Morocco

Morocco Day 1

My grandmother planned this trip with her travel agency and they have done a wonderful job.  Today, we flew into Casablanca which is the only international airport of the country and I really felt a huge cultural jump from Spain to Morocco.  It was a two-hour flight and we went from traffic rules to traffic suggestions, Spanish to Arabic, White people to gorgeously tanned people, orange juice to bottled water, and dry to humid.  This is my FIFTH continent and I’m so excited to be here!

On my first day to Africa, I found that the people are incredible and bright-eyed and calm.  Time slows and relationships build.  We had a local tourguide for the day who at the end of our 10 hour stay, invited me and my grandmother back to her country and into her home if we are ever in the area again.  I liked her a lot.  Her name is Noura and she just married about 6 months ago.  She took us around the city to some interesting places. 

(Noura and my Grandma Frankie)

Our first stop was a Jewish Moroccan museum as their cultures collided and they have grown together over the past century or so.  She spat off many facts like a history audiobook and I was humbled again because I don’t know if I could reciprocate with American history with such ease, clarity, and solidarity.  I got super close to checking off another bucketlist item—to touch an old Torah—but it was behind glass and I couldn’t.  Next time maybe.

After the museum, we stopped to eat.  One of top 3 favorite cuisines in all the world is Moroccan.  I don’t know how they spice their food, but it is so rich and multi-leveled.  I had stewed beef that almost made me cry and then they served about 10 different small cooked, but cold vegetable dishes.  I also ate 2 olives as this is olive country.  I still hate olives.

After this, we stopped by the third largest mosque in the entire world that was finished in 1999 after 6 years of hard labor day and night by thousands.  All tiles were hand-carved and the majestic openness and simplicity was beautiful.  This was my first time in a large mosque.  I was invited to one in Nashville by a dear friend of mine and I appreciated she taking the time to explain her religious beliefs and structure of worship before visiting this one.

Part of it was built over the Atlantic Ocean and it made for a spectacular view and picturesque panoramic both from the mosque property and from far away (Pictures).

I have such a respect now for the Islamic faith, but still desire and pray that they will know the love of Jesus  as He is the only Way, Truth, and Life (John 14:6).  I believe that God will stir my heart now to pray for them more often than I have now that I have met such beautiful people. 

After the mosque, we somehow survived the streets with 3 lanes that the Moroccans made into 5.  Bikers felt like the white lines to divide the roads were for them and weaved effortlessly and without second thought from line to line thus making me double check my life insurance policy.

We stopped by a pigeon park to look at the official buildings and got swindled by some pigeon feeders who would take our pictures, disappear to print them, and then charge us 2 Euro for them.  Thank goodness I had my iPhone! I saved 2 Euro.

Did I mention I hate pigeons?  I used to be able to be around them, but some neuron no longer is connected to my pigeon-liking brain and now I can’t handle being around the dirty birds.  But I faced my disdain and loved feeding them with seed.  There were so many! If I spent more time with them, I would have named them and wished them good luck in their future reproduction habits.

After that, we stopped by to check out some artisan crafts.  These are hand made carpets.  I don’t know all the terms and what they were made of, but the dyes are natural, and some are even two sided.  When you turn them around and walk on them, the dirt falls out the other side! They’re self-cleaning and you don’t need a vacuum! Ingenious. 

Then, there was a magical sunset from the car.

And THEN I found amazing graffiti.  I think this is my new favorite thing to find in new cities I visit.  Somehow oversized, hyper-colored art on walls is fascinating—partly because I can’t even draw a stick figure.

We also checked out a herb store which is like an alternative health store.  They had dried flowers, seeds, ground stuff in random jars and ointments, oils, and creams.  You could walk in there and tell them how you were feeling or what medicines a doctor recommended and could try the natural remedy for it. It was HA-larious. The doctor says, “What do you want? I can fix it for you!” I was like, “Uuuhhhhhh….I don’t know.”  I have a hard time choosing things when there is more than 1 option.  Then he looks at me and says, “Here are some flower to make some tea for weight loss!” I was like, “Whaattt?? I know I’m fat, but dang!” Hilarity.  After thinking about it, I decided, “What the heck.” So I bought some. I also got some lavender oil so that when my uterus have spasms and tremors like the California earthquake of 1988, I can put 3 drops of the oil in some milk or juice and maybe not die that month. I MIGHT maybe be skinny one day.  He said something about losing water weight and drinking 6-8 ounces a day and losing 3-5 kilograms in 6 weeks.  The herbs don’t do anything bad—if they don’t work, they pass through your system without harm. I got intrigued and burned through $100 within a blink of an eye.  I was tempted to get some Argan oil as all the hipsters use it and it is totally the rage in America.  I also thought about getting some saffron as it is about 2-3 times the price in America, but stopped at weight loss flower tea and menstrual relief oils.

Welp, I’m done catching up my invisible readers on my trip.  I just finished in time to pee and get ready to fly out to another city that I’ve been trying for 6 hours to say—Ourzazate.