http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/JeNeSuisPasLapin/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from JeNeSuisPasLapin en-us Fri, 04 Dec 2009 09:47:18 +0000 Fri, 04 Dec 2009 09:47:18 +0000 AsSalam Aleikum osratee wa asdikaee Peace upon you family and friendsHello loyal readers its been about 8 months since my last entry. I'm sorry for the delay but several things prompted me stop posting entries. First people in Fes where I was living stumbled upon this blog and I discovered that several complete stranger moroccans knew just a little more about me than I felt comfortable wi http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Egypt/Sinai/Dahab/blog-40949.html Hey Folks sorry its been months and month since I've posted anything. Life in Morocco is busy I had a big adventure last week. I had a week off from school so I finally decided to head up into the mountains. I went alone because most of my friend had to stay in Fes for various reasons but I did have time to stop in Rabat with my roommate Amanda and have an amazing sushi dinner with some of our http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Morocco/F-s-Boulemane/Fes/blog-10205.html So I'm off.... but in case you're wondering what one brings on a yearlong trip to Africa here you have it. Items marked with an asteriks mark items returning from my previous journey.1 Eagle Creek Travel Backpack with ZipOut day pack1 Pair Asolo Indestructable Hiking Boots1 TexSport 2 Person Tent 28.001 Blue HardWear Synthetic Sleeping Bag1 2Person Hanging Mosquito Net1 Black Columbi http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Missouri/St--Louis/blog-1658.html So Im in Lisbon and I could not be happier. The plane ride was easy enough and I was fortunate to see one of those wonderful fastforward sunrises one only experiences while traveling directly East at 600 mph. Approaching Lisbon we flew right over the southwesternly most tip of Europe and I was able to pick out each city along the coast until we got to Lisbon itself. The best part however was http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Portugal/Lisbon-and-Tagus-Valley/Lisbon/blog-1685.html Im in Lagos a beach town in the Algarve. I just got here at 9 pm so I havent had a chance to explore yet but supposedly it has Portugals finest beaches. Yesterday I did a daytrip with a Dutchman and a Frenchman to Sintra a wonderful 18th century town with a hilltop pineforest setting. We toured a bazaar palace that looked more like something from Disneyland than something that someone woul http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Portugal/Algarve/Lagos/blog-1712.html Lagos as I discovered Sunday is a dreadful touristtrap. The restaurants are chocked with elderly Brits and Germans and the shops are filled with touristy kitsch. Its the kind of place I was actually embaressed to be walking around in. The beaches were nice but the weather was overcast the whole time. At night it was a different story. I went out well after midnight on Saturday and Sunday with http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Portugal/Algarve/Tavira/blog-1743.html Yesterday was my most exciting day yet I woke up in Sevilla Spain a wonderful city that I have incredably fond memories of from my first voyage. Chelsea one of my travel companions was sick so she and her boyfriend Mark decided to stay in Sevilla another night we were suppoed to wake up and go to Morocco together. I went out alone and got some travellers checks then went to the Sevilla ca http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Gibraltar/blog-1772.html I made it Beautiful Morocco. It's as wonderful as I remember and far less intimidating the second time around. I took the ferry from Algeceris to Ceuta yesterday morning after waiting entirely too long for the pension to finish my laundry ahh the wonders of clean clothing I landed in Ceuta another geographic anomoly. Ceuta on the North coast of Africa is a Spanish enclave and has been since http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Morocco/Tangier-T-touan/Chefchaouen/blog-1784.html Salaam AlekuemI'm in Fez the magical city that completely changed my life last year. This is so far my most favorite place in the world. To be honest I was a little nervous about whether it would be as exotic as a I remember it I have not been dissapointed. I started school at the Arabic Language Institute yesterday we jumped right in and learned all the vowels and 3 consonants. There are 5 p http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Morocco/F-s-Boulemane/Fes/blog-1847.html Life is good here in Fez school is going well though the task of actually learning Arabic is a daunting one to say the least. EVERYTHING is different in this language the sounds are strange the script is strang and tiny little changs in pronounciation make drastic differences in the meaning of the word. We still haven't gone through the whole alphabet yet but we've started with some vocabula http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Morocco/F-s-Boulemane/Fes/blog-1890.html Sabah Al KharI'm still not sure how it came about exactly but somehow I ended up giving an interview in French on a Moroccan national radio station last night during the election. Apparently the radio station got the name of one of the students at the center and called looking for francophone Americans to speak live on the air. I ended up speaking for about 5 minutes to the radio station throu http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Morocco/F-s-Boulemane/Fes/blog-1929.html Saba Al Noor Bright MorningSo I've gone native. I bought a Jalaba yesterday in Sefrou. For those of you who don't know about the Jalaba its an ankle length robe with a pointed hood that the men wear here in Morocco. I like quite like a Hobbit really and I feel very mysterious when I wear it. The closet thing I can think of is the brown robes worn by those the little sand men in Star Wars with t http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Morocco/F-s-Boulemane/Fes/blog-1953.html I just saw the king of Morocco in his motorcade. He came to Fez last night to pray at the Karouine mosque and the tomb of Moulay Idress and spent the night in his palace which he probably doesn't use more than a few times a year since he lives in another palace in Rabat. Today as I was walking home I found the streets blocked off and a small crowd of people waiting nearby. Not more than 10 minut http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Morocco/F-s-Boulemane/Fes/blog-2016.html Hello I'm in Marakesh Its the 2nd day of Eid a three day celebration at the end of Ramadaan. The strets are alive here everyone is doing their last minute shopping and the men and women are dressed in their best. Its kind of like Christmas except without Santa Claus and christmas trees and snowmen and carols and pork products. Not only that I can actually eat lunch now that the fasting is over http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Morocco/Marrakech-Tensift-El-Haouz/Marrakech/blog-2075.html I have a home Last night I moved into my new apartment its perfect The building I'm in is a restored 19th century riad owned by an American couple who only spend a couple weeks a year here. I have two roommates. Gibron from LA is a 30 something year old English teacher at the center. He manages the restoration work and maintainance on the house for the owners. Gerald is a 50 something retired http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Morocco/F-s-Boulemane/Fes/blog-2166.html Here's most of what I have so for. Sorry that I'm missing alot Lisbon Sevilla Chefchaoun Fez my housemates the school. More to come soon.httpwww.cosmicyoyos.commarocDocument.htmlpHappy ThanksgivingBrad http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Morocco/F-s-Boulemane/Fes/blog-2218.html I ended up at a Moroccan wedding on Monday I was walking home when a homegrown band of drummers and horn players can parading down the alley. It turns out they were my neighbors and they were happy to pull me and my companion into the fray. Inside their house we did some square dancing while the drummers banged away on baking tins frying pans and even some real drums. The whole time I was sort o http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Morocco/F-s-Boulemane/Fes/blog-2281.html Class is officialy finished as of 1000 am today. We had our big test then we all went to the cafe to have tea and chocolate croissants to celebrate. This week has been both happy and sad happy because its been the best week yet for dinner parties discotheques and dining out sad because most of my Asdeequa friends m. and Sadequaat friends f. are leaving and not coming back next semester. I http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Morocco/F-s-Boulemane/Fes/blog-2367.html Ahlan W'sahlaan sadeequatee Wa asdequa. I'm still in Fez A humdulilah. Private Arabic lessons I've decided are the way to go. Mustapha comes to my house at 9 and makes me talk for 3 hours straight nonstop no mistakes tolerated. I don't have to commute I get more attention and learn faster and its cheaper than school too. I'll still probably go back to the school in January for one more 6 wee http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Morocco/F-s-Boulemane/Fes/blog-2602.html So I believe I was telling you about my trip to Spain before I got distracted with the history lesson. Codoba was wonderful and I had a great time exploring and meeting people at the hostel. The mosque there is incredable it was built in the 10th century when Cordoba was the capital of Islamic Spain. Its HUGE a giant square with a forest of columns and double arches on the inside. Unforutantely http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Morocco/F-s-Boulemane/Fes/blog-2907.html