Parlez-vous anglais?

Bonjour. I never expected so many people to speak French in Morocco. I assumed that I wouldn't need to bother with learning French since we skipped over France on our voyage, but a few basic phrases certainly would have come in handy.

I only stayed in Casablanca long enough to go to Rick's Cafe. Then I went to the train station with Bernadette, Bonnie, Erica, and Noel. We bought 2nd class tickets for the 4:50 train to Marrakech. Bernadette and I were forced to stand awkwardly in the aisle for 45 minutes until two men were kind enough to offer their seats. I spent the next 2 hours flipping through French-Moroccan fashion magazines. We arrived in Marrakech at 8 pm with no reservations. A man named Ahmed approached us at the train station and offered to take us to a riad. The five of us climbed into his minivan and he drove us to the Old Medina. We got out and walked through a colorful vegetable and fish market, and came to a stop at the end of an alley in front of a miniature door with a #8 on it. We ducked through its frame, and got a walking tour of the lovely 4 bedroom, 3 1/2 bath riad. After an hour's worth of negotiating, we talked the owner, Jawad, down to 900 dirham from a starting price of 3000. So we each ended up paying 21 USD per night for a gorgeous three-story riad that had a kitchen, rooftop terrace, open courtyard, and French-speaking maid. I think that deal alone merits extra credit for one of my business classes.

The riad was perfect-- well almost-- It lacked air conditioning. In fact, all of Morocco seemed to embrace the heat. If you want to go to Morocco, avoid the month of August. During our stay the average high temperature was 120°F. Every nap and night's sleep began and ended with a cold shower. At one point, I retreated to the cool concrete floors of the second story balcony just so that I could fall asleep. During the sweltering afternoons, I stayed cool by drinking bottled water by the liter and perspiring more than I ever have in my life. I also took advantage of the ubiquitous stands selling delicious fresh-squeezed orange juice for only 3 DH.

My favorite place in Marrakech was the Djemaa el-Fna, a bustling square that comes alive at night with acrobats, snake charmers, belly dancers, musicians, and story tellers. Here I ate dinner, shopped until I dropped, and found inspiration at every corner. The air was filled with mouth-watering scents and smoke from the food stalls. Every night the exotic, carnival-like atmosphere seemed to appear magically out of thin air. The haziness and bright lights and sounds made me wonder if I was dreaming or awake.

Other things I did in Morocco:

• Spent an entire day shopping in the souks.
• Unsuccessfully tried to talk Bonnie out of buying a turtle
• Relaxed in the beautiful Jardin Majorelle
• Took a trip to the Ourika Valley in the High Atlas Mountains
• Visited a Berber family in the Ourika village
• Enjoyed homemade bread and mint tea made by a sweet, little Berber grandma
• Allowed her 10 year-old granddaughter to give me a less than adequate henna tattoo on my hand
• Tried cactus fruit
• Learned about the art of making argan oil
• Finally made it to a grocery store after 30 minutes of playing charades and Pictionary with our French-speaking cab driver. Most hilarious taxi ride ever!

Casablanca

Rick's Cafe

The kitchen in our riad where Atika made us coffee

Bonnie, Erica, & Noel enjoying the 3 DH orange juice

I love all the colors in the souks

delicious :)

getting tatted up

Makeup (I bought the lipstain pot)

Spices

Kitchen in a Berber home

pouring homemade mint tea

the Ourika Valley

sure kids... I'll let you give me a henna tattoo

We couldn't believe we payed 50 DH for this... little girl ripped us off

How argan oil is made

Morocco was the perfect place to end the voyage of a lifetime. It was unlike any county I’ve ever encountered. The food was flavorful and delicious. The geographical landscape was unique and diverse. The colorful sights and sounds I experienced are blurred in my memory—from our fast-paced adventures, the sweltering sun, and the surreal but delightful atmosphere. Morocco is undoubtedly the most exotic, rich, & colorful country I’ve ever been to. I now understand why so many designers travel to this area to find ideas for art, furnishings, fashion, and décor. There’s beauty and inspiration to be found everywhere you look.