So we ported in Casablanca, Morocco three days ago. Day one we spent exploring Casablanca and all the markets and streets. This was a really huge culture shock for all of us. So far on the trip we've only been in European countries and we had gotten used to the similar cultures in those places. Africa however... It's slightly different. Walking through the bazaar was absolutely insane. The first day my friends and I got lost in them because the alleys are narrow and it's difficult to remember which shop is which and they eventually all look the same. But I think getting lost in there was a fun experience. They sold everything you could imagine; clothes, pots and pans, selfie sticks, they had them all. Oh and you had to negotiate. All the SAS kids stick out like a sore thumb, so everyone knows we're tourists and tries to sell things for more money than they're worth. But I'm pretty sure I've mastered the strategy. You look at something you like and you ask the price and if it's too much you give them the price you want for it and if they don't go for it, you set it back down and walk away. Pretty soon they'll be running back to you saying that price is okay. Works [almost] every time. You even have to negotiate for cab rides. (But just letting you know the dirham is very weak compared to the dollar so everything was relatively cheap here). After, we went to the Hassan II Mosque and had a guided tour inside. The mosque was absolutely breathtaking. I've seen lots of Cathedrals and Basilicas but no mosques. And I was amazed. Everything was hand carved into the wood and everything had a certain purpose and meaning behind it. It was definitely one of my favorite parts about Morocco. Day one I didn't really buy anything because I wanted to see everything before I made my final purchases. It was a great day to start to get comfortably in Morocco.
Day two we also spent in Casablanca and we again went through the twisty maze of the bazaar and through a residential area that led to a light house. It was truly shocking to see the difference of lifestyles compared to Moroccan people and myself. The area my friend Hanna and I walked through was filled with tiny shacks right next to each other for such a large community. We walked through the neighborhood to get to this lighthouse we had seen earlier. An old man who couldn't speak any English led us up to the top and posed us for pictures. And when I say he posed us, I mean it literally. He would stop us every now and then and say "picture" and made us stand and look a certain way. It was slightly strange but really funny looking back on it. And we got a great view of the city. After we decided to head to Rick's cafe, which is the famous cafe from the movie "Casablanca". Great atmosphere, and even better food. Also, Morocco has a trademark for having amazing mint tea, and they really do. I had tea with almost all of my meals and I actually already miss it. After our late lunch, we walked around the bazaar again and then had an early night because I had a train to catch in the morning!
Day three at 8:50 we hopped on a train to Marrakech. It's a four hour train ride and I slept for most of it (maybe I should've wrote my essay, oh well). Once we arrived, we went straight to the hotel we stayed in and dropped our stuff off. Our hotel was a four star resort with a huge pool area and huge rooms. And it was so cheap!! I stayed with Brian, Justin, and Harrison and we loved it. We went out into the bazaar in Marrakech after and it was even more confusing than the markets in Casablanca. We were trying to find our friend's hotel but we eventually gave up and just got lost in the maze of stores (which was so much fun).
Day four we began at the Majorelle gardens which were absolutely breathtaking. We walked around all kinds of plants and bamboo and the most beautiful flowers. And of course, we sat down in their cafe and had more mint tea. After, we went back into the old town with all the markets and spent a few hours there. Being blonde(ish), you really stand out in these kind of places so my friends and I were catcalled quite a bit. Im pretty sure some of them said to me “hey nice white chicken”. I’m not really sure what that means and I’m confused as to why they find “white chickens” appealing, but to each his own. Oh and also, I was cussed out (in English) by a five year old little boy because I wouldn't give him any money. Talk about an authentic experience. After our time in the markets, we went back to our friends hotel where we got ready to go ride camels! They picked us up at 5:00pm and drove us out to this desert area with camels lined up for us. They gave us all these traditional moroccan dresses to wear and wrapped scarves around our heads. Camels are definitely a lot of fun to ride, but slightly difficult to get on and off of. Once you climb on, they have to stand back up, which is a lot of rocking and holding on for dear life. But once you're on, IT'S SO FUN. And it was extremely beautiful because we were able to watch the sunset while we rode the camels. This experience really made me appreciate morocco and their culture and also how beautiful the world is. If you told me a year ago that I would be riding a camel in Africa, I wouldn't believe you. Anyways, we got all our pictures taken and we headed back to the hotel for a homemade traditional five course (and three hour long) Moroccan dinner. The food was INSANE. I had never eaten so much good food at once in my life. I would try to list the specific names of the foods but: One, I don’t know how to spell it, two, I could barely understand our server because she didn’t speak any English. But, wow I will be dreaming about that dinner for days!
The next day we had to head back to the ship, which meant an early morning four hour train ride back. During the train ride, these two ladies got into a fight (not sure what it was about) but they were yelling extremely loud at each other and then other people joined in and it got pretty hectic. It lasted for about ten minutes and my friends and I just sat in silence. That was definitely a time I wish I knew the language.
It was sad leaving Morocco because I loved it so much, but I’m still extremely excited for Senegal! Thanks for reading, and I’ll talk to you again in Senegal!
No comments:
Post a Comment