We started our beautiful spring break in Marrakech. I fell in love with the colors, the sounds, the motion and the language. I learned so much this spring break that I would/will never learn in a classroom. It solidified my previous hypothesis that traveling is the best way to become educated about the issues, the celebrations and the people on our planet.
In addition to traveling, my definition and appreciation for backpacking has increased tremendously. I now truly understand the feeling (even if it was just for a week) of backpacking around a foreign country. It gives you a whole new outlook on life and it’s very gratifying to know you have all of your possessions on your back and if you need anything you either get it from your backpack, or figure out a way to find it once you get there. It also gives you an inside scoop about one of my favorite backpacking quotes “shelter first, latte second”. Although it is thrilling to have no idea where you’re staying from one night to the other-finding a place to stay-especially in a country where western women are far from respected, is of upmost important. And this quote also reminds me that traveling (at least for me!) is not about cramming 100 must see things into one day but rather going with the flow and enjoying your time in each place and soaking up culture and daily life of the people (and drinking regional coffee of course!).
Starting and ending our trip in Marrakech was perfect. We felt sad and a bit deprived having had to leave it after only one day so we were happy to return. We got off the train and took a taxi to the middle of town. We were professionals by then so we paid the exact rate we knew was fair (unfortunately still questionable). We found a hostel right off of the town square that was only 6 euros a night! It was a beautiful hostel called Amour D’Auberge. It was a three story riad with a beautiful balcony on the top. Everything had hearts on it, the trash cans, the bed, the bedspreads, etc. We put our stuff in the locked chests and went to lunch!
It was Friday which in Morocco means couscous! All week we wanted to eat couscous but in Morocco they all cook it and eat it together (at home) on fridays! We went to a pretty touristy restaurant because we didn’t want to walk too far from the city center and locals are at home eating. We sat on a patio on the second level and people watched while we were waiting for our food. I ordered an avocado juice and couscous avec legumes. It was so yummy and although we attempted to eat with the bread that they brought, we gave up and used our forks! The whole meal cost the equivalent of about 4 euros!
After lunch we wondered around the souk and got asked if we were looking for husbands. Yes, in fact we came to the Moroccan souk just to find husbands, thanks for your hospitality.
After bargaining and bargaining more we were exhausted from trying to get good prices in a foreign language and really not knowing what the actual products were worth, so we found the exit (easier said than done).
We walked around the main square for a little while and I got henna done by a very scary and intimidating lady. She put glitter on top to “help it dry”. Mhm, yeah.
We got some ice cream at a little shop and I got chocolate and banana. It was so yummy and we ate it outside! It was really sad because this little girl selling tissues followed us around for a little while but she was actually kind of scary and was looking at us weird. We sat down on a little park bench and Claire took out her agenda so we could check what time our flight was the next morning. This guy came up and started talking to us in French about how we shouldn’t bring papers out and that we needed to put them away. Then he started asking us what language we spoke so we tried to just look at him like we didn’t understand him but he wouldn’t leave. So we got up and started walking away and he shouted..in English…. “Go to f***”. I know I shouldn’t put bad words on my blog but come on, that's hilarious! I think he was trying to say “go to hell”, but missed a crucial word. Anyways, Claire and I laughed for like 10 minutes about it.
Since it was our last night in Morocco we decided to spoil ourselves. We found a nice restaurant and sat outside and people watched while we ate. We ordered bread, mint tea, main courses and then dessert! It was fun to just sit outside and reflect on the past week while enjoying delicious Moroccan inspired foods. Our ice cream sundaes were huge, delicious and refreshing! Our bill for the whole meal ended up being the equivalent of 17 euros, TOTAL!!
We were leisurely walking back to the hostel when, in the main square (where there are hundreds of people even at 10pm), a scooter gang started following us and driving in circles around us. They would whiz by and growl in our ears and it was getting really creepy so we found a group of older tourists and asked if we could walk with them. They let us walk in the middle of them but then they had to go a different way so we parted with them. We thought we were safe but they came back. I was feeling pretty energized and ready to just kick down one of their scooters but instead I turned around and gave them the coldest glare I could! And guess what? My bad ass streak continues! It worked, they turned around and we were free to return to our hostel!
The next morning I was awoken by the call to prayer at 5:30am (the first one of the day). There is something so magical and eery and incredible about the call to prayer. It is beautiful but also a bit distancing and unearthly. I thought it was fitting to finish the trip with that awakening. We got up not long after that and tried to pack up our belongings quietly because it was early and there were about 10 other people in our room. I was on the top bunk and I practically fell off and couldn’t stop laughing, so that didn’t help.
We found a taxi and caught our plane back to France.
When we arrived at the train station in Milan we got a little snack before our 4 hour train ride. We both got sandwiches and a beer and it cost 4 euros more than our entire meal from the night before-HARSH.
Returning “home” to the south of France hardly seemed like a reality check to the end of spring break. It was nice to be back, though! But writing this a week later, I can say, I really do miss the lovely country of مغرب
simply beautiful.
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