Overnight train and first day in Marrakesh

Last night we took an overnight train from Tangier to Marrakesh after spending the day roaming around Tangier. The train left at 9:55pm and arrived in Marrakesh at 8:30am. The views of the night sky were incredible, as was the sunrise through the fog in the morning. I fell in love with Tangier, but I am more in love with Marrakesh. Marrakesh is a true assault on the senses. There is a new smell emanating from the air every 10 feet in the medina. Cats lurk around every corner, and bikes and mopeds scream around curves. Merchants beckon to tourists to buy their wares, but I found them to be very respectful when we replied "no." In fact, after much warning to the contrary, I thought the merchants in Marrakesh were much less pushy than those in Tangier.

After departing the train, we immediately traveled to our riad not far from the medina (Riad le Marocain.) We dropped off our bags and walked as a group to the main square, Djemaa al Fna. On the way we grabbed a breakfast of Moroccan pancakes with honey, cheese, coffee, and eggs.

Once we got a feel for the area, we returned to our riad to shower and relax. Four of us broke off from the rest of the group to attend a private cooking class at Riad Monceau near the medina. It was an amazing experience. It was a pastry class and we began by hanging out in the center common area sipping coffee in the fresh air while our chef set the kitchen up for us. We made three desserts from scratch and then retreated to a lounge to learn how to make Moroccan tea. We drank tea and ate our desserts, then went back to the main square to eat chicken, veggies, and lamb on skewers. The square is the place to be during the day, but it really comes to life at night. The air is thick with drums, smoke from the food merchants, and shouts welcoming travelers to sit for an evening meal. Tomorrow we will have the entire day to ourselves to explore Marrakesh.

We will likely visit the new part of town where high-rise hotels, a mall, and upscale restaurants reside. The new part of town is where the expats mostly live and play. I have a sneaking suspicion it will lack the charm I love so far.

Walking through Tangier

We had nearly the whole day in Tangier today. We walked through the medina and a residential neighborhood, enjoyed tea and scarf tying lessons in a Berber's shop, and then broke off from the main group to explore and have dinner. The city is full of incredible smells (and some not-incredible smells.) I am typing this from inside a gorgeous riad full of intricate tile work and good coffee. Four of us are sitting around, chatting, and laughing until we have  to catch a taxi to the train station. Tonight we'll board a train and arrive in Marrakesh tomorrow morning where new adventure await. I'm in love.

Arrival in Tangier

I arrived in Tangier today with some of my study abroad mates after 19 long hours of travel. We won't be doing a lot of exploring today as we are all pretty wiped, but we had a late lunch at a cafe near our hotel and then enjoyed coffee on the hotel terrace. I am excited to get out and explore the city tomorrow before heading out by train to Marrakesh.

I'll leave you with the few photos I took today of Tangier from above and our hotel. 

What I'm bringing

For this program, we are limited to what will fit inside a backpack. That is a tall order for someone that simply cannot leave her camera and lenses behind. I am trying to pack as light as possible to make up for the fact that I'll be bringing not only my camera, but an extra lens and a computer. I will likely have achy shoulders after long days, but that is a small price to pay to be able to Skype with my husband and kiddo, and also (hopefully) capture some gorgeous scenes.

Here is what is going in my bag:

Not including what I'll be wearing on the plane, I will be packing the following (and yes, this all fits in the backpack with some room to spare):
Packable down jacket
4 pairs of wool socks (plus 1 pair cotton that I'll be wearing on the plane)
5 pairs underwear
1 pair jeans
1 pair cropped athletic pants
1 pair full length athletic pants
1 regular bra
1 sports bra
1 swimsuit
2 tank tops
2 t-shirts
3 long sleeve shirts
1 pair Crocs flats that double as shower shoes (probably the best purchase I've made for this!)
Common toiletries (toothpaste, deodorant, etc)
Imodium, just in case
Ear plugs (not taking the whole box, but that is a gift from "Santa" so I haven't opened them yet.)
Advil
Hair ties
Folding brush
Travel clothesline (because I'll likely be washing my clothes in a sink)
Organization bag for toiletries and small items
Universal plug adapter
Wet and dry bags for laundry
Camera bag insert (the full camera bag is no longer coming, as the insert can fit nicely into my cross-body purse/market bag.)
Pentax K5 camera body
35mm 2.0 lens
50-135 2.8 lens
Extra battery and SD cards
Chargers (phone, computer, camera)
Extra ziplock bags for bringing home spices, and a market bag for extra souvenirs.
Microsoft Surface (smaller than a laptop but with all the same capabilities, and it has my photo editing software on it.)
Travel journal (part of my program assignment)
Gratitude journal (something I'm doing for work)
2 pens
Passport


Not pictured:
I'll be wearing another pair of full length athletic pants, a t-shirt, tank top, and cardigan on the plane along with my Crocs Blitzen Convertible boots (which will be my main walking shoes in country.) I am also bringing ear buds, cash, my credit cards, cell phone, etc. in a convenient cross-body purse that has lots of room for picking things up along the way.

The bag:

I am using the Kelty Redwing 44 bag. After a LOT of searching for something, this seemed like the perfect fit. I wanted something that unzipped all the way or nearly all the way rather than a top-loading bag so I can keep contents organized and not have to remove everything to get to what's on the bottom. This bag also has water bottle pockets (another requirement of mine) and lots of extra pockets to organize. I have a lot of small items, so I want to be able to keep them within reach, and this does the trick. It is also extremely comfortable. I've worn it around the house loaded up to test it out and so far I really like it. I will report back at the end of the two weeks one whether or not I still like it!

About the Program

As part of my degree in Geography, I am taking a short study abroad course. Geography by Rail: Morocco will fulfill my field techniques requirement while also giving me a pretty incredible opportunity. While traveling through the country (mostly by train) I will be taking photos and blogging about the experience.

I'll arrive in Tangier on December 28th. We'll take an overnight train the following day to Marrakech where we'll spend New Year's Eve. From there we'll continue on to Rabat, Meknes, Fes, and Taza. The program will conclude in Casablanca on January 10th. I have rented an apartment for one last night in Casablanca and will head home to Colorado on January 11th.

Suring the two weeks in country we will explore the physical and human landscape, learning about the natural history, human history, and rich culture of the Moroccan people. We will eat traditional foods, visit a hammam, and experience the hospitality Morocco is well-known for.

Where exactly is Morocco, you ask? Morocco is located in northwest Africa. A ferry can be taken between Morocco and Spain for a reasonable fare. At the closest points, Spain and Morocco are a mere 8 miles apart.

The cities we'll be visiting are spread throughout the country. I've created a map with dates for those interested in knowing where I'll be and when (you know, like my mother and husband!)

There will be ten students and two instructors in the program. We will be limited to bringing items that fit into a backpack...which means I am bringing a very large backpack! Ha! Next week I will blog about my adventures in packing light. I have faith I can accomplish such a task.

I can't wait to begin this journey. I feel incredibly lucky to have the chance and be so supported in this by my friends and family.

Until then...