Travel – Page 29 – a sibilant intake of breath

Freight shipping and greenhouse gases

Travelling 100km by car produces about 10.8kg per person of carbon dioxide (assuming an average of 1.5 passengers per car). Doing the same by bus produces about 1.3kg, while taking a modern electric train produces about 1.5kg (based on the energy balance in the UK). What is remarkable is that shipping freight by truck produces 180 grams of CO2 per kilometre, while doing so by train produces just 15. Clearly, switching freight transport modes offers considerable scope for emission reductions (as does reducing the total amount of freight shipped).

When you factor in how much damage heavy trucks do to roads – as well as the expense and carbon emissions involved in rebuilding them – it seems pretty clear that disincentives to ship freight by road make sense. Yet another externality that road pricing and carbon taxes could help address.

Morocco photos, part five

By climbing the slippery canyon walls, you could get a good view of the middle section of the cascade.

I had to spent a very long and uncomfortable day traveling to see them, so readers should be willing to tolerate a large number of pictures of the falls.

Pool at the base of the falls

It took an hour of waiting in the sun to get five other people together for a taxi from Ouzoud to Azilal.

In the hot sun, this watermelon truck had a lot of appeal. Unfortunately, they refused to sell me anything less than an entire melon.

Morocco photos, part four

Sorry to have been so slow in posting these. Life has involved a lot of disruption, moving from Oxford to Vancouver to Ottawa.

Crowd at the Gnawa Festival beach stage.

Marakkesh street at night

The Kasbah Mosque, in the southern part of the city.

Cascades d’Ouzoud

This donkey had the unenviable task of carrying empty bottles from the restaurants near the falls to the top of the valley.

Morocco photos, sixth batch

The ceramic vessels with conical tops are used to cook tagines: a distinctive Moroccan dish.

The Atlantic coast is, for the most part, rather rocky.

Essaouira’s fortifications were apparently built by the Portuguese.

I discovered a stairwell that led up through the sea wall to a rather excellent lookout point.

Standing atop the sea wall.

Morocco photos, fifth batch

Coastal engineering in Essaouira

These odd looking six tonne objects constitute some kind of coastal defence, possibly from erosion.

This cat is peeking out from one of the windows of the flat we rented.

Loom in an artisinal school.

Spinning wheel

Morocco photos, fourth batch

Some projected art at the Gnawa Festival.

Cloth and sky.

Painting at an artisinal school.

The sea wall in Essaouira, complete with canons.

West African fish, partaken of by the other members of our caravan.

Morocco photos, third batch

The edge of the Djemma El Fna at night.

The three Norwegian women I met in Essaouira.

Gulls over the Atlantic.

Essaouira harbour.

View from atop the sea wall.

Repatriated

This has become one of those days that you really cannot believe has been one long period of wakefulness. I was woken at 7:30am by a St. Antony’s College scout who was quite astonished to find me there and quite insistent that I should leave immediately. Many thanks to Emily Paddon and Mark Cummins for helping me to do so effectively and expeditiously. Mark deserves particular praise for helping me lug 63 kg of baggage from north Oxford to the Gloucester Green coach station.

One nice thing about all the chaos and confusion is that it hasn’t left me with much time to feel sad about leaving so many things and people behind (temporarily, I hope). Concluding thanks to everyone who helped make my two years in Oxford so special and successful.

Morocco photos, second batch

Some of the detail from the Ali ben Youssef Medersa.

Mosque in Marrakesh. It’s interesting how different they look from the ones we saw in Turkey.

Shine in Marrakesh

For some reason, I like the look of donkeys. They seem dependable and worthy of respect.

Marrakesh has a large wall around the whole of the old city, as well as smaller dividing walls inside.

Morocco photos, first batch

The Koutoubia mosque is the largest in Marrakesh, standing out prominently near one corner of the Djemma El Fna.

From the terrace of my first hotel, you could get a glimpse of the old city from above.

This is a courtyard inside the Marrakesh museum, which I found by accident while I was completely lost in the souq.

The largest open space in the Marrakesh museum is a great place to have a rest and read.

The Ali ben Youssef Medersa is very open for a museum, allowing you to wander all over the place.