The title of this article might be a bit misleading. The trip is really 3.5 weeks out, but I started late. It is funny how quickly time flies, one day I am looking forward to going to Greece, the next day I look back and it has been months since I have traveled anywhere. Lisbon, Portugal is a place that was the runner up to every other trip we made; we finally pulled the trigger on this destination. Of course, being who we are we decided to squeeze in another continent along the way. It was just too tempting, given that Marrakesh, Morocco is a 1.5-hour plane ride away, so we added a vacation within our vacation. First, as usual, I need to prep both. Below is my strategy.
Putting the Trip Together
I probably broke half my rules for travelling when booking this getaway. My research is much more limited than usual, I spent more money and I am taking a trip within a trip. I am not talking about adding a leg on to the trip, we added a whole new continent for two days, then returning to Lisbon
Our plan is as follows; fly into Lisbon. Stay four nights in the city, then fly into Marrakesh for two nights. Then it is back to Lisbon for four more days. The itinerary forces me to do a lot of extra research about the dangers, food, and accommodations of the trip. No matter how much research I do on these two locations, I can’t get a feel for what to expect. This maybe a good thing, surprise is the best part of travel. Still I have my “must see” and more importantly “must eat” lists ready to go.
Accommodations in Lisbon (and Marrakesh)
Given the complexity of my trip, I had to choose three different hotels, two in Lisbon one in Marrakesh. I like to be close to the major attractions the first time I visit a new city. What is closer than inside of an attraction? The Solar Do Castelo is in the São Jorge Castle, which will be convenient for knocking out one of the major sites of the city. I did my research and all signs point to this 4-star hotel being an amazing stay.
My second Lisbon Hotel is the Villa Baixa, it is more like an apartment than a hotel. I am not sure what the difference is, but I am certain to learn; this is another highly rated hotel in the center of town. Not as many bells and whistles, but what it lacks in amenities it makes up for in space, convenience, and price. Hopefully the reviewers didn’t lead me astray.
Lastly, for the two nights in Marrakesh we choose the Riad Andalla Spa, the place looks like something out of Aladdin. We labored over our decision with no point of reference for this area. I will say the food at the hotel looks amazing. I don’t usually eat breakfast at hotels but given my need to avoid for bacteria filled food carts (and a weakness for them), combined with the amazing spread this place has, I probably will…
Safety
Lisbon and Marrakesh might be 1.5 hours away from each other, but they are worlds apart in terms of what to look out for safety wise. Of course, all cities that attract tourist have similar scams. As I mentioned in my post on safety, one should always be on guard for the scams and pitfalls of each region as well as ones common to all areas. Below is what I found so far, but I am always doing more research.
Food
In Marrakesh, I was warned that even the most seasoned traveler needs to watch out for the street food. I survived Bangkok, Panama and most of Europe…but I am not going to test my luck. Well, I might a little, the street food looks damn good. I am bringing Cipro (ask your doctor) this should help. If I must try a food vendor I will look online to see the safest ones. Sheep’s head might be out, unless I have been over served some local wine…
As for Lisbon, they don’t seem to have a lot of street food, so I think I’ll be ok. The only thing I seem to have to worry about it eating myself sick and of course watching out the scam restaurants that are popular throughout Europe.
Crime
Besides the usual pickpockets in the Lisbon, I was somewhat surprised the amount of crime I was hearing about. Between bag snatchers and robbers with knives, people seemed a little more worried than other cities I have visited. If you have been to Portugal, I would love to hear your experiences. One other thing I have been reading about is there are a ton of drug dealers, probably since most drugs have been decriminalized.
It seems that Marrakesh has more scams and hassles than crimes, fake tour guides, rude venders or snake handlers that try to rip you off. Of course, it is always wise to look for both criminals and scammers. In addition, there are also warnings about travelling at night, etc… as always, a little common sense goes a long way.
As mentioned with every trip, I am on the lookout for the scam restaurants. TripAdvisor is usually good at clueing me into these. Go to the last pages of reviews and you will find the one-star places that threaten customers if they don’t pay their ridiculous bill. It is funny, these scams are all over, yet they seem to be allowed. People in the United States would riot if there were places that charged a couple $500-$1000 for a microwaved meal.
Prepping Myself
- Health– I am going to Marrakesh, so if my research is correct, I am going to get diarrhea. It a rite of passage or something. In all seriousness I need to go on a shopping trip. Imodium and Pepto are my friends. As mentioned, I will also be asking my doctor about Cipro, that is supposed to help with food poisoning. I talked a lot about avoiding street food, it is a different story when it is in front of me…
- Weight– I travel to eat, and I need to prep for it. Before Greece I was in great shape, but if you follow me, you know the food of Greece took its toll (worth it). In the four months since Greece, I went to Ashville, Raleigh, and Detroit. I celebrated Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years and my birthday. The fact that I can see my feet is a miracle. I have a little less than a month left and about 15 LBs to lose. Needless to say, there will be a diet, nothing but eggs and veggies from here on out…
- Money– I am budgeting around $300/day for this trip. Given the amount of seafood in Lisbon, I think this is fair. A visit to the bank to pick up some Euros is needed. Exchanging money at a hotel or airport is like throwing it out the window. I will use my ATM, but I need to have something to walk around with.
- Paper Work– I always need to remember to set up my phone, ATM/Credit Cards, and have an idea as to where my passport is (My wife is typically on point..). So many people still get home with $400 data fees from their phone company, when some simple planning could alleviate the issue..
Take-Away
So why I am telling you all this, anyway? I think it is good for someone who has never traveled to see what I do to prep for a trip. Being different than most travel writers, I come at it with a unique perspective. The majority of readers are not full time travelers. We don’t live on the road, hitting a country for months at a time. Our time and money are valuable, so preparation goes a long way. The anticipation for a trip is part of the fun, planning helps build the anticipation…
Livin’ the dream…