Morocco - Tangier, Rabat, RIF mountains, Chefchaouen

My journey to Morocco began on the ferry. My anticipation was growing during the boat ride and I couldn't wait to see a new continent. We arrived in Tangier and were split into small groups of 14 people. We drove straight to a woman's center, where we were met by two students. We discussed politics, women's rights, and Moroccan culture. It was here that I had my first taste of Moroccan tea. It is very sweet, which I love! After our discussion we drove to Asilah on our way to Rabat. Here we walked around the town and then rode camels. Let's just say riding a camel is a bit scary because they get up on their hind legs first. I thought for sure I was going to end up face first in the sand. After a short ride and lots of pictures we had our first Moroccan meal, tagine. I was quite surprised by how much I enjoyed the food while I was there, it is very flavorful. Then we headed to Rabat where we met our host families. I stayed with two of my friends and we had a host mom, who spoke English very well, a host dad, a seven year old boy (who looked and acted exactly like Manny from Modern Family), and a one year old little boy. The first night we got settled in and then played with the boys. I got a kiss from the one year old! We had soup and artichokes for dinner. "Manny" kept coming in and asking his mom a question, sighing, and then he would trudge out of the kitchen. Finally our host mom told us that he loved artichokes and he was checking to see how many were left to make sure there would be one left for him to eat. We slept in the living room on the couches, that surround the perimeter. They were quite comfortable and it is the main type of bed in Morocco. The next morning we woke up early and went to an organization that helps young female students with school. We learned about the organization and then also were able to ask the Moroccan people who worked there questions about government, life, etc. We went back home and ate lunch with our family. We had couscous which was Manny's favorite meal. He began by stretching out his hands in front of him, in order to prepare for the meal. The entire time he was saying in Arabic, I like couscous, I love couscous. Then when everyone else had finished, he pulled the plate towards him and finished every last bite. I have never seen a child eat so much and then he had an orange and banana afterwards. We took a short siesta and then met up with Moroccan students. We went in a group of 8 (4 of us and 4 of them). It was a great experience because we got to talk to them about their life and they were all very nice. Then we got all of our things and headed to the Hammam (public bath). Lets just say, what happens in the Hammam stays in the Hammam ;) Then we all received henna tattoos. After a great two days in Rabat, we woke up early and drove up to the RIF mountains. There we spoke with a rural family who lived in a small farming village. It was interesting to hear about their life and their views. One of the girls asked us if we were able to choose our husbands and of course we said yes. Then she asked why if we marry for love are there so many divorces in the U.S. I thought it was an interesting question and it definitely made me think. Then we drove to Chefchaouen where we shopped and explored the city. The next morning we drove to Algeciras (a Spanish enclave in Morocco) and took the ferry back to Spain. This was one of my favorite trips because we were able to meet Moroccan people and really learn about the culture. It was definitely a unique experience and an experience I will never forget.

Morocco from the ferry

Tangier

Town where we rode the camels

Sorry Grandma, but I beat you ;)

Rif Mountains 

Village we went to 

Chefchaouen