Marrakech, the Miami of Morocco (or so Tessa says)

At the train station...getting ready to take our train to Marrakech!
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Okay, I've finally made it back to my blog again, thanks to something nasty in the campus food that has kept me on campus all weekend (instead of going to the planned Casablanca).  So, one weekend, Caitlin, Tessa, and I traveled to Marrakech.  It is about 6 1/2 hours on the train, and an hour taxi ride from Ifrane to the train station.  So it was a long trip.  We were supposed to stay with one of Tessa's friends, Omar, but it turned out that Omar's family had way more people than expected visiting them, so we had to settle for a hotel.  However, I think that worked out okay, even though we missed an opportunity to stay with a Moroccan family, which I haven't had the privilege of doing yet.  One day, hopefully, I will.  But our hotel was fairly cheap, very nice, very clean, and extremely friendly and hospitable.

McDonalds!!
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Interesting Train Ride

On the train ride to Marrakech, we met some interesting people.  They were just a few Moroccan guys that like to practice their English, so we chatted with them for a couple hours.  It was kind of a relief, however, when they left, because it takes so much concentration to understand what they are saying.  On campus, it is not hard to understand the people at all, but off campus is often more difficult.  Anyway, so I ended up giving one of the guys my e-mail address (not willingly, I played off a request for my phone number, and the first attempt at my e-mail, but after the second attempt, I thought no harm, this guy doesn't seem creepy).  MISTAKE!  When I got back to campus Sunday evening I had an e-mail waiting for me, titled "I love you Sadie."  The e-mail consisted of this guy confessing his love to me, telling me how lucky he is that he met me, how much he wanted to kiss me all over my body, proposing marriage to me (seriously), ect.  Lucky for me, I just ignored it and haven't received any more mail from him since (Thanks to God, Humdullah).  I don't think, however, that this is typical of Moroccans.  Perhaps it is a combination of a weirdo Moroccan and an American girl (I just don't think this would have happened if I was just another Moroccan girl).  I was probably the first American girl he has ever met.  So yes, there are creepy people in Morocco.

Our hotel
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Getting carded in a country that doesn't have a drinking age!

So, back to Marrakech.  Friday night it was just us girls going out (we were ready for some city action after being cramped up in tiny Ifrane all week).  We used my handy Lonely Planet book to pick out a good club.  The one we chose, The Black Diamond, looked promising, with a description of playing 'American hiphop.'  Well we learned that night that the Lonely Planet book cannot always be trusted.  We went to a bar that was not crowded, played the typical techno/house music, and had a crowd consisting of gay men and prostitutes.  It was interesting, but I wouldn't really say we had a great night.  And we definitely stood out as the only straight, young, and foreign people in the place. And I got carded going in the door.  Keep in mind I am the oldest in our threesome, yet Tessa and Caitling were not asked to show identification.  I guess they just don't want little kids in the bar (like me).  I didn't even have my ID with me but after all three of us started yelling that I was older than them did he just let us go in.

Theatro
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The good part(s) of Marrakech

We woke up the next morning to a beautiful city.  It was warm, since Marrakech is in the southern part of Morocco, and the sun was shining.  We got up, had a great breakfast in a really cute cafe (not the one we were looking for with my fantastic book, but it was still great).  Then we spent most of the day walking around in the shopping area of downtown Marrakech.  It wasn't very crowded, and we were able to buy many things that aren't available to us in the small Ifrane.  That afternoon, Omar picked us up and took us to the square where all the action happens just outside of the old medina of Marrakech.  It was such an enchanting place.  There were very few tourists, and so many interesting things to see:  snake charmers, story tellers, palm readers, men dragging around monkeys on chains for us to take pictures with, beggars, and so much more.  Also, there were fresh orange juice stands and outdoor eateries everywhere.  So delicious!  However, the down side is the people that constantly followed us around, trying to get money or get us to buy something from them.  We were very hassled, but it was worth it.  For dinner we went to a little place thats like Moroccan fast food and had chawarma, which is a Lebonese dish.  It's basically just shaved chicken (or other meat, kind of like gyros) in a wrap with tomato, lettuce, and mayonnaise; served with fries.  It is so good!  I know now that even though I miss alot of American foods, like hot wings, pizza, and mexican food, I am going to miss alot of Moroccan food when I am back in the U.S.  Maybe I won't go back :).

View from the train window
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That night we went with Omar and a couple of his friends to a club called Theatro (it was a theater converted into a club).  It was by far the best club I have ever been to.  It was huge and the crowd was incredible.  For the first time, I actually started getting into the techno/house music.  I'm starting to like it!

All in all, Marrakech was amazing.  It was really sad that we couldn't be there longer, but luckily I will be spending my spring break (in just 2 weeks!!) there.  I can't wait!