From Sunset to Sunrise in the Saharan

For Thanksgiving break 16 teachers/friends and I embarked on a journey to the Saharan desert. Since we had a car load and had a long journey to go, we rented a large tour bus to drive us comfortably. It was clean and randomly had green turf in the alley way. Definitely added to the Moroccan touch. Our bus' name is Missouri Voyager. I felt just a little closer to home :) The little girl in the picture is a student who was amazed to see a huge bus picking up all the teachers at the school. She was confused as to why I was so excited.

We hired a tour guide to plan our trip and the first stop in our journey was in Fes. This is now my 2nd trip to Fes (read earlier blog about background information). 

For this trip we stayed at Riad Salam Fes.  

Apparently it won an excellence award from Trip Advisor. It was a very beautiful Riad complete with many Moroccan salons (sitting rooms), spacious outdoor lounge area complete with a pool and a terrace that we unfortunately were only able to enjoy for 10 minutes before we go asked to leave. 

Our tour then took us to the top of Fes. As I've said in the earlier post, Fes was once the capital of Morocco many many years ago and once held the largest population at one point in history. The first university in the world was here in Fes and we learned that it was started by a woman! 

We shopped all afternoon in the Medina and then had our Thanksgiving meal, Moroccan style! I'm thankful for such good people and friends to travel with and creating fond memories! Instead of turkey and all the fixins', I enjoyed an almond chicken tagine with a Moroccan salad.

Right after lunch we hopped aboard Tour Bus Missouri and drove 9 hours to Meryzouga. We passed gorgeous landscapes that I didn't even realize existed in Morocco! Morocco has such diverse landscapes. From rolling barren hills to snow capped mountains to desert...

 

We arrived at our Kasbah late at night, so we quite couldn't make out the landscape. However, judging by the barren, desert road that the bus' headlights were displaying, we knew we were somewhere out in the middle of the desert. This Kasbah was called "Nomad Palace" and it by far exceeded my expectations for a riad out in the desert. This place is called a Kasbah because it has walls that surround the palace's large suites, courtyard, huge dining hall and pool. 

When I woke up in the morning, I ran to my window to get a sneak peek at the Saharan Desert. I literally shrieked :) I crossed another adventure off my bucket list.

The plan was to chill for the day at the Kasbah before we ride out to the sunset on our camels. A few of us couldn't contain ourselves and had to go on a mini adventure into the desert. Now I've walked in sand before, but these wind blown sand dunes were pretty strenuous on my calves.


 




Even though we only walked for an hour, we all commented on how the dry climate made it more difficult to breathe than what we're normally used to. Our heart rates were more elevated than on an average hike in a non-desert climate. Another misconception about the desert is that it's always hot. Surprisingly the temperature was around the low 80 degrees with a drastic decrease of temperature when you step in the shade. As we were walking, we saw many footprints. We were inferring to which animals these footprints belong to. It was fun to investigate their stories.

  This is a very poisonous flower that will apparently make you blind if you touch it and rub your eyes afterward.

We saw many barren and broken-down structures that we assumed couldn't have been too old. The structures were made out of sand, hay (not sure where they found that material), rocks and some form of cement. By the amount of individual rooms, some were large enough to be homes. We saw many wells (apparently the Saharan Desert has a HUGE underground water table), home made furnaces and  one-room homes. Besides that, the desert was empty. We only saw one other human being and he was walking his bike through a make shift trail in the sand. Couldn't make out where he came from or where he was going. 

 

One of the teachers, an avid music enthusiast and punk rocker, found out that a neighboring town (20 mins walk away) has a African music group that plays Gnawa music. We all decided to go check it out and along the way a lady was crossing our path. Sh spoke English and told my friends that she left Europe years ago to visit this year and hasn't moved back since. She was walking in our direction to her friend's house to have lunch. She told them that she lived 3 hours away. When my friends caught up to me to tell me this, I quickly turned back around to observe her wearing a long djellaba and carrying a bulky bag. My jaw dropped thinking that walked through the desert for 3 years wearing that and all just to have lunch. Wow, I couldn't complain about our 20 minute walk after that. Life sure is different. I'm so glad that I'm having this experience to view and listen to other people and their cultures. The Gnawa band members each had a set of krakebs (cymbals) in each hand and each played a different beat. The beat was fast and fun. Not only did they make music, they were dancing around and seemed to have an routine dance down.

 After awhile, they came and made us get up and dance with them! It was truly a fun experience.

Just a little taste of some local Gnawa music :)

On the way back from the neighboring town, he passed by some of the homes. The simplicity of these homes were unbelievable...until I saw a TV satellite nestled in one of the gardens.
 

 Once we got back to the Nomad palace, we all packed a small bag and set out to meet our camels!! A few of the teachers rode ATVs, but the majority of us wanted the full "desert experience" and opted for the camels. Once we laid eyes on our modes of transportation, I instantly recognized that these were no camels, but dromedaries. The difference? Dromedaries have one large "hump" compared to a camel's 2 humps. The humps stores up to 80 pounds of fat that can break down into water and energy when in a vital state of need. Isn't it crazy how they bend their knees to kneel? There were many new things that I found interesting about these creatures. The picture of the dromedary below is Fayrou and we became quite good friends throughout the journey. Fayrou was 2nd in command in our string of 5 dromedaries.

 

Riding the dromedaries was much similar to riding a horse; however, just at a much slower pace. Interesting fact about camels/dromedaries: unlike many other animals, they move both legs on the same side of their body at once. They were very calm and obedient. Each "string of dromedaries" had a Nomad guide (as they referred to themselves as) that walked the entire way. Right when the sun was about to set. We got off our dromedaries and climbed this HUGE hill in order to have the best view. 

 
 

 
 I believe the view was well worth it. You can see in the picture below that some girls in the group couldn't contain themselves and just had to roll down the sandy dune. She said it was quite exhilarating besides the fact that sand got everywhere! Once the sun set, it immediately got chilly.
 

 This is one of my favorite pictures :)













This picture to the right shows the vast landscape of the Moroccan Saharan Desert. You can see that the desert doesn't extend much further. Beyond the sand dunes, there is a low-lying area where we would camp for the night. Not more than 30 km past our campsite was the border of Algeria. This made all of us just a bit uneasy.







That night we camped in a make-shift campsite. There were a total of roughly 10 tents with 4 cots inside. The tents were side-by-side forming a circle. In the center of the circle we had a large camp fire. There was also a larger tent for eating and lounging. We had a filling Moroccan meal complete with adult beverages. The Nomad guides played Darbuka drums, sang songs, told (really corny) jokes and urged many of us to get up and dance. We then ended the night with staring into the bright sky that was filled with glittering stars. It was absolutely breath-taking and I hope to relive that experience again one day. I had never seen the stars so brilliant and bright before.
 

Early the next morning, we were awaken to see the beautiful sunset. It was difficult to wake up so early, but it was totally worth it.

 

 

We rode our dromedaries back to Nomad's Palace, backed up our belongings on the bus and set off for home. We drove and drove and drove stopping through Ouarzazate, which is known for being Morocco's larges film-making location, then the steep pass through the mountains heading towards Marrakech. We stayed the night in Marrakech, but unfortunately wasn't able to see much (so a trip is in the near future!). This was a wonderful Thanksgiving trip and I highly recommend the 2 day journey to the desert. 

 
 

Pizza Hut 2.0

A While I'm waiting for my pizza "emporte" (to go), I'm admiring the bougie atmosphere of a Pizza Hut down the street from my house. The tables are set with shiny silverware (a rarity) and the antipasti buffett is spotless. The employers are moving about and tending to meticulous tasks while they wait for orders to be made and delivered. I honestly can say that I've never seen such a fancy, spotless, and hard working Pizza Hut in my life. Congrats Casablanca, you've raised my standards for a fast food pizza joint.

Such a fancy soda fountain!

Happy Birthday Marines!

Weekend of November 8-10:

This weekend made me miss home a bit. With the filet mignon steaks, Yuengling, Marines, American ex-pats, old school 80s and 90s music and plenty of American flags around, I felt like I was back at home in the states.

 A friend that works for the U.S. Consulate and some Marine friends of mine invited a crew of CAS teachers to the annual Marine Ball in Rabat (Morocco's capital and location of U.S. Embassy). There is a Marine Security Guard Detachment of Rabat and Casablanca that guard the Embassy and the Consulate. I've made friends with some the Marines that are stationed in Casablanca. This Marine Security Guard Program has been in place in Morocco since 1948.

Since we were planning for a long night, we booked a room at L'Amphitrite Palace Resort & Spa which was very close to the convention center that held the ball. It is also located right on a private beach. This resort was an oasis within Morocco! Our "standard" double room mistook me for an executive suite with this 3-room bath area and large patio. This place is great for a weekend getaway from the city (and all the pollution that comes with it!).

The Marine Ball was a very nice event. The ceremony, videos and  speeches with a doubt reaffirmed my pride for America. The evening started with cocktail hour and an open bar. We then were seated for a very nice 3 course meal. After which we all danced all night long. What a great night and fun memories.

 

My seat at the table. We each got complimentary mugs!

 

The gals got all dressed up for the ball!

 

 

 

 My fun table mates, Marion & Ryan.

The city between two horns

Chefchaouen is a relatively small village (compared to Casablanca) nestled in the side of two mountains. It is located in the central part of northern Morocco and about 2 hours away from the Strait of Gibraltar.

 For a 5 day holiday, some friends (CAS teachers and other Americans) and I booked a getaway to this paradise within the Riff mountains. We were transported from Casa on a bus that took 5 hours to reach our destination. The long, winding roads and crying babies were totally worth it. Unfortunately, we arrived in the evening so we had to wait for Chefchaouen to reveal its beauty until the morning. We did however wander the streets of the famous blue-walled Kasbah and Medina within it. 

The blue walls reminded me of the Kasbah in Rabat. Such a beautiful color that surrounds the walls, floors and doors of the houses and shops. 

After walking up steep streets and flights of stairs (luggage included), we finally found our Hotel Molino tucked away deep inside the Kasbah. This was not set up like a Riad that I had been used to, but rather a mid-sized home with multiple rooms, small sitting areas and an oasis in the backyard. I was breath taken when we saw the beautiful garden out back. Large trees, flowers, stone pathways, fountains, small and secret nooks to sit in and ambiance lighting. Below is a picture that I took the next morning.

 

Since Chefchaouen is a dry town, we were left to drinking a different type of cocktail. Fruit smoothies are a hit here and we found a popular place to relax and order some. I had an avocado and fruit (Apple, banana, pineapple) smoothie and it was truly delicious and left me craving for more throughout the trip. 

We finished our evening with a typical Moroccan meal: tagine, pastille, and couscous.

   Dinner at La Lampe Magique (Magic Lamp)

After a good nights sleep and stretching, we were on our way to trek the outskirts of Chefchaouen in search for the Cascades d'Akchour (grand waterfall). We took a taxi to a small village of Akchour where we began our 2 1/2 hour semi-intense hike to the waterfall. The landscape was one that I've never witnessed before. We walked alongside the creek and in between high cliffs that almost reach the sky. It was very lush, green and reminded of landscape pictures of Southeast Asia. After walking a few miles, we stopped and admired the beauty. We all had to remind ourselves that we were in still in Morocco. 

Path of Lost Soles

Along the trails there was evidence of once-habituated campsites. I was repulsed by the amount of trash at these campsites as well as along the trail. I couldn't believe how people could destroy such a breathtaking environment. This saddened me greatly. Of the filthy trash along the trail, I was most curious as to how people would lose the soles of their shoes. Entire shoes, pairs, parts of soles, and entire soles were scattered about the trail. To make time pass quickly on our way back, we decided to count all the soles. Within the first 45 minutes we all exceeded our guesses, with the highest bid being 50. With an hour and half to go, it was going to be high-stakes bidding. I was the middle bidder at 145 soles. Needless to say our hike was much faster coming back as we were busying search in and counting. As we were approaching our agreed-upon finish line we were at 142. Kaitlin guessed 140 and I was so close to winning. However, I had no such luck and we all pitched in for Kaitlin's dinner that night.
<-- A video of our hike!
 

 

Kaitlin, Carly & Chad at the top of a mini cascade. 

                   

Stepping stones to cross the creek

 

 At the end of our strenuous and long hike to the Grand Cascade, I literally shrieked with joy  upon seeing such a tall and magnificent waterfall. This area was packed with other hikers. Some locals were swimming, dancing and making music with Moroccan drums (Darbuka). We climbed on some slippery slopes in order to get behind the waterfall. It was so beautiful and breathtaking to be standing underneath such a large waterfall!



The hike back went much quicker probably because we were searching for the lost "soles" that littered the path. We were exhausted after the hike and in need of a shower! We met up with some other teachers who visited Chefchaouen and had a typically long Moroccan dinner (began at 8 and ended near 11). However it was complete with wine and good friends. We had a good sleep that night, until we were abruptly awaken by the loud call to prayer at 5am. When it was light outside, we discovered that our hotel was directly next to a mosque. #neveragain

Islam's Call to Prayer:
I haven't talked much about the call to prayer yet which is surprising, because it is a daily occurrence in my life. I live in an area (Gauthier) that doesn't have a mosque close by, so I don't hear it at home. However, there is a mosque near the school and when my windows are open at noon, we hear it loud and clear. My friends who live in a different neighborhood (Maarif) hear it quite frequently throughout the day and evening because there are many mosques in the area.

The gist: The Islamic call to worship, or adhan, is recited 5 times throughout the day. The Muezzin, Muslim reciting the prayer, speaks through a loud speaker at the Mosque that can be heard from far away. All Muslims are mandated to pray at this time.(times for prayers)  The times for praying are different each day because it goes my the positioning of the sun. They pray just before sunrise, late afternoon (sun's zenith),  before sunset, before twilight (when sky gets completely dark), and between twilight and dawn.

The next day was a shopping day in the medina. Chefchaouen is known for its inexpensive crafts and goods. I bought myself a large throw blanket, argan soap (which is abundant and very cheap here!)  and a few other souvenirs. I also did a lot of Christmas shopping...so I can't give any specifics :) 

It was an easy-going day with a lot of walking in the medina and rest stops (remember, this city built on a mountain side!). One of our rest stops was at Hotel Atlas Chefchaouen which looks over the entire city. While there and enjoying our warm mint tea, we met an American man who actually was born and raised in Fayetteville, Arkansas! We talked a little bit and he said that his father was a professor at the U of A and his family lived near St. Joseph cemetery off of  Mission (Highway 45).  Apparently he has visited 80 countries in his lifetime and tries to visit 2 countries a year. He's been visiting Morocco for a 2 weeks and was finishing his trek in Chefchaouen. It was so good to reminisce about Arkansas and talk about the Hogs with a native!

The bus ride home wasn't a good way to end our fun weekend. Scenario: very early in the morning, seated between 2 toddlers with no other seats available, winding roads through the mountains, mothers and their toddlers puking throughout the trip, no windows or air circulation and the rest rooms at the rest stops looking as they do below. Wow, that was a culture shock for me. Thankfully, none of us got sick, but we were miserable. Next time we will for sure be renting a car!