Morocco

                As promised, here is my blog post about my trip to Morocco! It was a week long trip and most of the time we were in some sort of transport. But it was so worth it and I would do it again, even with all the bus travel.

                Our group met around 8:00 in the evening at the bus station, there were 26 students from my program in Madrid and we shared a bus with 26 students from Salamanca. Or was it 28 students from each city? Hm. They had already been on the bus for three hours when we met up with them. We spent the whole night in the bus on our way to Gibraltar where we then had to take a ferry. The bus ride wasn't so bad for me, I’m used to long road trips (thanks mom and dad), and so I slept pretty much the whole time. We had to stop a lot though, there’s a law in Spain that says a bus driver has to stop for 45 minutes after driving for three hours. Something like that, I’m not sure. Anyway, we got to the ferry around 6:00 but it didn't leave until 8:00 so we got to have a small breakfast and wait for the other groups. Students from other cities met up with us as well. The ferry lasted about three hours, I think. I actually don’t know, I was asleep the whole time.

                Finally we got our first view of Africa! And it was rainy and gray. Bummer, but still exciting! After getting off the ferry, we got back on the bus and drove another five or six hours to Fez. By then, we were all exhausted so after our room assignments, we all showered, ate dinner, and went to bed. We stayed at a five-star hotel (!) with nothing around us so even if we wanted to, we couldn't really explore.

My first picture of Africa. I'm a professional, I know.

                In the morning we had a delicious breakfast. Let it be known that I say that sarcastically, by the time my roommate and I got down there for breakfast, all the good stuff was gone so I had a bunch of pastries for breakfast. Actually delicious, but probably not good for me… oh well. After breakfast we all met in the lobby around 9:30 to take our tour of the city. We spent the whole day walking through the Medina, a huge market that takes up most of the city and is very easy to get lost in, unless you know your way. Our tour guide said that Fez has about nine thousand alleys. That’s about nine thousand too many, if you ask me.

                The directors split us all up so that we were with our city and the groups were staggered. Madrid was the last group to leave so we got to sleep in, ha ha. Anyway, our first stop was to see a palace with seven doors, I’m not sure of the significance because I couldn't really hear our tour guide but it was neat. There was another door that we weren't allowed to pictures of but no one knew why. If asked, the police would just say don’t do it. With the threat of having our cameras taken, I don’t think anyone risked it. It didn't look that special anyway, just a brown door with some guards.

Two out of seven doors. Exciting.

Our second mini stop was for about ten minutes, we were up on a high hill and got a view of the whole city, it was very neat. After that we made our actual first stop in the Medina! Our tour consisted of five shops, each with different specialties and we got mini tours of how they make their goods. Our first stop was a ceramics workshop. We got to see how they make the tiles, mosaics, etc. Then we got to explore the gift shop. Since we came in a huge group, we got a discount, twenty percent off of everything, which was nice because some things were expensive. I was tempted to buy a LOT but I didn't want to carry it around all day and neither did I want to spend all my money in one place. I did have my debit card, for emergencies/just in case but I didn't want to use it (although I did later…. oops).  Anyway, I bought a little cup that was about 100 dirhams (Moroccan currency) so with the discount it was only 80, which is about 8€, so not too bad! I figured I could use it for pencils or makeup brushes or something.

Bad ass peacock mosaic table.

                After our ceramics tour we went to a university but we just saw the outside of it. In order to get in, you have to be able to recite the Qur'an by heart with only five mistakes allowed. I don’t think it was a regular university. After that we went to a place where they make and sell rugs. I wanted one but they were REALLY expensive. At least I was able to control myself here. The rugs were really nice, handmade and would be considered cheap in Europe but I didn't have a couple thousand Euros lying around. At this point, we’re all tired and hungry and cranky from walking around all day. The weather was kind of gray and I think it rained in the morning so our feet were all muddy. We really got to experience Morocco here, I think. There was garbage everywhere, dirty cats running around (sad face) and you could tell that Morocco is not a very wealthy country.

                Next we stopped for lunch! We all sat at tables for eight and shared the food in the middle; no one had their own meal. There were about seven little plates and one big one. The big one was couscous with chicken and cooked vegetables. We weren't allowed to eat raw vegetables because we couldn't drink the water and they were probably washed with water. Almost everything we ate the entire time was the same, rice/couscous with chicken or lamb, cooked vegetables, potatoes and bread. By the end I was sick of it and really missing Spanish food!

Food. No other description needed.

                After lunch we went to a leather shop and they showed us where they make the leather. Walking in, we were handed sprigs of mint and thank goodness we had them because it smelled outside. They use pigeon poop to make the leather! It has lots of ammonia, apparently, and that’s needed in the process. After, we were shown some leather jackets and the guide showed us how superior real leather is to the fake stuff. He tried to set it on fire, it didn't work nor did it smell. He poured water on it and it just slid right off. We got to feel how soft it was. Ugh, at this point I was very curious. After the demonstration, we got to look at all the goods so I went and asked how much the jackets were. Instead of getting a straight answer, I was told to pick which one I liked the best and try it on. Okay, these salesmen were good. After putting it on, I was told how awesome it looked and how I couldn't buy this in the US for under $700 and how amazing it was and how it’s only $250 in Morocco!

                What! ONLY $250!? I don’t know about you, but to me that’s quite a bit for a leather jacket. I don’t know how this happened but I said I’d take it, that I probably had enough on my debit card (which I had for emergencies, not indulgences, ugh!) and then the price was lowered to $200. So I bought a leather jacket… later I found out that the leather came from baby goats. That is something that I did NOT need to know. Also, turns out that baby animals make better leather because their skin isn't used as much and ugh, hopefully they were sick and dying anyway because that’s kind of horrifying to hear. But it’s really soft and cool looking so I guess it was worth it? It’s this really nice chocolate brown, it almost looks black. Anyway, if push comes to shove I can always sell it in the US for a profit! And apparently I got a good deal, as in, I wasn't ripped off. One of the ISA directors was with me when I was trying it on and she said it looked good. I told her I was concerned that I paid too much. Later, she said that when she called Madrid to check in, she was told that $200 was a good price. Okay, well at least there's that.

A literal poop factory. Ha ha, I'm so funny.

                Anyway, this really goes to show how good the salesmen in Morocco were. I knew that I shouldn't spend that much money on a leather jacket, but somehow it happened. A couple students bought rugs at the rug shop and they said the same thing. They had no idea how they wound up buying these expensive (but really nice) rugs. Oh well, I guess now I get to say that I own a leather jacket from Morocco! And it should last me forever so, that’s cool.

                Our next stop was a spice shop where they sell spices (duh!) and medicines. We were shown some products and got to sample them. It was a cool demonstration, and the goods were cheap! And by cheap I mean not so expensive that I would regret buying it. I bought some mint tea (we were served some at the rug shop, hospitality, and it was really good), some traditional kohl they wear in the desert and a gift for a friend. After making friends with a stray cat (of course I would), we went to our next and final destination.

                Our final stop was a fabric store! There they sold scarves, traditional dresses worn by Moroccans and other fabric wares. I only bought one scarf (for myself); I would have purchased more as gifts but they were also so expensive! I thought Morocco was supposed to be cheap… I could have used my debit card here but it was close to catching fire so I stayed my hand. At this point I think we were all cranky and ready to go, a lot of disgruntled students due to the expensive prices and walking.

Not so cranky that I couldn't goof off.

                After this we all went back to the hotel, had free time for showering or whatever, and then it was dinner time. After dinner, there was an optional show, a traditional Moroccan show with dancing and everything. I think most everyone went but I’m not sure if it was truly enjoyed by everyone, to be honest. We were all tired, almost out of money on the first day, and some people (like me) didn't have good seats and couldn't see as well. It may not have been worth it, but I’m glad I went and got to experience some Moroccan culture. At least some more mint tea was provided!

                The next morning we finally made our way to the desert! And by that I mean that we had a ten hour commute to the Sahara. This was also day one of using the bathroom outside or in little holes in the ground. Our first bathroom break was the forest, so we all scattered. I guess now I understand why we were told to pack toilet paper in our luggage. Actually, I knew from the beginning but whatever. We stopped for lunch for about two hours on the way (same food, boring) and then finally arrived to the 4x4s that were going to take us to our camp. The jeep ride was about an hour long and probably the best part of that day! Our driver was awesome, he went fast so we were airborne a bit and we couldn't see anything because it was so dusty and basically it was a good time. Lots of cheers and whoops from our jeep!

                After arriving at camp, we were shown to our haima (tent) that we would sleep in. It was basically a row of mattresses in the sand, about 50 to one haima… not what I was expecting. The directors made it seem like it would be six beds to a haima but oh well, it wasn't so bad. So we claimed our beds, had some tea, and gazed at the stars while we waited for dinner. You could see everything out there and it got better the further you got from camp. We didn't go too far, too dark for that! The sky really did feel like a blanket, it was very cozy and relaxing, lying down in the sand and looking at the stars.

More goofing off in turbans. I'm sensing a theme. A theme of gratuitous pictures of moi.

                Eventually everyone made it safely and it was time for dinner… which, you guessed it, was the same food we had been served everywhere else. I think the food and so much travel were the only disappointing parts of the trip though. After dinner there was some music and a bonfire but I was exhausted and went to bed but I could hear the music right outside so don’t judge me for not participating! My bed was at the far end so I had the haima wall to my left and only one person to my right, perfect for me.

                At about 5:30, everyone was woken to go see the sunrise. I took a quick little potty break in the sand and joined my friends. There were desert people who acted as guides; they led us to good spots to see the sun. I think we sat in silence for about 45 minutes, just enjoying the view. I think that was my favorite part of the whole trip, just reveling in the fact that I was watching the sunrise in Africa. After the sun rose, our guide led us back and then started showing us little trinkets to sell… Oops. Apparently the guides weren’t free and they at least wanted some kind of tip for leading us to a good spot. Ugh, I told you they were good. I bought a little soap dish for about five Euros, so not too bad, but still kind of frustrating  because he made us believe that they were a LOT cheaper than that at first.

Worth it.

So worth it that you get two pictures.

                Anyway, after being bullied (not really) into buying something, I went back to bed for a bit. Around 9:00 it was time for breakfast, nothing special. Bread, yogurt, jams… same old same old. After chilling for a bit, it was finally CAMEL TIME! A huge caravan of camels was waiting for us; all we had to do was group up and hop on! In my group of six, I was the first to get on but my camel was in the back. He was dark brown and gorgeous and I loved him, we really bonded. I named him Brutus (Buckeye) but later found out that he had already been named Jimi Hendrix. What a stupid name for a camel. But as it turns out, other camels with named Jimi Hendrix so really, the desert people were just being lazy. Brutus was awesome, but a little bumpy. You first get on the camel when they’re sitting and then they stand and I was really unprepared for that, I think I may have shrieked about. Not because I was scared, just shocked.

Can you see the fear in my eyes? No, you can't. There wasn't any.

                So we rode the camels for a while until we came upon this really tall dune. Time to dismount and climb that dune! I gave Brutus some pet pets before I left him and I think he liked it. I told you, we bonded! Next, time to trek that dune. I did it, but it was hard. I got so much sand in my shoes, I was sweating and breathing hard and chugging water but I did it. Okay, it wasn't that bad, not even that tall but I’m still proud of my accomplishment. I didn't stay up long though; I was really shaky and felt like I needed to sit so I went back down with a friend, who wasn't feeling well. Turns out on top of the hill you could see the Algerian border. Oops, I didn't see it but I got a 360 degree view so even though I don’t know exactly when I saw the border, I still saw it. And that’s good enough for me.

What a monstrous dune! Marvel at the sheer size of the beast!

                After everyone climbed back down, we got back on our camels and rode to a little town. Time to say goodbye to our camels, for good. I still miss you, Brutus! We went to a house or something, I have no idea where we were, but there was a pool and you could buy drinks so I think we stopped just to relax. We all circled the pool, put our feet in, and had a nice little break. Then it was time to move on and go to another shop to see… RUGS. Again… but they had mint tea! We poked around there for a while then walked back to camp. Then it was lunch time, nothing to really say about that.

We'll always have Paris. I mean, Morocco.

                I would have like to take a nap after lunch, but it was too hot in the haimas. It was cooler outside the tents! Some guys had cards so we played cards for a while. Desert people (I don't know what else to call them?), or desert women, I guess, came to do henna tattoos. They kept asking me if I wanted one but I didn't have much money and I don't like writing or drawings on my arms, I don't know, it's weird. I don’t know what else to say about this part… the time between lunch and dinner was kind of uneventful. Oh! Except the sunset! I watched the sunset too, it was pretty neat. Not as cool as the sunrise, but still, pretty cool. Well, I guess it was just as neat? It's basically the same thing, just the opposite. No, the sunrise was definitely better. A lot more peaceful and relaxing. But I digress. Then it was dinner time where a live band was playing. They took up so much electricity that our haimas weren't lit! After dinner, I watched the stars for a bit and then went to bed, I was very tired again. Heat and sun and socializing make me sleepy, I guess.

Sunset in the Sahara.

                The next morning we had breakfast, packed up our stuff, and left the camp. Another fun ride in the 4x4s! Not as fun as driving at night, but still nice. Not as much whooping this time. We were the first jeep to arrive back at our buses so we put our bags in the bus and used a real bathroom for the first time in days. Then we waited, and waited, and waited for the rest of the jeeps to arrive. It took about an hour or so for us to finally depart. We were in the bus pretty much the rest of the day. For the first time, lunch was not included but we didn't stop at a nice place for food so our lunches consisted of Pringles and cookies. SO healthy, I know. Back to the bus. At least this time we got to watch good movies! On the way to the desert, we watched some but they were boring or weird and I was not having it. Although we did watch Mamma Mia! and that is always fun. We finally arrived in Meknes and everyone ran straight to the showers after getting their keys. It had been about 48 hours since our last shower and we were gross. Flies were swarming us at the camp, before we left. Fun.

                After a nice hot, relaxing shower, we went down for a nice dinner, a little bit different this time but nothing too special. Then I went straight to bed so I got about ten hours of sleep. It was so nice to be in a real bed, in a real building. In the morning, we had breakfast and loaded up the buses. Time to go back to Madrid! Or Salamanca, or Barcelona… whichever city you came from. Again, nothing too special to report. We left around 9:00 AM and arrived in Madrid around 7:00 AM. So twenty hours of travelling straight, with little money to spend on food.

                I have class at 8:30 so I was very cranky, I couldn't afford to miss class, I had a presentation to give, and it’s quite a commute from my home stay to school. Fortunately, I was able to shower and pack my schoolbag and get to school with minutes to spare. I had an essay to work on that afternoon so I didn't get to nap and I didn't go to bed until 1:00 AM because of all the reading/essay writing I didn't do on the bus. My bad. Wednesday and Thursday were exhausting, so after lunch I went straight to bed and slept. I woke up at some point and got caught up on my gossip but then went back to bed. It was a very good sleep. Then came the weekend (nothing exciting, just roommate bonding). I guess it's worth mentioning that I didn't get sick after the trip. A lot of people did, for example, my roommate. Poor baby, she had to go to the doctor and miss school. I wasn't sick, but I didn't feel great after getting home. Lack of regular sleep, a weird diet and too much Dramamine probably led to my general malaise. My stomach didn't feel right for a bit, but it didn't interfere with my daily life so I was very fortunate, in that sense.

                Because I don’t feel like making another post, I’m going to quickly talk about my week so far. Yesterday, Tuesday, I went to the movies with my film class. We saw Lo imposible, a Spanish movie with English actors about the Indian Ocean tsunami the occurred the day after Christmas in 2004. It was really stressful and emotional and I cried. A lot. My roommate came with me, even though she’s not taking the film class, and we cried together. It was really good though, I recommend it if movies like that don’t bother you. After the movie, our class went to a bar to discuss the film. Our professor bought us beers! She’s really nice and I’m really enjoying her class. Not everyone in our class came but it was still a nice discussion (my roommate didn't stay for it though).

                Now today, Wednesday, there was this thing called a huelga general, which is basically a 24 hour strike. A lot of stores were closed, the transportation wasn't running at full capacity… basically there was nothing to do because it was sort of risky to go out and everything was closed anyway. Our school decided to dismiss any absences or tardies today so my roommate and I didn't go. Remember, our commute is long and I have no idea how to walk to school. If I had gone, I would have had to wake up really early, possibly wait 30 minutes for the metro, and then get packed in like a sardine with everyone else. Not worth it, especially since I wouldn't get a penalty for not coming. If you have more than two absences, you lose a letter grade or worse. So far I haven’t missed any class! Except today… And for Morocco… But absences due to the Morocco trip were also excused, which I why I went! Well, not the only reason, but it was definitely a factor. Honestly? The main reason I got to go is that I have amazing parents who support me and encourage my adventures. I don’t think I’d be able to go on all these trips without their help. So, thank you, mom and dad, for being amazing parents and great friends! I love you!

                Well… that sure was a long post! Thanks for sticking it out to the end. This weekend is our excursion the Granada, then my dad and Aunt Jan are coming to visit and we’ll be going to Dublin the next weekend. After that I’m going to Rome with a friend, and then I have two more weeks in Spain. One whole weekend in Madrid, and then the next there’s a day trip to Segovia. Then I have finals and on the 20^th of December, I finally start my way home. As much as I love it here, I cannot wait to go home and see my family, cats, and friends. Thankfully, my dad and aunt visiting will give me a little taste of home which will hopefully lessen my homesickness. Or make it worse, I don’t know.

                Anyway, next week look forward to a post about Granada! I will try and write it Monday because I know that after dad and Jan arrive, I won’t even think about computers... Only a little.