Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Ghana

I am finally getting to Ghana! This is the last blog post before I am officially caught up, woohooooo. I still don't have pictures up from Spain, Morocco or Ghana but I will do that as soon as I get to South Africa. I get to SA on the 26th and leave on the 30th, its our longest stay in port. There is so much to do it is crazy! So far I am planning a hike up Table Mountain, elephant riding, a big 5 safari, and I have a field lab where I visit a penguin colony and go whale watching! I also want to squeeze in just a general exploring of Capetown, maybe the botanical gardens and I need to see a music performance for a class. If anyone has any suggestions for where I can go to see a great show or anything in particular in Capetown let me know.

So, Ghana was interesting. It was different than Arusha, where I was in Tanzania, because it was more urban. Accra was at least. But an African city is nothing like a regular one. The ship was in Takoradi for the first two days and in Accra for the second. On the first day I had a field program and I went to Kakum National Park which is a preserved rainforest and did a really cool canopy walk above and through the trees. The views were stunning. We also did a little hike but barely went into the actual rainforest. We saw some cool lizards and butterflies but the actual animals are deeper in the rainforest. They told us about a week long hike you can do to the northern part of the forest where you can track the elephants they have. We left the park for lunch at a hotel nearby.This being our first experience with the food in Africa we were all cautious. Several trips in Morocco got horribly sick, 50 students had to be quarantined or something crazy. No one wanted a repeat of that so we all knew what to eat and what to avoid. Fruits and salad that have been washed with local water is a no go. Anything cooked was OK. Lunch was good and then we had a walking tour of Elmina, a city on the coast. The bus left the ship around 9:30 am and we got back at 6pm but most of the day was spent traveling. Kakum National Park and Elmina aren't particularly close to Takoradi. Elmina was HOT. The poverty in Africa is astounding. Its crazy still to me that people live like that. No shoes, they take baths with one bucket of water and a rag, 5 people live in a two bedroom apartment. And there is a constant fishy odor. People are really against you taking their picture, but they call out to you and try and get you to buy something from them. They sell everything on the street from fish to toilet seats. The views were amazing, we had to climb a hill to this fortress and at the top you get a really nice panoramic view of Elmina. Our tour guide wasn't great, he just spewed loads of historical information. I tried to absorb it all but he just went to quickly for me to keep up. I did manage to get that Elmina is a fishing town, only the men go out and fish and then the women are in charge of marketing the goods. Refrigerators don't exist so they have to dry, smoke or salt all the fish. They keep it for days and sometimes weeks. Probably another reason we were warned about food. The method works for them but for Americans or others who have never been exposed to the water or type of food that Ghanaians eat every day just can't handle it and get sick. After our tour we went back to the ship. They expected lots of traffic but no one was on the streets because a huge soccer game was on; Ghana was playing Egypt in a qualifier game for the World Cup next year. We then got back to the ship earlier than expected and I just stayed there and didn't do anything that night. I didn't feel quite comfortable drinking and going out at night in Africa. Nothing really bad happened to the people that did go out, some got their things stolen, but I just wasn't up for it.
On the second day I hung out with my friend Alka. She had met a local girl the day before, her name was Linda and she was 15. We went really early in the morning to her house and met her family and the other family that lived in the same house. Her dad came out in boxer shorts and it was weird. But they were all very friendly. They had two little boys and a little girl, Coby, Rey and Maria. They were precious. They lived in a house that was separated into three two-room apartments. It didn't have air conditioning, just fans. They washed clothes by hand and hung them to dry. Cleaning plates consisted of splashing them with water. We went to the market to buy stuff to make lunch with. $15 was enough to buy enough food for seven people. The market was also smelly and so. freaking. hot!! We got back to her house and her "aunt" started to cook. I don't know if they were actually related. They have this traditional dish called fufu that she made. You boiled cassava which is like yucca and also plantains for 30 minutes and then you pound them with a huge wooden stick and wood bowl, adding little bits of water until it is a doughy consistency. Fufu is a staple dish in Ghana. That takes about thirty to forty five minutes. She made a fish stew that was spicy spicy ( the regular spicy) and it had some chicken in it as well. Then you throw this big lump of fufu in it. So she had boiled the cassava and plantains, I had helped to cut them up and I kept dropping all the pieces in the dirt on accident, no one washed their hands before making it I just kept thinking oh goodness please don't get sick. The soup was boiled, the fish and chicken were cooked, but I was worried because she put water in the fufu. I thought it was going to be more like bread but it was slimy! Linda said you aren't supposed to chew it, you just swallow it like a pill. I didn't really get the point of eating if you don't even taste it. It shows you the difference in attitude toward food. To them its just sustenance, we are so concerned with how it tastes plus we eat in such excess its almost gross at times. I forgot who I was talking to about this but they said Americans have a food fetish. I didn't really like the fufu at all but the fish was really good, which was shocking. We drank water from a pouch, which is how drinking water is packaged in Ghana. You just rip a hole in the corner and suck. I was kind of nervous I would get sick from the whole experience but I didn't at all! A boy selling Fan Ice went by the house and I bought everyone some to say thank you for lunch. Fan Ice is ice cream that comes in a plastic pouch, we were told it was safe to have by the people on the ship, they have chocolate and vanilla and it was delicious. Best ice cream ever. It may have had something to do with the fact that I was dying of heat and my mouth was still burning from how spicy the fish was. We went to the beach afterward because it was walking distance from her house and we all jumped in in our clothes. We saw other SASers down the beach and we hung out with them. I got a horrible sunburn in the shape of my tank top and bra straps and it looks awful!! lol other than that it was a really good day. I bought some cool stuff at the market area they set up right by the ship. We then sailed that night to Accra.
The first day in Accra I Didn't know what to do, Sumi and Amber had been on an overnight trip the past two nights and still weren't back. I missed the bus at 11 and the next one was at 1 so I worked out and relaxed until then. I needed internet to check on classes and registering for Miami and also to try and fix my phone which has conveniently locked me out. So I went by myself into Accra. We are actually docked at the city Tema and the shuttle ride to Accra was a little over an hour! I got off though and got a cab to an internet cafe and I spent the next 7 hours there haha I just had good food for lunch and some lattes and dinner and caught up on facebook. I made friends with the people that worked there, I watched Chopped on the TV for a while and I talked to a group of older white people. I was glancing at them and couldn't figure out why they were dressed the same. One of them asked me what I was doing in Ghana and we started chatting. I started to ask them what they were doing in Ghana when I saw it. On his white short sleeved button down was a name tag. It read "Elder William". Holy shit, actual Mormons. He answered that they were missionaries of the church of jesus christ of latter day saints. I was wondering if I was about to get lectured but they were really very nice. I asked them if they picked to come to Ghana and they were like, uh, no. The encounter was so funny. I asked them where they were from and they said Utah.. I was like oh duh. haha. Obama was on the TV because of the whole government shutdown thing and they were like oh we liked Romney. I told them I voted for him and I could tell I got major Mormon brownie points. They asked at one point if I knew about Mormons and, god knows why, I was like yeah I saw the book of Mormon on Broadway this year. The looks on their faces was unreadable. One asked if I liked it and I said " yeah it was funny". Why did that come out of my mouth? They looked exactly like the people in the play though!! The fact that I saw them in Ghana was just so funny. I wanted to ask how many people they have converted so far but I thought that would really be an ass-like thing to say. I was there until dark and I was a little worries about getting back to the place where the shuttle was. The cab driver that took me there was supposed to take me back at 4:30 but he never came back. The owner of the place though was so so nice and helped me get a cab back and I made the last shuttle no problem. I didn't go out that night either. Accra was apparently a fun place to go out, the shuttle drop off place was in an area called Osu which had good night life but at that point I was just ready to go to bed. Good day overall.
The next day I had a field program at an orphanage, we left early in the morning and came back around 4pm. We helped with random tasks around the orphanage, I mainly helped some kids write thank you notes to their sponsors who pay for their schooling. I had a nice time and then got back to the ship and just stayed on until we left. Ghana has the best economy in Africa I think, the cedi is only half of a dollar as opposed to a Russian ruble which is a thirtieth of a dollar. But the people are still so poor. School is mandatory through high school for kids and then they can choose to specialize after that if they want to. Lots of artisanal fishing. I had a good time though. The rest of the kids on the ship mostly chose to go to beaches and get drunk. So I am glad that I at least made an effort to get something more out of it. For me Ghana, and Tanzania are good places to go and work or volunteer. I don't know about being a tourist in these places. They have some nice resorts but its not really a vacation-y type of trip. I would much rather do something useful. My time in Ghana was sweaty and hot, but I am glad I met some locals and got a chance to help at the orphanage.

Ship life: Neptune Day and the Halloween Dance

Yes, big things have been happening on the ship! We have had a few big events and we also have the Sea Olympics coming up. The first thing was Neptune Day. What is Neptune Day? It is a day of celebration when we cross the equator! We go from Pollywags to Shellbacks and are initiated by having fish guts poured on us, jumping in the pool, kissing a fish, and getting our heads shaved! Needless to say, all of this was optional, and all of it was bullshit. If theres one way to get me not to participate in something its so wake me up with obnoxious noises. Which is exactly what they did at six am sharp. The crew went around with pots and pans and banged on everyones doors. We were then summoned to deck 7 at 8:30 for the the event. I didn't get up, but my roommate said that I didn't have to get in my swimsuit, but I should at least go see it. Well. This shit was crazy. I walk outside and music is blasting, everyone and their mothers are running around in swimsuits, kissing fish, jumping in the pool, and right next to me GIRLS are getting their heads SHAVED. I hate bald people. There is nothing scarier. Why. Why would you do that? Your head is white, lumpy, and meant to have hair on it. Are you Bruce Willis? No? Then don't shave your head. I watched for three minutes and took cover back inside. If you ask me that is way too much to be going on before 12. The one cool thing though is that we passed through 0,0. That is the point where the equator and prime meridian cross. I celebrated by going back to sleep.
Just last night we also had our Halloween Dance! On October 22. Why? I don't know. We have a study day on the 31 so I don't see why we couldn't have it then like everyone else. I was feeling very skeptical about this dance. There would be music and costumes and it all sounded very seventh grade. Who goes to dances sober anymore? I'm kidding. Kind of. Usually we have beverage service, but last night there was none, so literally everyone was stone cold sober. I heard that some people had their two glasses of wine with dinner and then snorted dramamine ( I hear that works?) and went to the dance. lol. I wasnt going to go, but my friends persuaded me to at least go for a bit. When I was packing I thought ahead and brought bunny ears, so I was an adorable bunny for halloween. Aw. I pulled together an outfit for my roommate (minnie mouse) met my other friends (a minion and Sully from Monsters Inc) and we headed upstairs. The costumes that were pulled together for this dance were shocking. Some planning must have been involved through the ports or some serious creativity, probably a bit of both, but these costumes were good! My bunny was put to shame. There were three guys who did the Blue Man Group, there were Moroccans riding camels, people in animal onesies, an avatar, security guards, that red headed guy from Workaholics (a girl), belly dancers (dudes), drug dealers, mermaids. The costumes were on point.. the rest of the dance though was stunningly seventh grade and it was great and we danced the night awayyyyyyy. No slow dances though, that was the only thing missing. There also was no chocolate.. pft. A Halloween event and no chocolate? Whatever, it was fun, I revisited my youth with (hopefully) better dance moves.
We also have the sea olympics coming up, its like field day but with "seas" which are groups we are divided up into according to where we live on the ship. I signed up for limbo and spades.. both things I am not good at so we will see how that goes!
Intramural volleyball has started and our first game is today! I am excited to kick some butt. We are docked in Nairobi right now to fuel so we will be staying still. From Ghana we have had pretty consistent seven foot swells. Fun! Not…
Here are some things its funny to imagine me doing in seven foot seas and a violently rocking ship
- run on a treadmill
- do yoga
- shave my legs (ow)
- walk down a hallway
- carry a bowl of soup
- carry a cup of coffee
- carry anything that can spill
- try and go to sleep
- avoid being within 5 feet of a bald person
- take notes
- drink water
- put on make up
- that last one was a joke, make up? hahahahahhaa


Other than these exciting events, I sleep, email people, go to class, do homework, go to breakfast lunch and dinner, watch sex and the city with my friends, workout, and play volleyball. Riveting. Thats all on ship life for now. I will go back to being frightened by the masses of bald people on this ship and doing nothing. XOXO

Sunday, October 20, 2013

Morocco

Lucky for me, my mom and dad and carol and ed were meeting me in Morocco too! They got to Casablanca the night before and went to rick's café. Pretty kool. The next morning I was allowed off the ship and I met our tour guide Rashid and Mohammed, our driver for the whole trip. They took me to my parents and we got to see a little bit of Casablanca before heading to Marrakech. We got off at Hassan ll Mosque which has the largest tower of any religious building in the world. It is stunning! Literally every inch of it is perfect. The detail and the colors and just everything about it is magnificent. It was built on the water and there are waves crashing behind it. I am so glad we stopped to see it. We then got in the car and drove a little ways down the coast and walked again, this time on the little boardwalk by the ocean. There were some really beautiful resorts and surf schools too. It was time to start the drive to Marrakech. It usually takes three hours or so and we made pretty good time. Apparently traffic can be pretty brutal around Casablanca so we were lucky.

            We arrive in Marrakech in the afternoon and set about finding our riad. A riad is a former house that only one family used to live in. It has a central courtyard that has no roof with a little pool and rooms are set around it. We tell Rashid where it is and he takes us to a street that looks downright scary. All of the buildings in Marrakech are required to be the same ocher color and most of the city is dirty and busy with hundreds of people. People drive as if they are actually insane. Motorcycle bikes whiz past and cars pay no mind to the lines on the street. We only saw one accident though on our whole trip and I don't think that it was even in Marrakech it was on the highway. So we are parked and really hoping that Patricia knew what she was doing booking this riad because so far things were not looking good. We have to walk into this walled area and through some streets to get to it. Still, things are really not looking good. The area seems more likely to have dead animal in the corner than a nice place to stay. All of us are getting increasingly nervous, including Mom. When Rashid tells us we have arrived we are standing in front of a plain door and a little plaque is above it that says Azoulay's. He knocks and the door opens into the most beautiful place I have ever seen.

            This place is STUNNING. How. How is this possible? Outside looks scary and the inside is more beautiful than any place I have seen in the US? What? The rest of my people are equally as stunned and all faith has been restored in my mom. Holy cow. I immediately start planning to make my own house like this. I am nowhere close to having a house but seriously I am determined that it will look like this. There is a pool in the center and a little fountain, a live banana tree, little chairs and tables are around it. There is a beautiful dining room on one side and then the kitchen. There is also a spa and the ground floor suite. Then upstairs are more rooms and on the third floor is a rooftop hangout where you can eat. All of it is beautifully decorated, all of the rooms have amazing Moroccan rugs.. I wanted to live here forever. We are served mint tea and little cookies while we check in. Mint tea is a big thing in Morocco. They are served in these beautiful little cups, which we later bought for home. There was no aspect of this riad that wasn't perfect.

            After we check in we head out to a mosque that is pretty close to us and then we go to the souks! We actually first walked through the "something of Death" (It has death in the name) I think, it's a big open space with men playing instruments loudly and snake charmers and monkeys and story tellers, beggars, more snakes, food stands, anything and everything goes there.  The souks are the local markets and are overflowing with stuff, some of it nice some not so much. We were just supposed to be taking a tour quickly but naturally we get sucked in trying to find shoes! We just want to be like Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City 2 and buy a pair of adorable shoes that only she could find and somehow make desirable! We did see shoes and bought a few pairs ;) Rashid was trying to hurry us out before we bought anything else because we had to make it back to the riad for dinner. It is polite to eat dinner on the first night at your riad as a sign of respect. I had no problem with this because it was delicious. They have this cooking things called tagines that look like little teepees with holes at the top. You cook meats and vegetables in it all at once and it is so. Damn. Good. The food they made was delicious, the main course was a chicken tangine with prunes and I am now addicted to prunes! Weird, certainly. We get to bed after that because we have an exciting day ahead of us.

            We wake up pretty early because we are heading out to the Atlas mountains for lunch and a visit to the Berber villages. The breakfast at the riad is just as good as dinner. Before we left we headed to Majorelle Gardens, home to Yves Saint Laurent's ..home.. Mom and I are less about the plants and more about the gift shop. Sadly, this is typical. We got some cute stuff doeee. The gardens are beautiful and well worth the visit. We head from there to the mountains. The drive there is about an hour and the views are stunning. The villages are really just adobe huts that blend in with the mountainside. We got out to take some pictures and then keep heading higher. We end up at a resort/ adventure park. They have ziplining and bridges strung between the mountains and unfortunately none of us are dressed for physical activity. We do decide that we can do ziplining though. We have a great lunch, make friends with some donkeys, and then go ziplining! It was so much fun and really exhilarating. It was one of those moments where you are just like woah, I am ziplining in the Atlas Mountains in Morocco, Africa. What is my life? How lucky am I? Shoutout to dad for doing it even though he is scared of heights! When we get back to Marrakech Rashid has told my dad he would take him to a great carpet place in the souks. This place is legit. No bargaining. They take you downstairs into the room with hundreds of rugs and start going into the history of their carpets and why they are special. These rugs are all Berber rugs, tied with double knots and made of lamb's wool. All are usually one hundred or more years old and really really stunning. The berber women would make them for her husband's family I believe. They just start pulling out rug after rug and I know my dad is going to buy like seven. Just kidding, I guessed one at least. I tried to help with the decision making and subtly push one over the other. I know that I can probably get one of them and make a mental note to call dibs on them when I get home so Jack and Anders cant have them. Hahahah. Just a joke. (Is it? (You'll never know)).  We take too long in the rug place, Mom, Carol and I have a massage scheduled and have to get going so we leave the men to the whole paying business, which is all they are good for. Again, just a joke! (Is it though?) Yes. Anyways, we have a traditional massage called a hamam or something that sounds like that. I wish I had internet to look up whether or not I am butchering these words. It is similar to a Turkish bath. We sit in the steamroom and a woman washes/ exfoliates you all over. And I mean all over. Not an inch is spared. Oh and this is with the other ladies in the room. So, I mean kind of awkward. But you get over it because everything feels so goooooood. It was really nice and the perfect way to feel clean again after sweating all day. We had dinner reservations at an odd place. The pages were staying in, but didn't miss much. The food was great but there is this weird performance afterward with horses and guns and belly dancers. There are hundreds of other people in the stands watching after dinner. We sat for five minutes and then my mom, dad and I all look at each other and are like yeahhhhh time to go. So we leave early. Back to the riad and straight to bed.

            The third day is just as jam packed as the second. We are heading to Essaouira. I know what you are thinking. That is quite a lot of vowels to put all together like that! Don't worry though, Ive got it down. Essaouira is a coastal town about three hours away from Marrakech by car and it is really worth the drive! I had invited my roommate, Amber, to come with us because she was in Marrakech too. Like idiots we decide she will meet us at the hotel before we leave. Well on the morning of I am thinking holy shit I am so dumb, how on earth could I expect her to find this place? It is hidden practically, I don't even know if I could find it without Rashid! I am actually starting to hyperventilate thinking I have led Amber to her death in Morocco. After several tense minutes of waiting someone knocks on the door and it's Amber! She managed to get a guy to help her find it. Note to self: try not to kill roommate again. So, on the way to Essaouira we stopped for a surprise. There are goats in trees. Yes you read correctly. There are goats perched in trees. They are placed there to eat the shells of the argon nuts which are then collected and pressed to make argon oil. I wish I could send pictures to the blog from the ship so you could believe this, but it will just have to wait until I have internet. I got to hold a cute little goat and take lots of fun pictures. We also stopped at an argon co-op. Co-op? I might be making that up but I think it is right. They showed us how they make the oil and everything and then we got a chance to buy some yummy products. They have oils and shampoos, soaps and then they have the ground up version that tastes like a combination of Nutella and Almond butter. Ugh, so good. We get back on the road and stop again only to take some panoramic pictures of Essaouira and ride a camel. Casual. We then get there and walk around the fishing boats, fish market, souks, and then stop for lunch on the beach. I finally bought some pants, I was in desperate need of pants because I didn't bring enough for the whole trip. We also stopped at a specialty store where they make beautiful stuff out of wood. Everyone bought something that day, and I think it was a great success. The beach was so nice; there were kite surfers and women in hijabs and women in two-piece bathing suits. We then head back to Marrakech. We get back with time to get nice and clean for dinner. The place tonight for dinner is really gorgeous. The dinner is fantastic, they had a belly dancer but it was a much better performance than the other place. It was sad for me though because my parents were leaving the next day and I didn't want them to go. I'm twenty but I still like my parents. We had a really good night.

            Next morning we have a little bit of time before we have to leave. We went to Bahia Palace, another stunning structure. I begin to see that Marrakech, and Morocco in general, looks like a hot mess on the outside but it hides these little places of beauty that just take some effort to find. After the palace we go to a street with more little shops to buy our glasses like the ones in the riad. We also have one last stop at a spice store to hear a little bit about their products and buy some spices, oils, and tea before we go. Finally it is time to get in the car and head back. The airport is between Marrakech and Casablanca, so my parents and the Pages are the first to be dropped off. The ladies were all crying like babies at the airport. It was awful. I then went with Rashid and Mohammed to Casablanca. We got some lunch, dropped off Rashid at the train station to get a train back to his home in Fez and then I said goodbye to Mohammed at the ship. I got back pretty early in the afternoon but that was ok because it gave me some time to be weepy before my friends got back on the ship.

            The boat left that night for Ghana. I wont see P and dad for two months which is the longest I will go without seeing them. Eek.  So that is all for Morocco. I know I am forgetting a million things but I hope I got the important parts. For you adventurous travelers, do go to Morocco, it's fabulous, but take a guide with you. For you readers thank you for hanging in there in this too long post. For Ed and Carol, thank you for being amazing travel companions, I love you guys and will see you in December. For my mom and dad, thank you for coming and thank you for letting me go on this wonderful trip. Part of me wishes this will be the quickest two months and part hopes they will be the longest. I will be taking your advice dad and just taking the most that I can out of every day that I have. Xoxo

Morocco

Lucky for me, my mom and dad and carol and ed were meeting me in Morocco too! They got to Casablanca the night before and went to rick's café. Pretty kool. The next morning I was allowed off the ship and I met our tour guide Rashid and Mohammed, our driver for the whole trip. They took me to my parents and we got to see a little bit of Casablanca before heading to Marrakech. We got off at Hassan ll Mosque which has the largest tower of any religious building in the world. It is stunning! Literally every inch of it is perfect. The detail and the colors and just everything about it is magnificent. It was built on the water and there are waves crashing behind it. I am so glad we stopped to see it. We then got in the car and drove a little ways down the coast and walked again, this time on the little boardwalk by the ocean. There were some really beautiful resorts and surf schools too. It was time to start the drive to Marrakech. It usually takes three hours or so and we made pretty good time. Apparently traffic can be pretty brutal around Casablanca so we were lucky.

            We arrive in Marrakech in the afternoon and set about finding our riad. A riad is a former house that only one family used to live in. It has a central courtyard that has no roof with a little pool and rooms are set around it. We tell Rashid where it is and he takes us to a street that looks downright scary. All of the buildings in Marrakech are required to be the same ocher color and most of the city is dirty and busy with hundreds of people. People drive as if they are actually insane. Motorcycle bikes whiz past and cars pay no mind to the lines on the street. We only saw one accident though on our whole trip and I don't think that it was even in Marrakech it was on the highway. So we are parked and really hoping that Patricia knew what she was doing booking this riad because so far things were not looking good. We have to walk into this walled area and through some streets to get to it. Still, things are really not looking good. The area seems more likely to have dead animal in the corner than a nice place to stay. All of us are getting increasingly nervous, including Mom. When Rashid tells us we have arrived we are standing in front of a plain door and a little plaque is above it that says Azoulay's. He knocks and the door opens into the most beautiful place I have ever seen.

            This place is STUNNING. How. How is this possible? Outside looks scary and the inside is more beautiful than any place I have seen in the US? What? The rest of my people are equally as stunned and all faith has been restored in my mom. Holy cow. I immediately start planning to make my own house like this. I am nowhere close to having a house but seriously I am determined that it will look like this. There is a pool in the center and a little fountain, a live banana tree, little chairs and tables are around it. There is a beautiful dining room on one side and then the kitchen. There is also a spa and the ground floor suite. Then upstairs are more rooms and on the third floor is a rooftop hangout where you can eat. All of it is beautifully decorated, all of the rooms have amazing Moroccan rugs.. I wanted to live here forever. We are served mint tea and little cookies while we check in. Mint tea is a big thing in Morocco. They are served in these beautiful little cups, which we later bought for home. There was no aspect of this riad that wasn't perfect.

            After we check in we head out to a mosque that is pretty close to us and then we go to the souks! We actually first walked through the "something of Death" (It has death in the name) I think, it's a big open space with men playing instruments loudly and snake charmers and monkeys and story tellers, beggars, more snakes, food stands, anything and everything goes there.  The souks are the local markets and are overflowing with stuff, some of it nice some not so much. We were just supposed to be taking a tour quickly but naturally we get sucked in trying to find shoes! We just want to be like Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City 2 and buy a pair of adorable shoes that only she could find and somehow make desirable! We did see shoes and bought a few pairs ;) Rashid was trying to hurry us out before we bought anything else because we had to make it back to the riad for dinner. It is polite to eat dinner on the first night at your riad as a sign of respect. I had no problem with this because it was delicious. They have this cooking things called tagines that look like little teepees with holes at the top. You cook meats and vegetables in it all at once and it is so. Damn. Good. The food they made was delicious, the main course was a chicken tangine with prunes and I am now addicted to prunes! Weird, certainly. We get to bed after that because we have an exciting day ahead of us.

            We wake up pretty early because we are heading out to the Atlas mountains for lunch and a visit to the Berber villages. The breakfast at the riad is just as good as dinner. Before we left we headed to Majorelle Gardens, home to Yves Saint Laurent's ..home.. Mom and I are less about the plants and more about the gift shop. Sadly, this is typical. We got some cute stuff doeee. The gardens are beautiful and well worth the visit. We head from there to the mountains. The drive there is about an hour and the views are stunning. The villages are really just adobe huts that blend in with the mountainside. We got out to take some pictures and then keep heading higher. We end up at a resort/ adventure park. They have ziplining and bridges strung between the mountains and unfortunately none of us are dressed for physical activity. We do decide that we can do ziplining though. We have a great lunch, make friends with some donkeys, and then go ziplining! It was so much fun and really exhilarating. It was one of those moments where you are just like woah, I am ziplining in the Atlas Mountains in Morocco, Africa. What is my life? How lucky am I? Shoutout to dad for doing it even though he is scared of heights! When we get back to Marrakech Rashid has told my dad he would take him to a great carpet place in the souks. This place is legit. No bargaining. They take you downstairs into the room with hundreds of rugs and start going into the history of their carpets and why they are special. These rugs are all Berber rugs, tied with double knots and made of lamb's wool. All are usually one hundred or more years old and really really stunning. The berber women would make them for her husband's family I believe. They just start pulling out rug after rug and I know my dad is going to buy like seven. Just kidding, I guessed one at least. I tried to help with the decision making and subtly push one over the other. I know that I can probably get one of them and make a mental note to call dibs on them when I get home so Jack and Anders cant have them. Hahahah. Just a joke. (Is it? (You'll never know)).  We take too long in the rug place, Mom, Carol and I have a massage scheduled and have to get going so we leave the men to the whole paying business, which is all they are good for. Again, just a joke! (Is it though?) Yes. Anyways, we have a traditional massage called a hamam or something that sounds like that. I wish I had internet to look up whether or not I am butchering these words. It is similar to a Turkish bath. We sit in the steamroom and a woman washes/ exfoliates you all over. And I mean all over. Not an inch is spared. Oh and this is with the other ladies in the room. So, I mean kind of awkward. But you get over it because everything feels so goooooood. It was really nice and the perfect way to feel clean again after sweating all day. We had dinner reservations at an odd place. The pages were staying in, but didn't miss much. The food was great but there is this weird performance afterward with horses and guns and belly dancers. There are hundreds of other people in the stands watching after dinner. We sat for five minutes and then my mom, dad and I all look at each other and are like yeahhhhh time to go. So we leave early. Back to the riad and straight to bed.

            The third day is just as jam packed as the second. We are heading to Essaouira. I know what you are thinking. That is quite a lot of vowels to put all together like that! Don't worry though, Ive got it down. Essaouira is a coastal town about three hours away from Marrakech by car and it is really worth the drive! I had invited my roommate, Amber, to come with us because she was in Marrakech too. Like idiots we decide she will meet us at the hotel before we leave. Well on the morning of I am thinking holy shit I am so dumb, how on earth could I expect her to find this place? It is hidden practically, I don't even know if I could find it without Rashid! I am actually starting to hyperventilate thinking I have led Amber to her death in Morocco. After several tense minutes of waiting someone knocks on the door and it's Amber! She managed to get a guy to help her find it. Note to self: try not to kill roommate again. So, on the way to Essaouira we stopped for a surprise. There are goats in trees. Yes you read correctly. There are goats perched in trees. They are placed there to eat the shells of the argon nuts which are then collected and pressed to make argon oil. I wish I could send pictures to the blog from the ship so you could believe this, but it will just have to wait until I have internet. I got to hold a cute little goat and take lots of fun pictures. We also stopped at an argon co-op. Co-op? I might be making that up but I think it is right. They showed us how they make the oil and everything and then we got a chance to buy some yummy products. They have oils and shampoos, soaps and then they have the ground up version that tastes like a combination of Nutella and Almond butter. Ugh, so good. We get back on the road and stop again only to take some panoramic pictures of Essaouira and ride a camel. Casual. We then get there and walk around the fishing boats, fish market, souks, and then stop for lunch on the beach. I finally bought some pants, I was in desperate need of pants because I didn't bring enough for the whole trip. We also stopped at a specialty store where they make beautiful stuff out of wood. Everyone bought something that day, and I think it was a great success. The beach was so nice; there were kite surfers and women in hijabs and women in two-piece bathing suits. We then head back to Marrakech. We get back with time to get nice and clean for dinner. The place tonight for dinner is really gorgeous. The dinner is fantastic, they had a belly dancer but it was a much better performance than the other place. It was sad for me though because my parents were leaving the next day and I didn't want them to go. I'm twenty but I still like my parents. We had a really good night.

            Next morning we have a little bit of time before we have to leave. We went to Bahia Palace, another stunning structure. I begin to see that Marrakech, and Morocco in general, looks like a hot mess on the outside but it hides these little places of beauty that just take some effort to find. After the palace we go to a street with more little shops to buy our glasses like the ones in the riad. We also have one last stop at a spice store to hear a little bit about their products and buy some spices, oils, and tea before we go. Finally it is time to get in the car and head back. The airport is between Marrakech and Casablanca, so my parents and the Pages are the first to be dropped off. The ladies were all crying like babies at the airport. It was awful. I then went with Rashid and Mohammed to Casablanca. We got some lunch, dropped off Rashid at the train station to get a train back to his home in Fez and then I said goodbye to Mohammed at the ship. I got back pretty early in the afternoon but that was ok because it gave me some time to be weepy before my friends got back on the ship.

            The boat left that night for Ghana. I wont see P and dad for two months which is the longest I will go without seeing them. Eek.  So that is all for Morocco. I know I am forgetting a million things but I hope I got the important parts. For you adventurous travelers, do go to Morocco, it's fabulous, but take a guide with you. For you readers thank you for hanging in there in this too long post. For Ed and Carol, thank you for being amazing travel companions, I love you guys and will see you in December. For my mom and dad, thank you for coming and thank you for letting me go on this wonderful trip. Part of me wishes this will be the quickest two months and part hopes they will be the longest. I will be taking your advice dad and just taking the most that I can out of every day that I have. Xoxo

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Playing Catch Up - Spain

Ok so my blog is a hot mess right now. If I had to compare it to a celebrity it would be Courtney Cox. She used to be cute and tight but she has really let herself go. Although now that I think about it that probably isn't the right comparison because she's actually had a ton of plastic surgery done and that's really the opposite of letting oneself go, its actually just trying too hard. Plus she still has a kind of funny tv show. Cougar town? So I guess my blog would be more like Jenny Craig. She just kind of yoyos and the quality of this blog is probably going to vary.

            Now that we have that straightened out we can get back to business. I am currently onboard the MV Explorer for the eighth day in a row, I am officially twenty, and I get off the boat tomorrow in Ghana. What? Ghana? Last we heard you were in Portugal! Yes, yes I have been majorly slacking and I apologize. The traveling was fast paced after Portugal and then when I got back on the ship school picked up and I have had no time. I had three mid term exams today and yes, I too am surprised I didn't kill myself. Just joshing, I actually think I kicked ass on all of them. Ok so now, Madrid, Sevilla, Cordoba, Cadiz, Casablanca, Marrakech, Atlas Mountains and Essaouira.

            I have been thinking of the best way to do this and catch up quickly but also effectively and I am going to go with shorter posts about each place in detail. I also can't post pictures right now but I will once I get to dry land, hopefully. Oh I also wanted to say email me, I do enjoy hearing from you all, and hope everything is good back home!

 

Madrid

 

Arrived safely by plane and headed to the hotel where my parents and the Pages were staying, surprised my dad in the lobby. I got to shower and then we headed out in search of shoes. Mom bought some nice Manolos and none for me, so that was cool. We came back and grabbed the Pages for lunch and immediately had pan con tomate. Side note: if you go to Spain you HAVE TO EAT PAN CON TOMATE. It's toasted bread with olive oil, salt, and tomato guts and its best for breakfasts, lunch, and dinner. So, we tour Madrid; the day before the old folks (not old, old, just older than myself) had gone around on the big double decker bus, embarrassing, and dragged me on. It was actually nice though and acts as a taxi all day. We got to see the city and hop on and off. One stop we made was at Mercado de San Miguel, my street at home, and we had sangria and had great fun there. They had so much good food!! We tried to make it to some museum but didn't make it/ there was a line so we had tea and then headed back to the hotel for showers and rest before dinner. Everything in Spain is like four hours later than usual so dinner was at 10. We went to a famous steak house where the futbol players go and I satisfied my inner fat person. Next morning we are on the train to Sevilla! Madrid overall gets a 10/10 for visiting.

 

Sevilla

 

Sevilla is south of Madrid and is definitely worth a visit. It is much smaller, cuter and harder to navigate than Madrid. After checking in at a great hotel we begin our search for tapas. Tapas are big in Spain, best for sharing, and even better for hoarding. We find our tapas, enjoy the local beer and walk walk walk. We find an ugly looking structure but once you climb it you get the best views of Sevilla! It is stunning, Ill have pictures for you later. Coffee and then back to the hotel we go. I think after that we went out again to explore. Exploring in Spain is nice, especially Seville. If you feel like stopping there are so many places open for drinks, food, or coffee and dessert. We passed by the main shopping area (to be returned to later) and made our way to La Carboneria, a place my mom found for Flamenco performances. We get a little lost. I don't know why when people travel they are so keen on never ever asking for directions. I am guilty of it too but noticed it while travelling so much. If you ask a local I guarantee you will find the place 50 times quicker than if you bicker back and forth over a map. I know this, yet I still rarely ask for directions. Figures. Anyways, La Carboneria was fabulous; flamenco is no joke. We get even more lost on the way home. Sevilla is tricky because it looks big on the map but really its tiny so you overshoot everything and walk in circles..

We make it back eventually.

 

Cordoba

 

Day trip to Cordoba! We mainly wanted to see La Mezquita, a mosque with a cathedral built inside. You may know it because of the famous white and red arches. It was stunning and I am so glad we went! It is a very cool feeling to see something in person that you have only seen in textbooks. The little shops around the mosque/cathedral are fun, and the ice cream is great too. Dad decided for us that we were heading to a plaza for tapas and beers, we followed. We ate more delicious tapas, and I forgot to mention croquetas as a food you must try while in Spain. We shopped on the way back to the train station and all in all had a lovely time in Cordoba. I give it an 8/10.

 

Sevilla again

 

We came back to Sevilla to spend the night. We also went straight to a bar from the train station. We went to the second oldest bar in Spain! It's called El Rinconcio. I butchered the spelling of that but it means the little corner in Spanish. More beer, more tapas. AMAZING tapas. My inner fat person is ready to stay in Spain forever. I tried to ditch him there but he followed me to Cadiz.. Sevilla gets an 11/10 because it is just that awesome.

 

Cadiz

 

The boat is in Cadiz so that is where we head so the old folks can ditch me. Just kidding, they love me so. We get to Cadiz and head to the fish market! I need to see one and take some notes for my Marine Biology class, and I bugged them until they agreed to go with me. It was actually such a cool experience. It is one of the biggest fish markets in Spain or something and boy does it smell delicious. There are squid, shark, octopi, swordfish, salmon, tuna, snails, all sorts of things. Very cool. Cadiz has a nice part and a not so nice part; you can always get to the ocean in five minutes walking time no matter where you are but there isn't so much to do. We walked the boardwalk, ate lunch and headed to the cathedral. We were able to climb all the way to the top for the most breathtaking views of city and the ocean. I had to get back to the ship soon, so they dropped me off and headed for Malaga. They would catch a plane there and meet me in Casablanca. Cadiz gets 8/10 because it is beautiful but a little boring once you run out of things to do. Great for a day trip though.

 

I will do Morocco soon!