My first trip to Africa was amazing, and way too short! After arriving at the Marrakech, Morocco airport we were greeted by a well dressed man, wearing delicious smelling American cologne. He was a holding a sign for our Riad (hostel) so that he could drive us to the old town, Medina, and show us where we're staying. We asked to be picked up from the airport because the reviews online of the Riad said that everyone gets lost trying to find their own way. We got to the center of Medina, which is called Plaza Jamaa El Fna, where all of the markets and places that are normally swarmed with tourists and locals were almost deserted, not including the orange juice stands. Around 7:20am Moroccan time we arrived in the square, which was around 9:20am in Spain. We had woken up at 3am in order to catch our 6:30am flight, and because of the time change we arrived in Morocco at 6:30am too. It's weird to take a flight that didn't actually exist in time.
Our driver stopped the car and got out to greet a small group of men, kissing them 4 times, twice on each cheek. The man running our hostel was one of them, and his name was Hakim. After introducing us, we parted ways with our driver and Hakim escorted us through the curvey streets, stopping at a market to get Chinese green tea, and then back to our hostel. He gave us all kinds of tips, and while making us tea he told us that it is tradition and if anyone lets you in their home and does not make you tea than you are probably not in a good place. There's a picture of him pouring our tea. He locked away our passports for safekeeping and gave us a map, circling and explaining all of the important landmarks. He advised us to shop on Saturday instead of Friday, that way we can tell him what we wanted to buy and he would tell us a reasonable price for it. Bargaining is a big deal, and most people get ripped off. Isabela and I didn't have much of a problem with that though, because apparently I yell and get really scary when bargaining. One of the shop owners told me that I'm almost as hard as his wife and that he wants me to work for him. All of the sellers speak at least three languages. We heard English, Arabic, Berber, French, Italian, Spanish, and probably other languages too. Some even German. We had all different languages thrown at us because shop owners wanted to lure us in. We spoke Spanish or French mostly, and my Arabic cheat sheet wasn't too helpful because my dad's Arabic is not the same as Moroccan Arabic.
After having tea we napped for an hour and went out to explore. In the square there was a place to get food, so we grabbed food at a restaurant overlooking the square. It was my first time using napkins when I had to go to the bathroom. It was also my first time paying to use the bathroom. While we were eating the prayer calls were made from the minarets surrounding the city and everyone who was a "good muslim" (as Hakim told us) rushed to the Mosques for prayer. We watched people scurry out of the markets, because Friday is a Holy Day of worship. Fridays for Muslims are like Sundays for Christians. We were lucky to observe from the balcony of the restaurant where we ate. I also learned that if you are working and don't stop for prayer than it was excused and you are not necessarily a bad Muslim, you are just working. Maybe that's just the way Moroccans do it.
Afterwards we walked the entire Medina, and part of the New Town (which is much more modernized). We were trying to find a museum in the New Town, when a man on a motorbike drove up to us, told us it was closed, and asked us to follow him to a real Berber shop. He said he worked at a hotel, and he wanted to show us a real Berber's shop back in the Medina, and he would get us a cheap taxi too. Since we were lost, a cheap cab was nice. We paid 10 Durham (1.10 USD) to get back to the Medina and follow the man to the Berber shop. We stuck close, and I got a little nervous since there were no tourists around, or people for that matter. When we arrived at the store, it was just like everyone else's store and we had already said we were just looking so we peaked and left and continued getting lost, even though the man who took us there was a bit disappointed.
A couple of hours later we found our way back to the hostel and sat and had tea with Hakim and a German traveler that we befriended named Dirk. We talked for hours about all kinds of things, and Hakim helped me learn the difference between Classic Arabic (my dad's version) and Moroccan. I didn't know that there was such a thing as Classic Arabic before, so it was a great little lesson in my own culture. I learned all kinds of new phrases and things to say in the markets for the next day when we shopped. After hanging out for a while Dirk, Isabela, and I went to get falafel and chwarma. I was a little bit disappointed because I expected it to be the best chwarma that I've ever eaten, but I suppose even Americans can make hamburgers and french fries that aren't that good.
We walked around the Plaza in the Medina where snakes were being enchanted, there were giant markets of food, and circles of people surrounding entertainers with stories, music, or games. There was smoke every where and it was extremely crowded. There were different kinds of carnival games like putting a donut on a string over a soda bottle, or a group of men played drums! I was able to film some of it, and you can see a picture here too. Moroccan soul!
Dirk kind of took on the role of our protector, making sure no one touched us or bothered us. He defended us in the market if someone tried to grab our arms to show us something, or tried selling to us in a harassing way. We cursed at a guy in Arabic, and a lady hissed at us like a snake. It wasn't a noise I could ever mock, it was so real, I thought maybe it was a snake. The three of us then returned to the hostel where outside a boy selling things at a shop asked us "for the 4th time" if we would look in his shop. We talked for a little bit and he was very nice, but we told him that we would look in his shop the next day since it was already getting late. He gave us a little Moroccan parting gift that smells really nice and is like a small branch. Upon returning to the hostel we sat with Kamal, the other man running the hostel with Hakim, and hung out with him, his friends, and Dirk. We moved to the roof and stayed talking for a little while before calling it a night.
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On Saturday, we had paid to take a tour of different parts of Marrakech including the Berbers, foods, the Atlas Mountains, and of course camels. Kamal took us to meet his friend Moustafa who we met the night before, and we got orange juice and met a Spanish couple named Elena and David who went with Dirk, Isabela and I on the tour. While driving for a little bit less than an hour, Moustafa cranked up the techno music in the car, at 9am, and we were on our way. I was wide awake and excited for the day!
The Berber house was where we stopped to get hot tea and bread with honey, butter, and oil for breakfast. It was delicious!
They showed us where everything is cooked and how traditional Berber's live. The woman, Malika, who gave us food and tea was very warm and smiled and joked a lot with Moustafa in Arabic. The Berber house was made of clay, and mud and it looked like it was hundreds of years old. Moustafa explained everything to us in English because Elena was the only one who couldn't speak English very well. It was interesting to hear about how Berber women do not ever leave the house, they stay home and take care of the babies, and cook. If the women need anything the men go and get it. Berber is also a completely different language than Arabic and along with Arabic it is the national language of Morocco. The two languages were declared just this year too, but there is still mostly Arabic and French everywhere.
After the Berber house we stopped at an herb lab that is run by the government. We got a free tour of all of the different plants and how they can naturally help different health problems. I bought a lot of tea, and lotions that I can't wait to bring home to my mom! Everything smelt so beautiful!
After that we stopped on a bridge that went over the river, and we walked across it. It was scary for me because I am scared of heights and all I am walking on are branches held together by wires. But it was also very cool!
Then finally we made it to the Atlas mountains! It took us an hour to climb the rocks up to one of the waterfalls. Isabela and I stuck our feet in and it was freezing cold! All of the sights and hiking was so much fun! I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would, because I was never much of a hiker. It reminded me a lot of New Hampshire, because in New Hampshire I would always climb around and explore while I was growing up. Hiking down from the waterfall was a lot faster, and the rocks were slippery sometimes so I would just slide down. We stopped at a couple of shops on the way down and I bought a traditional Moroccan tea pot to bring home and make tea the way that Hakim taught Isabela and I to do it, Moroccan style. The only reason I was able to get the pot for the cheap bargain price I wanted was because Moustafa told the man in Arabic that we were engaged and it was a wedding present.
We then headed back to the car along the river, and it rained a little bit. The mountain was cool, beautiful and I enjoyed it so much! On our way back we got to go on camels for just 20 minutes, but it was amazing none the less. I had to get on a latter so that I could climb on top of my camel. Once I was up there I felt like I was really tall, and like I had been doing it my whole life. Everyone was having a great time. The only downside was that along the path that we rode the camels there was trash everywhere, and it wasn't really a pleasant sight to see.
We also stopped for an early dinner/late lunch on the way back. We had traditional Moroccan salad, kouz kouz, chicken tangine, and beef and vegitable tangine. Tangine is a kind of traditional Moroccan food where you cook the meet on top in a pot, and the meat is heated by a pot below it that is cooking vegitables and water. It takes about two hours to make, and it tastes very good and Moroccan, but not spicy.
My parents will love that picture. ^
I fell asleep on the car ride back and then the three of us (Dirk, Isabela, and I) went straight to shopping before the markets closed! We got bags, tea cups, shoes, all kinds of fun things and at good bargain prices. I'm a little bit proud of my bargaining skill. Afterwards we went back to the hostel because Moustafa was supposed to pick us up to go to his Riad to hang out. We made tea and realized the pot was leaking, so Hakim rushed out to get it fixed for us before we left the next morning. He was so nice! He said he would give us our money back if he couldn't get it fixed. We ended up having tea and going to bed after a long day instead of going to Moustafa's Riad. It was the most amazing experience I think I've had abroad during the semester, and I am looking forward to every experience getting better and better as we go.
Isabela is an amazing explorer, travel buddy, and sister! I had so much fun on this last adventure, I really hope I get to go back to Morocco some day. Maybe I'll even be able to have enough time to tour the Sahara next time. Maybe I'll even prep my parents enough to come with... ;)
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