Morocco is a amazing country. The landscape is very diverse and the people are so warm and welcoming. Our week in Morocco was truly a beautiful experience. Sam (the amazing man in my life) and I had a great time on our first couple of days in Marrakesh. The city is hectic with people, motorcycles, and donkey-pulled carts all winding in and out of the labyrinth of streets creating a unique Marrakesh-specific feeling. We explored the souks (markets), we visited the gardens of Yves Saint Laurent, and the old palace ruins, we were tricked into a underground tour of the Marrakesh tanneries, and we were caught in the rain while lost in the maze of narrow streets. It was a couple of days of hectic, colorful, noisy chaos. Our amazing riad (typical Moroccan architecture of a building with an inner open-air courtyard) served as our oasis from the busy urban streets. We tasted the traditional black tea infused with loads of mint and sugar. We feasted on the traditional food, tagine, a medley of slow cooked vegetables and meat flavored with cumin either a-top a bed of couscous or served with large round flat bread. We drank big glasses of freshly squeezed juice. We marveled at the colors of all of the goods in the market, the long modest dresses and head wraps the women wore, and the colorfully painted and intricately adorned arches throughout the city. Without ever stepping foot out of the old walled city we were already immersed in a rich culture that offered so many new adventures far from our day-to-day lives in the US and Moldova.
After two full days of completely urban touring we had the great opportunity to see 'the real Morocco' through the eyes of my friend Sasa, a fellow peace corps volunteer, living in a beautiful village hidden among the Atlas mountains. We traveled by bus and later by 'grand taxi' out to her site. The grand taxi wasn't as grand as one might imagine. The taxi, a Mercedes sedan squeezed six passengers and a driver that zoomed through the winding streets and up through the cloud line. My tendency of car sickness was met by the beauty that is dramamine. As we passed through the mountains I got glimpses of the amazing terrain. We even were stopped by a pack of sheep that didn't seem too interested in moving their stance from the center of the street. When we finally drove into her village and stepped out of the taxi my leg head fallen so asleep in the car that I almost fell over. We were in the village less than two hours before we received a phone call from the mayor informing us that we needed to come meet and register our visit with him. It was amazing how quickly word spread of our arrival. We had literally only walked 50 meters down a side street and into Sasa's home. After meeting with the mayors right-hand man we were invited to dinner at his house that evening. Later we hiked around the village, visited with host families and had two more invitations to dinner. It was amazing, we had been in the village less than twenty-four hours and we already had more invitations to dinner than nights we would be staying. The true Moroccan spirit of hospitality was felt strongly during our time in the village. After visiting with host families and locals we took a hike up the peak overlooking the village. We just missed the sunset, but we had enough time to capture the moments before it got too dark. And, as we hiked back down into the village we ate almond blossoms straight off the trees and greeted shepherds as they brought their sheep back down to the valley after a day of grazing on the mountain greenery. That night we had dinner with a prominent family in the village. I even got a lesson on how to make the traditional black tea. I won't share the quantity of sugar that was put in the tea pot ...lets just say I think there was more sugar than water. The food was great and the hospitality was excellent. It was an evening we won't forget.
The following day we visited the famous waterfall in Morocco, Cascade d'Ouzoud. The fall was beautiful and the water mixed with the sunshine created a beautiful rainbow that filled the pool below the fall created a basin full of color. The interesting surprise were the wild monkeys who at first seemed adorable, but after one decided to chase me and I needed to use Sam as a human shield they weren't so charming. The day was awesome and that evening we went to yet another host for another home cooked meal. The food and hospitality again were amazing. Our time in the little village was short and sweet and will be forever remembered as the highlight of our time in Morocco.
The next day was all about taxis and buses and other boring things.
But, the day after was a fun filled day of traveling out to the entrance of the western Sahara desert. Before reaching the desert at sunset we spent the day visiting the really cool Kasbah town of Ouarzazate. A walled-city made of mud bricks. The little city was picturesque and site to many famous movies, including the Gladiator. The day was spent mostly in our tour van, but the landscape was so amazing. The day started in Marrakesh and left the Urban for a more rural but lush terrain. As we continued the green became brown and the hard rocks became wispy sand. It was an amazing transformation from where we started in the morning to where we arrived in the evening. When we finally reached our destination in Zagora we were all pleased to finally be getting out of the car. But, before we got too comfortable we were saddled up and riding away in the sunset on the backs of camels. Camels are pretty awesome, but they are not the most comfortable of animals. After about a half hour the luster of trying something new dissipates and what remains is a sore backside. We spent the night in tents and enjoyed a drumming circle around a fire pit.
The following morning we woke up early and ate a lite breakfast, took pictures atop the baby sand dunes and saddled up on our trusty camels. The ride back out was a little more painful after our first riding experience the night before, but we all made it back to the van in one piece. The rest of the day was more of the same, landscape this time transforming from reddish brown back to green. That night we found a little restaurant that had one table with a view over the square and enjoyed our final evening together back in Marrakesh where the trip had began.
I hate this part of a trip. The part where you have to say goodbye. That is the hard part about long-distance relationships. We have the most amazing time when we are together, but just as we get into our comfortable routine together it is time to pick-up and say goodbye for another extended period of time. It is such a bittersweet feeling. So many couples don't realize how amazing it is to be able to see each other all the time. That is something I am so looking forward to after I close my Peace Corps service. Traveling is something that both Sam and I are so passionate about. Every trip we take we fall in love all over again. But, after two years of long distance we can both say we are excited to finally get to share the mundane everyday moments that other couples take for granted. So, late that morning I bid him farewell and off he went in his taxi.
Luckily, this wasn't my first time saying goodbye and I didn't want to ruin the rest of my time in Marrakesh. After all, I was there until the next morning and there was still so much to see. A fellow traveler at the hostel had just arrived and so she and I headed out that afternoon to find the Ben Youssef Medersa, a big old building that used to serve as a dormitory for university students. It was a truly remarkable building with ornate wood carvings and archways. Later in the day I went to the main square and wrote a few postcards that I sent back to my family for a couple of important peoples birthdays (*cough* brother and dad *cough*). That night I went to bed early.
It had been a magical week, one that I will never forget.
Peace
After two full days of completely urban touring we had the great opportunity to see 'the real Morocco' through the eyes of my friend Sasa, a fellow peace corps volunteer, living in a beautiful village hidden among the Atlas mountains. We traveled by bus and later by 'grand taxi' out to her site. The grand taxi wasn't as grand as one might imagine. The taxi, a Mercedes sedan squeezed six passengers and a driver that zoomed through the winding streets and up through the cloud line. My tendency of car sickness was met by the beauty that is dramamine. As we passed through the mountains I got glimpses of the amazing terrain. We even were stopped by a pack of sheep that didn't seem too interested in moving their stance from the center of the street. When we finally drove into her village and stepped out of the taxi my leg head fallen so asleep in the car that I almost fell over. We were in the village less than two hours before we received a phone call from the mayor informing us that we needed to come meet and register our visit with him. It was amazing how quickly word spread of our arrival. We had literally only walked 50 meters down a side street and into Sasa's home. After meeting with the mayors right-hand man we were invited to dinner at his house that evening. Later we hiked around the village, visited with host families and had two more invitations to dinner. It was amazing, we had been in the village less than twenty-four hours and we already had more invitations to dinner than nights we would be staying. The true Moroccan spirit of hospitality was felt strongly during our time in the village. After visiting with host families and locals we took a hike up the peak overlooking the village. We just missed the sunset, but we had enough time to capture the moments before it got too dark. And, as we hiked back down into the village we ate almond blossoms straight off the trees and greeted shepherds as they brought their sheep back down to the valley after a day of grazing on the mountain greenery. That night we had dinner with a prominent family in the village. I even got a lesson on how to make the traditional black tea. I won't share the quantity of sugar that was put in the tea pot ...lets just say I think there was more sugar than water. The food was great and the hospitality was excellent. It was an evening we won't forget.
The following day we visited the famous waterfall in Morocco, Cascade d'Ouzoud. The fall was beautiful and the water mixed with the sunshine created a beautiful rainbow that filled the pool below the fall created a basin full of color. The interesting surprise were the wild monkeys who at first seemed adorable, but after one decided to chase me and I needed to use Sam as a human shield they weren't so charming. The day was awesome and that evening we went to yet another host for another home cooked meal. The food and hospitality again were amazing. Our time in the little village was short and sweet and will be forever remembered as the highlight of our time in Morocco.
The next day was all about taxis and buses and other boring things.
But, the day after was a fun filled day of traveling out to the entrance of the western Sahara desert. Before reaching the desert at sunset we spent the day visiting the really cool Kasbah town of Ouarzazate. A walled-city made of mud bricks. The little city was picturesque and site to many famous movies, including the Gladiator. The day was spent mostly in our tour van, but the landscape was so amazing. The day started in Marrakesh and left the Urban for a more rural but lush terrain. As we continued the green became brown and the hard rocks became wispy sand. It was an amazing transformation from where we started in the morning to where we arrived in the evening. When we finally reached our destination in Zagora we were all pleased to finally be getting out of the car. But, before we got too comfortable we were saddled up and riding away in the sunset on the backs of camels. Camels are pretty awesome, but they are not the most comfortable of animals. After about a half hour the luster of trying something new dissipates and what remains is a sore backside. We spent the night in tents and enjoyed a drumming circle around a fire pit.
The following morning we woke up early and ate a lite breakfast, took pictures atop the baby sand dunes and saddled up on our trusty camels. The ride back out was a little more painful after our first riding experience the night before, but we all made it back to the van in one piece. The rest of the day was more of the same, landscape this time transforming from reddish brown back to green. That night we found a little restaurant that had one table with a view over the square and enjoyed our final evening together back in Marrakesh where the trip had began.
I hate this part of a trip. The part where you have to say goodbye. That is the hard part about long-distance relationships. We have the most amazing time when we are together, but just as we get into our comfortable routine together it is time to pick-up and say goodbye for another extended period of time. It is such a bittersweet feeling. So many couples don't realize how amazing it is to be able to see each other all the time. That is something I am so looking forward to after I close my Peace Corps service. Traveling is something that both Sam and I are so passionate about. Every trip we take we fall in love all over again. But, after two years of long distance we can both say we are excited to finally get to share the mundane everyday moments that other couples take for granted. So, late that morning I bid him farewell and off he went in his taxi.
Luckily, this wasn't my first time saying goodbye and I didn't want to ruin the rest of my time in Marrakesh. After all, I was there until the next morning and there was still so much to see. A fellow traveler at the hostel had just arrived and so she and I headed out that afternoon to find the Ben Youssef Medersa, a big old building that used to serve as a dormitory for university students. It was a truly remarkable building with ornate wood carvings and archways. Later in the day I went to the main square and wrote a few postcards that I sent back to my family for a couple of important peoples birthdays (*cough* brother and dad *cough*). That night I went to bed early.
It had been a magical week, one that I will never forget.
Peace
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