Friday, February 6, 2009

BLOG # 5 : CASABLANCA, MOROCCO!

Cold, windy, puddles, dirt, and cloudy was how it was first walking off the ship and into the port in Casablanca. Not the best weather, but it still could have been worse. Traveling with 23 other students on an independent trip planned by one student on the ship before leaving home through face book. It was an interesting group, I didn’t really know any of them. Finally we find our guide outside of the port gates after our 25 minute walk to get outside of the port. We all fit into a small bus and jeep and head straight to Marrakech which is a 2 ½ hour drive away where we spent most of our time. Driving by the roads you see mules trotting along, women walking completely covered head to toe, people in fields with herds of sheep, horses with carriages of fruits and vegetables, and a lot of land. It was very kool to see how different life is in Morocco.
The first day we checked into our hotels, which was in the Medina near the major market place called the Souks, and the hotel was pretty sketch, not cute at all, but part of the experience. It was cold, no hot water, had to scrounge for toilet paper, luckily I had brought some Kleenex! And also blankets that we just hoped we wouldn’t catch scabies from since they kept scaring us about that in or pre-port meetings lol… Anyways from the hotel we went to a bank to get the Durham (Moroccan money) and then went to a very authentic Moroccan lunch! It was soo kool, at the top deck, open cabana like environment, with Moroccan drapes, just full of culture. We got to try a lot of Moroccan food, family style, it was salad, but much different than the salad we are used to, bread that was freshly baked and like round flat loaves which was good, koosh koosh (not sure if that’s how u spell it haha) which is very popular there that had steamed vegetable over it, lemon chicken, olives, some type of little beans, and I forget what else, but I tried almost everything it was good. The desert there is oranges with cinnamon and sugar sprinkled on top, but their oranges are the best ever! Then some mint tea which is super sweet to end the meal with. It was a kool experience. Definitely!
After lunch we headed on a guided walking tour through the city, visited old palaces and shopping areas, the market place. Took a lot of pictures… The Moroccan men make a lot of comments to the women, and they warned us about it on the ship. Some guy tried to buy a girl in my group for 3000 durham, it was crazzyy.. and they know your not from their so they just yell out random things like spice girls haha, and someone said good afternoon to Japanese to me lol, and stuff like beautiful and then other stuff in their language. It gets intense, but you just keep walking and don’t make eye contact with them because in their culture it means the women want to have sex with you, it’s crazy. Anyways we spent to nights at the shady hotel haha and at night went to the Souks, ate at the busy market area where like a million ppl come up to u and try to get u to eat at their stand. Kids are walking around begging for money and trying to sell u Kleenex packets, it’s soo sad. There is a lot going on in that area, tons of people there. At night we found a bar near by, but I was not trying to go clubbing there, oh hell no… but yeah the 2nd day we woke up early got a lil snack/breakfast from a cart where a woman made these crepe-like rolls with honey, it was good. And we headed to a different part in Marrakech where we went Camel Trekking! It was sprinkling rain so we all got wet, muddy, dirty, and their were 14 camels, 24 of us so most of us rode 2 on each. It was quite an experience, almost fell 3 times because our camel was getting mad and kept trying to eat while we were on it so it was a ride haha. I was scared, but the girl that rode with me was terrified. It was fun though.. I took a video which I will upload whenever I get a chance to get free internet. Anyways camel riding was very kool! Dirty, but kool.
We drove another 2 hours to the Atlas mountains, saw waterfalls, snow, and the Berber village which is like the indigenous people village. Went to the 1st palace ever made in Africa which reminded me of Aladdin the Disney movie lol. No one lives there now though, it is very old, I think from the the 18th century? Not sure. But the views were just amazingly beautiful. It was surreal, like looking at a picture. The people that lived in the Berber village were very poor, they used the old school washing board with a bucket and their little houses were like ceramic/mud walls. I saw a little girl washing her hands in a puddle of water along the path, it was very sad, and they speak either some form of Arabic or French their. So we could not understand what they were saying when they asked us questions. I could not imagine what it would like to live like that, definite moment of appreciation for everything I have at home, but also sadness for how bad it is there and sense of helplessness. I’m glad they took us their though, it was good for us all to see how these people live. Close to the village a Moroccan family opened up their home to our group and set up their living room so that we could all eat there. It was very nice, and they prepared our lunch that afternoon, of course Moroccan food, and then we each paid. We spent all day in the Atlas mountains, at the village, so by the time we got back to the hotel it was already dark. Continued with more shopping and visited the new city part of Marrakech that night. Much more modern and wealthy than old Marrakech.
The last night about 9 of us crammed in one room with two beds and stayed up for awhile talking and then passed out there for warmth haha… It was fun, but uncomfortable! I didn’t get much sleep also because at like 5 in the morning there were people shouting or praying outside and chanting super early, woke me up! Lol… but yeah we left Marrakech that day and drove back to Casablanca and visited the 2nd largest Mosque in the world! It was closed for tourists to go inside until a certain time so we only saw the outside. It was raining though so we all got all wet. Finished the day with walking around Casablanca, having lunch at a restaurant, I had Moroccan Pizza which was pretty good, then walked back into port to get on the ship after saying bye and tipping or tour guide. It was an experience in Morocco! I have never been so happy to get on the ship haha! I went straight to my shower after turning in my passport! We are spoiled on this ship I swear… Morocco was very interesting to see, I’m glad I had the chance to go. Leaving Morocco was crazzyyy because the waves were soo big! A lot of our cabins were trashed wih stuff all over the place, my ladder came off my bunk and stuff in the bathroom was all over the place! Other people’s rooms were worse and there were a few injuries. I was on the 5th deck outside of the room watching people slide across the floor haha. We are ok though… my new perfume from Spain broke though, fell out the cabinet this morning =( cost me 25 euros so I was mad… but oh well. The good thing is that I’m safe. Now it’s 9 days at sea until Namibia and my Wild Dog Safari!!! We cross the equator along the way! That means I’ll be shaving my head.. yes I’m shaving my head, it’s tradition, you don’t have to do it, but I am since I’m over this hair and it’s now or never. I may look like a boy but whatever. Love me for who I am, not how look is how I see it, the hair will grow back and I’m going to donate it. Email me if you want to talk more about this to me haha.. My brother is begging me not to… Well ne-ways I have to go shower and get lunch now so I’ll give you guys an update soon!

I sent some postcards out so email me when u get them! And if u want one email me ur addy if u think I don’t have it…

Miss u guys!! Take care xoxo
**Mags**

1 comment:

imelda said...

That sounds so interesting hun! love your blogs. and it is cous cous btw!