Despite what I said about there being a huge drought in New Mexico (which there is) there are some lakes, the most notable being Elephant Butte (famous for boat parties and other chaos) and the lesser known, equally beautiful, Lake Conchas, part of Conchas Lake State National Park , famous for gentle jaunts around in a boat before throwing yourself in the water and taking a doughnut ride!
IT’s WORTH CONSIDERING:
Out in the South Western states, as they are so spread out an 8 to 10 hour drive to your destination is actually considered very reasonable, there’s no traffic, it’s pretty much just travelling in a straight line! With the sky turning a violent red tinged with a soothing purple, dusk began slowly seeping into the sky with a very faint glitter of lights in the distance.
Moved into my flat- still sans luggage- next thing I know I’ve just agreed to go on a last minute trip to Mexico! Having met my new neighbours it turns out one of them (a Swedish ice hockey player) filled out the wrong visa entry card and has 24 hours to leave the country and return, otherwise he will be deported, logical conclusion (since Canada is a bit too far) is to drive to Mexico!
DEPARTURES:
Albuquerque, New Mexico was to be my home for the next year or so as I immersed myself in American culture, history and society. Welcome to the Wild Wild West. Having waited two hours at Heathrow due to a mix up with my tickets, and running my foot over with the luggage trolley I am finally on the flight.
Behind the sleepy, idyllic mountain village scene of Chefchauen, there lies a secret……the Hammam. There are two different types of Hammam, one for women…a wonderfully pleasant, relaxing experience, and one for men…an experience which my dad later relayed to me upon his return to the hotel room.
It began with dad spending the night in his car, whilst I unsuspectingly spent it in a mansion of mosaics, me getting lost down all the dead ends in Fes – Morocco’s second largest city – the next day whilst trying to find him, and him subsequently getting arrested – for driving the wrong way down a one way street in a restricted area without a valid permit.
The Sahara is a magical land, frequented by many nomadic ‘Berber tribes’ who still wander this majestic desert, across ancient routes with their camels and produce to trade with neighbouring settlements.
Late-night negotiations had taken place the previous night, resulting in me not being bought for camels and ‘a large part of Nigeria’. We instead agreed to a dessert trip out to a place called Merzouga. Another day-long drive eventually brought us to the stunning Kasbah Erg Chebbi ASBAH ERG CHEBBI, our home for tonight, where we were introduced to Jimi Hendrix and Bob Marley…our trusty steeds for the next few days!
This recipe is based on the recipes I learnt to make from locals while on my travels around Morocco. Continue reading “Moroccan Chicken Tagine”
The Adventures of Elle Coco 