Villa
Vera Hotel Spa and Racquet Club, Acapulco, Mexico
Photos and article by Paris Permenter
& John Bigley
Acapulco. The name is almost synonymous
with the stars of Hollywood's heydays: Elizabeth Taylor, Lana Turner, Rita
Hayworth, Debbie Reynolds, Eddie Fisher, Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra.
Acapulco may have changed since its
days as an exclusive Hollywood getaway, but at Villa Vera Hotel Spa and
Racquet Club, the legend lives on. This hillside retreat has regained its
glamour status following a $2 million renovation of its 69 unique accommodations.
Today the boutique hotel serves as
a getaway for stellar travelers (Farrah Fawcett always asks for the presidential
suite and Julio Iglesias has a private home on the hotel grounds) and any
couple looking for peace, quiet, and privacy.
The resort offers guest rooms and
junior suites but it is perhaps best known for its villas named for its
most famous guests. Luxuriate during your stay in the privacy of the Lana
Turner Villa (where the star lived for five years), the Rita Hayworth Villa
or the Elizabeth Taylor Villa, where the violet-eyed movie icon vacationed
yearly for nearly two decades. Villas have private swimming pools, outdoor
bars and hydromassage tubs.
Many rooms have tubs perfect for a soak
--a deux--complete with a sea of bath bubbles. Lovers luxuriate in "Romance,"
a fragrance specially designed for Villa Vera. The hotel has also designed
essential oils for its customers, a light, fruity aroma designed to trigger
memories long after a vacationer returns home.
The memorable oil is only one of
the amenities offered by the resort's new spa, considered by many to be
the finest in Acapulco. Opened in December 1999, the spa was designed for
quiet, luxurious pampering ranging from massage to wraps and facials. Special
treatments include oxygenating facials designed to bring oxygen to the
skin and delay the aging process, anti-stress massages, thermal mud wrap,
and shower massage, a combination of relaxing manual massage and water
pressure. The resort also offers a signature treatment--the Villa Vera
Cocktail. This exclusive treatment combines mud, paraffin, and seaweed
into a warm body wrap while the head and neck receive an aromatic essential
oil massage.
The spa is also adding treatments
of special interest to romantic travelers. Couples will be able to learn
massage techniques on each other, using edible oils.
For more on Villa Vera, call 800-327-1847.
Spa treatments can be booked by guests at other Acapulco resorts. Rooms
begin at US$150 per night.
Husband and wife team Paris Permenter
and John Bigley have authored over 20 guidebooks and also edit the FREE
Lovetripper.com
<A
HREF="http://www.lovetripper.com/">, a romantic travel magazine featuring
worldwide destinations.
Copyright Paris Permenter and
John Bigley
Shopping
the Souks of Morocco
Photos and article by Paris Permenter
and John Bigley
The donkey, its baskets laden with
wood shavings, winds down the narrow alley. Shoppers, themselves carrying
bundles of the day's vegetables or a side of freshly slaughtered lamb,
yield right of way.
This medieval market plays out daily
in the streets of Morocco. Lying at the crossroads of Africa and Europe,
for centuries Morocco has served as a place to buy and sell goods ranging
from magic potions to magic carpets, from brass goods to burnooses. The
exotic romance of the souks is contagious and couples find themselves entranced
by the myriad of goods from throughout Africa.
Souks are found in many of Morocco's
cities but the most expansive shopping areas lie in the cities of Marrakech
and Fes. Here within the ancient walls of the medina, daily life follows
a centuries-old pattern. Goods are haggled for in tiny shops and stalls,
often over glass after glass of what might be considered the national drink--hot
mint tea as sweet as liquefied chewing gum. Craftsmen pound out designs
on brass, as the echoes reverberate along narrow passageways where veiled
women move through the day's activities.
The heart of Marrakech's shopping
experience is found at Jemaa el Fna. In this sprawling square performers
gather in the late afternoon and into the evening. Watch a cobra dance
to the sway of a wooden flute, photograph the colorful watersellers with
their chests covered in dangling brass cups or have a look at the "dentist,"
whose quick extraction skills are advertised by a table full of teeth.
Behind the square lies the souk, with miles of twisting walkways that offer
an array of goods.
Marrakech's souk is best known for
its circus-like square, a dramatic stage that's fascinating for the shopper
and non-shopper alike. In the city of Fes, however, the souk is a practical
market, used primarily by local residents as they carry out the business
of daily life. Since medieval times, the souk has been reserved for pedestrians
-- and donkeys -- only. Keep an ear out for cries of "barek" to warn of
incoming donkey deliveries.
Whether you shop the souks of Marrakech,
Fes, or one of Morocco's other cities, you'll find the narrow, winding
streets and alleys of the souk are far more orderly than they first appear.
Specialty souks within the souk are devoted to fabrics, spices, meats,
brass and ironwork, clothing, and other wares. The meat souk, with its
open-air displays of goat heads, sheep feet and live chickens, is best
experienced in the morning hours, before the heat of day turns the sometimes
stagnant air foul.
You'll want to budget at least one
entire day for shopping the souk, even longer if you're a dedicated bargain
hunter. Here's a run down of some of the top souk offerings:
Moroccan Carpets
An unforgettable part of any souk
experience is a visit to the rug merchant. Expect to drink three or four
glasses of sweet mint tea and spend at least half a day in during negotiations
for one of Morocco's top products.
To step into the store of a rug merchant
is to walk into a den of designs, no two of them alike. "There is no plan;
each is in the mind of the ladies who make them," explained Mr. Youssaf,
spokesperson for La Porte d'Or in Marrakech. Fifteen types of Moroccan
rugs and carpets are found in shops throughout the area from the High Atlas
rugs, made with 100% wool and dyed with vegetable colors to the woven and
embroidered Kilim rugs. Prices vary with the degree of work, from US$6,000-$12,000
for a High Atlas carpet to US$5500 for a reversible carpet (with a summer
and winter side) to as little as US$150 for a kilim rug. Prices are generally
one-half to one-third of those found in the US. Arrangements can be made
with merchants for shipping and delivery to be included in the negotiated
price.
Leather Goods
Although fine leatherwork is sold
in souks throughout Morocco, the best selection is found in Fes. This city
is home to an expansive tannery, one of Africa's most photographed sites.
Although we were warned of its odoriferous qualities (leather is treated
in vats that contain everything from pigeon droppings to lime), our guide
provided us with a sprig of mint to smell during our view of the multi-colored
vats that produce some of the area's finest leather goods.
Purses (US$10 and up), sequin-dotted
leather camel toys (US$3-5), and babouches or soft slippers (US$3-$25)
were some of the most popular items in the tannery store. Outside, street
vendors sell colorful billfolds embossed with Moroccan designs for as little
as US$2.50.
Traditional Dress
Another shopping experience in the
souk is the dress shop. Caftans, traditional women's dress, and the djellaba,
a long man's garment with a deep, pointed hood, are available in a variety
of styles and materials ranging from cotton to polyester to silk. Prices
start at about US$25 and go as high as $600 for a special occasion garment.
Look for other traditional wear as
well. The burnoose, an elegant hooded cape, can sell for US$450. Djellabas
come in three styles: Arab (large, flowing garments), Berber (with straighter
lines) and Pasha (a two-piece garment worn for special events).
Need an inexpensive gift? Veils that
double as scarves average US$12-20.
Pharmacies
Even if you're feeling perfectly
healthy, don't miss the chance to visit a Moroccan pharmacy. Like a witch
doctor's den, these mysterious shops tucked in the souk's alleys, offer
local residents cures for everything from toothaches to arthritis to broken
hearts. Powders and potions, concocted of local herbs, not to mention dried
lizards seen hanging on the walls, provide a cure for whatever ails you.
Travelers will be especially interested
in the spices and perfumes. Saffron can be purchased for about US$2 per
gram (minimum of five grams). Moroccan curry, a different blend than Indian
curry, and a heady mix of Moroccan spices called "Head of the Store" are
popular choices.
In the natural pharmacies, you'll
also find stencils for henna designs (US$1), kohl eyeliner (US$3), musk
(US$3 per gram) and numerous oils.
Tips for Souk Shoppers
*Get a supply of Moroccan coins for
tipping. Tips are expected for photos; the going rate is 1 to 5 Dirhams
(10 to 50 cents US).
*Exchange only as much money as
you expect to spend. Always exchange money in banks or at the larger hotels,
never on the street. The official currency is the dirham (dh). At press
time, the exchange rate was about US$1 = 10 Dh.
*Credit cards are accepted for larger
purchases but carry cash for most souk buys.
*Negotiation is the name of the
game. When presented with a price, counter with a price of about 1/3 the
amount. Keep the process friendly yet firm. If you counter with a final
offer and are allowed to walk away from the shop, you've obviously underestimated
the value.
*A guide is an invaluable asset
in the winding, twisting alleys of both Fes and Marrakech. Licensed guides
can be recommended by the hotels.
*Don't plan to shop much on Fridays,
the Muslim holy day. Most stalls close at noon or 12:30.
*Watch your belongings. Pickpockets
roam the souks.
*Be prepared to be jostled. The
souks are crowded, especially in Fes.
IF YOU GO
Getting There: Air service from the
US and Canada to Morocco is quick and easy, just 6-1/2 hours from New York's
JFK International Airport to Casablanca. For more information, call 800-344-6726.
Fare information and schedules can be found at the Royal Air Maroc web
site, http://www.kingdomofmorocco.com.
Short flights connect Casablanca with Marrakech, Fes, and other cities.
A valid passport is required of all
visitors.
When to Go: Fall and spring are excellent
times to visit. Winters can be cold and shoppers will find limited activity
during the holy month of Ramadan.
Health Precautions: No immunizations
are required for a visit to Morocco. Travelers are advised to drink only
bottled water and avoid ice as well as food that has been rinsed in water
such as salads and most fruits.
Language: English is spoken by many
merchants but the official language of Morocco is Arabic. Most Moroccans
also speak French; Spanish is spoken in the northern cities as well.
Husband and wife team Paris Permenter
and John Bigley have authored over 20 guidebooks and also edit the FREE
Lovetripper.com
<A
HREF="http://www.lovetripper.com/">, a romantic travel magazine featuring
worldwide destinations.
Copyright Paris Permenter and
John Bigley
