* Checked into the hotel just before noon and I forced myself to stay awake until dinner, which was 7pm. During check-in I had my first experience with Moroccan mint tea. It tasted very bitter and I wasn't a fan of tea before or a fan after my trip.
* Picture below is the view from my hotel room. Could probably pass as Florida.
* Golf course was 30 minutes from the hotel. Shuttles transported us every 20 minutes. The golf course wasn't much different from an Arizona "desert style" course. The grass was dormant bermuda, but the greens were bent grass. Conditions were very firm and fast. The fairways rolled like concrete and they even felt like concrete some times. The dirt was much more like clay and the lack of rain made the ground dry and firm. Windy conditions blew dirt and dust into the air and frequently blocked the view of the mountains.
* Huge tee markers and signs were placed behind each tee box. (picture below)
* Houses surrounded the course, but only 10% of the homes were finished. Unfinished homes didn't stop people from living there. It's tough to see, but look closely at the house on the right. You might be able to see some bikes parked to the right of the stairs.
* Here's a picture of what the finished homes look like.
* Prayer's were heard everyday at 4pm (and maybe at 4am - never awake to hear). You can hear the chants from a long distance. The tallest buildings in many parts of town were the prayer towers. Picture below. The prayer tower is the building with white "bell tower" on top
* Some of the mornings and afternoons had clearer views of the mountains on the horizon. Early morning picture overlooking #18 green and then mountains.
* Morning picture overlooking #10 tee.
* Afternoon picture overlooking #18 green.
* Finally here's the obligatory photo of a truck in Africa hauling way too much cargo.
Neil
