Morocco: We’re not in Kansas anymore!

Salaam Alaykum! Since arriving in Casablanca, Morocco on Thursday, the longest that I have remained in one place was on a 4+ hour train ride. I have seen, smelt, tasted, felt and heard so many diverse, new, interesting things– we packed so much into these past few days!

On the day that we arrived, it was very dreary and raining in Casablanca. Although the port itself is very commercial and not picturesque, the city itself has some interesting sights, most notably the Hassan II Mosque, completed in 1997. As soon as our passports had been stamped and we were cleared to exit the ship, a group of 8 of us headed to the train station to catch a train to Fes. Luckily we had a French speaker in the group, because French is as ubiquitous in Morocco as Arabic due to the long reign of France as Morocco’s colonial ruler. Our first class train ticket cost a mere $20 for a ride about equivalent to Boston – New York. Unfortunately, first class in Morocco is about equivalent to the Fung Wah bus, also $20. Enough said.

FES
On the train, we met a man who worked for the Moroccan Tourist Bureau who was full of wisdom, and suggested that we hire an official tour guide to show us around Fes. As we did not know where we were staying, nor much more about the city than we read in our Lonely Planet guide, we thought this was good advice. And it sure was…without the guide that we met at the train station, we would have had a thoroughly disappointing visit to Fes. Amni Sayid, Arabic for “Uncle Sayid,” led us through the windy, crowded streets of the medina to the beautiful Riad Hala – where we stayed for 200 Dh (approx. $25) for the night, including one of the best breakfast meals I’ve ever had. Riads are houses that are run as hotels, similar to a U.S. “Bed and Breakfast.” Don Fes, as we dubbed our fearless leader, brought us to a wonderful Moroccan dinner and then on a tour of the city. He seemed to know everyone we passed on the street, from children to donkey cart-pushers – and helped himself to everyone’s food as the Ramadan fast ended for the day. He brought us to see several artisan souks (markets) including carpets, leather goods, metals, textiles (where a man wrapped my head in a traditional Moroccan turban) and spices. Fes, home to over 400 mosques and a dozen synagogues, was a charming, fast-paced, authentic Moroccan experience. Don Fes showed us so much of the city that would have been closed to us as unknowing tourists, especially by bringing us around until after midnight, when we likely would have been too afraid to wander by ourselves.

EVENING WITH A MOROCCAN FAMILY
On Friday, I came back to Casablanca to attend an evening organized by Semester at Sea. Several families from the George Washington Academy in Casablanca warmly welcomed some 40 Semester at Sea students into their homes to share an evening of Moroccan food and culture. Although we’re only two weeks into the semester, I can confidently say that this will be one of the most memorable nights of the entire program. Three friends and I were graciously taken in by the Batista family, an eye doctor and a jeweler. Their ten-year-old son, Yah’ya, spoke impeccable English, and was very interested in the United States because he hopes to attend medical school there one day. He has three younger siblings, two sisters who are attending a Spanish school, and a younger brother who is only two years old. Needless to say, there were at least four languages being tossed around the entire evening. As the sun went down, we were treated to a delicious meal that we assumed was dinner – boy were we wrong. We had TWO meals that evening – usually I would have been thrilled, but I did not pace myself during the first meal. In between, they brought us to Casablanca’s old Medina, and bought us traditional Moroccan outfits and slippers as a gift. We spent the evening attempting to converse (with various language barriers) about education, politics, Morocco, and popular culture – in between the massive amounts of food, of course! Compared with the majority of the Moroccans whom I had seen previously and after this evening, the Batista’s were very well off. This was one of the many contrasts in Moroccan culture – about 50% of the population is illiterate, while this family could read in four languages (and they’re beginning to learn Chinese, too). We stayed with them until 2:30 in the morning…which was amazing because they likely woke up around 4:30 to eat breakfast before the sun rose and the fast began again.

MARRAKECH
On Saturday morning, I woke up feeling a bit queasy and still very full from the night before. I came to find out that almost everyone that I had traveled with to Fes had spent the night battling stomach issues as a result of something that we had all eaten. Luckily, I made it out with nothing more than swallowing a few Pepto Bismal tablets. But, I was down several companions for a visit to Marrakech. Luckily, I had other friends that I met up with upon arriving there. Compared to Fes and Casablanca, Marrakech is a cosmopolitan oasis. We attended a spectacular Moroccan circus-like performance last night, the likes of which could only be found perhaps at Morocco in Epcot! We took a short camel ride, and then visited the Djeema el-fna, a famous market in Marrakech. Greeted by snake charmers (with whom we had a small run-in), henna artists and monkey keepers, we were immediately overwhelmed. There were very interesting souvenirs to shop for, and definitely no lack of excitement to be had!

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What we ate
For all of you who have been to or have heard me talk about Marrakesh, the restaurant in Philadelphia, I’m sure you’re dying to know how it compares to the real thing! I must say that it is a fairly authentic dining experience! But nothing compares to a Moroccan feast IN Morocco. All of the cooked salads at the beginning of the meal were delicious. I tasted many Moroccan delicacies, including harira – a thick tomato soup, bastilla - a flaky pastry filled with egg and chicken and covered in powdered sugar and cinnamon, lamb tangine, cous cous and several wonderful pastries.

The mint tea, served everywhere from restaurants to carpet sellers, is truly unreal. It often contains actual mint leaves and lots of sugar…and it’s delicious regardless of how hot the air temperature may be.

Ramadan
We are so lucky to be visiting a Muslim country during the month-long observance of Ramadan. Having the experience of fasting for one day each year, I have such an appreciation for the daily fast, although the rules are slightly different. Muslims awaken early for breakfast before the sun rises, and fast until about 7 when the sun sets again. On the train ride back from Marrakech, we shared a compartment with two men observing Ramadan, who dug into their meals as soon as their phone alarms went off signaling it was okay to eat. People were roaming through the train offering pastries and food that they brought from home – certainly not something you would likely encounter on an Amtrak train back in the states! What amazes me is that Muslims who are fasting continue about their normal business each day during the fast...I can barely make it through an afternoon of cooking for Break Fast on Yom Kippur!

The Hammam
Today I had one of the oddest experiences of my entire life. I cannot think of a better way to describe a hammam than a cross between a luxurious spa and a community bathhouse. Hammams are traditional Moroccan bathhouses, and offer several traditional services. It is certainly not for anyone who embarrasses easily – I sat entirely naked (except for my underwear) while I enjoyed the steam room, a traditional gommmage – exfoliation, bath (including shampoo), and relaxing massage. Two women pampered me for over an hour, and they were not afraid to touch nearly every inch of my body. The exfoliation process ended in the loss of at least an entire layer of dead skin – it looked like a human-sized snake had shed its skin! Although a bit uncomfortable both physically and mentally, it was a truly unique Moroccan experience.

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The French (and European in general) influence, juxtaposed by tradition Islamic culture, snake charmers, orange juicers, etc. makes Morocco an immensely interesting and culturally rich country to visit. I have thoroughly enjoyed my jam-packed five-day visit…and have made several new friends from both Semester at Sea and Morocco in the process! More from Ghana...