Month 2 - Marrakech

Hello Friends,

Currently I'm sitting in my apartment in Northern Morocco where I have just relocated to for the next month. It's been almost a week here in my new spot and I'm just getting settled. I'm finally having some down time to unpack my things for the next month, do some laundry, get WiFi set up, relax, be a person, you know.

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Here's a recap on my last month living in Marrakech:

While my time in Marrakech was brief, I definitely think I made the most of my time there. Despite it being Ramadan, and having a nearly full schedule between taking Arabic classes each morning and working at the non profit right after Monday thru Friday, I did a lot.

Jema El-Fnaa Square in Marrakech

-Ramadan was a new experience for me. This year it took place between May 14th and June 14th (It changes every year, moving 14 days earlier each time). I'd never been in a Muslim country during this holiday before. It was interesting to see how the entire country reacts. Morocco even reversed daylight savings just for the month of Ramadan so that the sun would set an hour earlier, and therefore, could break their fast an hour earlier. It was fascinating to see how everything shuts down - businesses open later, and close sooner, or sometimes they don't open at all! I saw this in effect even at my workplace where, normally hours would be from 9am to 6pm with a long lunch break in between, however during Ramadan we started at 10am, and finished at 3pm. After work during Ramadan my Moroccan colleagues would usually go home and nap until it was time to break their fast at sunset. This meal is called Iftar. Right at sunset if you were to go out on the streets you'd find it completely silent, as everyone is home breaking their fast having Iftar. 

The vibe during this month is really unique. While work hours are often cut short and people are exhausted, it's a holy month where people spend a lot of time with friends and family. People travel far and wide to come together. I was lucky to be invited into friends homes, and even into the homes of several people I had just met, to experience an Iftar. I even got to help one of my friends' (from study abroad here four years ago) mom prepare food for Iftar. We made bread, tajines, and a soup called harira. Breaking fast, at least in Morocco, often includes eating some dates, drinking water and some orange juice, and having some Hairira (a tomato based soup). A lot of other kinds of food can accompany the Iftar meal but these seem to be the basics that I've noticed. Below are some Iftar spreads I've gotten to enjoy eating.

-At the non profit, I spent my time working on articles and a grant proposal. I even got to do a site visit to two of the villages where we have projects implemented. At the office, there was a handful of American interns among the Moroccan staff. Most of us got along pretty well and spent a lot of time together outside of work. We travelled to new places together on weekends (Essaouira, a beautiful Portuguese coastal town, and Agadir, a Southern beach town with beautiful hikes and valleys).

Site visit: Ourika Valley

Day trip to Essaouira (Portuguese port town). Photo of me on top of the fort. 

By the way this town is Astapor in Game of Thrones.

Photos from Ouzoud Waterfalls (Day trip outside of Marrakech) featuring a monkey

-Outside of work, I took Arabic classes each morning. My Arabic is moving along slowly but nevertheless, still progressing. I became friends with my Arabic teacher who invited me to her home about an hour outside of Marrakech where I stayed a couple nights. She took me in, introduced me to her family, fed me, showed me her home and town. We even got to do the hammam (Turkish bath house) together. This is where you go in a steam room for a bit, lather yourself in some henna and various soaps and scrubs, let it soak in, and then scrub away all the dead skin and dirt off of your body. I looooove the hammam. If you ever get the chance, try it. You'll be so soft that you'll feel like you've just been reborn, it's incredible. 

This is a terrible photo of the outside of 

my apartment in Marrakech (super nice with a 

pool and cost me about $200! 

split with roommates of course)

-While living in Marrakech, I even got to visit a good friend from college who is currently doing Peace Corps here in Morocco. His project site was about an hour outside of Marrakech so I was able to make it a day trip. Visiting my friend Nate at his site was really cool and kind of special. Not only had it been nearly a year since I had seen him last at his farewell party to leave to start Peace Corps, but it was exciting to get to see him in his community here. It's been just short of a year and he is proficient in Darija (Moroccan Arabic), and it was super cool getting to see him interact with his community, see his life here, to see his home. Being there and seeing him in action made me really proud of him. Go Nate!!!!

-During one of my last weekends being based out of Marrakech, I got to go to the wedding of a good friend from my time at university here. I took the train up to Tangier from Marrakech (11 hours) and spent the weekend there with a bunch of friends from school. The reunion was kind of magical for me, knowing I had seen all of them four years ago from study abroad, and now here we are like nothing has changed. 

We spent the day at the beach (Tangier has great beaches), got ready (I got to wear a beautiful traditional Moroccan dress, a caftan, that my friends cousin let me borrow), and then made our way to the wedding. This was my first Moroccan wedding experience, and I have to say I had so much fun! The wedding went on through different stages, from 7pm to about 2 or 3am (though Moroccan weddings vary a lot, some can last several days). We danced all night, the bride and groom had several different outfit changes, and we ate all night. I don't think I've ever eaten a dinner that late, nor had I danced that much in awhile. After the wedding, the group of us went back to our friends house where we were all staying, and just hung out all night. We stayed up laughing together until sunrise, like nothing had changed and time had nothing on us.

Beach day (Tangier)

The wedding was a huge success and I still kind of can't believe it that happened. I mean, how cool is it to have a big international reunion with old friends, and also friends from your college study abroad four years ago, and have it be a wedding!? It's just also kind of crazy to see where all my friends end up, and where we are at in our lives. Feels like we're all really growing up or something aren't we? I don't know. But here I am being nomadic and occasionally homeless..... (like when I my original accommodation in Marrakech was a scam and I was couch surfing for a good few days before I got something else figured out).

Anyways, I was super happy for the bride and groom (I came as part of the grooms' party), and I am wishing this couple all the best! I am incredibly excited for them and their future together.

Left: Photo of the squad. Right: Me in a caftan (Traditional Moroccan dress)

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That about sums up my past month. Being down south was a new experience for me despite having lived in Morocco before. Not only did I get to see a lot of new places, but the culture is different from the North. Being back in Morocco has me feeling all the good feelings and sometimes I get emotional about it. Going to the wedding brought back a lot of good memories and feelings and I couldn't be happier to be back. While originally I didn't plan to stay this long here, I'm really happy I did. Morocco is like a home for me and I'm content with getting to stay another month. 

Anyways, here I am, in Northern Morocco. I will be here through the end of the month. Currently, I am on an archaeological survey project. We are basically hiking fields and valleys everyday Monday-Friday looking for archaeological remains. Survey is the initial phase of archaeological projects, where it's necessary in order to find a "good" area for excavation (which will not be happening this field season/while I'm here). It's good fun, and good exercise. 

I'm going to leave it at that. It's Sunday, and I'm tired. Actually, I'm always finding myself tired here (I've been here for a week). Field work is fun but for sure exhausting! 

Photo of me outside of Bahia Palace in Marrakech, just because. 

Just because being back in Morocco makes me happy.