Bucket List Revisited...Again...Henna Undone

I'm sure that many people start to accomplish bucket list items and then right when they are ready to git 'er done realize it's not what they imagined. Or even want. My trip to Morocco was surreal at times (having tea in a Berber cave kitchen while the son's cell phone rings was very Dr. No), but overall it was very real. Thanks to our fantastic guide Said from Desert Majesty, we got to see parts of Morocco most don't even imagine exist.

And so my exotic ideas of getting my hands hennaed in Morocco flew out the window. The women who sit in Djemma El Fna in Marrakech do a beautiful job of taking tourist's money and creating superb drawings on the backs of their hands. My resident friend warned me that the black henna can cause scarring so I went off into the back roads of Meraouga and Dades and Draa Valley ready for my henna moment at the end of the trip.

Until I met Fatima. She graciously showed us how to create bread, adding ingredients like my husband's grandmother (by sight) kneading and kneading until MY arms were sore. It was as she was shaping the bread that I noticed her hands. My aunt Cynde had commented on how much time and care Fatima had spent on washing her hands before and after dough preparation. But her hands looked dirty. So I sneakily asked Said about her hands and he explained that this was the true tradition of Henna. Berber women coat the PALMS of their hands with it, cover them with material or bags then sleep so that the staining appears in the morning. THIS is the Berber tradition of beauty. NOT the designs on the backs of the hands.

Also they use it to color their fingernails and I found it precious on the shy little girl they handed me to kiss (on the cheek four times each side) that I didn't want to put down. You can see it if you look hard at her fingernails. This is Sophie (the mom, who invited me into the inner sanctum so we could all see the rest of their house!), Fatima in my arms, and Eunice in Sophie's arms.



I have so much to say about my trip, but I still am processing it all. And getting all these pictures uploaded is a CHORE! Can't wait to share my hammam experience though!

Travel with a Purpose: Moroccan women

I am slightly hesitant to volunteer to teach English in certain countries. I waffle between finding it self-centered in the belief that other people need to learn my language and the knowledge that English is a common language around the world that will help people get jobs in tourism. Many Moroccans are already bi-lingual (at the least!). However the thought of opening worlds and helping women learn to read? That speaks to me! I've volunteered here at home with children and literacy and I personally think there is no greater gift to give a person than the ability to read.  But as an avid reader I recognize my bias :)

If you have interest in visiting Morocco and making a difference in a woman's life, please look into ProWorld's opportunities in Meknes. This is an interesting company because they have built in excursion opportunities to Fes and Volubilis that are fantastic!


CAVEAT EMPTOR: I personally have not worked with this orgainzation. Be sure to do all due diligence in researching a group before giving them any money and travelling to a foreign country to work with them!!!

Camels are called "ships of the desert" for a reason

So one week before leaving for my trip I did research on how to ride a camel. Not my best preplanning move ever. I immediately went to my fitness instructor and said I needed to work out my inner thighs. A lot. In a new exercise segment she called the "Andrea workout" (which I didn't really appreciate because my name has been damned numerous times the past week) she worked inner thigh muscles I didn't know I had. I certainly hope this helps somewhat when I hold on with all my might using only my inner thighs.

Research will show you that riding a camel is not like riding a horse. I kind of already knew this what with being 9 feet in the air during the ride. This is not much lower than the roof of a house. So jumping off a camel is not really a likely method of dismounting. Their little spindly legs worry me because I am not little and I don't care that they are used to hauling hundreds of pounds of cargo across long stretches of desert.

Here is a short video to give you an idea:


I hope when I get back I can post a video of one of us showing off as well! I certainly hope we get our own camel because those sharing don't look comfortable!


Additionally, some friends of mine who lived in Saudi Arabia warned me about the rocking motion. So I have stocked up on DRAMAMINE. I will be sure to take it before we get on the camel because the last thing I want is to be sea sick in the middle of the desert 9 feet off the ground! (See also: NO TOUCH MONKEY! On Dress)

Toilet Paper, Immodium, and Ear Plugs

I mean if there is anything that will make you decide to just stay home it's the suggested packing items for Morocco! I was aware of the toilet paper issue. Having personally stood over a gap in the earth called a rest room in Italy, I was not worried so much about the toilet differences. I was already a little leery about the sanitary eating issues though when I was getting poked and prodded for my Hepatitis shots.

I was also not aware that prayers were called at night. So I plan to pack ear plugs, but still doubt I'll be able to hear much over the noise of my aunt's IPAP and snoring (kidding!) (kind of!).

So basically extra packing things for Morocco needs to include :

Wet Ones (I have these oil of olay wipes I'll probably take instead)
Anti-diarrhea medicine (though I usually have the opposite problem when travelling so I'll take that too)
Ear plugs
Toilet Paper
Sunscreen (I don't really like the way I look in hats, so taking one will be a chore for me) and
A hard sided suitcase for all the undetermined fragile things I'm taking back home.

Still trying to determine if the awesome Moroccan shoes are made in giant human sizes.

Thanksgiving Bonus---Morocco email

A fellow Moroccan traveller forwarded an email from a friend that only gets me more excited about the trip!

You have made an incredible investment. Morocco was one of the absolute coolest places I have ever been. We went to Fez, only for about 4 days but there's a lot you can pack into a short period there.

Cities in Morocco and north Africa in general are incredibly old, so the way they are structured now is usually split into two parts. Every city has within it an Old City (the "medina," which in Arabic just means "city") and a New City. I don't know where you're going, but you'll likely be spending most of your time in the old city. These areas date back hundreds and hundreds of years, and are usually surrounded by an enormous wall with 3 or 4 main entrances, remnants of the ancient fortress city structure. There are also no cars or trucks allowed in the old city, mostly because even the main old city streets are often no wider than 15 feet (be warned if you are claustrophobic; some of the smaller residential streets feel like attic crawl spaces). The Medina in Fez, which used to be the capital, is the largest urban area in the world with no automobiles.

The Medinas are also more conservative, traditional areas. You have to go into the new city areas to find any alcohol, for example. And there are cats everywhere. In Morocco they are like pigeons for some reason.

The new city is pretty straightforward though: wide boulevards, grocery stores, gas stations, but still quite beautiful.

I don't know if you're going with a group or have some sort of tour package, but my advice would be to plan ahead to get some solid tour guides. Morocco has a huge tourist industry, so there are a ton of tour companies, big and small, that have guides certified by the government. When you're walking around the old city, every other Moroccan dude tries to be your guide. Don't let them. They will even follow you along for awhile. MOROCCANS ARE AGGRESSIVE. Don't get intimidated. Be firm. It's just an aggressive, bartering, market kind of culture.

But if you have a certified guide, the random street guys will take the hint and leave you alone for the most part. Without a good guide you will get lost in the old city. At least at first. There are no two ways about it really.

(The way it works, typically, is that the guides will have a set program in mind for you with cool touristy places to visit [like shops, tanneries, pottery kilns, tourist mosques, scenic areas, etc.]. Whether the guides are certified or not, they will probably get a commission from the places they take you, so just bear that in mind. This is a totally legitimate business practice [if the guide is legit], but it can be rather manipulative too.)

I've written way more than you wanted to hear probably. I loved Morocco though, so it's fun to give advice. Let me know if you have any more questions!

Morocco cooking class

Today is Thanksgiving so I figured a food post would be appropriate!

I'm debating on this cooking class in Marrakech. It seems pricey but i'll ask the other travellers what they think.

There seems to be a variety of options though. Dar Zaman's blog suggested these two:

This one is only 45 Euro.

This one is at a hotel that also has a hammam.

On Location: Morocco

Apparently I really need to watch Inception. My son has been trying to get me to watch this for years and it's got several future travel places in it!

Inception
The Bourne Ultimatum
Green Zone
Mamma Mia! I can't remember where this was in the movie. I've seen it several times!
Sahara
Sex and the City 2 (though really not wanting to see this one!)

Halfway mark...

I'm pretty proud that my commitment to post every day in November is moving along. Thanksgiving days will be tough but I figured out how to schedule posts! That isn't cheating is it????


So for a bonus: How to Hammam

Moroccan salesman or The Art of Guilt

My mother wants me to look for rugs in Morocco. Probably not realizing that this is likely a thousand dollar purchase. Or a emotionally trying experience I might perhaps need therapy for!

So I decided to do some research:

Dave's Travel Corner let me know some possible experiences I might have though the impersonal heavy-handed sales pitch is more likely for me. EBay taught me what to look for in Moroccan rugs. The girls who get around let me realize that more research would be necessary and shipping should be a consideration!

The moral of the story: I think my mother is getting a straw bag instead!

Nothing like shaking naked tatas to send you to the gym

I've been praying for God to send me some self-control and motivation to get fit. Oh how He knows me so well! The abnormal medical test results didn't work. The lectures from the doctors (yes plural, my fat ass needs to get healthy) didn't work. But guess what has gotten my butt to fitness classes three days in a row???

THIS DID:



For those who are unaware this is a HAMMAM, where as Top 10 Marrakech
puts it: Women go naked. That's right nekkid. It's all same sex but still! My white pasty, cottage cheese ass around all these thin, lithe tanned Moroccan women? Um, Weight lifting and Aerobic class anyone?