Morocco

I’ve been to Africa!!! I just got safely back to Seville from an amazing weekend in Morocco. In an all-included price, a group called We Love Spain took a large group of students on a professionally-planned trip to Morocco. We left Friday afternoon, took a bus to the coast, and then boarded a ferry that took us to Africa. That was my first boat ride, and it was sooooo cool. Luckily, I didn’t get sea-sick. When we arrived on the continent of Africa, we came in at the port of Ceuta, which is actually a Spanish city. So as we left the city, we came to the border, where we got our passports stamped, and entered into Morocco. From there, we went to our hotel in Tangiers. Saturday morning, after a breakfast of basically just bread in the hotel, we went on a tour of Tangiers. I touched the Mediterranean sea and the Atlantic ocean in the same day!!! AND that morning, I rode a camel! It was a real Moroccan camel, but it was only there in the northern part of Morocco for tourists. They only use camels like that in the southern part of morocco in the Sahara Desert.
We ate lunch at an authentic Moroccan restaurant: we ate Moroccan salad, an interesting Moroccan vegetable soup, couscous (rice dish with vegetables and beef), then mint green tea and a cookie with sesame seeds on it. I drank a Moroccan coke, which was even sweeter than Spanish coke, which is even sweeter than American coke. It was delicious though. As we ate, we got entertained by some Moroccan musicians, an acrobat, and a belly dancer. Then, I got a henna tattoo on my hand. The lady drew a floral design on my hand, then I let it dry, it peeled off, and now I have an orangish tattoo that should last about 5-10 days. 
That afternoon, we went to a spice market, where we learned a little about Moroccan spices. Then we walked through the city and the markets and got to do a little shopping and practicing bargaining. One thing I learned about Morocco: there are no set prices. It seemed like nothing had a price on it, and when you ask the guys how much something costs, they make up a price. The point is to bargain with them until you come to a trade. It’s pretty fun, but it takes practice, I think. Then as we walk down the street, little street vendors walk along side us trying to sell us little trinkets like bracelets, postcards, drums, and gum. It was a fun walk through the city.
Saturday night we stayed in Tetuan, where we ate a good chicken dish for dinner. After dinner, we walked along the beach of the Mediterranean Sea for a little bit, before heading for bed early because we were so tired. Breakfast at the second hotel was basically the same as the first, bread and really black Moroccan coffee with milk. We then took the bus along many windy mountain roads to a little town I can’t remember the name of. We had a really cute little old man for a tour guide who spoke English with a really funny accent. Although it was fun, it was raining and we got wet. That put a damper on our fun, literally. Lunch was again in an authentic Moroccan restaurant, with salad that looked just like pico de gallo, beef stew, and fruit salad. And of course tons of bread. I had a sprite which, just like the coke, was really sweet, but delicious. After lunch, we went to a rug and weaving store where they showed us many locally handmade scarves, bedspreads, and rugs. I couldn’t help myself; I bought a handmade silk scarf that is blue and green. We also got to stop at a local bakery and I tried a few Moroccan cookies, all of which were delicious. Of course. After a little more shopping, we hopped back on the bus and headed back to the border, where our passports were stamped again, then back onto the ferry and home to Seville.
It was a long tiring weekend, especially since I was still a little sick and coughing all weekend, but it was so worth it. I had a lot of fun, tried a lot of new things, and going with that big professional group was definitely the best idea. I’m so glad I went, since I don’t know if I will ever get to experience Africa again. PLUS I got my passport stamped!!!  Can’t wait to post pictures so you all can see some of the things I saw. Well, that’s all for now!