Out of Africa

So now that I'm on a keyboard that isn't Arabic (most confusing ones to use yet) I'm going to attempt to put into words my experience in Morocco.

I was really nervous on the ferry trip over because I had no idea what to expect. I'd gotten some very mixed reviews from people about my going there. Some said it was a great place to visit others said they thought it wasn't safe and even my book had mixed reviews about it. I chatted with an elderly Moroccan woman on the boat over. She was very helpful. Anyway, we got into Tangier and I took a taxi to the train station. There was another backpacker there and we were instant friends. His name was Jamie and we went for coffee down the street to pass the time before our night train to Marrakesh. It was funny because the cafe owner carried on a thirty minute conversation with him as though I weren't even there. That was my first taste of how different attitudes are there. When we got to the train station we met some more backpackers and I ended up spending most of my time in Marrakesh with them. I think there, much more than in Europe, there is a tendency for Western travellers to congregate, because it is so foreign.

Waking up in Marrakesh was like waking up in another world. Definitely does not look like Europe. We quickly found hotels (for 5 euro a night yay) and set off to see the city. We wandered through the souks (little shops all lined up together) and even went into a carpet shop. That was a pretty cool experience because they make you mint tea and do a whole song and dance for you. We only went in because Jen wanted a carpet. Once your inside it's difficult to leave without a purchase. We discovered quickly that window shopping is not possible because as soon as you look at something too long, or touch it, they're right on you, determined to make a sale. So we were careful about how long we glanced at things since most people just wanted to check things out the first day. Later on that night we hit the square, called Djemaa Fna, which is what Marrakesh is famous for. It doesn't look like much during the day but at night it fills with food stalls and performers and all kinds of things. Both Jen and I ended up getting henna. The food stalls are interesting because they all call out to you as you walk through, trying to get you to eat there. It must be difficult because everyone is selling mostly the same thing. After dinner we had a feast of watermelon on the terrace of one of the hotels.

The next day I got very very lost with Mike, trying to find the palaces. At first it was a good kind of lost but then it started to get kind of sketchy with people on bicycles following us. You have to always remember that nothing comes for free in Marrakesh. After a few hours we managed to figure out where we were and get back to the square. It was interesting though because we saw parts of Marrakesh where tourists don't usually venture.

I relaxed most of the third day then said goodbye to Jen, Neil, Jose and Dave. Mike and Jamie had already left for Essaoira. It worked out well because they let me use their hotel room that night (much nicer than mine) since they'd paid for it but were taking the night train back to Tangier. I met Shannon there and he and I spent the following day looking for, and eventually finding the palaces.

After Marrakesh I went to Casablanca, spent a night there because there wasn't much to see and then went to Rabat. Rabat was cool. I sat on the beach for awhile and enjoyed the atmosphere.

I'm really glad I decided to go. I'm also glad I found people to hang out with because I think I enjoyed myself a lot more that way. For one, I'd been missing being around people. It was cool being someplace so different from what I'm used to. I hope to go back one day and see more of the country. A week was definitely not enough.