The Frieden Trails

AIT BEN HADDOU, Morocco (Nov. 26, 2008) -- The journey began by leaving Marrakech at dawn and heading along route P31 towards the High Atlas and the pre-Saharan city of Ouarzazate some 200km east. Route P31 was completed in 1936 by the French Foreign Legion and passes by the full range of Atlas environments, from the Haouz plains, through the verdant foothills of the Oued Zat, to the barren peaks of the Atlas and the arid regions around Ouarzazate. The Tizi-n-Tichka mountain pass half way along the journey offers spectacular views of snow-covered peaks, but the mountain road is dangerous, with sharp turns, few safety barriers and steep drops, all of which is even more precarious during the drive back at night.

Above: Dangerous curves and steep drops.

Above: Heading to the mountain pass.

Above/below: Driving up the Tizi-n-Tichka mountain pass at an altitude of 7200 feet.

Above: A small mosque near the village of Aguim.

AIT BEN HADDOU
The village of Ait Ben Haddou is a ksar (a community of earthen buildings surrounded by high walls) along the former caravan route between the Sahara and Marrakech in present-day Morocco. It is situated in Souss-Massa-Draa on a hill along the Ouarzazate River and has been used for filming scenes in various movies, including the Lawrence of Arabia (1962). Most of the town's inhabitants now live in a more modern village at the other side of the river, though a few still endure a more traditional life in the ksar. Ait Ben Haddou has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987.

Above/below: Standing by and crossing the rather dry bed of the Ouarzazat River.

Above: Climbing the narrow alleys and footpaths of Ait Ben Haddou.

Above: Resting at the top of the hill overlooking the village, plains and two valleys.

Above: Camels for hire.

Above: Heading toward the pre-Saharan city of Ouarzazat.

OUARZAZATE
Ouarzazate is located about 200 km east of Marrakech and borders the Al Mansour lake. Its name comes from a Berber phrase meaning "without noise", and the city has long been a crossing point for African traders seeking to reach northern Morocco and Europe. Ouarzazate is also home to the famous Kasbah of Taourirt. The nearby Atlas Corporation Studios and have been used as sites for filming many films, including Pope Joan (to be released 2009), Prisoner of the Sun (2008), Kingdom of Heaven (2005), Astérix & Obélix (2002), Gladiator (2000), The Mummy (1999), Kundun (1997), The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), The Living Daylights (1987), The Jewel of the Nile (1985), and Lawrence of Arabia (1962), among others. Could there one day be a movie made here based on one of my novels?? Okay, okay, maybe I'm dreaming...

Above: The Kasbah of Touirirt in the old quarter of Ouarzazat.

For the first part of my Morocco journey, click here.

MARRAKECH, Morocco (Nov. 24-27, 2008) -- I arrived in Marrakech from Paris and was instantly seduced by the city's charm, its history, its pleasant weather and the friendly people who call this magical place home. These are the photos that capture some of the city's flavor. My goal was to find scenes for a crime novel that I am writing, as well as scenes and settings for an anthology contribution (also a mystery). So unlike many of the places I've visited over the past year, I arrived with a clean slate, no existing chapter that needed to be tweaked by the in-person visit. This was all about gathering the environment and writing something from scratch.

Above: Aerial view of the Medina from my plane (which did one missed approached before landing).

Above: The ancient walls around the Medina.

Above: One of the gates into the Medina.

THE MEDINA, THE SOUKS AND THE JEMAA EL FNA

Above: The alleys of the Medina are tight and busy.

Above/below: The vast Jemaa El Fna square.

Above: Snake charmers in the Jemaa El Fna.

Above: Selling olives, nuts and dates.

Above: Horses waiting for tourists.

RIAD CAMILIA (where I stayed)

This was a spacious, magical residence of just four rooms, managed by an efficient French expatriot. It served as an excellent "HQ" for the day-long journeys to explore the city and region.

THE BADII PALACE
[text coming soon]

Above: The Royal Palace is close to the Badii Palace, and is heavily guarded (no photos...oops!)

THE MADERSA MOSQUE
[text coming soon]

THE KOUTOUBIA MOSQUE
[text coming soon]

Above: The Koutoubia Mosque, Marrakech's most famous landmark.

Above: The Koutoubia Mosque at sunset.

MODERN MARRAKECH

----- Travel Essentials Summary (and ratings) -----

PARIS, France (Nov. 21-24 and 27-31, 2008) -- more information soon. In the interim, here are some photos...

Above: Standing on a bridge connecting the Latin Quarter to Ile de la Cité.

Above: The base of the Eiffel Tower (viewed with my fisheye lens).

Above: Southeast view from the top of the Eiffel Tower.

Above: My hotel's courtyard (Holiday Inn Republique).

Above: Birds along the banks of the Seine.

Above: The Champs-Elysees and the Arc de Triomphe.

Above: The lighted Champs-Elysees ending at the ferris wheel in Place de la Concorde.

Above: The Sacre-Coeur Basilica on the hilltop.

Above: Inside the Sacre-Coeur Basilica.

Above: Notre Dame Cathedral seen from the Place du Petit Pont.

Above: The Cité metro station entrance.

----- Travel Essentials Summary (and ratings) -----
Hotels: Holiday Inn Republique****(8)
Restaurants:
Bars/Night Clubs:

All photos and text Copyright © 2008 A.C. Frieden. No reproduction permitted without prior written approval by A.C. Frieden. For reproduction rights and higher resolution images, send email to afrieden[at]avendiapublishing.com.

SANTIAGO, Chile (Oct. 3, 2008) -- I arrived in Santiago, a bussling metropolis at the foot of the Andes. A number of interviews had already been set, and what lay ahead were an exciting four days of discovery.

Above: View from my hotel room on the 19th floor of the Radisson Plaza in Las Condes.

Above: The Radisson Plaza Hotel

Above:

Above: Standing with my rental Cessna 182 at Vitacura Aerodrome in northeast Santiago.

Above: Flying over a copper processing plant near Colina, a few miles north of Santiago.

Above: Flying over Las Condes, including my hotel (top center).

Above: Heading south over the eastern part of the city.

Above: Heading east into the Maipo River Valley and toward the mountains.

Above: Flying deeper into the mountains, over the Rio Colorado.

--- Summary of Travel Spots (and Ratings) ---
Hotels: Radisson Plaza Hotel***** (9)
Restaurants: Ichiban Sushi (9)
Bars/Night Clubs:

CAMDEN, New Jersey, USA (Aug. 23) -- The USS New Jersey is a 45,000 ton battleship built in 1942 and was used in World War II, Korean War, the American/Vietnam War and served in other theaters of operations in the 1980s-90s. Of particular interest to me was its activities in 1951, where it was engaged in combat off the coast of Korea, mostly attacking North Korean shore batteries. I have included a the battleship anchored in Halong Bay in four scenes in my upcoming novel Woman At The Citadel, a novel set in 1951 Indochina, although in reality the vessel did not actually sail to Indochina that year. I thought it was important to see the vessel in person to more accurately describe its interior and know more about its history and technical specifications.

(above) I arrived in Philadelphia, the closest airport to the site and stayed at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel.

(above) View of City Hall from my room at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel.

(above) I'm standing in front of the USS New Jersey, which I toured for about 3 hours with a professional guide.

(above) Starboard side of battleship and dock.

(above) I'm standing in front of the ship's 16-inch 50 caliber guns (there are a total of 9 such guns on the ship).

(above) The loading mechanizm for the battleship's 16-inch gun. This one is the center gun in the forward turret.

(above) Restored officer's cabin as it appeared in the 1940s and 50s.

(above) Bedroom of the Captain's in-port cabin. The cabin also features a lounge and dining area.

(above) Captain David Tyree, the ship's commander during the period of my novel.

USS New Jersey (BB-62), ("Big J" or "Black Dragon") is one of four Iowa-class battleships built by the U.S. Navy, and was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named in honor of the U.S. state of New Jersey. During World War II, the New Jersey shelled targets on Guam and Okinawa, and screened aircraft carriers conducting raids in the Marshall islands. During the Korean War she was involved in raids up and down the North Korean coast, after which she was decommissioned in to the United States Navy reserve fleets, better known as the "mothball fleet". She was briefly reactivated in 1968 and sent to Vietnam to support U.S. troops before returning to the mothball fleet in 1969. Reactivated once more in the 1980s as part of the 600-ship Navy program, New Jersey was modernized to carry missiles and recommissioned for service. In 1983, she participated in U.S. operations during the Lebanese Civil War.

(above) New Phalanx close-in weapons system (back) and Tomahawk cruise missile launcher (foreground), which were installed in the 1980s.

(above) Modernized surveillance and targeting equipment installed during refurbishment in the 1980s.

The USS New Jersey was decommissioned for the last time in February 1991 at Bremerton, Washington where she resided until heading home to New Jersey. She was officially stricken from the Navy list on February 12,1995. On November 11, 1999, the ship arrived at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. Since that time, the battleship has been restored, opened and established as an educational museum and a tribute to its sailors. It opened as a museum and memorial in October 2001.

For more information on the USS New Jersey, visit the following two links: Official USS New Jersey Museum Site and WikiPedia Information

Overall, my visit was very interesting and the city, which I had visited numerous times in the 1980s, could also be featured one or more of my other novels. I'll consider that as manuscripts develop.

----- Travel Essentials Summary (and ratings) -----
Hotel: Ritz-Carlton (9.5)
Restaurants: McCormick & Schmick's (8); Ristorante Panorama (in Pennsview Hotel)(8.5); 10 Arts (in Ritz Carlton)(7.5)
Bar/Club: Cuba Libre (9)
Rental Car: Dodge Nitro (8.5)

South Beach (Miami), Florida, USA (July 3, 2008) -- Ok, so you're thinking beach, bikinis, night clubs, Miami, the sun, July 4th... Hard to believe, but it's not really vacation. One of the key reasons for my stopover here (I'm on my way to Florida's gulf coast) was to meet with sources, one in particular in the intelligence community who could give me enlightening information on three important topics: the U.S.-Colombian special forces rescue of hostages held by the FARC; the recent Israeli Air Force strike on the Al-Kabir nuclear reactor under construction in east-central Syria; and SIGINT updates on Israeli preparations for a strike on Iranian nuclear and ballistic missile sites.

(above) The south end of Ocean Drive in the South Beach neighborhood of Miami is very much alive, even at 4 a.m.

Like most authors with a background in Intel and the military, I've maintained and expanded over the years a useful network of contacts in the diplomatic, intelligence, and military communities worldwide (incl. retired or active US State Dept., DSS, Shin Bet, Mossad, FBI, NSA, SRS/SND, DRM, BPOL, and BND members and other foreign gov't officials). So when intelligence related events occur that have relevance to any of my upcoming novels (whether still being written or in the editing phase), I like to tap into these contacts for their insight. But to do so, I often have to meet in person (avoiding emails or phone calls -- quite tricky sometimes). That's the best way to keep them anonymous and get the most candid and detailed information. Like any sources for journalists and writers, they want the assurance of anonymity. This information can then be of use in developing or refining my plots or the various Intel/MIL techniques described in my fiction novels and in my non-fictional research publications.

My rendezvous took place in a couple places around town (can't name them, of course -- there are cameras everywhere these days). I stayed in the heart of South Beach, had a late night dinner at News Cafe, hung out the next day at the acclaimed Nikki Beach and relaxed and people-watched at the sidewalk cafes/restaurants of the Ocean Five Hotel and the Beacon Hotel. I also spent a little time at some interesting hangouts on Lincoln and at the Delano Hotel, one of the trendy nightspots in this part of Miami.

(above) The pool area at the Delano at night. Located on Collins Avenue in South Beach and directly on the ocean, the Delano is a world-class urban resort with a splendid outdoor area surrounded by bungalows, ultimate cushioned seating and hip music.

--- Summary of Travel Spots (and Ratings) ---
Hotels: Ocean Five Hotel (7); Beacon Hotel (7)
Restaurants: News Cafe (6); Baires Grill (7); Barolo Restaurant (8); Nikki Beach (8); Segafredo Cafe (6)
Bars/Night Clubs: Delano South Beach Hotel poolside bar (9)

All photos and text Copyright © 2008 A.C. Frieden. No reproduction permitted without prior written approval by A.C. Frieden. For reproduction rights and higher resolution images, send email to afrieden[at]avendiapublishing.com.