My Mo-ROCKIN' Weekend

HA. Get it?! It's like Moroccan! But, like Mo-ROCK-in. Because it was a 'rockin' weekend. Get it guys!? I know. I know. I'm so funny.

If you haven't guessed already, I spent my weekend in Morocco(!). I'm still getting used to the fact that I can just jet-set to random countries on any given weekend. It's something that's definitely not in American culture-- and maybe it's just a study abroad thing, traveling so much. But, I don't have to tell you that going to different countries is an entirely different experience from traveling between states. Although, Texas sometimes feels like it should require a passport...

So, why Morocco? Well, I really wanted to travel to a "non-Western" country. In fact, in a more dream-laden period of my college career, I told everyone I wanted to spend a semester in Africa. Never specified where in Africa, mind you. Just Africa. So needless to say that dream died as quickly as it had come. We also found a tour group (Discover Excursions) that came highly recommended from some full years here. Because I'm your classic white girl. Obviously, I'm not going on my own to a country like Morocco. Plus, the tour was only a weekend long and at a really reasonable price. So, it wasn't a hard decision.

After 14 hours of travel, here we are fresh off the boat in AFRICA. Can you feel the excitement?

Friday was essentially all travel. We flew into Seville, drove two hours to the coast, took a 50 minute ferry across the Strait of Gibraltar, and then drove another hour to our hotel. By that time, my stomach had resorted to cannibalism and most of us were ready to pass out. What made it better was that, arriving at the hotel, we were offered classic Moroccan mint tea and sesame cookies. Then we finally were able to sit down for dinner: ginger soup, cous cous with chicken leg, chick peas and raisins, and fresh fruit for dessert. I collapsed into my bed with a very happy stomach.

Saturday: Chefchaouen

Otherwise known as the Blue City. We spent our Saturday there, consisting of a walking tour of the city, lunch, and then a few hours just to shop and roam. It was really interesting just to observe the way people live there-- how it's different but, not in any negative way. It's just another option. Not the entire city, but many parts of it, are this gorgeous bright blue color. It's funny because the blue color is what makes this city so special but the color is used primarily to keep the bugs away. Form follows function, I suppose? Anyway, Chefchaouen was hands down my favorite part of the weekend and, being as long winded as I am, I could probably go on forever about it. Instead, I'll let the pictures (and maybe some captions) do the explaining for me.  

Some fresh, warm bread from the neighborhood bakery.

Scarves 'n' stuff.

Get in my belly doughnut things.

The same river they wash their clothes in.

I have a hard time coming to terms with the fact that people call a city like this home. That people actually grow up here, between walls of blue on a mountain. That's incredible.

Sunday: Tangiers and Assilah

Since we planned our big Moroccan adventure there had been one thing-- and one thing only-- that had been foremost in my hopes and dreams, one thing I had been by far the most jazzed about, one thing, if you asked me what were my plans for Morocco, I would answer with: CAMELS. Ohmygoshcamels. They're like horses but not. Like the dorky horses that didn't get picked in gym class because of their weird knees, but totally can beat everyone in hydration skills. I can totally relate to that. We're basically soul mates.

Meet my Valentine.

After our bus tour of the city of Tangiers by a local guide, we stopped along the coast to ride some camels. I'm not going to lie to you guys. It was really touristy. Like really touristy. It was like getting on some animal at the carnival and riding it around in a circle. It took less than five minutes but, for all it's touristy awfulness, it was actually a lot of fun. You feel like a really dorky version of Indiana Jones. Like if Indiana Jones wore awful Hawaiian shirts and tube socks. It's especially fun when they (terrifyingly) sit their front legs down and you're not expecting it. See Figure A.

Figure A.

There were five adult camels for us to ride and then there were three baby camels for us to mingle with while we waited. And by mingle, I mean take shameless Instagram selfies with. Obviously.

Later, we drove to the seaside city of Assilah (try saying that ten times fast). They gave us another opportunity to walk around the city and shop, but after being swindled and knowing it in Chefchaouen-- we paid 21 euro for two scarves-- we were kind of sick of shopping. Instead, we went outside of the walls of the actual city and sat along the sea for an hour or two. We made friends with a few stray cats, received a couple of 'those damn American tourists' eye rolls from the locals, and I got some pretty stellar model shots of my friend, Kyle. It was pretty relaxing just to sit there and take in our travels and the fact that we were actually on a totally different continent. It's still blowing my mind that I'm capable of doing that sort of thing.

"Paint me like one of your French girls, Lauren."

Two nights, two scarves, six meals, one henna, and a bunch of Texans later, we had successfully been to Morocco. It's definitely one of the highlights of my semester so far. It's so refreshing to be in a culture so different. It's humble and modest. Simple. The call to prayer rings out across towns marked with Arabic lettering that is so curiously foreign to me. When people greet one another, the proper response is, "Thanks be to God". Everything for them leads back to God. One man, although he may have only been trying to sell to me, took me by the hand and said, "Remember. We all are human. We all have one God. Not just my God." It's so important to experience and learn to respect other cultures. Not just Paris. Not just Prague. But, cultures that sort of scare you in an exciting kind of way. That's what Morocco was for me.

Plus, my camel wasn't a half bad Valentine. Aside from the smell of course. Ciao for now.

lauren

xoxo