After 5 days in Granada, one day traveling, and one in Tangiers..we finally made it home to Meknes!!! It took a few days to really settle in, but now it's really starting to feel like home!
I loved Granada. It is such an interesting city...it is clearly influenced from both European and Arab styles. We went to visit La Alhambra one day, which is an old palace on the top of one of the hills overlooking Granada. Easily the most beautiful place I've ever been in my life! Seriously, I think I could wander those gardens with the creepiest man in the world and fall madly in love...it's just that romantic!
(You can't possibly get a full grasp of the place from only a few pictures. Go check out my facebook album.)
The last night we were there we went to see a flamenco show, which was way cool. It was fun to see how they are still in touch with their Spanish culture, especially with all the Western/American influence in the area. (For real, pretty much everywhere we go there is American pop music playing in almost all the shops. Except Meknes.) But other than that we just shopped, ate really great food and tapas, and drank a lot of fantastic Sangria. I've already decided I'm going back there someday..I basically fell in love.
Tuesday we got up super early and took a bus to the coast, then took a ferry across the Strait of Gibraltar into the port by Tangiers, then took another bus to Tangiers where we stayed one night. A couple of us had a bit of an adventure finding lunch in Tangiers that day.. we came across this man (turns out his name was Abdul) who was wearing one of those long white tunic things, a fes hat, and bright yellow slippers..and he wanted to show us a good restaurant to eat at. Sooo we followed him? Granted this was like right after our director told us we probably shouldn't follow people. Bahah. Some of the girls got kind of freaked out. But he actually did lead us to a place, which ended up being aaaaahhhmaazing food! Not to mention a wonderful introduction to Morocco! It was four courses, appropriately ending with mint tea and cookies. I am also in love with mint tea. Yummm.
This was our first course, a delicious soup..chickpeas, rice, and veggies. Mmm. (Zakiya made this for dinner tonight, too!)
Besides that first meal, I wasn't a huge fan of Tangiers. I mean, it's a port city, and pretty well known for being a big thoroughfare for all kinds of things..I think a couple of the students got stopped and offered hashish. It just seemed dirty. It was okay though, we had a tour through the old part of the city, the Kasbah, and that was really cool. We also found Humphrey Bogart. But by the time it was time to get on the bus for the 4 hour drive to Meknes everyone was beyond ready.
We took some creepy tourist photos in the Kasbah, just by people's front doors. No big.
So now we're in Meknes! Settling in, orienting ourselves, making ourselves at home. It's really nice here. Cleaner than Tangiers, thank goodness! And our apartments are beautiful!! Soo spacious!! The first night we got in and ate the huge meal our apartment mom, Zakiya (no idea if that's spelled right) left for us (chicken tajine and vegetables..freakin delicious!) and then pretty much just went to bed. All the traveling had everyone really worn out. Yesterday we saw our campus, most people took language placement tests, and then started unpacking and decorating. Then we got phones, so now we can all communicate! Today has been productive, too..some of us tried out the bus system for the first time (great idea, we met some really nice people. And witnessed some strange "only in Morocco" moments.) and got to the big supermarket to pick up some necessities. Then, this afternoon we actually got around to finding internet connections for our computers. So now it REALLY feels like home!! :)
We start classes on Monday! I'm taking Beginning Arabic, Darija (the Moroccan dialect), Peace and Conflict Resolution, Islamic Civilization and Artistic Expression, and Three Religions Three Peoples. We've met some of our professors already, and they're all so excited to have us here. In fact, everyone we meet and talk to here is amazed that we chose their country. We talked to a girl on the bus today who wondered why we would ever leave America. "America has everything!" Each person who says that is first shocked, then very honored that we chose to study in Morocco of all places. It's humbling.
I'm getting along really well with everyone in the program, and I really like my apartment-mates. We've been enjoying family dinners and things. Right now we're all sitting around drinking tea and watching National Geographic Abu Dhabi. Ha. I love it.
Here's how my room looked when I first walked in.....I'd put up a picture of the final product but I can't connect my camera when my internet modem is plugged in? Yep. Check facebook later.
Okay love you all!!!
-Rubea
No comments:
Post a Comment