Blogs from Asilah, Tangier-Tétouan, Morocco, Africa

It’s official. Morocco has won me over. The combination of the amazing food (we’ll talk about that in a minute), the stunning architecture and the diverse landscape - all at an affordable price - is truly a traveler’s dream. But what makes it truly unique is the meddling of cultures – the red tiled Andalusian rooftops, the centuries old Arabic Medinas, the historic mellahs (Jewish quarters), and the traditional Berber tribes. Old and new is very visible here. Traditional Berber women descend into the Medinas with straw conical hats, while teenagers chat away on their cell phones, wearing Western shorts and tees. The size is also a huge plus - we have only been here a week and already we have seen a bustling seaside city, a small sleepy port, and now a small backpacker’s hub ... read more

The Medina walls are home to thousands of birds. Fist-sized nests pock the masonry from top to bottom. When the nestlings try out their wings they fly in short, drooping lines from hole to hole. Small Moroccan children make a game of grabbing them up in their little cupped paws. Fluttering wings tickle small palms until the the hands open with an abrupt giggle and the game begins again. We flew into Casablanca from Tunisia. Passport control was slow and testing. Customs officers would arbitrarily open and close lines on a whim. A Moroccan man in a Yankees cap was in front of me. When he reached the window the officials went over his paperwork with a magnifying glass, had him take off his hat and answer a slew of questions. When it was my turn ... read more

After spending a grueling summer of sweltering heat from the African sunshine, we made the decision to add a covering to part of our roof. The reasons for having a covered patio are numerous, but the main reasons here are sunshine (smeesha) that during summer can be downright painful, rain (shtah) which happens almost every day in the winter, and the ability to enjoy the roof at will. When we first contacted someone regarding our wants, he was taken aback and absolutely did not understand why anyone would want such a thing on his roof. Yea, yea, yea… we know, it’s not normal here in Morocco… but we are “Meerican” (American) and those rules don’t apply to us. So, build it he did! Please note that all materials were hoisted up 3 flights of stairs with ... read more

Eid Kebir is a Muslim holiday which celebrates the memory of Abraham’s sacrifice of a ram to God.** Islam, like other religions, incorporates the Old Testament into its faith. It is most common for a ram (male sheep) to be sacrificed, but a cow, goat or camel may be sacrificed as well depending on the size of the family. The sacrifice is intended to praise God and must be done cleanly and without torture to the animal (the jugular is sliced quickly and the blood must drain completely). Many Moroccan homes have hooks in an inner courtyard and the courtyard has a drain. This is specifically to facilitate the slaughter, hanging up of the animal and draining of the blood for this holy occasion. A slaughter is required under Islam for people who have the money ... read more

Moulay Boussleham – a long name, a beautiful beach The hot summer sun in North Africa is unforgiving… That statement is a fact. Foregoing the consumption of water to better experience Ramadan, coupled with 110+ degree daily temps, makes a cold dip in the sea sound extremely inviting! However, even those extreme circumstances were not enough to get us into the insanely cold Atlantic Ocean. Yes, even in July, the water was freezing at our beautiful African beach! The Beach at Moulay Boussleham reminds us so much of our now faraway Florida home. The sound of the waves crashing into the shore and the smell of salt and sea brought much nostalgia. So many miles from our family and friends in the US, this trip to Moulay, led us to finally talk about how much our ... read more