First steps in Africa

My second week of travel was full of adventure and new sights. I spent the weekend in Morocco and the week in Turkey.

After spending the night in Madrid, I met up with Liz, Sarah Evert and Liz’s roommate Maria at the airport at 5am. We arrived in Marrakech at 6 in the morning and set off for my first African adventure. Our hostel was stunning. They had just opened a new section so we were the first to use the room.

 

Our first day in Morocco was jam packed. Since we had arrived so early, we started our day with delicious mint tea. We went to the Baddi Palace and I saw storks for the first time! On our walk back toward the hostel, we wandered bustling streets, exploring a spice market and marveling at the colors of the goods in all the shops. The buildings of the city are nearly all a salmon pink which was different than any city I’ve been to before. They city offers unlimited opportunities for fresh squeezed juices so I tried a banana juice at lunch which basically tasted like a banana smoothie.

After an afternoon siesta, we met to American guys who were staying at our hostel. They joined us in wandering the souks, a tightly packed area of endless shops selling handmade goods.

We finished the day by decorating our arms and legs with henna, watching the sunset from a rooftop cafe and feasting on delicious Moroccan food. I was surprised how much I liked the food. It is very flavorful, but not spicy.

Day two we decided to go on a guided tour out of the city. Since we had six people, us four girls and the two friends we made, we got to have our own private tour! The first thing we saw was a traditional Berber home. I was amazed by some of the innovative features it included. It was all made of a mud like material and was open in the center. It included its own hamam, which is essentially a personal sauna, and a pre-built bee hive where the back opened for easy access to the honey.

Next we got to ride camels!

We spent the second half of the day in a river valley where Marrakechis go on weekends to escape the bustle of the city. We ate a restaurant built into the hills. Tapestries covered the earth and trees provided cover from the hot sun. We again had a delicious, and authentic, Moroccan meal.

After lunch, a guide took us on a hike to see a series of waterfalls.

   Marrakech was an incredible adventure. I saw interesting things, exposed my taste buds to new flavors, and learned a lot about the Moroccan people.