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Published: September 26th 2010
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My room - I'm on the bottom leftWell, I have made it....after months of planning I am in Morocco!! I had a 10 PM flight on Friday evening and flew overnight to Paris. Charles de Gaulle airport is so huge! It took a 20 minute bus ride around the terminal to get to my gate. By the time I arrived the bus was boarding to get to my plane. Talk about close! When I boarded the bus I saw the smiling face of my friend Ina! Ina I met in the CCS Ayacucho program and she was a trip! I was so looking forward to seeing her again. (Ina actually missed her flight the day before because of the time it took to get around the terminal and ended up having the airline put her up one night in a crappy Paris hotel with no luggage!)
The flight from Paris to Morocco was pretty uneventful. The woman sitting next to me was wearing a jellaba and was praying on her prayer bead the entire way. It was a little disconcerting. Customs was pretty slow and HOT. It is alot more humid than I expected. I packed for cooler weather so I think I'm going to be out
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View from my Room of clothes by Wednesday!
The CCS house is really very nice. It used to be the Ambassador of Malaysia's home. There were 23 people who came in with me yesterday and there are another 6 I think who have been here for 5 weeks. Everyone is super nice. There is one character in the group but I think I'll refrain from writing about her just yet. LOL!
I have two very nice roommates. Lori is from Minnesota and she has 2 sons both in their 20's - after the program she is traveling to Tanzania and Egypt. Kristin is from Colorado and she is in PR for the Skiing industry. She came in a week ago and has traveled by herself to Marrakesh and Essouria. I think she's a bit braver than I!
Today was Orientation day....We went over lots of info about Morocco, local etiquette, about the placements (our jobs), etc. We took a break and left in groups to find on our own...Maryem Ryiad, the Post Office and the Spa. All three are in walking distance. I went looking for this Ryiad shopping center with a large group. This is a very westernized shopping area....I
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In the Gathering Room for lunch with other volunteers saw a Steve Madden and a Dominos Pizza! Ina and I got seperated from the group and then got a little lost. We were a little late getting back!
After lunch we had an Arabic lesson. Wow! I think I've already forgotten everything. I need to read the info over every night and I think it will start to sink in. A bunch of us decided to check out the old Rabat Medina - we headed over after 2nd prayer. (Stores close for lunch and stay closed until after the 2nd prayer). It was quite an experience!!
We took the bus which was JAMMED PACKED. The souks (stores) are amazing....dozens and dozens and dozens of winding streets filled to the brim with people and selling everything. It was so overwhelming I couldn't buy anything. It was quite an experience and a good opener for I think what Marrakesh will be like. We were advised to take a taxi back but there were about 15 of us and the taxi's only hold 3. We eventually found our way out but it was quite hard! We boarded the bus again (3.50 DH each way) and headed back. I am amazed that
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No real competition for PRS here we found our way back actually!!
The food has been very good...lots of olives, yummy spices. Most things are cold that you'd expect to be hot. Those who know me know I'm not super food adventerous however; so far I have tried everything and it has all been very good!
Tomorrow I head off to work at the Lala Maryem Center for Abandoned Children. I am so excited. I am on the 7:40 AM bus. I signed up for babies but I'm not sure until tomorrow what I'll end up getting. Several of the volunteers who have been here for a few weeks work at the orphanage and really enjoy it. Tomorrow afternoon they are taking 1/2 the group on a city tour and the other half will go on Tuesday. I think I am in Tuesday City Tour group.
For this upcoming weekend I have decided NOT to go on the camel trek. I really want to go but I do not relish the idea of an 11 hour car ride each way. Going out you leave on Fri after work and go 1/2 way then stay overnight in a hotel. You get up early on
Saturday and then drive the rest of the way. You spend about 1.5 hrs riding camels and then sleep overnight in the desert. On Sunday morning you get up super early and drive 10-11 hours back at once. That is the part that turns me off. Instead I am thinking of taking the train down to Marrakesh....
Until tomorrow....
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Alexandra
non-member comment
Wow
Sounds like you are having lots of fun in Morocco. We all miss you here!!!!! Can't wait till tomorrow to hear about your first day of work!! In that one picture, is that a cow in a million pieces for sale?? EWWWW! Anyways I love you and miss you. Have fun tomorrow and be safe please!!!