Five days into my trip and I already have proven myself wrong about my expectations of Morocco. I had a beer with dinner of tagine on the first day in Casablanca, wore a bikini to the beach, and the university has pizza available everyday (along with a lot of Moroccan dishes). Although some things are the same as in the US, I'm also getting to try many new experiences and meet a lot of great people... and the trip has only just started.
For my time in Casablanca I had booked a hotel and organized a shuttle with them. Customs took about 2 hours, and then I spent another hour waiting at the wrong baggage claim (not my fault! I asked and that's where I was told). The shuttle driver did not wait for me and I had a panicked moment where I didn't know how I would get back. A cab driver helped me call the hotel and they said they had already left so he helped me get a cab into the city. A woman who spoke English asked if I wanted to split a cab because it would be cheaper, so I did. We talked in the cab and I told I didn't know anybody in the city and she invited me to stay with her and her two sons. This is the view from the house.
Moroccan hospitality is amazing. The woman and her family and their family friends were so nice. I went to the beach with them each day. The beach was very different than a US beach. For one, there were people giving horse rides on the beach. Dogs were allowed on the beach (and the family had the most adorable little puppy). Tables and chairs were available for free. There were no lifeguards. People played soccer by the water. There was a diversity of attires for women- some wore complete coverings while others had on two piece bathing suits.
I got to try some delicious Moroccan food. One of my favorites was the Moroccan mint tea. It was so sweet and fresh tasting. I don't know how I will go back to Lipton in a paper bag when I return home. After Casablanca I went back to the airport to wait for the other AUA volunteers to arrive. Unfortunately several of their bags got very delayed. We waited for 5 hours at the airport, and some still didn't get their bags. Afterwards we drove the four hours to Ifrane.
We are staying on the university of Al Akhawayn in dorms shared with Moroccan roommates. On our second day in Ifrane we toured all the places that people in the group would volunteer. The national park office has an amazing museum and the garden has a lot of potential. I look forward to working there. For lunch we got a homecooked meal of cous cous from a woman working at youth without borders. Cous cous is so good- it is a pasta that is in very tiny grains and was served in a big clay bowl with lots of vegetables. Its only served on Fridays.
We toured the campus in the afternoon, and then went to visit the Tarmilat village outside of the city. Although they live in poverty, the women weavers who we visited were so welcoming. They invited us into their house and we had tea and malawi bread. Then we played soccer with the kids. Although none of the children spoke English (or even French which I speak a little of, and which is a common business language in Morocco), sports are universal, and I had so much fun. Although Morocco is very different than the US in many ways, when it comes down to it we are all people who laugh, smile, enjoy good food, value our family and friends. I look forward to understanding this fascinating culture better with its friendly people, beautiful scenery, and delicious food.
For my time in Casablanca I had booked a hotel and organized a shuttle with them. Customs took about 2 hours, and then I spent another hour waiting at the wrong baggage claim (not my fault! I asked and that's where I was told). The shuttle driver did not wait for me and I had a panicked moment where I didn't know how I would get back. A cab driver helped me call the hotel and they said they had already left so he helped me get a cab into the city. A woman who spoke English asked if I wanted to split a cab because it would be cheaper, so I did. We talked in the cab and I told I didn't know anybody in the city and she invited me to stay with her and her two sons. This is the view from the house.
Moroccan hospitality is amazing. The woman and her family and their family friends were so nice. I went to the beach with them each day. The beach was very different than a US beach. For one, there were people giving horse rides on the beach. Dogs were allowed on the beach (and the family had the most adorable little puppy). Tables and chairs were available for free. There were no lifeguards. People played soccer by the water. There was a diversity of attires for women- some wore complete coverings while others had on two piece bathing suits.
I got to try some delicious Moroccan food. One of my favorites was the Moroccan mint tea. It was so sweet and fresh tasting. I don't know how I will go back to Lipton in a paper bag when I return home. After Casablanca I went back to the airport to wait for the other AUA volunteers to arrive. Unfortunately several of their bags got very delayed. We waited for 5 hours at the airport, and some still didn't get their bags. Afterwards we drove the four hours to Ifrane.
We are staying on the university of Al Akhawayn in dorms shared with Moroccan roommates. On our second day in Ifrane we toured all the places that people in the group would volunteer. The national park office has an amazing museum and the garden has a lot of potential. I look forward to working there. For lunch we got a homecooked meal of cous cous from a woman working at youth without borders. Cous cous is so good- it is a pasta that is in very tiny grains and was served in a big clay bowl with lots of vegetables. Its only served on Fridays.
We toured the campus in the afternoon, and then went to visit the Tarmilat village outside of the city. Although they live in poverty, the women weavers who we visited were so welcoming. They invited us into their house and we had tea and malawi bread. Then we played soccer with the kids. Although none of the children spoke English (or even French which I speak a little of, and which is a common business language in Morocco), sports are universal, and I had so much fun. Although Morocco is very different than the US in many ways, when it comes down to it we are all people who laugh, smile, enjoy good food, value our family and friends. I look forward to understanding this fascinating culture better with its friendly people, beautiful scenery, and delicious food.
