"For you- 50,000 camels!"

So it's been over two weeks since I returned from the great sands of Morocco. What a trip it was! What I will tell you about the trip: SENSORY OVERLOAD. That's the best way I can wrap up what it was to be in Morocco. It was my first time in Africa, first time in a muslim country, a lot of firsts...It's all such a blur that it's difficult to put it all into words. So this entry will mostly be of pictures and small captions: a photo diary of sorts. Enjoy!

A clarification of this posts title: Walking through the markets in any city is stressful and overwhelming, mostly because the vendors are yelling at you to come look at their goods. Many times, seeing a white, blond female calls for even more remarks. One evening as we were on our way to do some last minute shopping, a man called out to me: "For you, 50,000 camels!" Implying that he would buy me/marry me for 50,000 camels. Quite a deal! That's a LOT of camels... we just kept walking.

(Paris de l'Est train station, Paris, France)

Planes, trains and automobiles. What form of transportation didn't we use on this trip? A bus to out of Gerardmer, a train to Paris, a bus to Paris-Beauvais airport, plane from Paris-Beauvais to Marrakech, buses, mini-buses, trains within Morocco, a ferry to get from Morocco to Spain, a bus to Seville and finally a plane back to Paris-Beauvais, only followed by more metros and trains. Traveling on ground is a great way to see scenery and changing landscapes, especially in Morocco where it is so diverse range of desert to greenery, from flat to mountainous views!

(Riad Marrakech Rouge, Marrakech, Morocco)

We stayed in a riad [A Riad (رياض) is a traditional Moroccan house or palace with an interior garden. The word riad comes from the Arabian term for garden, "ryad".] (Riad Marrakech Rouge), which was in the Medina [The traditional, old or non-European area of a North African townof the city.] The hosts were very welcoming, always served us fresh peppermint tea or offered us hookah in the evening. Breakfast was quite packed with carbs, but delicious!

(Place Jemaa el Fna, Marrakech, Morocco)

In the main square were many vendors and stands selling all kinds of delicious snacks... most of which we were too afraid to eat because of the risk of getting sick (this of course did not stop us from getting sick, which we did). But we took a leap and drank some freshly squeezed orange juice (making sure it was squeezed in front of us and not out of a bottle). The sunny weather was perfect! Although not as warm as I would have liked, we were able to comfortably walk around during the day and catch some rays. The nights, however, were pretty chilly!

(Sunset on Place Jemaa el Fna, Marrakech, Morocco)

(Palace, Marrakech, Morocco)

(Marrakech, Morocco)

The food of Morocco would easily deserve an entire blog post all to itself. Tajines (as seen in this picture above) are cooked in clay pots and are a combination of vegetables and meat (chicken or beef or ground lamb). I was a bit disappointed with the lack of spiciness- I really thought I'd have many more "Wow, that's hot!" moments, but it was nevertheless delicious!

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(Desert near Zagora, Morocco)

The picture everyone has been waiting for! Imanta riding a camel! Here he is, the lovable camel named Mimun. After a 7 hour drive over mountains and through desert we were dropped off on the side of the road and left in the hands of some wonderful Berber nomads, who plopped us on camels and led us on a 2 hour trek into the desert. One of the most painful experiences ever! I think we were all sore for about three days after!

(Sunrise outside Berber tents, Desert near Zagora, Morocco)

(Trek to desert, rest stop at an oasis, Morocco)

(Me, Aneel, Olivia, and Marco, Ouarzazate kasbah, Morocco)

(The windy trip to the desert, Morocco)

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(Sunset on the coast, Essaouira, Morocco)

After a great trek to the desert and a lot of shopping in Marrakech we were ready for a break! We took the weekend to go out to the coast, to a small coastal town, Essaouira. A much more laid back feel, it was a chance to relax. We stood in the Atlantic Ocean- from the other side! I really enjoyed watching the sun set over the ocean and knowing that the sun was continuing its day over in the States with our friends and families. We met some musicians who were nice enough to show us around town and took us out for an authentic (albeit a bit scary) experience going out at night!

(Port in Essaouira, Morocco)

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(Mosque in Fes, Morocco)

Fes was a much further trip than we had expected and we spent an entire day en route. An older, dirtier city, it took us a while to warm up to it. Our friend from Essaouira gave us the phone number of his friend who works as a guide and he gave us a tour of the city, leading us through the windy streets that only a local guide could handle. Getting out of the old town made me like Fes more because we walked up above the town and could see it in its entirety. I guess sometimes things just look better from far away!

(View of Fes, Morocco)

(Tanneries in Fes, Morocco)

("Just don't show my wife!" Olivia with our tour guide, Fes, Morocco)

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(Monument in Rabat, Morocco)

After a few days in Fes we spent a day in the capital of Morocco in the city of Rabat. I was a bit nervous coming here because of the recent revolutions in Northern Africa and although we did see a lot of police officers and heard a strike pass by, it was peaceful and we were OK. The guide book described it pretty well: Rabat is the DC of Morocco, taking a much calmer role in tourism. The old town was not very touristy and the new town was full of administrative buildings. This memorial, however, was very striking and beautiful.

(Coastal view, Rabat, Morocco)


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(Port in Tanger, Morocco)

From Rabat we took a train to Tanger, the upper tip of Morocco, to catch a ferry to Spain. Unfortunately, the ferry couldn't leave on time because of bad conditions on the water, so we were stuck at a port for a few hours! Luckily we met another traveler our age, also from America to chat and swap stories with to pass the time. (check out the sweet leather duffel bag I bought in Morocco!)

(Olivia and Carolina at a Tapas restaurant, Seville, Spain)

Once in Seville we were greeted by Olivia's friend Carolina. She was a great host and showed us all around town! We ate delicious tapas and went to a flamenco singing concert, which was so powerful- the voices and technique combined with the intense emotion was something I hadn't seen before. The weather was turning for rain and sure enough, the very last day of the trip we spent inside because the rain was so bad. So we didn't get to see as much of Seville as we would have liked, but that just means I'll have to go back sometime. :)

(Cathedral and Giralda tower, Seville, Spain)

(Getting ready for Easter celebrations, Seville, Spain)

And now we're on the last leg of my experience in France. It's hard to believe how quickly this all has passed... but that's how it is! Next posts to come: Venitian Carnival in Remiremont and in a few weeks the Fete des Jonquilles (Daffodil festival in Gerardmer!) Cheers!