I could have never planned for a year like the one I had in 2022. Through a combination of changing circumstances, I was visiting new dreamy travel destinations every other month. It felt like a never ending series of highs and I decided to take a break after painfully realizing that I was reaching a saturation point at the start of this year. I enjoyed every opportunity I had to travel, but things were starting to blend together and I was beginning to feel more tired than excited. Because each trip was so different, it is hard to pick just one as my favorite. But for me, it was the 10 days I spent in Morocco that really stands apart as something truly special and I feel privileged that I was able to have this experience.
Traveling through Morocco was so important to me because I was invited to join a trip planned by a friend who is from there, and whose family has a tourism business. The trip was expertly organized and our group was thoughtfully catered to every step of the way. The experience of being so far from home and being so well taken care of really inspired me to explore places that I had been intimidated to venture to before.
I know that there are many people who travel because they want a relaxing vacation. All inclusive packages thrive because so many tourists want to be pampered. They don’t want to have to worry or think about anything, including adapting to the culture they are visiting. I would imagine that they just want to get away from their busy lives and not be stressed for once. Maybe have a massage, maybe have a mojito. I love massages and mojitos, but I am not one of those people.
I basically never travel in an all inclusive way. I tend to go piecemeal. I book all my travel, lodging, and any tours I want separately. Almost always I am planning as I go. I will wait until I arrive somewhere and seek out recommendations. I prefer this approach because it allows me to travel slowly, have the flexibility to do what I want, and cuts down of the amount of money I am spending on travel companies so that I am buying directly from the local economy. In Morocco however, I literally just had to show up and then be shuttled about to visit the top destinations without a care in the world or minute spent planning while still learning about the country I was in. It was absolutely wonderful.
The actual process of getting to Morocco was a struggle. Due to weather in Atlanta I never got off the ground and ended up having to start my trip 24 hours later than I had planned, which meant buying new connecting flights for the next day. I had to navigate the existential horror that is transferring at the Madrid international airport with a checked bag by literally sprinting in a relay with my travel partner across terminals and between endless checkpoints, a bus ride, an airport train, and possibly the largest, most crowded duty free area in existence.
The total travel time ended up being over 24 hours. By my final flight I felt sweaty, stressed and beyond jet lagged. I was frustrated that I had to shell out more money than I had originally planned and more importantly had lost an entire day of my trip.
And yet, when the plane began its initial decent and I caught a glimpse of Marrakesh for the first time, I felt a wave of joy and excitement. Everything else faded away. This is why I do this to myself. This is why I travel so much. This is why I spend so much money and sacrifice comforts in other aspects of my life in order to be able to travel. The experience of being somewhere new for the first time is irreplaceable and unlike any other I have found.
I have traveled to the Middle East before, but this was my first time in Africa. As we took a taxi to the main square from the airport, I immediately began to realize that this was going to be a completely unique experience for me. We were dropped off across the street from the Medina. Our belongings were piled onto a wooden cart and a man silently pushed it as we crossed the road towards the historic center.
After traveling for so long, the bright white light reflecting off the buildings from the sun felt disorienting. There were vendors selling juices, snacks and sweets. A street performer offered to take pictures of us with his monkey. There were people selling all kinds of things. Shoes, rugs, electronics, pottery, souvenirs. Some of it beautiful and artisanal, some of it tacky and mass manufactured, all of it new and exciting. We left the main square and walked through the narrow winding side streets with vendors calling out to us on either side, switching fluidly between several languages to see which one we would react to. There were people rushing in both directions. Motorcycles would occasionally force their way through without stopping or slowing down. Each culture seems to have its own rhythm and rules for being a pedestrian. I tried unsuccessfully to move with the flow and avoid being in anyone’s way.
After jogging to keep pace with the man guiding us for much longer that I had anticipated, we arrived at the riad, a beautiful traditional style building with an interior courtyard that featured a pool. We sat on pillows and were greeted with small cups of sweetened green tea with fresh mint.
I showered and tried unsuccessfully to nap, so we decided to march onward, taking advantage of the day to visit the Majorelle Garden. I thought I had seen self governing chaos while navigating Mexico City, but the overwhelming sights and sounds of taking a taxi through the streets of Marrakesh took things to the next level. The driver gruffly waved away my husband’s attempt to put a seatbelt on in the front seat while weaving between other cars, pedestrians, and potholes, laughing and explaining that you don’t need that here.
Because tourism is such a large part of the economy, the government takes the safety of foreigners very seriously. It is a very safe country to visit as a tourist, and I felt exceptionally welcomed the entire trip. However, when you don’t understand the language it can be easy to misinterpret someone’s intent. A friendly, normal conversation that is loud and boisterous can seem menacing if you don’t know what someone is talking about. In these situations I tend to end up nervously smiling on the side, watching every interaction wide eyed feeling like everyone is about to fight each other at all times.
Morocco had just opened its boarders a little over a month before we arrived. Like many developing nations, the impact of COVID on the local population has been devastating. Many people live day to day., and if they don’t work, they don’t eat. Everyone was struggling, desperate for business from the recent influx of tourism.
Our travel group had been trickling into Marrakesh in ones and twos over a period of several days from all different parts of the globe. By my first night there, all 10 of us had gathered and we went back to the main square to try steamed goat head guided by our local friend. Leading such a large group of foreign tourist began to attract attention, with different vendors coming up from all sides to convince him to eat at their food stand. Almost completely surrounded, he snapped at them, raising his voice.
I wasn’t sure how serious the situation was because I didn’t know what they were saying, but this interaction was so shocking to me because this is someone who is chronically easy going, to the point of being inconveniently relaxed at times. The vendors backed off and we separated from our friend so that he could negotiate where we should eat in peace, without all the extra pressure our presence added.
Shortly thereafter, we reconvened at the chosen spot, enjoying the first of what would be many elaborate feasts during our time there.
Continue reading part two.
If you are interested in the customized trip of a lifetime while visiting Morocco, please contact me so that I can put you in touch with my guide there.
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