There was a man inside the cave taking photos for 2 Euros in front of the Africa shaped opening and developed it for you right there with a good quality camera. We opted to do this as we only had a disposable camera, our phone camera and Aziz’s camera. (None quite captured the image the same as the professional camera) It had been suggested to us by friends who had not yet visited Morocco not to bring our camera over to Tangier. I would advise to bring a camera because at no point did I feel unsafe to have one. This actually brings to light another point. When Aziz realized we didn’t have a camera with us he offered us the use of his digital camera for the day and then he’d email them to us later. (I do have to follow up on getting them however which I will do after I finish this :) !)
Next was lunch. Aziz gave us the choice of going somewhere more touristy or somewhere more authentic and local. We opted for authentic and local. The meal was amazing and cost a total of 25Euros for all five of us! That’s 5 Euros each! We each had a main course and a drink and then we all shared two appetizers and two baskets of bread, oh and three of us also had tea!
During our walking tour we weren’t harassed at all. Not while passing through the shopping areas nor passing through areas where people were making items right there. And there wasn’t anywhere we went that Aziz dissuaded us from purchasing directly from anyone. The other couple on the tour bought two blankets and I ended up buying a scarf. I hadn’t planned on purchasing anything but seeing the workers in action hands on is so different then seeing it on a shelf somewhere. My fiance actually saw a pair of shoes in a downstairs area that Aziz had not planned on bringing us to. We asked Aziz if we could go there he said sure he would take us there if we wanted no problem. Aziz explained he hadn’t planned on taking us there because it was more a flea market type place but if we wanted to go he will take us. My fiance bought some shoes and again Aziz did not dissuade him, he actually helped with the negotiations when he heard the vendor try to switch the price.
Also on the walking tour we visited the area where the Bourne Ultimatum chase seen took place. (Yes in our driving part of the tour we also passed the cafe from the Bourne Ultimatum although it never occurred to us to ask to stop as it was very early in the tour and we had just finished the fiasco at the port and had already held the other couple up so long at that point.)
At one point during the walking tour we actually felt very fortunate to be with Aziz. This is because we passed a house that was under renovations and the contractor knew Aziz so we were invited in the see the house. What an amazing and unique opportunity!!!
Other places Aziz took us on our walking tour was into a local bread making “house” that caters to the community where they gave us samples of sunflower seeds and roasted peanuts right from the oven (it was a tucked away location and something I doubt you’d experience on the larger tours). We also visited various hands on small tile shops and a cafe where the Rollingstones had chilled while in Tangier. The cafe had pictures on the wall of Mick Jagger enjoying extracurricular activities in that cafe.
Aziz seemed to be a very well known and respected man in the community acknowledged by many many people as he passed through the community. Also walking with Aziz we weren’t hassled with people trying to sell us stuff everywhere. If we weren’t interested Aziz would say something to them and they would stop trying to sell to us.
At the end of the tour Aziz “allowed” some vendors for a brief time to show us what our experience may have been like without a guided tour lol or maybe that is just what the people were like in that particular area. They were relentless trying to sell to us, worst then anywhere I have ever been and I have been to the Caribbean, Mexico (Tijuana, Puerto Vallarta, Cancun & Juarez), Egypt, Kenya, Australia etc…I would not have enjoyed the day at all if that was what we had to deal with all day!
Aziz then took us back to the ferry where he personally walked us right to the boat. He was able to pass by customs etc and wait with us until we boarded. Talk about door to door service!
There are many other parts of our day but I mostly tried to address the parts of the tour that were a disappointment to you and show how our experience differed greatly from yours.
Again sorry to hear you didn’t have the same wonderful experience we did but for us thanks to Aziz it was truly a memorable day!

]]> Comment on La Sagrada Familia – Simply One of the Most Spectacular Buildings on Earth by David http://travel.busscher.us/2011/10/la-sagrada-familia-simply-one-of-the-most-spectacular-buildings-on-earth/comment-page-1/#comment-35663 David Wed, 06 Jun 2012 05:17:18 +0000 http://travel.busscher.us/?p=2435#comment-35663 Wow it's come so far since I saw it in 2006. We could not go up in it at all, only ground floor. Very cool, thanks for sharing. Wow it’s come so far since I saw it in 2006. We could not go up in it at all, only ground floor. Very cool, thanks for sharing.

]]> Comment on Bandhavgarh and Kanha National Parks… more than just tigers by Angella Trek http://travel.busscher.us/2011/05/bandhavgarh-and-kanha-national-parks-more-than-just-tigers/comment-page-1/#comment-33001 Angella Trek Fri, 20 Apr 2012 13:33:56 +0000 http://travel.busscher.us/?p=1778#comment-33001 I haven't got the chance to visit Bandhavgarh but it looks to be an adventurous country.The national park has all the wildlife that i love seeing.Thanks for the information and i love the site. I haven’t got the chance to visit Bandhavgarh but it looks to be an adventurous country.The national park has all the wildlife that i love seeing.Thanks for the information and i love the site.

]]> Comment on Panda Base – Chengdu, China by Jenna Williams http://travel.busscher.us/2011/02/panda-base-chengdu-china/comment-page-1/#comment-30340 Jenna Williams Fri, 23 Mar 2012 08:22:44 +0000 http://travel.busscher.us/?p=1388#comment-30340 I loved reading this and seeing the pictures! A couple of us are here in Zhongshen teaching English and have the Panda Base on our list of places to visit. I would love to ask you few questions. If you are able to, please email me back! Jennalynn1025@gmail.com I loved reading this and seeing the pictures! A couple of us are here in Zhongshen teaching English and have the Panda Base on our list of places to visit. I would love to ask you few questions. If you are able to, please email me back! Jennalynn1025@gmail.com

]]> Comment on Iceland’s Ice by All About Travelling http://travel.busscher.us/2011/08/icelands-ice/comment-page-1/#comment-27932 All About Travelling Sun, 04 Mar 2012 21:48:39 +0000 http://travel.busscher.us/?p=2111#comment-27932 <strong>All About Travelling...</strong> [...]Iceland’s Ice | Travel + Photo | A blog by Nathan Busscher[...]... All About Travelling…

[...]Iceland’s Ice | Travel + Photo | A blog by Nathan Busscher[...]…

]]> Comment on Tuli Tiger Resort in Kanha by All About Travelling http://travel.busscher.us/2011/04/tuli-tiger-resort-in-kanha/comment-page-1/#comment-27931 All About Travelling Sun, 04 Mar 2012 21:48:11 +0000 http://travel.busscher.us/?p=1766#comment-27931 <strong>All About Travelling...</strong> [...]Tuli Tiger Resort in Kanha | Travel + Photo | A blog by Nathan Busscher[...]... All About Travelling…

[...]Tuli Tiger Resort in Kanha | Travel + Photo | A blog by Nathan Busscher[...]…

]]> Comment on Climbing the Cinque Torri (5 Towers) by marcello cominetti http://travel.busscher.us/2011/11/climbing-the-cinque-torri-5-towers/comment-page-1/#comment-26537 marcello cominetti Fri, 17 Feb 2012 19:02:42 +0000 http://travel.busscher.us/?p=2550#comment-26537 Hi Nathan, thank you to do so good advertysing to my job! I hope that you and Miki are fine. Here in the Dolomites now I am skiing a lot. I put a link on my website with your experiences with me. Ciao marcello Hi Nathan,

thank you to do so good advertysing to my job!
I hope that you and Miki are fine.
Here in the Dolomites now I am skiing a lot.
I put a link on my website with your experiences with me.
Ciao
marcello

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