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The 5^th Sicot/Sirot Annual International Conference. 29 August- 1^st September 2007, Marrakech, Morocco.

SICOT (La Société Internationale de Chirurgie Orthopédique et de Traumatologie or The International Society of Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology) is an international not-for-profit association incorporated under Belgian law with the aim of advancing the science and art of orthopaedics and traumatology, and to foster and develop teaching, research and education world wide. It is a truly global society of orthopaedic surgeons with some 3,000 members from more than 100 countries around the world. Each country is represented by a National Delegate or National Secretary.

The 5^th SICOT/SIROT Annual International Conference was held in Marrakech, an oasis tourist town near the Saharan desert of Morrocco.

Morocco or Maghribi in Arabic which means “the west” is located in the west of the African continent facing the Atlantic Oceon in the west and the Meditranean Sea in the north. It has a Meditranean climate along the coastal areas while the interior is the Saharan dessert. Almost 99% of its population are Muslims and others are Jewish. Islam spread to Morocco in 670 AD when Uqba ibn Nafi, a general serving under the Umayyads of Damascus occupied it. It is the birth place of Islamic scholar like Tariq ibnu Ziyad and Ibnu Batutta. After the fall of Andalusia (Muslim Spain) many muslim and Jews scholar migrated to Maghribi.

The official language is Arabic while French is the second language in education and commerce.

Marrakech has the largest traditional market (souk) in Morocco and also has the busiest square in the entire continent of Africa, called Djemaa el Fna. The square bustles with acrobats, story-tellers, water sellers, dancers and musicians by day; and food stalls by night, becoming a huge open-air restaurant.

Like many North African and Middle Eastern cities, Marrakech comprised both an old fortified city (the médina) and an adjacent modern city (called Gueliz).

The conference was held in Palaise des Congres, Mansour Eddahbi Hotel, Marrakech. There were 51 sessions for oral presentation encompassing many specialities like hip,knee, spine, foot and ankle, paediatric orthopaedic, tumor, bone healing, infection, upper limb and trauma. There were about 240 papers presented and 350 poster presentation exhibited. The plenary lectures were given by distinguish speakers in their respective fields from all over the world.

The Department of Orthopaedics, traumatolgy and rehabilitation of IIUM presented 2 oral presentations and 3 poster presentations.

Travelling tips

Morocco can be reached by taking Emirates airline from Kuala Lumpur to Casablanca with transit in Dubai. The traveling time is about 16 hours. Marrakech can be reached by flight using Air Maroc (Moroccan airline), by bus or train. There is train from Casablanca to Marrakech which runs every 2 hours. The fare is only 50 ringgit. The journey takes about 3 hours.

Traveling in Marrakech is quite expensive. The taxi drivers tend to take advantage of the tourist. It can range from 20 to 200 dirham for a distance of less than 5 km (1 ringgit is 2.5 dirham) Food and souvenir in Marrakech are more expensive than Casablanca and you need to bargain.

Tourists found it more convenient to take the Marrakech Tour bus which cost only 70 dirham for 24 hours. The bus will drive through all the important place in Marrakech and one can go in and out at any of the bus stations. There is also a running commentary in many languages provided via an earphone.

There are quit a number of Malaysian students studying in various Moroccan Universities.

Figure 1. Row of red shop houses at Marrakech “Souk” (market)

Figure 2. Cheap, juicy and fresh oranges at Djemaa el fna sells like hot “goreng pisang” in summer at Marrakech which can reach 45 degree Celsius

Figure 3. Djemaa el fna at night is like “pasar malam” (night market) in Malaysia.

Figure 4. Koutuobiah (books) mosque is a landmark of Marrakech surrounded by beautiful garden built in the 10the century.

Figure 5. The wall which separate the old town “medina” and the new town.

Figure 6. Beautiful garden behind the wall of old castle “palais”

Figure 7. A typical white house at old town in Casablanca. Its name derives from the word “white house” which is casa blanca in Spanish or Darul baida’ in Arabic.