CS
#9: Go To Africa
August 7-12, 2017
The summer after coming off of deployment meant I got about 2 months of freedom to do whatever! It was wonderful! (For the most part that is; I was going through some things at the time, so I wasn't in the best place emotionally.) But obviously, for me, when I have extra free time, I try to travel somewhere new. So I packed my bags and traveled for 3 weeks (it was supposed to be longer, but got cut short due to a family emergency). I went to about a half dozen countries, but the only African country I explored was Morocco. I had wanted to go to this country for a LONG time. Morocco was a one-of-a-kind of experience and beauty. I stayed in Marrakech and took a 3 day tour out into the Sahara from there.
Marrakech: I concentrated the most of my time on the souks. The sights were quite unique and spectacular. However, the experience overall was quite tiring and hot. The people in Marrakesh are relentless and have no shame. There are no such things as "favors" for anyone there; they expect compensation for the smallest helpful thing they can do for a person. The vendors will not let you go without buying anything if you show the SMALLEST interest in their products. I quickly learned to ignore anyone talking in my direction, carry small change on me as they NOT give you change if they deem it a "tip", and to refuse and "help" from well-meaning individuals (unless they were from a western society). I learned they will over price you ten-fold if you're a tourist. This concept was not new in the barter system for me, however I had not realized this fact in restaurants quite like I had here. One of my favorite meals cost me $18! I don't like paying that much in the states, none-the-less a "non-first-world" country. I think in their mind, all tourists have cash flowing out their arse and can throw it around like toilet paper in the wind.
I did see and purchase wonderful things. I loved seeing their tanneries, as smelly as they may have been. To see leather being made from start to finish was astounding! I DID buy a nice, rather expensive leather ottoman, however it never seemed to make it back to the states through the mail, which I'm still upset over. Another favorite was the discovery of the pastilla. A picture is shown above. A flaky pastry stuffed with curry chicken and topped with powered sugar and cinnamon. I could eat that ALL. DAY! Lastly, my favorite Marrakech experience was Jemaa El-Fnna. The market place square amidst the souks. It came alive at night. There were carnival games, snake charmers, food venders, music, dancing. It was overly stimulating and exciting! But be careful! Don't take pictures, if they catch you, they'll expect money from you! Overall, I found Marrakech very exciting, yet exhausting. I'm glad I went, but I do not believe I would want to return.
But the country side of Morocco?? Outstanding!! As previously mentioned, we traveled through the atlas mountains to Ksar Ben Ait Haddou, an ancient city built mainly from dried mud. This city has been featured in numerous movies and TV shows, including Gladiator, Game of Thrones, and Lawrence of Arabia, amongst others. So. Cool. We then went to the Todra Gorge: a small, clear directly between massive limestone walls. Breathtaking. But the climax of the journey was reaching the Sahara Desert. I'll eventually talk more about it when I get to the page about riding camels. But we took a caravan of camels an hour or two into the desert to a tent camp. They provided beds and dinner for us. As hot as it was (about 120 degrees), it was still one of the most memorable experiences of my life. I feel eternally grateful for having the opportunity to experience the world's wonders like that.