Program Highlights: Learn in-depth insights into the traditional ways of life of the native Berber culture as 123 Reynolds Alumni Center you penetrate their hinterland Columbia, MO 65211 in the Phone: (800) 372-6822 / (573) 882-6611 www.mizzou.com Explore hidden treasures E-mail: [email protected] unknown to mass tourism. Among them Sijilmassa, once ’s greatest city, its ruins now scattered amid the sands of the See 5 World Heritage Sites Savor the very finest that ’s renowned cuisine has to offer at select eateries, plus a private wine cellar tour Experience the true essence of Morocco’s architecture, social life, historical achievements, politics and more from an “insider’s” point of view Cover all facets of this Land of Contrast, from the sands of the Sahara Desert to snow-capped mountains, fields covered by wildflowers, vast cedar forests and their Barbary macaques.

A Moorish Realm The Artistic and Cultural Heritage of MOROCCO March 19 – 31, 2011 Piotr Kostrzewski Study Leader

The 9th-century Medina (old city) of Fes Dear Mizzou Alumni, I invite you on an exciting journey to exotic Morocco, a thousand-year-old Kingdom steeped in lore and mystery, yet but 8 miles south of Europe. It is a land of ancient medinas girdled by massive ramparts; of pristine mountain hamlets and lush desert oases; of adobe casbahs and astounding ’ palaces; of colorful, bustling markets and delectable cuisine. In springtime, it is also a land bursting with wildflowers. Morocco’s varied charms have seduced travelers for centuries, from Maimonides to Henri Matisse and Winston Churchill. The Kingdom is that enchanting hybrid born of spectacular topography and the millennia-old lore of its multi-hued cultures. From severe contrast to pure beauty, from stark reality to a rich history intertwined with legend, Morocco exudes strong emo- tions, enchanting colors and wonders to surprise all. Yet, beyond the well-beaten paths, lies an immensely rich culture, astounding architecture, stark tribal crafts and the timeless ways of life of the indigenous Berber settlers, veiled to all but true insiders. For this journey we are partnering with Piotr Kos- trzewski, who has researched the Berber culture since the 1970s and has designed specialized travel programs for dozens of U.S. alumni associations and museums. You will experience the true heritage of Morocco in all its variety and riches through his eyes, on a special program designed exclusively for Mizzou Alumni. We will cover the land from the glories of the millennium-old northern Imperial Cities, across the majestic Atlas mountains, their 13,000-ft peaks cowled in snow, and into the deep South, a realm of oases, adobe citadels and lively markets on the edge of the Sahara. Accommodations are among the best available throughout, selected for their character, service and location. Nearly all meals are covered, at select Moroccan or Continental eateries. Come sip mint tea with us in the Moors’ Cradle, one of the world’s most unique, rewarding and generously hospitable destinations. Caroline Lanham, BS ‘76 Senior Director Mizzou Alumni Association

Itinerary gardens and intricate 14th-C. necropolis of the Merinids. After a March 19, Saturday — US Gateway/ seafood lunch on the dramatic coastline we stop at the archaeo- Departures from US gateways, suggested via New York JFK airport logical museum, rich in pre-historic and Roman treasures. Then it’s for the direct overnight Royal Air Maroc flight to Morocco. Meals 2½ hrs East to religious and intellectual capital Fes. Moroccan are served aloft. dinner in the hotel’s original palace wing. HOTEL: Palais Jamaï(5*), built upon a former vizier’s palace and the sole hotel within March 20, Sunday — Casablanca/ the old city, in deluxe Medina-view rooms (3 nights). After an early morning arrival at Casablanca airport, we stop by the Hassan II mosque, Africa’s largest, and then proceed 1½ hr to stately March 22, Tuesday — Fes capital city Rabat. The remainder of the morning is free to relax, A morning walk through 9th-C. “Old” Fes, considered by scholars with lunch on your own. An afternoon orientation of the city to be the last true example of a typical medieval Arab town. We see includes the mausoleum to modern Morocco’s “father” Mohamed the mausoleum to city founder Idriss II, the restored Nejjarine caravan- V, the adjoining ruins of the Hassan mosque, meant to have been sary, now an exquisite museum of wood arts, and the area of the the world’s largest in the 12th C., world’s oldest university, the and the whitewashed Oudaïa Qaraouine, with its famed casbah, a former lair of Barbary colorful leather tanneries, Coast corsairs, with an Andalusian specialty bazaars and craft garden. A welcome feast of Mo- workshops. Typical Fesi lunch roccan specialties at Dinarjat, the during the walk at a converted city‘s finest traditional eatery, in home in the heart of the city. the medina. HOTEL: Downtown’s Following the walk we take a renovated Golden Tulip Farah(5*), driving tour of the ramparts overlooking the Bou Regreg river. and see parts of 14th-C. “New” Fes, with its beautiful 700-year- March 21, Monday — Rabat/ old Bou Inania school. Dinner Salé/Fes on your own. We start the day with a walk through the neighboring city of March 23, Wednesday — Salé, which, largely spared by Fes//Meknes/Fes tourism, presents a true aspect of An excursion takes us West, a traditional medina. We follow first to the ruins of Volubilis, its spice, cloth and food bazaars Rome’s capital for north- until the seldom visited 14th-C. western Africa until the 3rd C., seminary, a jewel of Merinid dy- with well-preserved nasty art. From there, back to that are still in situ. Next is Rabat and the Chellah fortress, Imperial City Meknes, which its Roman vestiges, exquisite 17th-C. Moulay Ismaïl In the March 27, Sunday — Ouarzazate/Aït ben Haddou/Marrakech First today we view the Aït ben Haddou casbah, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and oft-used film background (e.g., “Gladiator”). Then North on the spectacular road of the Tichka pass, with sweeping views over deep green dales and their hamlets below snow-capped peaks. Reach legendary Marrakech in mid-afternoon, with the remainder of the day free. Dinner awaits in the 1001-nights fantasy of a Moroccan palace. HOTEL: The Jardins de la Koutoubia, the sole 5-star hotel inside the old city, in its Superior Patio-view rooms (4 nights). March 28, Monday — Marrakech We penetrate the reed-shaded bazaars, Morocco’s largest, exploring quarters where varied crafts are still fashioned by hand (and foot!). There we stop at the Ben Youssef school, a gem of Moorish art. Seafood lunch in the new city of Gueliz. The afternoon is for the exotic gardens established by French Orientalist Jacques Majorelle in the 1920s, and Yves St. Laurent’s Museum of Islamic Arts within. The day is capped by a walk through the infamous Jemaa el Fna square, where the circus-like activityis at its height around sunset. Dinner with lively entertainment at the trendy Comptoir, Morocco’s No 1 “in” spot. Casbah in the Dades Valley March 29, Tuesday — “Berber Day” A departure by minivans into the remote realms at the foot of 14,000-ft built as his capital. There we see his mausoleum, the immense granary Mt. Toubkal, North Africa’s highest peak, where Berber ways of life and he built to feed the city’s population and his 12,000(!) horses for up thought have remained truest to their ancient traditions, continuing to a year-long siege, and the Jamaï museum of the city’s crafts, set in to flourish well beyond mass tourism tracks. We begin this exclusive a former palace. Lunch at the grand Hotel TransAtlantique, over- program for Mizzou Alumni with a mule ride through ancient walnut looking the Meknes medina. Late afternoon return to Fes, with groves and terraced fields until Amred hamlet, crowning a hilltop. We free time for personal pursuits or a visit of the workshops for explore Berber culture there and then follow the track to the and , a Fesi specialty. For dinner we head to the Maison du Toubkal, a former fortress converted to an award-winning eco-lodge, Bleue, for northern Morocco’s finest traditional cuisine. where lunch awaits. Afternoon return to Marrakech. A day of learning and adventure, to witness life-styles lost in time. Dinner is on your March 24, Thursday — Fes/Atlas Mountains/Arfoud own, to sample among the vast array of the city’s excellent eateries. A long day of fascinating, ever-changing landscapes as we cross the March 30, Wednesday — Marrakech Atlas ranges South all the way to the Sahara. We begin with the Our program winds down with a visit of the private collection of Bert Middle Atlas and its last forests of the giant Mediterranean cedars Flint, Morocco’s pre-eminent craft expert. We then stop at the Bahia (amid which we may spot a band of the Barbary macaques), passing palace of vizier Ba Ahmed, a prime example of Moorish-Andalusian mountain station , site of a new international university. Lunch art spread over 20 acres. Lunch and the remainder of the day free for is in Berber enclave and then down the Ziz gorges, through personal pursuits — additional sightseeing, relaxing and packing! A ever starker scenery, until Arfoud. Buffet dinner at the hotel. farewell feast awaits in a Moroccan eatery nestled in the medina. HOTEL: Xaluca(4*), boutique hotel in local adobe style (2 nights). March 31, Thursday — Marrakech/New York March 25, Friday — Arfoud/Sijilmassa/Tafilalet Oasis/Erg Departure from Marrakech airport for the flights home via Casablanca. Chebbhi Dunes We first explore the Tafilalet oasis, Morocco’s largest, with an insider’s Study Leader look at the ruins of Sijilmassa, Africa’s immense “City of Gold” until Having spent part of his childhood in , Piotr Kostrzewski landed the 14th C., and the former adobe fort of Oulad in Morocco in 1977 as a teacher, spending much of the next two years abd el Halim. Lunch of local specialties, following which we board in the study of Berber culture, local languages, and exploring all nooks Land Rovers and head out to the great Erg Chebbhi dunes, rising of the Kingdom. In 1982 he founded Cross Cultural Adventures to 600 ft above the desert’s floor, where we witness sunset over the offer travelers the most insightful insider’s look at Morocco, its peoples Sahara. En route we also stop to see a vast fossil quarry that supplies and their rich, varied heritage. Over the years, his extensive personal museum shops world-wide. Dinner back at the Xaluca in Arfoud. contacts, from the Royal Palace to villagers in remote vales of the High [OPTION: Stay at the dunes to spend the night walk-in tents with raised Atlas, have enabled participants in his programs to gain entry to private beds and lined with carpets. Festive dinner is included. Bathroom homes, palaces and gardens unattainable to any but the most privileged. facilities are shared and very primitive.] Mr. Kostrzewski has designed customized Morocco programs for major March 26, Saturday — Arfoud/Todgha Gorge/Tinerhir/Dades American museum and university travel groups. He lectures frequently Valley/Ouarzazate on Morocco and its Berber heritage. For specific program questions please West to the foothills of the Atlas and the spectacular Todgha gorge, contact Piotr at (703) 237-0100 or at [email protected] Morocco’s “Grand Canyon,” with dense palm groves. We also take an exclusive look at the 16th-C. Tinerhir casbah, a maze of covered Tour Costs alleyways. After lunch above the valley, still West to the Dades vale, $4,830 land cost per person, based on double occupancy and considered southern Morocco’s prettiest, with varied orchards guarded minimum participation of only 15 tour members. by ancient adobe castles. Early evening arrival in international film- $1,420 supplement for single occupancy. shooting center Ouarzazate, used ever since “Lawrence of Arabia” $1,054 estimated Coach airfare New York–Casablanca/Marrakech– until the recent “Kingdom of Heaven” and “Babel.” Buffet dinner at the New York on Royal Air Maroc. Lower rates may become available, hotel. HOTEL: Berbere Palace(5*), a favorite of the film crews. pending finalization of participants’ air routings. Terms & Conditions Reservations & Payments: Reservations will be accepted in order of receipt if Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance is strongly recommended. In- accompanied by a completed reservation form and a deposit check of $500.00 formation on insurance will be sent to you by the Mizzou Alumni Association per person. Final payment for all land and air costs will be due by January 19, upon receipt of deposit. 2011. Only checks are accepted for reservations and all land costs. Health: This program does involve some extensive walks on occasionally steep Tour Size: This tour will operate with minimum 15, maximum 25 participants. alleys with uneven steps. Thus, while the trip is designed for those in average The right is reserved to cancel the tour if minimum group size is not met. physical condition, good walking ability is essential to benefit from all pro- gram features. There are some long drives. Dusty conditions are possible. If Your Tour Price Covers: Accommodations in 4- to 5-star hotels, as listed in the you have any doubt about your ability to participate fully due to a health con- itinerary or similar, based on a shared double room with private bath; single dition or disabilities, please contact Mizzou Alumni at (800) 372-6822 or Cross rooms are available at the supplement. In-country meals listed, with continental Cultural Adventures at (703) 237-0100. or buffet breakfasts, Moroccan or European lunches and dinners, table d’hôte basis. Coffee/tea included only with breakfast; mineral water provided with lunches/ Responsibility: Cross Cultural Adventures, and not the Mizzou Alumni Associa- dinners and on intercity transfer days only. Transport throughout by an a/c coach, tion, is the tour operator and is responsible for the services provided. By the plus 4WD vehicles or minibuses for excursions outlined. All special arrange- forwarding of a deposit and by completing and signing the reservation form for ments outlined in the itinerary. All entry fees covered by itinerary. Services of the “A Moorish Realm” tour, March 19–31, 2011, the depositor thereby agrees study leader throughout, plus national guide and/or local guides as needed. and assigns to release and hold harmless the Mizzou Alumni Association and Baggage handling of 1 piece of baggage per person, limited to 44 lbs (baggage Cross Cultural Adventures, and any of their officers, agents or representatives and personal effects are taken at owner’s risk; baggage insurance is advised). All from any and all liability which might be incurred during any portion of or in taxes and service charges assessed by hoteliers and local authorities for ser- relation to this tour, and further agrees to be bound by the limitations and vices specified in the itinerary. All tips for restaurant service, except for room conditions of operator’s responsibility: service and any other individual service requested. These services are included only for passengers arriving and departing with the Limitations and Conditions of Operator’s Responsibility: Cross Cultural Ad- group. Individual transfers will be an additional charge. ventures, operator of the tour herein outlined, its subsidiaries and/or its associ- ated agents act as agents only for all services and disclaim any and all liability The land cost is based on currency exchange rates at the time of printing. Sig- for property loss or damage, and/or any and all damages resulting from death or nificant exchange-rate fluctuations will result in cost adjustment. Airfares are personal injuries, including loss of services which may be sustained on account of, subject to change by the airline without notice prior to ticketing. or rising out of, by reason of, or while engaged on any aspect of this tour, whether Additional expenses incurred due to change or cancellation by client of flight due to the ownership, maintenance, use, operation, or control of any aircraft, or land services will be the responsibility of the client. vehicle, common carrier, inn restaurant or other, or whether caused by failure or delay Your Tour Price Does Not Include: Any airfares. Meals other than those specified or by any transportation company due to any cause whatsoever occurring during this tour in itinerary. Any medical insurance nor medical expenses (international health in- under its management, sponsorship, procurement or otherwise. All tickets, vouchers surance is strongly advised). Any beverages, aside from standard breakfast and and orders are furnished and issued subject in all respects to these terms and mineral water with lunches/dinners and intercity travel. Cost of obtaining pass- conditions and to any and all terms and conditions under which the means of ports (a visa is not required for U.S. citizens). Any tips for local guides, drivers or transportation or any other services provided thereby are offered or supplied by room service. Purely personal expenses and service beyond extent of itinerary listed. owners or operators for whom Cross Cultural Adventures, acts solely as agents. Cancellations & Refunds: Individual cancellations received up to 61 days prior to Due to the unpredictable nature of travel in developing countries and/or in departure are subject to a $200.00 administrative fee. Thereafter, individual rare cases of safety concern, Cross Cultural Adventures reserves the right in cancellations will be subject to the following forfeit of land tour costs: (a) If its discretion to alter any part of the itinerary or change any feature without received between 60 and 21 days before departure — 30% of tour costs; (b) allowance or refund. From 20 to 7 days — 50%; (c) No refund for cancellations received thereafter. Cross Cultural Adventures reserves the right to cancel the tour and to decline Cancellations must be in writing and are considered valid on the day of receipt. to accept or retain any person as a member of the tour at any time for reasons Any airfares cannot be guaranteed until time of purchase and may carry can- of health, safety and/or general welfare of the tour group or of the individual cellation penalties, per airlines’ policies. Cross Cultural Adventures will participant. In such cases, the refund will be based on the actual cost of the not intervene for airfare refunds on tickets not booked by us. service remaining in the unfinished portion of the tour.

Reservation Form Please return with $500.00 per person deposit check Mizzou Alumni Association made out to Cross Cultural Adventures, and mail to: Mizzou Alumni Association A Moorish Realm 123 Reynolds Alumni Center March 19– 31, 2011 Columbia, MO 65211 (800) 372-6822 or (573) 882-6611

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Declaration: I/we have read and agree to the terms and conditions detailed for the “A Moorish Realm” tour, March 19 –31, 2011, including the cancellation policy and operator’s responsibility, and agree not to hold the Mizzou Alumni Association nor Cross Cultural Adventures nor any of their representatives liable for any health or other damages incurred during or as a result of my/our participation in this travel program. Signature(s): Date: