More Marrakesh

Salutations!

The group’s mood today can best be defined as exhausted. The nonstop traveling, long days, and irregular eating schedules have drained a lot of people physically and mentally. Besides battling my sleepiness in class this morning, I am doing well. Coffee helps, too. Once we get into Malaga, things are going to slow down a little and the days are going to be more consistent.

Today’s Events
Today we spent more time in Morocco, which translates into “to pass by quickly.” Hundreds of years ago, Morocco was a pit stop on the way from Southern Africa to the north and apparently filled with thieves. Fortunately, it is not like that today. After class, we observed some tradition Moroccan cooking and food preparation. It was really cool to see all of their different spices and techniques. Most dishes are prepared in a tazgin (spelling). It is like a primitive crock pot made out of clay. We also learned how to make their famous mint sweet tea.

We also navigated through the back allies of Morocco. The walls were about 30 feet high, and the passage was probably 6 feet wide. It was an adventure. Perhaps I am over-romanticizing these simple allies. I thought a roller coaster would fit perfectly through the allies. With a tight turn radius, the small cars would speed through the narrow corridors and have near misses with everything in its way. Of course, after pitching this idea to the group, everyone who knew me rolled their eyes.

Interesting fact: all doorways and houses look identical from the allies. Everything looks run-down and bland; however, when you open the doors you will be amazed at how elegant the houses can be. This is done because all people, regardless of their wealth, display themselves in the same manner. There is nothing signifying economic status or political status.

Later, we visited the former palace of the Moroccan Prime Ministers (name I cannot remember). There were many good examples of Arabic architecture; however, all of the furniture was removed, so I did get a good idea of what it actually looked like. My favorite part was all of the lush vegetation entering the palace. I saw banana trees. We went to a few other landmarks in Morocco before the end of the night. There are plenty of European tourists here. I ate a snail at one of the markets. It was delicious!

Morocco Map
Below you will find a map of our adventure in Morocco. We leave for Spain on Saturday.

(click image for larger view)

We are traveling to Casablanca tomorrow. You might have heard of it before. They may not have internet connection, so this may be my last entry for the next few days.

If I remembered how to say “goodbye” in Arabic, it would be right here!