Salam aleikum...Aleikum salam

Well, I made it home safely from Morocco.  It was an unforgettable experience to say the least.  I am so happy that I went with AIFS because I don't think I ever would have gone on a trip to a third world country on my own.  I don't even know how to begin to describe the places I saw, the people I met, and the things I did.  I guess I'll start chronologically.  We left at 5:30 in the morning on Thursday and caught our flight to Marrakech from Madrid.  I am plagued with the inability to sleep on busses and planes so I was pretty tired once we arrived in Marrakech.  We checked into our hotel and immediately left for a tour of the city.  Our guide was great and was with us every day.  During that first day, she took us to visit the royal cemetery and palace.  Almost twenty of my fellow AIFS-ers and I walked through the famous Plaza de Djemaa el Fna, watching the snake charmers perform, listening to people bargain for hand-made goods, and drinking the most delicious orange juice I have ever tasted.  It overwhelmed my senses...the vibrant colors of the pottery, the scent of unknown spices, the languages being spoken, the taste of that fresh orange juice.  It is nearly indescribable.  All of those wonderful things conceal the fact that many people live in utter poverty.  It can be a really sad place if you let it be.  But it is beautiful if you look past the women begging on the streets, the children working in the shops, and the abundance of homeless animals in the parks and alleyways.  Our second day in Morocco was spent in the coastal city of Essaouira.  During the approximately two-hour journey to Essaouira, our caravan made several stops.  We stopped to ride camels, watch the traditional production of argan oil, and see goats climbing trees.  Yes...goats climbing trees.  I can't believe all of the things we saw on this excursion.  They were experiences I couldn't have had anywhere else in the world.

A bunch of my girl friends and I got henna tattoos.  The following day, while walking through the souks at the market place, people were calling us by name because the woman had written our names in Arabic in the henna tattoo.  It was a little startling at first but we got used to it.  Even the waiters at our hotel could read our names perfectly.  In Arabic, every sound and letter is pronounced.  For this reason, Arab people are very skilled with languages.  They speak Arabic, French, Spanish, and a little English too.  As interesting as that is, it also means that while we were in Morocco, we were addressed in a very derogatory manner...especially us girls.  The Moroccan men definitely know how to fluster foreign women.  The scary thing was that we knew that they would never address a woman of their own nationality in that way...they were just able to single us out automatically.  As much as I enjoyed this cultural experience, I was extremely anxious and nervous throughout the trip.  It's very difficult for me to put into words the way we felt while in Morocco.  It was wonderful and a little terrifying all at the same time.  I don't know if I would ever want to go back to Morocco, but I'm so happy that I went this past weekend.  After being there, Spain seems so much more like the United States.  Visiting Marrakech and Essaouira was like stepping back in time.  Many people there live in mud houses with no electricity and no running water.  Those who live outside the cities still farm using out-of-date methods.  Over half of the population lives in economic or government housing.  Had I not been there, I could never have imagined what a place such as Morocco is like.  It is inexplicable.  

Arabic Phrases:
Salam Aleikum is a traditional greeting.
Saying Shokran while touching your heart with the right hand means Thank You.
Ya La means Let's Go.               

New photos are up on Facebook!  Have a wonderful Thanksgiving everyone.  Besos y abrazos.