The Start of a Great Tour

---

From our hotel in Casablanca, we all walked the short distance to the train station where we caught the train over to the capital city of Rabat. It was a very uneventful train ride as most everyone in the group had yet to really get to know each other. Thankfully, the ride was short and we arrived in Rabat in about an hour. Nearby was a small pizzeria place that Abdul had led us to. Here we were able to store our luggage while we had a few hours to explore the sights of the city. Troy and Melanie asked if I wanted to hang out with them, so the 3 of us took a taxi over to the Hassan Mosque. The taxi ride to the mosque was where I finally was able to put my French language skills into use. Very rarely do I ever get an opportunity to speak in French and although rusty, I was quite surprised with how much I was able to say and understand while talking with the taxi driver. The entrance to the complex was guarded by 2 elaborately dressed royal guards on horseback and was surprisingly free of charge. Inside the complex is one of Morocco's most important shrines, The Mausoleum of Mohammed V. We explored the site and entered the mausoleum where from an interior balcony, we were able to see the tomb of Mohammed V. His tomb was surrounded by those of his sons , a large number of Moroccan flags, as well as elaborately decorated tiles in Moroccan design. I was a bit unsure of Mohammed V's significance but it was quite obvious of his importance in Moroccan history.

After checking out the mausoleum, we explored the remainder of the complex. Rows of columns were reconstructed to indicate where a ruined mosque once stood and the minaret, although simple looking, actually stands unique from many other minarets we would see due to it's almost reddish sandstone color. Having felt like we'd seen it all, we took Abdul's advice to check out the Kasbah des Oudaias. We took his recommendation that we simply walk along the riverfront from the mosque to the kasbah. The walk provided us with a good opportunity to stroll amongst the locals as many people were already out enjoying their Sunday. We explored the kasbah wandering the peaceful narrow streets before finally making it to a platform area overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and the beach below. We hung out admiring the view and contemplated walking down to the beach. However, the beach didn't appear to appealing and we didn't really want to walk down all those steps. Instead, we just backtracked making our way back to the kasbah's entrance. After sitting around resting for a bit, we came across the rest of the group and decided to walk back all together to the pizzeria in order to meet for lunch. We strolled down Avenue Mohammed V where I appeared to be taking on the role of directional leader. After a rather long 30 minute walk, we finally made it back to the pizzeria. Tired, hungry, and thirsty, we all relaxed while having lunch before catching the next train over to Meknes.

From Rabat, we caught the train to Meknes where we would take taxis to the town of Moulay Idriss. The train to Rabat was packed but even worse, there was no air conditioning. Needless to say, the train quickly turned into a sauna. I sat with Miriam, a woman in her 60s from Australia and was traveling with her sister. The ride was so uncomfortable due to the heat but to make matters worse, the train stopped for about 15 minutes. Feeling trapped and hot, my claustrophobia started to set in and I felt like I was about to have a panic attack. I had to get up and pace around in order to cope. Just when I thought I was going to have to throw myself out the window, the train started moving again and Abdul informed us that our stop was just in a few minutes. From the train station, the entire group got into 4 waiting taxis to drive us all the way to Moulay Idriss.

Moulay Idriss is the holiest city in all of Morocco and an important pilgrimage site for many Moroccans. The town is set over 2 hills and reminds me of many of the small hilltop towns that dot southern Spain. Our taxis dropped us off and we had a short yet very steep hike to get to our homestay at La Colombe Blanche. We saw quite a few donkeys wandering around in the alleys and this was evident by the large amounts of donkey shit we had to constantly dodge. Some of the older people in the group paid to have the donkeys transport their bags but I chose to use the straps of my bag and turn it into a backpack. The steep hike definitely showed just how out of shape I was but when I thought I could do no more, we finally arrived at our homestay. La Colombe Blanche is a family run riad with 3 levels of rooms to accomodate guests. Immediately upon arrival, we were greeted with the first of many mint teas that we would have on this trip. Tonight instead of having my own room, I would have to room with Winston. He and his girlfriend Meg were unmarried and to be sensitive to local traditions, they chose not to room together tonight. The riad was beautifully decorated with your typical Moroccan designs and the rooftop terrace provided awesome views over the town. Before dinner, we went on an orientation tour of the town where we explored many of the narrow alleyways and went to spots with great views over the town. While at one of the great viewpoints, we heard our first call to prayer which always mesmerizes me whenever I hear it. The tour ended at Moulay Idriss's main square. Many of the locals were out strolling, sitting in the cafes, and kids playing soccer in the square. Most of the group used this time to check out the shops and stalls but I was content with just sitting back and doing a little people watching. Back at the riad, we had an opportunity to interract with the residents as we were invited into the kitchen for a quick demonstration on how couscous was made. Dinner again was absolutely delicious. In addition to the couscous that we saw being made, we had chicken, vegetables, and a kefta tagine. The kefta tagine was basically lamb meatballs with eggs and cooked in a traditional moroccan tagine. As it was only day 2 of the tour, there were still moments of uncomfortable silence during dinner as we all had not yet fully gotten to know one another. It was an early night as everyone retreated back to their rooms after dinner

---