The Mint Tea is Better Here

I left off my last blog after I had decided to go to Morocco. I successfully bought a plane ticket for two days later thanks to my parents, whose Western Union skills are great now. (I had enough money for the ticket in my Malian bank account, but no way to get it out in Dakar!) I need to be clear that Medy speaks Arabic, French and Wolof (Senegal local language), whereas I speak English, French and Bambara. The whole vacation was like taking a French test I forgot to study for!

Medy loaned me some locks for my luggage, because he assured me that, "They (airline staff) will steal everything otherwise." We landed in Casablanca, and his dad picked us up and took us to their house. It was a little bit awkward at first, even though Medy didn't seem to notice. His mom didn't really know what to do with me at first, and I don't blame her- who is this girl who flew to Morocco after knowing her son for only 4 days? We created a game plan of what to see and when. Unfortunately, it was springtime, and Morocco is basically the same weather as southern Europe, so it was cold and rainy quite often. I had just come from a beach vacation in Dakar... and thus had nothing other than sandals for footwear. I brought one pair of jeans and a sweater, but that was it. So please don't judge me by my vacation wardrobe- I ended up borrowing some clothes from his 16 yr old sister, Soukaina, who was a great sport about it. His father is an architect, his mother is a doctor, and he also has a 7 year old brother.

One of the first things we saw was the mosque called Hassan II, named after they guy who built it. It is the biggest mosque in Africa, and is beautifully located right on the ocean, with waves crashing around its base. There are these deliciously light and fluffy coconut cookies that are sold outside the mosque- I could have eaten my weight in them. Soooo much better than the dense, tasteless "gateau" that are sold by the roadside everywhere in Mali!

Later, we took a walk on "The Corniche," or basically the nicest piece of coastline in Casablanca. Apparently, it was also a pet project of the current King, who wanted to encourage tourism. Casablanca is more the economic capital of Morocco, whereas Rabat is the political capital- kind of like New York City and Washington D.C. for us. The Corniche is covered with beautiful, country-club like restaurants and pools and cool bars and outdoor cafes. All of this is literally right on the ocean. I could spend the entire summer there with no complaint.


The next day, he and his mom and I went to Rabat to see a royal tomb- the tomb of Mohammed V. It was beautifully and intricately decorated, as I came to realize that everything in Morocco is. We went to the "Mega Mall" and I felt like I was back in the US or Bangkok. They had escalators! It is a pristine mall with 3 floors including an ice skating rink and a bowling alley! I could not believe that I was still in Africa. I've been describing Morocco to lots of people as a "cheaper, more interesting version of Europe." The whole experience was topped off with the best ice cream I'd ever had in my life- Ferrero Rocher. I have to find it again somewhere!

Part of the reason that I wanted to go with Medy when he offered is that I would get to have a "homestay" of sorts. It was really the way that I wanted to do it- hanging out with actual Moroccans and getting to see their homes, their daily lives, eat homemade food. Everyone I met was incredibly welcoming, and I was glad the entire time that I wasn't staying in a hotel and eating at restaurants. I ate home-cooked meals by both of his grandmothers, and it was the best food I've ever had in my life. I don't even know how to describe it, so I'll just put up a couple pictures:

And then one evening his mom made freshly fried calimari and fish, french fries, salad, spinach salad, olive salad and traditional Moroccan bread. I had not had calamari in sooooooo long, much less FRESH calamari!

We headed by train to Marrakech after that and spent three days there. It was definitely a tourist spot, but I enjoyed being there. We spent time walking around looking at mosques, markets, sitting in cafes drinking mint tea and hanging out with some of his friends that live there. I did the bulk of my souvenir shopping here and came back with some cool stuff (you might get some when I get home!) Here are some of my favorite pictures from Marrakech:

The last time I saw a cobra, it was in my house... the look on my face says it all!

La Mosquee Koutoubia backlit over the municipal souk (market)

The market at night (above)

A man making by hand the tiny tiles that Morocco is covered with (below)

We took the train back to Casablanca, and I visited Mc Donalds (Mali does not have Mc Donalds). The "Mc Arabia" sandwich was on a pita, and the ad featured a henna-ed hand mysteriously sprinkling what could only be delicious spices on it. Turned out pretty tasty. All in all, the traditional Moroccan diet seems to be very healthy and well-balanced. The meals his grandmothers and mom made were awesome, but just like in America, there is fast food all over. I found myself having to explain to Medy that I did not, in fact, want a hamburger and fries for both lunch and dinner, because that was his preferred cuisine.

We rented a bright yellow Kia to drive to Tanger. It is where Africa and Europe meet (Morocco and Spain). Ferries transport people and goods back and forth across the Strait of Gibraltar. We even saw some boys waiting for trucks to climb under  and hide to make the passage- one got under a truck while we watched from a cafe.

We didn't have long in Tanger, but it had warmed up enough for me to wear my Chacos, so I was up for a walk around the hilly city. It is even more European than the rest of Morocco. One man handed me a menu in Spanish before I asked for one in French. If any of you have seen The Bourne Ultimatum, Tanger is where the final chase scene takes place. We drove back to Casablanca and I had a few hours to pick up some final gifts before we left for the airport. The flight back was fine, and Danielle Bowers (who teaches in Dakar) picked me up at the airport when I got to Dakar. I stayed at her apartment for a few hours then she took me to the bus station at 7 am to get on my way to Mali. Made it back relatively quickly with no problems.

Morocco was awesome, and I am so grateful for the hospitality of Medy and his family. It's another place I can add to my list of "could possibly be happy living and working here." We'll see :)