MOROCCO, Part 2

Hello again,
I'm sure you're all sitting at your computers in suspense, anxiously awaiting my post, so here we go ;). Yes, we got up to leave at 7am for the desert; two men met us at the hostel and led us to where our drivers were waiting for us. Our group consisted of the four of us, a really nice British couple a couple years older than us, and then five french people. By the way, I don't think I mentioned that in Morocco the two major languages are Arabic and French, so I got to practice my french skills :). But yes, we all piled into a van, and set off on our looong journey. We were told that the desert was about 7 hours away, but with a few stops for pictures, potty breaks, etc. it took us about 10 hours to get there. The ride itself was actually really nice, plus Sam had had the good idea of getting anti-carsickness medicine beforehand so that was all good. We made our way through the mountains, enjoying the views and the overall beauty of the area. We stopped at a little Berber village for a bit, where we got to explore the village a bit. There was a little river that ran through it, and some kind of building on the other side, but we didn't feel like paying for someone to take us across on a mule. Instead, I opted to check out a couple little shops while the others grabbed a drink or a snack. It was a nice stop, and we had a few others for pictures on the way. The whole drive we saw stands with people selling rocks/fossils, along with ceramics and such, and I remembered what Dad said about Morocco having some of the best fossil hunting areas. We also passed two big film studios that the driver pointed out to us, apparently "Asterix et Obelix" was filmed there recently-the French people really wanted to stop but the driver nixed it. Apparently there have been quite a few movies filmed at least partially in Morocco, including Gladiator, which I thought was cool. In any case, our second big stop for lunch took us to another village, although you had to pay to enter the "Kasbah", the main part of the village. There were a bunch of little shops and some cafes outside of it, so we opted to just hang around there and did some more shopping. Sam, Laura, and I each got a cheap scarf, which the vendors proceeded to tie around Sam and I's head, desert fashion, haha. After some bartering we were ready for some lunch, so we headed over and got some Tagine, couscous, etc.; plus a crepe with honey for desert. Unfortunately the service was very slow, so our driver got mad at us and we had to get our food to go, ah well. It was very yummy though. Then it was off for another long stretch of driving; the closer we got to the desert the less vegetation we saw, so we got to see various aspects of the landscape which was very cool. A few rest stops later we finally arrived, just before sunset. We pulled up to where our camels lay waiting, led by the guides that would take us an hour or two into the desert. Excited, we all got our stuff together and headed over, and the guides assigned us our camels, which were linked together in a line. Getting on is easy, as you climb onto the camel as it's sitting/laying down, and then the guides would get them to stand. That was the fun part, clinging on so you don't fall off as the camel awkwardly stands up. Once everyone was ready, we started off, the british and americans in one line, and the french in the other, walking side by side. The French were kind of obnoxious, they were two couples and then on guy named "Mich", and all very loud for the majority of the journey. As the only one in our group I acted as translator a bit for my friends and the British people (the driver didn't speak english really either), and I talked a bit to the two french women, although we mostly kept to ourselves. In any case, we set off into the desert, with the sun beginning to set. Not long after our start a bunch of local children showed up, and proceeded to run along side the camel, begging for candy, money, or anything we had. A couple people gave them some candy and some change, which only served to encourage them, despite our insistance that we didn't have anything else. It was pretty sad...they just kept following us into the desert for a long time, constantly begging. As we started getting farther from the village they eventually dropped off, and we started to get the full view of the Sahara. It was really beautiful, what with the sun setting in the distance, although by this point the french were complaining full tilt about how sore they were for the camels. That is something they don't tell you; camel riding is extremely uncomfortable, especially for the guys in the group, and by the end we were all amazingly sore, especially our backs. When we finally got to our tents it was totally dark, We got off the camels awkwardly, again hanging on for dear life as they lowered themselves to the ground, and then we were led to the nearby tent. It was kind of funny though, as soon as we stopped the camels all started simultaneously peeing for a while, probably too much information but kind of hilarious at the time. Anyways, the tents were actually pretty nice, pretty spacious (we all fit in there), and with lots of blankets and mats so we wouldn't get too cold during the night. We were left alone for a bit, and then our guides came in and served us "Moroccan whisky". It was basically just some really delicious tea; and we spent a while sitting around enjoying the tea, and talking amongst ourselves. Only one of the two guides spoke english, so he would wander in and out and speak with us occasionally, although his accident made him very hard to understand. After a fair amount of tea, we decided to head outside and take a look at the stars; the guide said that there were some shooting stars and such. It was sooo nice, there were a bunch of mats set out, and we brought blankets out as well and all snuggled up out in the open. It was a little chilly, but not to bad; plus with the blankets it was really nice. We stayed out there for a long time, talking and just looking at the stars, although unfortunately it was a pretty cloudy night so we could only see a few. It was still just really nice knowing we were out in the Sahara desert, so exciting, and we had a good conversation with our guide. He told us that there were still some nomads that lived in the desert, although the camel riding is purely for tourists. After a long time outside, dinner was eventually ready, and we were called back into the tent. Dinner was delicious, consisting of the usual bread and then a tagine with meat, vegetables, etc. We really enjoyed it. After dinner we had a bit more tea, and then we all got ready for bed. We had been told that there was going to be some music, so we all stayed up a bit longer...waiting around. The guides were pretty laid back, just kind of came and went as they wanted, kind of leaving us in the dark for most of the trip; this was fine for the most part, kind of funny really, but they never showed for music and we eventually gave up and went to bed. Despite how tired I was, I wasn't able to get much sleep, probably because I was too excited that I was actually sleeping in the desert, haha. The next morning we were awoken at about 7am, to see the sun rise. It was sooo beautiful, and nice to see our surroundings in the day time. For breakfast we had some tea, along with bread, some kind of jam/marmalade, and an interesting kind of butter. Then Laura, Sam and I went off to find a good dune to use the bathroom; the least fun part about being in the desert...no bathrooms. It was no big deal though, and on our way back to the tent we made friends with one of the random dogs hanging around camp. Then it was time to go, so we got back on our camels and started the journey out. It was really beautiful in the morning, and we had a nice little ride back, where our driver was waiting with the van. After a tearful goodbye to our faithful camels, we climbed back into the van to begin the long journey home, all stiff and sore from a combination of hours on a camel and the hard floor of the tent (despite the mats). We had a quick bathroom stop, and then two hours of driving, before our driver started having problems with the car. At one point it died on us...which was kind of terrifying as people drove fast in Morocco, even around curves and such. Fortunately, he managed to get the car going, but the clutch or something was messed up (I don't know anything about stick shift cars...or really cars in general, so i can't actually say what the problem was exactly). In any case, we continued driving until we reached a little town, and we pulled into see a mechanic. Turns out some cable needed to be replaced...so we ended up being stuck in the town for a solid three hours, probably more. We made the best of the situation, though, breaking out our ten euro sunscreening and setting up camp under the sun. The french people made friends with some local kids who came over, speaking french, and a couple of the guys started up a soccer game with them. After a while it became clear that we weren't going to be going anywhere for a while, so we made the group decision to just have lunch in that town, cutting off an extra stop later on and enabling a quicker return to Marrakech. We all went off together and found a nice restaurant. I did quite a bit of translating during lunch, as we all ended up sitting together, and everyone was trying to get to know each other a little better. It all proved to be pretty exhausting though, so after some pleasantries we went back to politely ignoring each other. Fortunately, after lunch the car was good to go, so we all got back in and started the drive back. The rest of the trip was pretty uneventful, although the constant passing that goes on on the highways gave us a couple scares (I was sitting up front, and found myself constantly cringing and pushing back against my seat as cars seemed to narrowly miss us; the driver found this very amusing). We arrived in Marrakech only about an hour and a half later than normal. It was dark when we got back, and there were LOTS of people out on the streets, as it was Saturday night. We darted through traffic and made our way back to the square, amazed by how many people were out. Sam was feeling a little sick, so we walked her back to the hostel, dropping her off as well as our stuff. Florette, Laura and I then headed back out to do some shopping and grab some dinner. We walked among the shops on the way, bargaining and getting some good deals. We each got a Hand of Fatima, which we learned about in our Islam class (it's supposed to ward off bad spirits in the Muslim faith). Laura also found a really cool leather purse, and I got myself a pretty little lamp. It was really nice; I really enjoyed bartering and just looking at all the cool stuff scattered around the shops. When we were all shopped out we headed over to the square, determined to try some more of the stands. First, we headed over to where they were cooking snails, and ordered a little cup of them to share. I had "escargots" in Paris, and really liked them as they were essentially just drenched in butter and other sauces. Without such sauces I can't say that I really enjoyed the snails, but hey, it was an experience. After walking around a bit more, we decided that we wanted to go somewhere a bit calmer to sit for dinner, so we went to the restaurant recommended by the hostel (which we had stumbled across); I got some more couscous, my favorite Moroccan food, and we spent a long time sitting and talking. We were sitting outside, which meant that we were constantly approached by beggars and little children trying to sell us stuff, but after a while they let us be and we had a nice dinner, exchanging some kenyon gossip and other such fun. After a long dinner, we decided to start heading back, stopping in at a pastry shop on the way back, as we were determined to try some Moroccan desersts. We sat and ordered some tea and a sampler. The deserts were absolutely delicious, and by the end we were all full and satisfied that we had succeeded in experiencing the many tastes of Morocco. We headed back to the hostel, and settled in for our last night.
Florette left really early the next morning, as she had bought a different return ticket, but Laura, Sam, and I were able to enjoy the hostel's included breakfast (which was amazing, they even had crepes!). Sam was feeling much better, so after breakfast we decided to walk through the stores one more time for some last-minute souvenirs, and so that same could do her shopping. Soon it was time to head back to the hostel and get our stuff, so we did that and began our walk over to the bus stop, stopping on the way to get some pictures of the famous mosque and the market in general. We even saw some snake charmers, which I did not like so much. A half hour later we were on the bus that took us back to the airport, and we flew off to Madrid. Thus concludes my African adventure; still can't believe I actually was able to do all that-such a great experience. The British girl actually lived in South Africa as a child, and had told us a bit about her experience in Africa, and about some of the traveling she had done. Talking to her made me really want to explore this diverse and incredible continent; some day I hope to return...there's so much to see.
On another note, I am finally in Santiago for a while, which I am embracing. I am sooo ready to take a break from traveling-not that I didn't enjoy all my adventures, but it defintely gets tiring, and I really need to get my school work and such taken care of. The weather this week was absolutely perfect, really warm and sunny, so almost every day I've gone to the park for a bit and enjoyed it. I've also been going out a fair amount since I've been back. Monday, Laura had us over for dinner, always good. Tuesday was St.Patrick's day, so Laura decided to have a little party at her place. Several people came over and we had a good time just hanging out; I made the famous Artichoke Dip again (always a hit, thanks mom), and helped Laura with the shopping and such. It was a very fun time, and I got to DJ a bit which I always enjoy. We got into a discussion about music, so I've got some new bands to check out, which I also always enjoy. Wednesday our friend Kelly invited us over to her place, as her Spanish roommates were hosting a Bothellon (basically where everyone just sits around and drinks/smokes/socializes). Actually, not that I think about it, I'm not sure I ever mentioned the smoking situation in Spain. Basically, it's one of the only places it seems that allows smoking indoors; EVERYONE seems to smoke here, it's very much a part of the culture. In any case, Laura and I went over to the Bothellon, running into Kelly and her boyfriend on the way over. I have to admit the Bothellon was just kind of awkward-lots of school Spanish people (I think a year or two older than us as well), speaking in Spanish and being way too cool for us, haha. Laura and I just kind of sat and listened for awhile, until some other people from our program showed up and joined us. So much for meeting spanish people, haha, oh well. I was feeling tired and kind of sick to my stomach, so Laura and I headed out at around 1:30am or so. Not a great night, but oh well. Thursday was a national holiday in Spain, some saint's day, so we didn't have class. Almost everyone on our program decided to go to Barcelona for the weekend, but as I have already been there and I am tired of travelling I opted to stay in Santiago. So did the other Kenyon girls, as well as Guy Sam and a couple other girls, but it's just us around this weekend. It's really nice to be here, though, and to have a long weekend to relax a bit. Yesterday my roommates and I headed over to a nearby park, where I met another American named Brita, as well as a British girl named Rachel. Laura came and joined us, bringing some wine for everyone with her, and we all had a nice time talking and sunbathing for a while. In the evening, Laura, Guy Sam, Florette and I met to get some Doner Kebab for dinner, always delicious, and then we decided to see the new Almodovar movie, "Los Abrazos Rotos" (literally translated as "Broken Hugs") (Almodovar is a famous Spanish director, he also did "Volver" and "Habla con ella"). The movie didn't start for another two hours, so we went to a couple bars and sat and drank a bit, getting tapas along with our drinks. When it was time we headed over to the movie, which I was a bit nervous about as it was (obviously) all in Spanish. I was pleasantly surprised though, at how much I was able to understand. I wasn't too crazy about the movie itself, but it was alright, I think the others liked it more. Today, Friday, I went over to Laura and Sam's place at noon, and we headed over to the Santiago market, which is held daily until around 2pm. We had never gone, as we usually have class around that time, so we figured we would check it out. I got some fruit, and we walked up and down the meat/seafood market, which was pretty gross, actually. That's another thing about Spain-it's not unusual to see pigs heads/legs/etc. displayed at butcher shops, plus whole chickens and skinned rabbits..disturbing. It's always interesting to see the seafood section, as Galicia is supposed to have like the best seafood in the world. Basically you can see a whole variety of fish on display, plus crabs, octopus, shellfish, etc. After we had our fill of the market, we headed back to Laura's place and dropped off our spoils, and then Laura and I went back out to check out Zara's new spring clothes (Zara is everyone's favorite clothing store, with really cute clothes and good prices). A got a really pretty white peastant-y dress that I can wear with my leggings-light and flowy, perfect for Spring/Summer. We had been planning to look around a bit more, but by the time we were finished at Zara it was already 2pm, and everything was closing for siesta...silly Spanish-people and there four hour lunch break. And now here I am! Finally updating my blog, sorry I've been slacking. So yeah, I'm doing well, very much enjoying the amazing weather. I'm also still really enjoying having my roommates around, they're both really great guys. Today Samuel played me various Polish music, including some Rap and Punk, and he wrote down some artists for me to check out. I love living with people from different countries! Alrighty, well I think I will go start on some of the work that I have allowed to pile up as of late...later gators!