Magical Morocco 🇲🇦

I arrived in Morocco with Paul Simon’s “Under African Skies” going through my head (on repeat), and hoping I’d like the twelve strangers I’d be spending the next 9 days with. I worried that maybe I’d just lucked out on my first two Flashpack trips (to Spain and Croatia) and figured I was bound to get a bad (aka boring) group this time. And this trip was longer…9 days is a long time! Fast-forward to when the group said our farewells yesterday, all of us sad that the magic of our trip was ending. Yet, with information exchanged and social media profiles linked, we parted ways to our various countries around the world- many of us vowing to meet up again. We also agreed that 9 days definitely did not feel like a long time.We first gathered in Marrakech where we met each other and our guide, Issmail. I have to say that Flashpack rocks at selecting guides for their trips, as on all three of my trips they have been both incredibly knowledgeable and super-fun! I also want to point out that when asked (maybe by me) all three of my guides said we were “one of the best groups ever.” Obviously that’s just guide etiquette and they aren’t supposed to say that we are actually THE best group ever, because how could my awesome groups not be?

Anyways, the Morocco group had quick intros, after which I remembered ~ 4 names (and proceeded to call Brian “Eric” for the first three days…sorry again about that Bri!). Our first order of business was a walking tour of Marrakech. Although Issmail was our main squeeze, as far as guides go, Moroccan law requires separate licensed tour guides in each location. Our Marrakech guide led us through the crowded streets to a tea house where we had our first taste of traditional Morrocan mint tea (that we happily drank at least twice daily for the next 8 days). I noticed that there were only men at the tea house, as Moroccan women traditionally aren’t encouraged to go (boo!!!). Apparently Moroccan tea first became a “thing” to replace drinking whiskey back in the day and we were slightly horrified to learn that (while you can sweeten the tea as you like) most Moroccans use three huge hunks of sugar in each small pot. I’m talking HUGE hunks- it has to be at least 1/4 a cup! Refined sugar is clearly not a concern in Morocco. My group opted for a slightly less sweet version and it was delish! We then continued our walking tour, that culminated at the Jenna el Fna, a ginormous center square that I can best describe as a cross between a massive carnival and a farmers market. Soooo many unbelievable sites and smells to take in, including snake charmers, acrobats and even tooth-pullers (as an aside, my nephew, Jack, coulda used one of those on the front tooth he’s been working on for weeks- thankfully he succeeded just the other day, sans Moroccan tooth-pullers).There was also amazing food everywhere you turned with the smells from the delicious spices wafting through the open air. We had dinner at a “street stand” which I did not expect to be a sit-down meal, lit by gas laterns. We were served multiple courses that included Morrocan salads, traditional bread, kabobs of deliciously marinated chicken, beef and veggies, and the most delish couscous I’ve ever had. Here are my new friends:Dinner ended around 10pm and us lame-o’s headed back to the hotel, happily satiated and sleepy, while the activities in the square would go on until the early morning hours. This is because it’s too hot to be romping around outside during the day, so the cooler evening hours is when the action happens. And it’s definitely a lot of action!

In the AM, we were escorted to a traditional Moroccan hammam, which I had never heard of before (I clearly only skimmed the trip itinerary, assuming anything we did in Morocco would be amazing- I was correct, btw). So, a hammam is like a spa but offers a traditional treatment that many Moroccans get once a week, often with friends. First the gals and guys in our group were separated and we began the experience with some mint tea. There was no time for modesty with new friends as we were then handed paper underwear (more like paper thongs) and told to sit in a warmish room that looked like a sauna. We were each rinsed with buckets full of cool water and then moved to a warmer room, where we had room-temp water poured on us and soap applied, followed by a rinse of warm water. We then paraded into a hot room, where thick olive paste was applied to each of us and then victoriously scrubbed off, power-loofah style. The experience concluded with a lovely, moisturizing massage and then more Moroccan tea on a roof-top terrace.

It was an amazing experience and afterwards my skin felt almost as soft as Barbara Bush’s. This means a lot, as I shook Bab’s hand (then the First Lady) during my 8th grade trip to D.C. and she had the softest skin I’ve felt in my life. I wish I’d thought to ask about her skin care routine at the time. Now I know it must have involved a hammam and I’m pretty sure they have one in the White House. Shhh…

Anyways, next we had our first group road-trip, WAY up the Atlas Mountains to Douar Samra, that was our home for 3 days. I cannot speak highly enough about this joint!The expansive mountain views were breathtaking and the accommodations were rustic and authentic yet very comfortable, with the lodge having been built by locals and all of the rugs, blankets, and tapestries woven by female villagers. It also felt a little bit like being in a tree house- and one of the rooms was actually in a tree. Also, the food here was the best of the whole trip (and I had some REALLY good food this trip) and it was made by one women using all local ingredients (really no other options) with the most delicious spices to ever touch my tongue. I was always into spices but this trip has increased my interest to the level of an obsession. The next day we embarked on 10-mile guided hike, through the rolling, rocky peaks and expansive valleys of the Atlas Mountains. Our hike culminated at a Muslim shrine, where we enjoyed a packed lunch before heading back via a different and equally beautiful route. The hike was fascinating both to see the varied topography of the mountain range and to get to know my fellow travelers more while chit-chatting during the 7-hour expedition (okay, I admit it- at points we were too tired to muster either a chit or a chat). We were pretty famished after the hike and welcomed a dinner of “tangine,” which is a popular Moroccan slow-cooked dish where a crock-pot is replaced with a cone-shaped clay pot and a good old fashioned flame. I’m not a huge carnivore (minus bacon) but I throughly enjoyed the beef tangine that night, that was in the format of meatballs. The vegetarians in our crew also had high praise for the flavorful vegetable and potato tangine. It was extra-cool eating in the traditional style of sitting on the floor in large cushions with our legs crossed. The next morning I awoke to the 5:30am call to prayer, bellowing from loudspeakers perched on the top of a nearby mosque. I mentally hit the snooze button and the follow-up alarm (an hour later) was in the form of roosters cockadoodledooing. I have to say, I really liked it as a wake-up mechanism. Maybe a call to prayer followed up by a rooster should be an alarm app? You heard it here first, so don’t steal the idea!

Anyways, after our final scrumpshish meal, we boarded 4×4’s and ventured onward…to the desert (only one s in desert, two s’s in dessert like strawberry shortcake- I keep going through that in my head when I type the word). I was curious about the accommodations that were described as “glamping.” It was my first time doing whatever glamping is. Yes, there was no electricity in our tents but there were beds…and that seemed like a fair non-camping trade-off. I actually really enjoyed living by candlelight! The camp scenery was astounding and I felt like my camera disappointed me by not capturing the vastness of the landscape. We embarked on a fantastic sunset camel ride (that included much laughter by both us and the camels), enjoyed another yummy tangine dinner, and relaxed while chatting around a campfire before returning to our glamping domiciles.

After breakfast we set off to our next destination, the town of Essaouira, which is a smaller city than Marrachech, and more laid back (aka, fewer crazy moto-bike drivers and aggressive vendors). It’s also a beautiful port town and is encompassed by huge fortress walls adorned with cannons. We seemed to have brought some rain with us to Essaouira and battled the elements during our walking tour of the city (nothing stops this group I’ll tell ya!). Our tour included a glimpse into woodworking shops producing some of the most beautiful wood pieces I’ve seen- it’s a good thing I have no room in my luggage (btw, I’m reminded of this every time I’ve checked a bag on this trip so far when the person behind the counter looks at me, points to the number on the scale, I shrug and smile abashedly, and he/she winks and lets it slide- so far at least 😌). I also saw the spices and fish markets, where I could have stayed for a while just taking it all in- I really don’t have the words to explain how amazing the spices are (I may have mentioned this already…). After dinner our guide led us to a live music venue. A super-fun member of the group, Daisy, had a birthday that night and wanted to bring it in with some dancing! And dancing we did. I’d say our group pretty much dominated the dance floor the entire night and our dancing seemed to get better (but probably got worse) following a round of tequila shots at midnight. Here’s the birthday girl, looking miserable-The next morning we were a bit sleepy but gamely explored the beautiful port and beach area and then did some shopping. Sorry family and friends, I REALLY do not have room in my bags to bring you gifts. Maybe I can find things “Made in Morocco” on Amazon? Stay tuned- all might not be lost in the gift department…

So, then we were off to our final destination, three hours away- a yoga/surf resort in Agadir. On the way we drove by some goats in trees, because apparently that’s what they do here sometimes…so of course we had to stop. When we arrived at the resort we were happy to be there but also sad that we had to part ways with Issmail- his touring duties were done for this trip. We tried to convince him to stay but he said he had another tour (likely story). Our farewell foto-We spent the next three days in the luxury of the oceanfront resort relaxing, eating (a lot…more delicious bread and an amazing array of fresh seafood), laughing (also a lot of this), taking in the most beautiful sunsets, yoga classes, AND surfing lessons!! So, I am now in-love with Surfing. It’s, like, an official relationship. Surfing toggles between laughing at me when I launch off the board dramatically (goal is to stay on) and giving me a big smooch when I catch a wave and actually stay on. Regardless, I always have fun with Surfing and am saddened that I didn’t meet him until now. Let’s hope it works out in the long-run as I’m clearly all in. Should I be playing it cooler??

This trip has been one of the best I’ve had and mostly because of the beautiful country and kind people. I loved learning more about the Moroccan culture and seeing the Muslim religion in practice. I also know that Morocco is a small and unique part of it’s vast continent and at some point I’d love to see more of the African skies. Great, now Paul Simon is stuck in my head again…