The following day I left for Marrakech. After eating lunch at a gorgeous restaurant, we rode camels in the palm groves. The groves were basically just a large, sandy area of land with palm trees, which is what I was expecting, so I wasn't disappointed at all, but I think some people were expecting a lush oasis. When we got there, the guides put turbans on those of us who wanted to wear one--I got one! The first camel they tried to put me on had a attitude problem. It refused to stand up and it kept growling/gurgling. Two guides were trying to get it to cooperate and it wouldn't listen; I was terrified! But, I got on a different one; I named him Marquis. We rode to a Berber house where we got a tour, mint tea, and music and then rode back. It was hot, but so much fun! That night, we went to the main city square. It was so crowded, but we had so much fun! We walked around, shopped, and then got coffee at a restaurant above the square so we could watch everyone.
The next day we had a tour of Marrakech. We saw a mosque, a garden, ate another good lunch, and went back to the square we went to the night before. At the square, I met a SAS friend who invited us to go to the home of a Moroccan friend (Omar) he had made the day before. He had been really lost trying to find his hotel, and Omar helped him get there by making phone calls, etc. Where we got there, Omar and his family were eating dinner and they invited us to eat with them, which we did because we had heard that in Moroccan culture it is rude not to accept when someone offers. We ate a delicious homemade meat dish, french fry-like potatoes, salad, and bread; then, they brought out huge fruit platters with fruit I did and did not recognize, but I tried it all! Omar speaks English, and so did his family friend (her name starts with an "N," but I could never quite pronounce it), so we mostly spent our time with them, but there were other family members around, too. (N lives in Sydney, Australia and was back in Morocco for the summer.) After dinner, Omar and N put on their traditional Berber outfits that they wear to parties, etc. Then, they let us put them on and somehow we all ended up dancing. They were joking about how I was Berber because I could replicate their dancing. We ended up being with them from about 4:00 pm to 1:30 am! It was an amazing, authentic experience; I can't even really explain. Omar invited us back to visit saying "this is your home" and I want to take him up on that one day!
The next day was my last day in a Semester at Sea port ever! So sad!
We bused back to Casablanca in the morning and then, my friend Megan and I walked around in some shops and got milkshakes at a cafe. I got asked at least 3 times in 3 hours if I was Moroccan!
Overall, Morocco was an amazing experience, and I would love to go back one day.
Rick's Cafe: A Replica From the Movie Casablanca
Hassan II Mosque: Second Largest in the World
Camel Trek in Marrakech
Marrakech
Marrakech
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