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Hola a todos....

Last week was quite the adventure. For those that don't know, I went to Morocco! It was a bit of an experience so I'll just start from the beginning.....this is an earful!


For some odd reason, I decided to take an express bus to Madrid, which was pretty awesome. The bus left on Tuesday at 5pm, and we finally got to Madrid at 11pm. It seemed appropiate to sleep at the airport on Tuesday night since the flight to Marrakech was for 6:25am. Once we got to Madrid, we took the metro to the airport. For the short while that I was in Madrid, I could tell that Madrid was a pretty mobile city because of the fact that the metro was so extensive. I mean, from the bus station to the metro was 45 minutes, and we were able to get directly to the airport. I thought that was pretty awesome, and it makes Madrid a pretty attractive city. For the first time in my life, I slept at the airport (I would not recommend this for everyone!). After several attempts at falling asleep, it was finally time for us to board the plane.

When we got to the Marrakech airport, the pilot told us that he could not land because of fog, and after an hour of circling, finally decided to land at the Agadir airport, which is about 4 hours away from Marrakech. RyanAir was able to get transportation by bus for the passengers to Marrakech, which took another 4 hours. FINALLY, we got to Marrakech!

Morocco was a lot different than what I was used to here in Spain or even in the United States. Even though we stayed in Marrakech, a tourist city, you could still see the heavy Arab influence.

We ended up staying in Hotel Ali, which served breakfast too. The owner was very nice and was available for any questions we had. We stayed in the heart of Medina and in the main plaza of the city. The first day was a little overwhelming, because since Morocco is a poor city, every harrasses the tourists for their business and many times will not accept NO for answer. In the main plaza there were many mini kiosks with different items for sale. There were snake charmers and hena women available for entertainment; one just needs to be careful because these people will do whatever it takes for a buck! It was funny because on the first night, Kelley got stalled by one of the hena women and she handed Kelley a booklet and in 5 seconds had an entire design on her hand. Kelley, as wonderful as she is, told the woman that she did not have the money for hena and did not want it in the first place and wiped her hand clean. IT WAS AWESOME. But they do try to get you!

The second day we walked around the city and went to some of the local sounvenir shops trying to get an idea of how much things were going to cost. It is unbelievable the number of vendors that were available in the city. They sold things such as ceramic vases and plates, daggers, jewelry, purses, etc. I mean EVERYTHING! It was overwhelming the fact that we were three women in a city dominated by the male presence! But, we stuck together and handled it quite well. We also took a tour of the old Palais Bahia, which was phenomenal. It was amazing to see how intricate the arab architecture is and made me wish I knew how they conceived all their ideas! The palace was amazing and was filled with so many rooms, gardens, and courtyards. I loved it!

Out of everything that happened, I think I was most impressed at how many times a day Arabs pray. We were actually next to the Kotoubia, which is a mosque right in the heart of the city. It had speakers where they would anounce the prayers at the different moments in the day. I believe they prayed about 4 or 5 times a day. The Kotoubia was beautiful! It had a garden full of orange groves and fountains. I felt like I was in heaven! lol. I also got a chance to see the Atlas Mountains, which were AWESOME! It's moments like those that make me realize how great is my God!

I would definately recommend to anyone planning on going to Morocco to do their shopping at the Souks. You can negotiate souvenir items for whatever price you want! Since there are so many shops that are selling the same thing, the vendors take whatever they can get! It was sooo exciting to go shopping! I was able to buy a beautiful tourquise scarf and some other things. Plus, since Marrakech is a young tourist city, you can easily take a vacation with an inexpensive budget.

The last day we went to the Jardin Marjorelle, which is considered to be one of the twentieth century's most mysterious gardens because it represents five continents. Just from the moment you walk into the garden you feel peace and tranquility! I would definately recommend the Jardin Marjorelle to anyone.

All the restaurants in Marrakech served fruit juices, which were DELICIOUS! Juices made from banana, kiwi, avocado, pineapple, apple, almond, etc. O my goodness, this is a must try! The food was very delicious. For breakfast we ate crepes and eggs with orange juice and coffee. THE COFFEE WAS THE BEST COFFEE I'VE EVER HAD! No lie.

The last night we decided to sleep at the airport again (qué divertido, ¿no?). It was pretty cold, and the three of us made an attempt at keeping warm by spooning and it was awesome! Great way to generate heat. Next thing you know, it's time for us to board the plane. We arrive in Madrid and end up missing the bus ride to Málaga, which makes us have to purchase another bus ticket! Ay Dios mío.......¿qué no nos pasó?

All in all, it was a great experience and would definately consider going back again. I would say a year ago I would have never thought about visiting an Arab country but Marrakech was awesome. Next time though.....I'm doing the excursion to the Sahara!

Until next time........Ciao!