1 Day, 3 Flights, 2 Tired Travelers

Saturday, January 5th, 2019

We were up at 8 but it was really hard to get to the bathroom because there were 32 of us staying at the hostel and only 3 toilets. Thank goodness we were getting up and out! We headed across the square to meet Driss, but first stopped for a fresh squeezed juice from one of the vendors. We said goodbye to Driss (after giving him treats for his kids) and headed to the airport. The Marrakech airport is incredibly efficient and we were through security in no time. We had a ton of time to kill so we lounged at a cafe while enjoying a little breakfast. Mark and I were lucky enough to get the emergency exit row so I slept almost the entire flight 😃

We landed in Amsterdam with only an hour to get through customs and security but somehow we managed. We were starving so we grabbed sandwiches to take on the plane with us. We ended up in the emergency exit row again (two for two!) Woo!

 After landing in Italy we decided to enjoy a meat and cheese board and a glass of wine (it was only Saturday after all) but didn't realize that after leaving the restaurant we would have to board an airport train to get to our gate  😂We made it with a few minutes to spare and even though we didn't end up in the emergency exit row, we did have a row all to ourselves. We landed in Tirana around 12:30am with mixed emotions (obviously we were tired, but we were also sad for our trip to be ending, while at the same time happy to be heading home to our own bed). The past two weeks had been an absolute whirlwind. We were beyond blessed to have had all of the experiences that we did between the three different countries that we visited. I hope, years from now, we'll look back on our travels and smile while remembering the people we met and the experiences we shared.

Our Last Full Day in Africa... For Now

Friday 4 January 2019

We got up around 9:30 to have breakfast. It was super carb heavy! There was chocolate cake, a few pancake like breads and something that resembled a thick, uncooked english muffin. I was so sleepy that I ended up napping after breakfast while Mark checked us in for our flights the following day. I felt much better after my cat nap so we decided to venture out into the market place and spent the first part of our morning wandering up and down the alleyways filled with people, shops and vendors.

 I bartered back and forth with one of the men and ended up getting myself a big, black sturdy pair of sunglasses which came in handy for the rest of the sunshine filled day! The square was covered with fresh fruit juice vendors so Mark and I both tried some. It was incredibly delicious and refreshing. The one I ordered was made with pear- mmmm! The guy blending our juices was so friendly that he even invited me inside the booth to take a picture with him.

While wandering among the shops we stumbled upon a small museum. We wandered inside and boy were we glad we did. We learned many things about traditional Moroccan homes including the reasons why there are long hallways leading into the large entertainment spaces in the center of the home. These hallways are meant to evoke peacefulness and to contrast with the chaos of the outside world. (There was an amazingly clean, spacious bathroom in this museum that Mark and I both enjoyed-- it's the little things in life, right?!) There were artifacts from traditional Arabic homes and there was even an ink pot with a quill sitting on a table with the Arabic alphabet. I really enjoyed the challenge of writing my and Mark's names in Arabic. There was a beautiful outdoor rooftop (much like most of the homes in Marrakesh) so we sat outside and enjoyed a tea while basking in the sunshine.

After leaving the museum we came across a henna artist. I had read that sometimes black henna is made using toxic chemicals while the red henna is all natural and therefore is always safe. Mark suggested I get some and before I knew it this woman was painting up, up and farther up my arm. The henna doesn't dry immediately but rather soaks in and stains your skin. Mine took hours to dry.

 Our next stop was a secret garden with hammams and native and exotic plants, that was supposed to be designed in the image and likeness of paradise.  We took in as much of the sun as we could here.

When the sun started setting, we headed back to the hostel to get our warm coats, but not before stopping at a snail vendor for a bowl of slimy goodness. When in Morocco, right? And the verdict? I didn't like the texture but Mark found them satisfying.

Tonight, instead of fighting our way through the chaos of the food vendors, we decided to eat on a small rooftop terrace overlooking the square. The sunset was amazing and the people watching was even better. There were so many things to see on the main square.

 The food was fantastic. We enjoyed bread (of course!), tagine with apricots (my favorite!) and salad covered in mayonnaise (I didn't enjoy this dish).

After dinner we took a horse carriage tour of the city. Our driver's English was so-so. About halfway through the tour we realized that all of the places he was pointing out were either hotels or restaurants. We asked about a few things that looked like important landmarks, but because of the language barrier we weren't able to get much information. We did however get to see most of the 10 gates (these are famous in Marrakech history because they gave access to the medina and were important in every day life). In Arabic, the word 'bab' refers to gate.

We were dropped back at the square just in time for the night life to begin.

First, we stopped by a vendor to try ginger tea and some type of dessert. I strongly disliked both and made Mark finish mine and his.

We listened to more live music and even played a few games. Mark got really into a fishing game. The object was to use a huge pole with a donut shaped ring on the end and hook it around the lid of a pop bottle.

Another game included tossing coins into circles without touching the edges.

 After gaming for a bit we entered a huge circle of spectators to watch a really impressive gymnastics act.

We left the square around 9 so that we could enjoy our cookies and bottle of wine that we had stashed back at the hostel.

We laughed and chatted on the roof of our hostel with the girls we had met the night before before heading to bed. I woke up in the middle of the night to find the hostel kitten curled up beside me. I figured she'd be gone the second I got out of bed to go to the bathroom, but when I returned she was still there waiting to snuggle up next to me. She stayed in my bed all night and while I was still cold, I wasn't nearly as cold as I had been the previous night.   

A Day of Driving

January 3rd, 2019

I woke up early and showered because I wanted to soak up every moment I could in the clean, mold free, private hotel bathroom complete with hot water and amazing pressure! (In hindsight thank god I did this because the shower was less than desirable at our next accommodation). We had a buffet style breakfast around 8:30 and left the hotel with Driss at 9. I was bundled from head to toe because our first activity was an hour hike through the gorge. However, there must have been a communication error because the "hike" was really just an hour "drive" through the gorge with a few stops for photos along the way. By the third time we got out of the car I realized that my layers were slightly excessive for the "sightseeing while driving" that we were doing. In the gorge there are rock formations that look like monkey fingers so they've been appropriately named "Monkey Fingers".

Our next stop was a kasbah museum. Our driver, Driss, warned us that it wasn't worth the entry fee so Mark and I obviously disagreed over whether or not to go in. We ended up going in but not getting a guide. There weren't any descriptions so hell if I know what we were looking at the whole time we were inside. Our next stop was a cinema museum for movies that had been filmed in the desert. Gladiator was one of the movies filmed here so this museum had a lot of Gladiator memorabilia and set pieces. The cinema museum also had a room of cameras ranging from 'way back when' to modern day. It was cool to see the evolution of the cameras used by the desert filmmakers.

Next we went to Ait-Ben-Haddou which is a berber town in the desert. There are four families currently living in the ksar (a group of earthen buildings behind high walls for protection) Those living in the ksar grow their own food and make their own building materials.

The riads (homes) inside of the ksar stay cool because they are made of clay and don't have any exterior windows. We climbed to the top of the dwelling places for a gorgeous 360 degree view of the surrounding desert and Arabic city.

In order to get from the Arabic side to the Berber side, we had to hop from stone to stone across the water. One of the locals from inside the ksar explained that when the water level is low it's ok to get across using the stones but when it is high they use donkeys and horses. (When we exited the ksar to return to the Arabic side we found that there was a tall wooden bridge for getting across. The locals giggled at us and said that it was built within the past year or two but that they still enjoy watching the tourists hop from rock to rock on the way in) While in the ksar we saw builders using clay and brick and merchants selling goods. The locals living in the riads offered us tea which they've affectionately termed "berber whisky".

The weather was gorgeous and Mark and I actually felt hot sitting in the sun at one point. It's about time, Africa!

After leaving Ait-Ben-Haddou we drove to a stop-off on the side of the road where we learned how to make rose water and rose oil.

 The process involves distillation in these massive vats. Next we drove to an argan oil co-op. Here we watched the oils being made and tried many different scents. We bought Mark an oil for his beard and then walked next door for lunch. Earlier in the day we had told Driss that we did not want to go to a touristy, crowded lunch spot so he delivered yet again. This spot was a few steps below the side of the road and had a beautiful outdoor garden where we sat and enjoyed the sunshine while eating kabobs. A stray kept coming near our table to I eventually ended up sharing our fries with him.

We then piled back in the van for the remaining four hour drive to Marrakech. The majority of it was switchback mountain driving on roads that were under construction. I was white knuckling it the whole way while Mark was sleeping soundly. I kept hoping we'd make it through the mountains before dark and somehow we did. We stopped at a toilet right outside the mountain range for muslim prayer just as the sun was finishing setting. By 8pm we were at Hostel Waka Waka and were greeted with tea (of course).

Our dorm was right off of the main room so it was really loud, especially because our door wouldn't stay closed so the six of us took to wedging a shoe between the door and the floor to get some privacy. Mark and I headed to "the big square" with a few girls from our hostel for a truly unforgettable experience. The square was filled with tons and tons of food stalls and vendors. The stalls tried to get you to give them your business by grabbing you and blocking your way. I was immediately overwhelmed and angered by this so Mark and I quickly left the throng and headed back to the first stall we came across, because initially, as we had walked past this man he had called out after us, "I won't touch you". I had no idea what he meant by his statement at the time but now I knew why. "Thank you sir for not touching me. Yes I am happy to give you my business." Stranger words were never spoken. Not only was the man at this stall PDA appropriate he also made damn good food. We had a delicious meal of olives, bread. tajia, veggies, potatoes and cous cous.

After eating we wandered through the area of the square with live music. We found a great spot where the men were lively and fun. They even pulled me in to dance with them. Mark and I both had a laugh as I tried to imitate the dancers' silly movements.

After we were done dancing we did some exploring of the long, winding streets. There was so much to see! The city was so vibrant at night. We walked as much as we could before we were overcome with tiredness. Unfortunately our hostel was so cold that I slept with my winter coat over me. Hmm... this seems to be a theme in the Moroccan DESERT.