It has been awhile since I last posted. With the holidays, and a tour of family members that came through one by one through Dakar and met me in Morocco, the past month has been pretty busy. But having both parents come to Senegal and getting to take a vacation with Dad and Genevieve to Morocco was absolutely wonderful, and a great way to bridge for me my life in Senegal with my life and family in the United States.
I think the best way to describe Morocco and our experiences in the country is to post pictures. The country is absolutely beautiful, at least the parts of it that we saw, the food was delicious and had so much variety, and there were considerably more things to see in terms of history and architecture - a pleasant change from Dakar, where tourism is just not as developed and the countryside is less varied.
Dad and Gen met me in Casablanca, where we spent one night and then took the train to Meknes. We stayed there for a couple days, went to the Roman ruins of Volubulis, and then headed east towards Fez. A couple days in one of the oldest cities of the Muslim world, and then we left for Marrakech, driving through the Middle Atlas mountains to get there. And after a week of traveling, I feel like I had barely seen any of the country, which seems to be a common feeling I get now when going to knew places. I would love to be able to spend at least a month in the country next time, it is so big and vast and clearly so diverse in terms of topography, ethnic groups, languages, climate, and FOOD. Here are some pics.
Dad and Gen on the train to Meknes.
Dad and I at our Ryad (refurbished large homes used as hotels) in Meknes. The skyline was absolutely breathtaking, but it was bit difficult to photograph with people in the picture.
These two shots are from Volubilis; an ancient Roman city just north of Meknes that during Roman times was one of the southern-most posts for the Roman empire. The ruins and mosaics were cool, but what was cooler was the location - nestled in the mountains and with olive groves all around. The ruins were also right next to Moulay Idriss, one of the holy sites for the Tidjaani sect of Muslims (many of whom are in Sénégal).
Moroccan tea. Amazing. Very sweet, very minty with a lot of fresh mint, and incredibly hot. Similar to Senegalese attaaya (mint tea), but less strong and much more enjoyable when it isn't sweltering outside and you actually need something hot to warm you up.
Babouches!! Those who know me know my dangerous addiction to shoes (it nearly rivals my love for food) and babouches (these pointy-toed shoes in the background made from leather) were everywhere. I may or may not have purchased 12 pairs, but I can proudly say that only one pair were for me and the rest for friends in Sénégal. I'm such a good friend.
Monkeys! To be more precise: barbary apes. These guys are found in the cedar forests in the Atlas Mountains. They are pretty well domesticated now because tourists can buy and feed them peanuts, but I still had a lot of fun pretending to be a monkey.
After a week in Morocco, the three of us came back to Dakar for a few days. My Dad and Gen met my host Rotary club at one of their meetings, as well as just about every other person I know in Dakar. And everyone fed us too. Needless to say, they left very full.
My Dad was in Senegal last time over 20 years ago. When there, on the island of Gorée he met a lovely woman who showed him around the island and talked to him about the history of the place. This woman owned a restaurant, one that is still there on Gorée, though she no longer is living. But here children were there and were incredibly touched by Dad's story, as we were. This is a picture with this woman's children and us outside her restaurant.
Dad and I outside Hotel Miramar, the hotel Dad stayed in over 20 years ago.
Now the rest of the photos will be unashamedly about food.
Moroccan soup! Called harira, I had every chance I could get. Super cheap, hot and delicious, I am determined to figure out how to make it.
This was the first food I bought in Morocco. A pomegranate, whole-grain baguette, 1kilo of olives, and 3 persimmons, all for about 25 duram, so about $3.50. I was happy.
Our first breakfast in Casa. A beautiful, French spread with canned eggplant of all things that was a passed-down recipe from the woman who owned the B&B. They were sweet, spicy, and super flavorful and I was mildly annoyed she wouldn't give me the recipe.
This was one of my favorite experiences in Morocco. We were in Moulay Idriss and wanted olive oil, so we stopped at one of the olive presses and got a tour. The giant heaps of olives on the left are curing in salt, and the blue tubs are filled with olive oil. Someone ran out and found us a 2L bottle, and I got to smuggle fresh olive oil (which tastes so go) into Senegal for about $8. I was very, very happy.
Moroccan crepes for breakfast.
Moroccan salads. That what was always on the menu, but that was just not enough words to describe the colors and spices.
Tajine world! These conical pots are used to make the dish also called tajine, which can be any variety of meats, vegetables, or fruits even slow cooked in these guys for at least 3 hours. We went to an outdoor market place where they are made and I picked one out to try using in Senegal.
Kefta! Grilled ground meat kebabs we got at a "truck stop" with our wonderful driver Abdel on our way to Marakech. This totally beats gas station food in the U.S. Plus, food in Morocco is served with salt and cumin instead of salt and pepper. What an amazing idea.
Moroccan persimmons. I may or may not have purchased 1/2 kilo and ate them all in one day (about 10).
Another Moroccan breakfast in one of our other Ryads. With olives.
This is the tajine, much less pretty once we had already dived into it, but still delicious. Couscous with layered vegetables, chicken and saffron. Yum!
