Rough Guide to Morocco

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价格:60.00

isbn号码:9780710201539

具体描述

Book Description INTRODUCTION For Westerners， Morocco holds an immediate and enduring fascination. Though just an hour's ride on the ferry from Spain， it seems at once very far from Europe， with a culture - Islamic and deeply traditional - that is almost wholly unfamiliar. Throughout the country， despite the years of French and Spanish colonial rule and the presence of modern and cosmopolitan cities like Rabat or Casablanca， a more distant past constantly makes its presence felt. Fes， perhaps the most beautiful of all Arab cities， maintains a life still rooted in medieval times， when a Moroccan empire stretched from Senegal to northern Spain; while in the mountains of the Atlas and the Rif， it is still possible to draw up tribal maps of the Berber population. As a backdrop to all this， the country's physical make-up is also extraordinary: from a Mediterranean coast， through four mountain ranges， to the empty sand and scrub of the Sahara. All of which makes travel here an intense and rewarding - if not always easy - experience. Certainly， there can be problems in coming to terms with your privileged position as tourist in a nation that， for the most part， would regard such activities as those of another world. And the northern cities especially have a reputation for hustlers: self-appointed guides whose eagerness to offer their services - and whose attitude to tourists as being a justifiable source of income (and to women as something much worse) - can be hard to deal with. If you find this to be too much of a struggle， then it would probably be better to keep to low-key resorts like Essaouira or Asilah， or to the more cosmopolitan holiday destination of Agadir， built very much in the image of its Spanish counterparts， or even a packaged sightseeing tour. But you'd miss a lot that way. Morocco is at its best well away from such trappings. A week's hiking in the Atlas; a journey through the southern oases or into the pre-Sahara; or leisured strolls around Tangier， Fes or Marrakesh - once you adapt to a different way of life， all your time will be well spent. And it is difficult for any traveller to go for long without running into Morocco's equally powerful tradition of hospitality， generosity and openness. This is a country people return to again and again. Regions Geographically， the country divides into five basic zones: the coast， Mediterranean and Atlantic; the great cities of the plains; the Rif and Atlas mountains; and the oases and desert of the pre- and fully-fledged Sahara. With two or three weeks - even two or three months - you can't expect to cover all of this， though it's easy enough (and highly recommended) to take in something of each aspect. You are unlikely to miss the mountains， in any case. The three ranges of the Atlas， with the Rif a kind of extension in the north， cut right across the interior - physical and historical barriers， and inhabited for the most part by the indigenous Moroccan Berbers. Contrary to general preconceptions， it is actually the Berbers who make up most of the population; only around ten percent of Moroccans are "pure" Arabs， although with the shift to the industrialized cities， such distinctions are becoming less and less significant. A more current distinction， perhaps， is the legacy of Morocco's colonial occupation over the fifty-odd years before it reasserted its independence in 1956. The colonized country was divided into Spanish and French zones - the former contained Tetouan and the Rif， the Mediterranean and the northern Atlantic coasts， and parts of the Western Sahara; the latter comprised the plains and the main cities (Fes， Marrakesh， Casablanca and Rabat)， as well as the Atlas. It was the French， who ruled their "protectorate" more closely， who had the most lasting effect on Moroccan culture， Europeanizing the cities to a strong degree and firmly imposing their language， which is spoken today by all educated Moroccans (after Moroccan Arabic or the three local Berber languages). --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. Excerpted from The Rough Guide To Morocco (Rough Guide Morocco) by Rough Guides. Copyright © 2004. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. When to go As far as the climate goes， it would be better to visit the south – or at least the desert routes – outside midsummer， when for most of the day it’s far too hot for casual exploration， especially if you’re dependent on public transport. But July and August， the hottest months， can be wonderful on the coast， while in the mountains there are no set rules. Spring， which comes late by European standards (around April to May)， is perhaps the best overall time， with a summer climate in the south and in the mountains， as well as on the Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts. Winter can be perfect by day in the south， though be warned that desert nights can get very cold – a major consideration if you’re staying in the cheaper hotels， which rarely have heating. If you’re planning to hike in the mountains， it’s best to keep to the months from April to October unless you have some experience of snow conditions. Weather conditions apart， the Islamic religious calendar and its related festivals will have the most seasonal effect on your travel. The most important factor is Ramadan， the month of daytime fasting; this can be a problem for transport， and especially hiking， though the festive evenings do much to compensate. See p.65 of the Basics section for details of its timing， as well as that of other festivals. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

用户评价

这本“Rough Guide to Morocco”简直是探险家的福音！我带着它深入了马拉喀什的迷宫般的麦地那，那种身临其境的感觉，光是回忆起来都让人心跳加速。指南对于那些错综复杂的巷道描述得极其到位，即便是初次到访的游客，也能凭借着书中的地图和地标提示，避开迷失方向的尴尬。尤其是它对当地手工艺品市场的细致介绍，不仅仅是告诉你“去哪里买东西”，更深入地挖掘了每一种商品的文化背景和制作工艺。比如，关于皮革染坊的介绍，它没有停留在表面的视觉冲击，而是讲述了传统染色过程中使用的天然原料及其对当地环境的影响，让人在购物之余，多了一份对传统的敬畏。再说说住宿方面，这本书简直是“在地化”体验的宝库。它推荐的那些隐藏在老城深处的里亚德（Riad），每一个都有着独特的故事和令人惊叹的建筑细节，远非连锁酒店能比拟的宁静与奢华。书里甚至还贴心地标注了哪些里亚德提供传统的哈曼姆（Hammām）服务，让我在一天的暴走后，能找到最正宗的放松方式。总而言之，它不只是一本旅游工具书，更像是一位经验丰富的本地朋友，在你耳边低语着摩洛哥最真实、最迷人的秘密。

如果让我用一个词来概括这本指南的风格，那一定是“坦诚”。它从不回避摩洛哥旅行中可能遇到的挑战，反而以一种幽默而务实的态度将其摆在读者面前。书中对于讨价还价的艺术有专门的章节，用漫画和情景对话的形式，生动演示了如何应对那些令人头疼的“初次报价”。这种直言不讳的态度，让人感到非常亲切和被理解。同时，指南在规划行程方面提供了极大的灵活性。它没有强行规定“你必须在三天内看完所有景点”，而是提供了多种主题的行程建议，比如“文化探索七日游”、“南部沙漠探险十日游”等等，让不同偏好的旅行者都能找到最适合自己的节奏。即便是关于打包行李的建议，也考虑到了当地气候的剧烈变化——从沿海的潮湿到沙漠的干燥，所需衣物的层级搭配都被考虑得一丝不苟。这种全方位的、充满人情味的关怀，让我在出发前和旅途中都感到踏实无比，仿佛有一位经验丰富的伙伴时刻在身旁提供建议。

坦白说，我购买这本“Rough Guide to Morocco”的初衷是寻找一些避开旅游陷阱的“秘密基地”，而它完全没有让我失望。指南对于“非主流”体验的发掘做得尤为出色。它花了不少篇幅介绍如何前往阿特拉斯山脉深处那些鲜为人知的柏柏尔村落，并提供了当地家庭寄宿（Gîte d'étape）的联系方式和注意事项。这些信息在其他主流指南中几乎是找不到的。在阿伊特本哈杜（Aït Benhaddou）附近，我根据书中的指引，找到了一条可以避开旅行团、安静欣赏古城全景的小径，那种独占壮丽景色的感觉，是任何热门景点都无法比拟的。此外，它对当地美食的推荐也极具前瞻性，没有过多强调游客常去的餐厅，而是侧重于那些本地人排队的街边摊和家庭作坊。我跟着指南的提示，品尝到了被当地人誉为“镇上最好”的塔吉锅，其浓郁的香料层次感至今仍让我回味无穷。这本书真正做到了引导读者深入生活的肌理，而不是仅仅停留在光鲜亮丽的表面。

对于热衷于历史和建筑的旅行者来说，这本书简直是一部迷你型的学术参考资料。它对摩尔式建筑风格的剖析深入浅出，无论是阿尔莫哈德王朝的拱门设计，还是伊斯兰几何图案的象征意义，都有着清晰的图解和背景介绍。在参观拉巴特的乌达雅堡或梅克内斯的历史遗迹时，我发现手中的指南比导游的讲解还要清晰准确。它不仅仅罗列了名胜古迹，更重要的是，它将这些遗址置于摩洛哥漫长而复杂的历史脉络中进行解读，让我能更深刻地理解眼前所见是如何一步步演变而来的。例如，关于撒哈拉沙漠边缘城镇的介绍，书中详尽地描述了柏柏尔人几个世纪以来如何利用巧妙的水利系统维持生存的奇迹。这种对文化底蕴的挖掘，让我的旅行不再是走马观花，而是真正触及了这片土地的灵魂。就连随手翻到的关于特定清真寺庭院布局的小插曲，都充满了知识的魅力，让人爱不释手。

我必须承认，我原本对北非的旅行抱有一种谨慎的期待，毕竟文化差异和语言障碍是摆在眼前的现实。然而，这本“Rough Guide to Morocco”的出色之处在于它对“实用性”的极致追求。它在处理语言障碍方面提供了近乎完美的解决方案。书中包含的速查短语手册，不仅仅是标准的“你好”、“谢谢”，而是涵盖了诸如“这个价格能再低一点吗？”、“请问哪个方向是去火车站的？”这类在实际交易和问路中至关重要的表达。更让我印象深刻的是它在交通指南上的详尽程度。从卡萨布兰卡的城际火车时刻表到菲斯错综复杂的“小巴”（Petit Taxi）计费规范，所有信息都以清晰的表格形式呈现，大大减少了被“宰”的风险。我特别欣赏它对不同地区安全注意事项的强调，比如在特定区域拍照的礼仪，或是夜晚独自行走需要注意的事项。这些细微的提醒，体现了编者对读者安全的高度责任感，让我能够更加自信、无忧地探索那些光怪陆离的异域风情。这本书让摩洛哥之旅从一场充满不确定性的冒险，变成了一次精心策划的文化沉浸。