We met Ben and Rick in the morning to walk down to the pier and got some breakfast before we left. It was really great because since we had paid the fee for the trip, all our food and plans were already included and we didn't have to worry about anything for the entire trip. It was so nice!
After breakfast, we headed out to the boat to Tanger, Morocco. The ride only took an hour, which went by quickly with explanations of our itinerary and getting our passports stamped.
Once we made it through customs, we exchanged some money and loaded up the van that took us around all week. Our first stop was an open-air market to buy snacks for the day, once again, included! We got lots of fruits and crackers, but decided to pass on the sheep heads and cow feet.
After our shopping, our first real stop was the Darna Initiative Women's Center. (Does that scream LOST to anyone else? Hehe...) This was an organization that helps women who are in need learn skills to help them sustain themselves on their own. There were many women who were learning to weave or learning secretarial skills. We were given a tour of the building, and we were also able to buy some of the crafts made by the women at the center.
Also at the Darna Center, we had a question and answer session with Moroccan students that were learning English. We learned a lot about the Moroccan culture and religion while drinking some of the delicious (sugary!) Moroccan tea. The students were very nice and very eager to share about their lives.
After tea, we all ate lunch together...our first experience with couscous. I enjoyed the couscous, but it definitely wasn't my favorite dish, as it was with many Moroccans.
After lunch, it was time to leave Tanger to head to Asilah, a small town on the Atlantic Ocean. Our drive was absolutely beautiful as we drove along the Atlantic coast. As if that wasn't enough, about halfway through our trip we pulled over to the side of the road to look down at the sand and ocean when we saw CAMELS! We were so excited...Ben had told us that since camels are only indigenous to southern Morocco (true...), we wouldn't be able to ride any. However, he was being sneaky because the program is a friend of a camel farmer in the area. Riding camels was so much fun...there were about 5 of them, plus a little baby. It was a really great surprise. :)
After a while, we had to say goodbye so we could head to Asilah. We walked through the town to see the mosque, Jewish quarter, and we ended up on a large stone dock that looked over the Atlantic Ocean. It was a beautiful town.
We then continued on to our destination for the next few days, the country's capital of Rabat. Our first day was drawing to a close, so we met up with our host families and went to our houses. My host mother was very nice, but it was a very difficult few days, because she spoke French and Arabic, and we spoke English and Spanish! Every once in a while, a student from New York staying with the family was able to translate for us, but for the most part, we smiled and said the 2 words that we knew in French, "yes" and "thank you".
The Moroccan houses and families are very hospitable. The guest room is definitely the nicest room in the house, and they go out of their way to make you feel at home. We were served delicious meals and were even given gifts, which was very sweet. Our beds were interesting, there was a couch covered in pillows that runs all along the walls of the guest room. Each night, we would just move some pillows, put a sheet on the couch cushion and sleep there. The fabrics, pillows and curtains were all very Moroccan, and I felt like I was in a movie. :)
