Moroccan Around

Friends! Family! As many of you may know, I am not only in a new country (I'm truly sorry for the terrible pun), but am in a new continent! Before I get into my Moroccan adventures, here's a quick recap on what I've been up to.

After four months, my time in Spain had come to an end. It was wonderful, enlightening, beautiful, exciting, and challenging, among many other things. However, as all things do, it had to come to an end sometime. I wasn't able to document my last month there because visits from my pesky (read: amazing) family, finals (stressful, but somehow not as terrible when you're in Europe), a couple of incredible visits to Portugal (who knew it was such a magnet for Harry Potter fans?) and the north of Spain (beauty, beaches, and bodegas), and just my general desire to keep busy exploring Madrid got in the way. Saying goodbye to the city and my host family was hard, but like I wrote before about Nicaragua, I know it's only "hasta luego"-- not "adios". 

Back to Morocco: 

Intense

Colorful

Poverty

Architecture

Mint

Happy 

I arrived in Marrakech the night of the 6th, making this my 2nd day here. I'm staying in a centrally located and beautiful hostel run by Moroccans, and although it's fairly large, it's mostly empty because it's still low season. My first impression of Marrakech was definitely the markets, or "souks". I wrote in a previous post about the market I went to in Granada, and I was struck by how the city is basically a giant market. Of course, there are highways and other neighborhoods without as many shops, and I've only been here for a couple days, however it seems like a good chunk of the city is full of roadside stalls selling everything anyone could ask for. I spent my first day exploring the most popular streets (and the maze of side streets along them) and some of the many markets, as well as a famous garden, called Jardin Majorelle. The main market that I went to was incredible. At 3 stories high, and spanning several blocks, someone could easily get lost in there for days. I fielded invitations from shop owners to look in their shops, and just took in the millions of shoes, colorful fabric, jewelry, and knick knacks at a leisurely pace. Truly a stunning visual. In the afternoon I visited Jardin Majorelle, which is a peaceful and colorful garden. Filled with bright blue and orange walkways and benches, it's home to many cacti and leafy plants. 

I got a SIM card for my phone to use the maps, and although it's very helpful, it's still incredibly easy to get lost. I'm exploring basically everywhere by foot (don't worry Mom, only in the daylight!), and many of the streets are truly a maze, filled with curves, offshoots and dead ends. Although it can be a little nerve-wracking not knowing where to go, it's fun to explore and see parts of the city that I wouldn't have seen otherwise. The street harassment isn't nearly as intense as I prepared for, but it's still present. Remember in my post about my first impression of Madrid I wrote about not sticking out like a sore thumb? Yeah, goodbye to that. I never feel unsafe, but I'm constantly fielding calls from men, as well as them saying hello and asking how I am. I've taken to just smiling and nodding while not breaking my stride. Many of the greetings are sincere, however I know that if I even give a simple "hello", that invites a whole conversation that I am not looking for. 

It definitely reminds of me of India a bit, however I'm not sure if that's just because India is the closest thing I've experienced to this. The conservative dress, bustling streets filled with people and animals, and helpful, friendly locals that I stay remain wary of, all remind me of the time I spend in India. 

The constant movement makes me tire easily, so I write this from my hostel, where I'm taking  mid day break. It's hard to change my meals times from what I was used to in Morocco-- What do you mean I'm expected to eat at 7?? It will come in handy tonight though, as I have to go to bed early to prepare for a 6 am start of a big day Tomorrow I'm taking a 2-day, 1-night tour into the Zagora desert, and I think I may also take an organized day trip to the nearby beach town of Essaouira for a breath of fresh air later in the week. So far, Marrakech gets an enthusiastic thumbs up, and I can't wait to see more!