Moroccan Mindset

Nearing Autumn's close.
My neighbor-
How does he live, I wonder?
-Basho

Six days in Morocco. Senses engaged, and moments of serenity.

On the second day we left Casablanca for our three hour train ride to Marrakech. The city of Marrakech is the capital of the mid-southwestern economic region of Marrakech-Tensift-Al Haouz, near the foothills of the snow-capped Atlas Mountains. Marrakech has the largest traditional market (souk) in Morocco and also has one of the busiest squares in Africa and the world, Djemaa el Fna.^[2] The square bustles with acrobats, story-tellers, water sellers, dancers and musicians. By night food stalls open in the square turning it into a huge busy open-air restaurant.

The train was crammed with people and the six of us traveling together spent the first hour standing huddled by the window. After an hour or so the train cleared out enough for four of us to sit down. During our train ride we met an Italian man that helped us find a hostel and our way around town. Making it much easier for us to adjust to the bustling city. We got a hostel for the six of us to stay in one room and went out for dinner at the night food stalls, where we sipped hot Moroccan mint tea. We spent the evening watching the events in the Djemaa el Fna as locals celebrated Eid al-Adha (is about spending time with family and friends, sacrifice, and thanksgiving for being able to afford food and housing. ) and the end of fasting. We saw snake charmers, games, musicians, and all kinds of other local talent. We found a restaurant rooftop to watch the scene below while we sipped on our Coca-Cola (free of high fructose corn syrup).

The next day we wondered around the markets and bartered for the lowest prices. The market was filled with leather and wood workers, spice sellers, and jewelers. In the afternoon Holly and I went to the traditional Hammam. Hammams usually consist of three rooms. The first room is the least steamy and is for bathing. The second and third rooms are hotter and are for massaging and relaxing. We got bathed and scrubbed and washed like never before. It was a fun cultural experience. After getting all clean and new layers of skin exposed we ventured back in the markets for the rest of the evening. Once we were able to meet back with the guys since they got terribly lost! That night the streets were more crowded then the entire day. Locals were out walking the streets spending time together celebrating the holiday.

The next day we woke up early to venture into the High Atlas Mountains, a mountain range in central Morocco in Northern Africa. The High Atlas rises in the west at the Atlantic Ocean and stretches in an eastern direction to the Moroccan-Algerian border.
We heard about a small town with waterfalls about an hour from Marrakech. We rented a taxi for the day and were driven the hour out. The best part of the day really was the drive. We left the flat dusty city and started up into the mountains were the view was tremendous. The mountains were taller and grander then I had expected and the scenery was gorgeous. Our friendly cab driver Omar tried to talk to us in the little English he knew and we spoke the little French we knew and had a few good laughs. Lucky throughout the trip Tommy was a lifesaver with his French skills.
When we reached the mountains the little town was packed with Moroccan tourists. There was barely any room to stand and we ventured up the mountains trying to reach the lower falls. Once we realized we were lost we finally took the guidance of a local Berber boy who we paid to take us to the falls. The Berber villages nestled into the mountains were breathtaking. The hike was filled with Moroccan tourists and very busy not what we had expected at all. Along the hike their were restaurants selling their tangenies and soft bread. They cooled their beverages by a running water system. The waterfall was filled with locals and this small swimming hole was crowded with all kinds of people. Women wrapped from head to toe in fabric watched as the men jumped into the cool water. We paid a man a small amount to go up his ladder to see further out into the mountains. On the way back down the path was filled there was a line just to get down.
Driving back to Marrakech we saw Berber families swimming in the river along the road. Returning back to Marrakech in time to take the five o'clock train to Casablanca. The train was a new train and we felt lucky that we had gotten such a nice new train. However, it turns out that the air was broken. We sat there melting for an hour before Tommy and I found new seats in a cart that the air was working. The rest of the group stayed in the cart and bared the heat. We were all happy to see the M.V. Explorer ahead of us when we reached Casablanca.
We spent the next two afternoons in Casablanca. We went on an interior visit to the Mosque which was amazing.
The Hassan II Mosque, located in Casablanca is the largest mosque in Morocco and the third largest mosque in the world. Built on reclaimed land, almost half of the surface of the mosque lies over the Atlantic water. The Mosque has heated floor, electric doors, and a sliding roof. Inside the Mosque was stunning and defiantly worth the tour.
Tommy and I tried to go to Rick's Cafe for lunch. Set in an old courtyard-style mansion built against the walls of the Old Medina of Casablanca, the restaurant – piano bar is filled with architectural and decorative details reminiscent of the film: curved arches, a sculpted bar, balconies, balustrades as well as beaded and stencilled brass lighting and plants that cast luminous shadows on white walls. There is an authentic 1930’s Pleyel piano and As Time Goes By is a common request to the in-house pianist. However, they were closed by the time we got there. So we went again for dinner and got turned away at the door because we weren't dressed nice enough. So the next afternoon after wondering around town in the morning finally made it in and had a Coca Cola. Setting sail for Ghana that afternoon.