Arnab's Year in Cities, 2008

For an accomplished world traveler, there were only a handful of cities or towns that were graced with my preSENce overnight:

• Ait Ben Haddou, Morocco
• Marrakech, Morocco
• Ponce, Puerto Rico 
• Portland, USA
  
• San Juan, Puerto Rico
  
• Tazzarine, Morocco
  
• Vancouver, Canada
  

This list is part of an ongoing meme [from, via] cataloging places that I stayed in for one or more nights over the course of a year. An internet meme is a concept, idea, or belief that is transmitted from one source to another.

Under the Moroccan Sun

Morocco. It has been said that the rich heritage of Europe, Africa, and Arabia come together in this place. As a fusion of the cultures of the East and the West, I was intrigued by this crossroad to civilizations. On my flight into Marrakech I met with another solo traveler from Canada - Abby. After arriving at the airport and exchanging our dollars for dirhams, the Moroccan currency, we shared a taxi to her hotel in the new part of the city. I had booked no room in advance, so she joined me in my quest for a hotel. I wanted to be situated in the heart of the old city within the walled medina. We were told that it was a short walk from where we were. My target was Hotel Ali, as a friend had suggested it for its great location.

Forty five minutes later we walked through the gates into the old city. An intricate network of narrow lanes with even narrower alleys awaited us. Apart from foot traffic, scooters whizzed past us with only inches of separation between pedestrian and driver. Cars were rare as the roads were not wide enough to accommodate them. Small stalls lined the streets with spices, carpets, jewelry, crafts, and every day items on sale. Abby tried to take a photograph of a mountain of spices, but the shopkeeper frowned and wagged his finger, so she refrained.

I was tiring from carrying around my luggage under the Moroccan sun, so we stopped at Cafe Arabe for lunch. Reclining on a couch in the open air rooftop terrace, I sipped some iced mint tea (the national drink) and then ate a chicken tagine (the national dish) for rejuvenation. I determined my current position on a map and estimated the direction that I would have to walk to reach Hotel Ali. The minaret of the Koutoubia Mosque was my landmark. Towering over the other structures inside the old city, it could be seen from most points inside the medina. I could see that some distance yet remained.

ARNABurger

A burger is a special type of sandwich composed of a bottom bun, one or more patties (beef, chicken, fish, vegetable mishmash, etc), other secondary ingredients (cheese, bacon, tomato, pickle, etc), condiments (ketchup, mustard, etc), and a top bun. The bread, the patty, and the eater are usually circular in shape.

Vancouver has its fair share of burger joints. Vera's Burger Shack offers high quality burgers at a modest price. The BC Burger at White Spot is a personal favourite of mine. Fatburger, the "White Castle of the West", is not very impressive. Other outfits, namely Burger Heaven and Hamburger Mary's, offer an unique selection of meats including elk, kangaroo, and ox. Before shutting its doors to the public due to increasing costs, Wally's was another prominent figure in Vancouver's burger landscape.

A low price point and decent taste were Wally's hallmarks. A steady stream of people, some tearful regulars trading nostalgic tales and some just wanting to try it once while they have the chance, were in the line up. I was in the latter category, seizing a chance to savour this portion of Vancouver's burger lineup before it was removed from the roster.

On The Sails

The iconic sails of Canada Place become the backdrop for a dazzling Christmas flavoured light show during the holiday season. The multipurpose facility located on the city's waterfront contains a hotel, convention centre, Vancouver's original IMAX theatre, and a cruise ship terminal. A 15 minute stroll around Canada Place provides a refreshing breather from the daily grind. During the cruise season, glimpses can be caught of the minutiae of preparation (cleaning, loading, boarding, etc.) that the massive ships go through before each voyage.

Festive Spirit

Exactly a month before Christmas, hundreds of people gathered on the lawn of the Vancouver Art Gallery . It was time for the second annual lighting of a large Christmas tree in the city centre. Kevin Bieksa of the Vancouver Canucks had the honour of flicking the switch.

As the magical moment came near, the revelers counted down from 10 and watched the Christmas decorations come to life. It was a rather lacklustre ceremony, but all was forgiven as everyone was in a festive mood to mark the start of the holiday season.