Ciao!
I know, the pictures are slow to upload, but some are up now and more are coming throughout the day- all my favs from the past week will be up by around 6 my time? Wa-ha? (OK)
*Sorry, schedule change. No pictures tonight, hopefully tomorrow?* I’m trying not to be frustrated!
So the “ciao” is a small ode to the fact that I was asked if I was Italian yesterday by my taxi driver. The original guess was French, but my ability to read the Italian pay-meter caused some re-evaluation. Dear Moroccans, why do you assume only the Europeans are multi-lingual?
In other news, this past weekend was amazing. We went to Meknes (a beautiful small town), Volubiss (Roman ruins that are spectacular and look like they belong in Italy, not Morocco) and Fez (which has a medina so big the guides still get lost and streets so narrow you have to walk single file.) Each town had something special to offer, and Meknes was my favorite, probably due to my love of small towns. Fez was a little overwhelming for me, and unfortunately my ankle bothered me some and I couldn’t explore quite as much as I wanted to. But I did get to take a hot shower and also watch Aladdin with some friends. Aladdin may be racist and sexist, among other things, but that doesn’t make it any less of a fabulous movie!!!
So we arrived back on Monday, and it was off to the hammam for me to get rid of the dirt of travelling, then to bible study to cleanse my spirit as well. On Tuesday we had class, although almost half our group was out sick- it seems this is pretty common after the first excursion. We got our tickets and money for Wednesday so that we could take on the big city by ourselves- that is Casablanca.
Unfortunately, my family is still not understanding that grits and milk are not a good meal for a girl who can’t handle milk, and it was a little rough on my stomach Wednesday morning. I woke up with the call to prayer (around 4:30 am) feeling nauseous and couldn’t go back to sleep- ick. Thankfully I didn’t actually have any problems in Casablanca, but had to make it a half-day trip as I was very tired.
In Casablanca I first went to the Hassan II Mosque, the sight of many of my exciting pictures. This Mosque, the third largest in the world, is actually open to non-Muslims (most are not,) but as a sign of respect I wore a veil. I believe this made me stick out from some of the other tourists, but when I told my host family they were very proud of me. It’s a beautiful mosque, and so huge that it’s impossible to capture with pictures- you just have to go. But almost all the materials are Moroccan (only the glass and some stucco is Italian) which makes it even more beautiful.
After that I was off to a meeting with a doctor at Hopital Ibn Rochd. After the most complicated and chaotic process of getting into the hospital (I’m still quite sure I only got in because I looked so confused and out of place) I was able to meet with the formidable Dr. Himmich, a truly amazing woman. In addition being a doctor, she is the founder of the first NGO in MENA to fight AIDS. While we are still trying to figure out how I will overcome language barriers, I am hopeful I will be able to work with her organization for my final paper. The director for the campaign specifically aimed at female prostitutes speaks fluent Spanish, so I believe there is still hope.
After this, I had hoped to wander the hospital quarter, which seems very upscale and therefore safe. However, my friend could not find a taxi to bring her there, so instead I used my impressive taxi hailing skills to get one to the train station. From there we set off to meet some other friends at Rick’s Café- yes, like in the movie Casablanca. Run by an American ex-pat who obviously knows what tourists want, the overpriced café makes up for its prices (which are the same as those in the US) with its ambience (modeled after the movie sets, with tv screens playing Casablanca on constant loop on every floor) and delicious cheesecake. It also (gasp!) serves alcohol, which means if I ever return sometime in the evening, I may have to try a mojito at the bar- or perhaps something with gin? But it’s a cute place, and the terrace is beautiful as well.
The trains to Casablanca were also very nice, similar in style to NJ Transit trains. I encountered no problems, which was good as I had heard some stories of girls having difficulty. But riding the trains during non peak hours seems to alleviate these problems!
It’s likely I’ll be living in Casablanca for 3 weeks at the end of the semester- so be prepared to hear more about it. I haven’t actually been to the “medina” yet, but I could be back there this weekend- or going to another town for a marriage festival (known to be very interesting, since the brides have equal say in choosing their husbands) or a jazz festival in Tangiers. Or I could just do some shopping in Rabat- Fez gave me some ideas, and with my host sister at my side, I’m hopeful I can get some pretty good deals! So far I’ve been good at not doing too much shopping, but we’ll see if I can keep my savings account intact!
Well, that’s it for now. Again, pictures will be all up today- get excited! And don’t forget to skype, or facebook message, or email- I’m feeling pretty cut off from the world this week and just a little homesick. So send me a message and let me know what’s new in your lives- I want to hear all the gossip stateside!
I’ll try and do another post on Friday- but no promises if I have to run off to Casablanca! Talk to y’all soon and hugs and kisses, as always!
Love always,
Lauren
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