Meet the Moukhchanes!

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I came to Morocco blindly. For three of the seven weeks I've been gone I have stayed with families (a week a piece in Barcelona, Valencia, and Granada). The experiences in these homes have been good- in Granada especially I loved my roommates. In Valencia, my host was an amazing cook. Nothing, however, could compare to the Moukhchane famiy. They MADE my trip to Morocco the amazing experience that it was.

As for the country itself, it was a lot of things; some rough and some beautiful. At night the skies were filled with stars that twinkled like diamonds. The landscape was gorgeous and actually reminded me a lot of California. There was also a lot of poverty, but the area I stayed in (Martil) was really nice; a beach town. During the day I rode on buses that were filled beyond capacity with people; people often hanging outside the doors. One day, the bus stopped for thirty minutes while the bus driver had a good old fashioned fist fight with one of the passengers.

I didn't expect to be so entrenched in the Muslim world, but, in atleast the area I visited, it is everywhere and I couldn't be more happy about my experience. There were some challenges (see photo entitled "Nothing Los Angeles About It"), but nothing compared to what I recieved. One thing Samira and Mohamed (my host family) kept saying was that they wanted me to go back and tell everyone that we are all the same and that anyone using Islam as an excuse for acts of terrorism is just a person who is sick in the head, the same way that the kid at Virginia Tech was sick or anyone else who commits such acts.

Towards the end of the trip I got sick, so I didn't get to see everything I wanted and I would love to return to see more of the country. As for learning Arabic, I only got through half the alphabet, but I can write my name. That's something, isn't it?

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Photos

Me, Sara, and Some Moroccan Ice Cream
Ooh-la-la

Street Food
Chickpea Soup. The other big seller was escargot soup. Enjoy!

Algeciras Port
Watch your back!

The Rock of Gibraltar
I had thought about making a special trip to the rock, but didn't think there'd be enough time. I had no idea how close it was until I got to Algeciras the night before. Not a whole lot to see in Algeciras, but there are a few good restaurants, plenty of internet cafes, some nice squares, lots of good places to get mugged down by the port, and some breathtaking views of "The Rock" (much prettier than this shot).

My Ferry
Some of the ferries were like barges, but the one I was on was like a retired cruise ship from the 80's. There were old ballrooms and restaraunts all cleared out and just filled with people. There were also several mosques inside. It took about an hour and a half to cross over to Africa.

Goodbye Spain
My last view of Europe.

Tangier
First Taste of Morocco

Outside the Royal Palace
The king had come to visit the week before so the town was decorated to the hilt in green and red. It reminded me of Christmas.

Beloved King
So this is the new king and everyone loves him! His dad, not so much. He is considered to be very progressive and benevolant. He had just visited Tetuan the week before I arrived so the city had his picture up everywhere. Here he is with his wife and son. This is the only picture of a Moroccan queen ever! The King's mother, nor any of her predeccesors, were ever allowed to reveal themselves in public without their scarf.

Lunch is served
Everyday was another amazing spread like this. They made three round wheels of Moroccan bread each day! We had breakfat before class, lunch at 1 or 2, tea at 6 or 7, and dinner sometime between 10 and 12 pm.

My Nurse & Flatmate
Juliet took care of me when I was sick and is an awesome dancer!! She gave me French medicine and Coca-Cola.........the way to my heart.

The security system
I noticed this at several places and then again a week later when I saw "The Bourne Ultimatum". Instead of barb wire, they use broken bottles wedged into the cement to keep intruders away.

Tower Records
Unlike in Spain or LA, where all the pirated music, videos, and fake designer clothes/purses are sold on the streets, here in Morocco they have actual storefronts. There's no running from cops, no worry of arrest. I'm not even sure if legitimate music stores existed in Tetuan as I never saw one. Everyone wears Dolce & Gabana shirts and the CD I bought in this store was $1.50.