MOROCCO!

So, last weekend, my friends and I went to Marrakesh. And let me tell you. It was AMAZING. After getting to know a city for several months that is quintessentially European, it was an unbelievable experience to explore a Muslim, North African city for the first time. Here are some of my favorite things about the city:

1) The main square (Dja el-Fnaa). They say that this square is what makes Marrakesh cooler than your average Moroccon city. The action starts after dark. There are rows upon rows of outdoor restaurants, fancy orange juice stands, and spice cake stands. What's more, as the sun sets, entertainers begin to pop up around the square and attract large crowds as they play music, tell stories, charm snakes, or perform magic tricks. Others set up shop in order to sell jewelry or henna tattoos. As you walk around, it is a sensory overload of sights, sounds, smells, and tastes. It is impossible to walk two steps without being addressed by a Marrakshi resident trying to sell you something, place a snake on your arm, get you to go to their restaurant, or give you directions (for a fee, of course). I have never experienced anything like it before, and I assume I never will anywhere else (not quite like this, anyways).

2) My hostel's roof. The hostel we stayed in was one of the only hostels directly in the middle of town. The old part of town mainly consists of souqs, which are basically passageways filled with vendors, that branch out from the main square. These souks redefine the word "labyrinthine," as they make no sense at all, have no names, and aren't even specified on maps! You really have to embrace getting lost. As you walk around, vendors will call out to you to get you to buy things. Apparently there are a high number of Spanish tourists, because the most frequent shout we got was, "Hola, Maria!!" Anyways, our hostel was located in the midst of this craziness, and one of the best places to hang out was the roof. There was a strange sense of tranquility, yet it still felt like the center of the world. Not to mention the Marrakshi roofscape is incredibly beautiful and makes me feel like I'm in Aladdin. Sadly, no one flew by on a magic carpet.

3)The Dutch students staying in our hostel. There was a group of about 40 of them, all in medical school together, taking a school-sponsored trip. We would always hang out and talk with them on the roof. They were the strangest people. They were all really skeptical of Moroccan culture and had the weirdest strong opinions. One time when my friend Lily stated this was her first time in Africa, a Dutch girl retorted with, "Well this isn't REAL Africa! I once spent a summer in Tanzania! That's REAL Africa!" Nevertheless, they gave us good advice on where to go and what to see. They also recommended us to the best orange juice stand in the main square--#49. When we went back, we quickly made friends with the vendor and returned every day.

4) Muslim culture. There is nothing like getting woken up at 5am every morning by a guy on a loudspeaker down the road chanting the call the prayer. We would then hear the loudspeaker four more times throughout the day. Islam permeates SO MUCH of their culture, which was interesting in so many ways. First of all, the architecture of the entire city was distinctly Muslim, and there were Mosques everywhere. Second of all, there were women in traditional Muslim dress everywhere (i.e. everything was covered except for their eyes). The entire gender dynamic was different--I thought that catcalls were worse in Paris, but they were nowhere near the level there. Most of all, it was so wonderful to see a perfectly normal, healthy, functioning city that is almost entirely Muslim. I feel like ever since 9/11, it is almost impossible to separate Islam and terrorism in our American minds, even when we know it's just a small percentage. Now, for the first time since I was 12, the first thing I will think of when I hear the word "Islam" is something other than Al Qaeda.

5) Tajine and couscous! Alright. I could not get enough. My friends and I would wake up and the first thing we would talk about was whether we would eat tajine or couscous that night for dinner. Then the debate would ensue all day. It would finally come down to the moment when we ordered. And we were never, not once, disappointed.

6) The warmth. It was in the 80s every day. We spent a large part of our days on the roof. I even kind of got a tan--which is a big accomplishment for me. On our way back to the airport, our cab driver told us we had come at the absolute best time of year. After April, it gets too hot, he said. But that weekend, the flowers were in bloom, the days were hot and the nights were cool, and there was a definite Moroccan magic in the air...