First day in Meknes

Another train ride! Yay! Our very short stay in Rabat was nice as a little refresher post New Year's Eve, but it's hard to move around every day. We stayed in Meknes for two nights, so we were able to wash clothes, settle in, and see the city more in-depth.

The first day in Meknes we arrived at our riad well before it was ready for us. We wandered around, had lunch on a rooftop, and read our guide books for tips on what to do the next day. After we checked into our riad and dropped off our bags, I walked around with Jon, Stefi, Ashlae, and Erin. Our intent was to find a cafe with wifi so we could all check in back home, but we met a Berber artisan who makes metal crafts decorated with silver thread. We went into his shop and he showed us how he makes each piece, firing the metal twice, scouring it, polishing it, and shaping the final piece. I bought a bracelet and ring from him for an incredible price and then he invited us to sit in a back room filled with killim rugs. We sat around and he made each of us a cup of mint tea (everyone here calls it Moroccan whiskey or scotch. It is LOADED with sugar!) He was so kind and taught us the history of each of the four types of killims. I promise to go into more detail in future posts about all the intricacies that make Morocco Morocco, but for now I'm just posting an overview of my visit to catch up on this blog! He asked us to sign a book he keeps as a record of all of the students that come through his shop. He has learned English thanks to students from the nearby university coming through, so we left a note of thanks for his hospitality.

We ate dinner in someone's home that doubles as their family restaurant. The riad roof was leaking when we got back and mattresses got wet and had to be shuffled around. It was quite the ordeal! Someone had been hosing off the roof earlier in the day and forgot to turn the water off, so the terrace flooded. The riad was truly authentic with no heat and drafty windows. I shook the entire night and didn't sleep a wink. More on that in the next post...

Another train ride and a night in Rabat

Rabat was a welcome break from the hustle and bustle of Marrakech. We took a 3 hour train ride, which allowed us to see the beautiful landscape of Morocco. Unfortunately the waste management has a long way to go, so the rail line is littered with garbage. A woman on the train told us that Morocco is too poor to have a recycling program, and we have been hard-pressed to find public waste bins while walking around. Still, the distant landscape is gorgeous and the sky is a beautiful blue. Prior to our arrival there were many days of rain, so everything is lush and green. It is interesting to see pastures dotted with dense areas of apartment buildings, many that are abandoned or half-built. Along the tracks we saw a lot of shepherds tending their flocks. The outskirts of cities seems to be where the stray dogs hang out, while the cats rule the streets of towns.

After arriving in Rabat we checked into our hotel and took a few minutes to settle in, freshen up, and drop our bags off. We wandered through the souks, which were very different from the souks in Marrakech. They seemed a lot more calm. I didn't take a lot of photos just because I was exhausted and wanted to remain respectful, but there were men selling whole stingrays from carts and it was awesome! Cats waited patiently behind them hoping for a handout.

We wound our way up through the narrow alleys into the Kasbah. It was beautiful. The walls were all painted white and blue and it was quiet! Such a nice break from Marrakech. I loved the chaos of Marrakech, but I can only take so much of it.

We ended our professor-guided stroll on the edge of the fort/kasbah overlooking the Atlantic ocean. The view was incredible.

Several of us headed down from the fort together to find dinner. You can't look to Yelp for dinner suggestions here! So we wander until we find a place that looks good and has comfortable seating. We took in the sights along the way and had tagine for dinner (tagine comes in many forms and is a national specialty. I will write more on that later.) I also had an amazing banana and milk smoothie.

After dinner we called it a night. I roomed with Stefi and Ashlae and got a balcony with an incredible view. After a good night of sleep, we had breakfast in the hotel and headed to the train station once more. Our visit to Rabat was very short and sweet, but was just what the doctor ordered for our exhausted group of students. Onward to Meknes! 

New Year's Eve in Marrakech

I never know whether I should write Marrakech or Marrakesh....or Fes or Fez! Both ways are correct, so if I switch between the two I'm still right!

New Year's Eve in Marrakech was very eventful for our group, but I will share only the good. We had breakfast at our riad together, which was an assortment of jams with Moroccan crepes, pancakes, and honey. Later we broke into smaller groups to explore the city. The group I was in visited the Carrefour (grocery store) in the new town to get snacks and drinks for a NYE celebration. Then we went into the old medina to a place called Henna Art Cafe where I got henna on my hand. It is a beautiful cafe, and we met both of the owners. One is a local and one is a woman from the United States. She was so kind and accommodating to our questions.

After a trip back to our riad to momentarily relax, we trekked through the souks (markets) some more. You could spend days in the Marrakech souks and not see them all. They are an endless maze of stalls. We stopped in a spice stall and learned about some of the ingredients used in Moroccan food. I purchased some mixed spices for friends back home as well as black anise, which is used for a number of ailments. It is balled up in a piece of cotton fabric and sniffed through the nostrils to clear sinuses and relieve headaches. It is incredible stuff. The shop owner was incredibly kind and explained every spice we could point at. It was a great experience. 

After the second trip through the souks, Erin and I lagged behind to walk slowly and buy fresh-squeezed orange juice in the square. 1.5 liters cost roughly $2.00 and it is the best orange juice I have ever had. I bought a metal lantern from a shopkeeper I had met earlier in the day and we went back to our riad. 

The evening was suppose to end with much celebration, but I fell and possibly broke my knee cap so I went back in early. The amount of blood on my pants wasn't pretty! But, I am feeling fine to walk and will have it looked at back in the States. It's all part of the fun of traveling! 

Happy 2015! This year is going to be amazing, I can feel it. 

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.