Day 1 (Dec 19) -- Riad Dar Soufa
We stayed in the most beautiful riad, a traditional Moroccan home, in the heart of rabat.
There, we had the most incredible breakfast filled with fresh fruit, homemade bread, fresh olives, and more.
The highlight of the day, though, was the Hamam (a bath of sorts). Oh my gosh just WOW! The lady at the front desk of the Riad recommended a local place and it truly blew us away. This was a female only spa so my mom and i went and each got scrubbed (more than i ever thought possible), a massage, hair washed and even a blow dry and style, all for only $40 each. I've never felt so clean and well taken care of. It was the most incredible experience that I could not recommend more. Despite the language barrier, we were able to somewhat communicate and relay how grateful we were for the experience. As we were leaving the salon and trying to catch a taxi, we ended up standing right next to a couple who was also trying to get a taxi. Rabat is a big, metropolitan city and so, I expected the same individualistic "every man for himself" type of culture like in NYC or LA. I could not have been more wrong. That couple, even though they were waiting before us, offered that we take the taxi instead of them as they could tell that we were slightly confused looking tourists. It was such a kind gesture and a testament to how wonderful the people here are.
Day 5 (Dec 23) — day tour of Fez including The Medina
Exploring the Medina definitely had to be my favorite part of the Fez city tour! It reminded me of a cleaner version of the markets in India with people coming up to us constantly to sell trinkets as well as just the vibrant energy and chaos. We received a demonstration showcasing the rugs that are native to Morocco with some delicious Moroccan mint tea to sip on and then ofcourse, they tried to convince all 40 of us to purchase them. We then went to the leather shop which had a similar approach, but here, I was convinced. They had a beautiful camel leather jacket that captured my attention and was well worth the price, much better quality than the $30 one i ordered off of Amazon a few years ago that’s for sure.
Day 7 (Dec 25) -- The Sahara
My parents had been disappointed by their Sahara experience in Jordan so i too had low expectations, but wow we were all amazed. After a morning tour of the markets in Rissani, we made a coffee stop at a spot with stunning views with a pool overlooking the mountains, taking some beautiful photos there.
Then, we got back on the road and finally made it to the dessert where we had a delicious lunch in the Sahara. Afterwards, we got to meet a nomadic family living in the dessert and heard about their daily lives. The lady’s’ grandsons were so adorable that all 40 of us were trying to capture their attention. And then finally, we made it to the camels. We quickly hopped on and headed up the mountains to see the sunset. It was such a peaceful and stunning ride up to a beautiful lookout point. I was with 3 other young people each on our own camels and our Camel Keeper was the best. He was hard of hearing, but we were still able to communicate. He was the absolute sweetest and took countless photos of us which turned out incredible :) Most of all, though, the people were nothing but kind, friendly, and lovely and the care with which everyone did their jobs was so impressive.
Day 9 (Dec 27) -- Atlas Studios, a Berber village, and a homestay dinner
We visited Atlas studios, where Gladiator, Kundun, and other movies were filmed, and even got to see all of the sets, like the one seen above, and how they've been adapted for different movies over the past couple decades. We even filmed a mock video where one person in our group was cast as Cleopatra and sat in her throne while the rest of us pretended to worship her. Then, we visited a rural Berber village and got to learn about their typical lifestyle. The woman who owned the home we were so graciously invited into was so friendly and welcoming and luckily we were still able to communicate despite the language barrier.
Most exciting, though, was the homestay dinner at the end of the night. The food in Morocco had been somewhat underwhelming so far, lacking flavor and salt and so, we had low hopes for the flavour of the food. Wow were we wrong. Not only was the lady warm, kind, and welcoming, opening up her beautiful home to all 40 of us, the food was beyond delicious. It was flavorful, salty (thank god), warm, and evidently homemade. Definitely one of the best meal I had during the trip and it for sure restored my faith in Moroccan food.
Day 10 (Dec 28) - Marrakesh
We spent the day exploring the city of Marrakesh, including a Kings' cemetery, the markets, and more. The food was so delicious, especially the little mom and pop shops within the markets, and most definitely showed why people rave about Moroccan food (and restored my faith in it too)!
We were most looking forward to eating at the Michelin star restaurant, Rivayat, that we had a reservation for, however. It was good, but not innovative or extraordinary enough to justify the steep price. The interior (and exterior) were stunning, though, and looked like the palaces we had seen over the past few days!
Day 11 (Dec 29) - Essouria
On our last day, we set out to explore the small town of Essouria. On the way, we stopped at an argan oil factory, where the sweetest lady pulled me down and let me try breaking apart the inside of the shell from which the oil is extracted. The factory provides employment to women who otherwise wouldn't have had the opportunity to work, so it was wonderful to support them and the entire initiative as a whole. We then made it to Essouria where we saw the fish markets and got a small tour of the town before heading off on our own for lunch and shopping. Lunch was spectacular at a place called Triskala and the gelato afterwards was even more insane at a place called Caftetteria Gelateria Italiana Dolcefredo. It truly transported me back to Florence that's for sure.
Overall, Morocco was such an incredible country, full of the most stunning landscapes, delicious food, and the most wonderful people!
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