Another Continent, Another Adventure!

Day #1 in Morocco, Day #11 traveling

Our hostel's terrace

I arrived in Marrakesh  yesterday afternoon where I met up with three other Polish Fulbrighters.  The ride from the airport was incredible taking in my first sights of not only a new country, but a new culture and continent.  It was crazy watching throngs of people walk around on the streets in traditional Moroccan clothing and pushing carts full of different spices and items.  We saw a camel being rode out of town by a woman in hijab and her child.  At one point, I saw a whole family of four on a motorcycle!

I am completely obsessed with these lamps!

Our hostel is spectacular, in traditional Moroccan style.  It's full of tiny courtyards, a small pool, lounge chairs, a spa, and a roof-top cafeteria.  The amount we paid for our trip does not equate in my head to the lap of luxury I'm living in now compared to my previous hostel in Paris.  I paid twice as much there for a stuffy room with five strangers, terrible beds, and no space.   My bed here is so soft and we get these gigantic soft blankets to cuddle up into when the nights get chilly.  It's really perfect.

For dinner, we visited our tour guide's suggestion across the main market square.  Walking around Marrakech is an interesting experience.  First, I'm a Catholic in a predominately Muslim country, so not wearing a hijab kind of sets me apart.  Second, I have blonde hair, definitely nothing close to typical Moroccan hair color.  It's the first place I've been to that I stick out before I even open my mouth.

Royal Couscous for dinner!

Consequently, when I walk through the streets, vendors instantaneously know that I'm a tourist and attempt to attract me into their shops.  "Hey sweetie, come here...looking's free" and "You want a boyfriend?" are two of my favorite lines called at me.  One time, a 16ish year old boy walked by wheeling a wheelbarrow and goes "This is my home," but never asked for money.  Just made the comment as he was passing by.

Scenes from the restaurant.

Anyways, back to dinner!  We had a dinner in a fancy Moroccan cuisine restaurant.  I felt a bit silly paying four times as much for food in a restaurant as it was in the market place, but the atmosphere was really great.  One of my favorite things in Morocco are the lanterns.  They're cut out of metal and cast awesome shadows on the wall!

All in all, day one in Morocco was pretty chill.  We came back to the hostel after dinner and I curled up in a lounge chair outside (weird being outside barefoot without a coat!) and caught up on my Internet activities.  Morocco's wifi situation is ten times better than when I was in Paris, at least in the hostel!  Morocco is the coooooooolest place ever!!