It's time for Africa

It's been a few weeks since I got back to Salamanca and I'm still having trouble finding the words to describe my 5 day excursion to Morocco. It was the most amazing, life changing, eye opening trip. For years I have wanted to go to Morocco but let other people's opinions dissuade me. People said it was dangerous especially as a woman but I was intent on seeing for myself. Finally, I found a guided tour and figured safety in numbers right? So I signed up for a 5 day excursion to explore Morocco, ride camels and camp in the Sahara Desert. Seeing as I was travelling for almost  3 weeks before I arrived in Salamanca I really didn't have time to think about my upcoming trip to Africa. However, once it was a week away, my nerves started to get the better of me. It's a new continent, new language, new culture, will I be safe? The opinions of others started to get into my head, and then on the first day of classes I learned that my school doesn't give us Easter week off. I would be missing three classes to go on this excursion, the perfect excuse to cancel and get my money back!

And I ALMOST did it..I almost cancelled the trip of a lifetime because I was afraid to leave my comfort zone. In the end, the manager convinced me that it was the trip of a lifetime, that it would be an amazing experience and that I would regret it if I didn't go. I AM SO GLAD I LISTENED! The country, the people I met, and the things I experienced were something I will remember all of my life.

Our group met at 5 am in Seville and drove two hours to the ferry. Although I was exhausted I was so excited to get on a new continent and see Africa for the first time! Getting on the ferry and going through the customs was a bit of a nightmare,  but travel is never easy. Once we stepped off the ferry though it was entirely worth it, we were in Africa! We drove to a restaurant where we had our first Moroccan meal and it was absolutely amazing.

 After lunch we got back on the bus and a local guide gave us a tour of the beautiful capital city Rabat.

After lunch we got back in the van to drive all the way down to Meknes. It was a long drive but it was amazing to take in the scenery. That night after dinner we were all pretty exhausted after such a long day of travel so we just passed out. The next morning we were off again! We drove a few hours then stopped in a local park where there are wild monkeys!

It's somewhat of a tourist trap so the monkeys are used to people so you can get pretty close! I even got to feed one of them which was a highlight of the trip! After our stop with the monkeys we had another long drive ahead of us but we made it fun! Our driver and tour guide let us listen to our favorite music as we drove through some of the most spectacular landscapes I've ever seen.

After endless hours in the van we finally got to the Desert! We all received a typical Moroccan tea and then switched to 4X4's that drove us through the Desert to our resort! 

That night we arrived at our resort and had the most amazing buffet of Moroccan food. After dinner the hotel workers played the drums for us and taught us Moroccan dances! It was so much fun to see their culture first hand! The next day I woke up and I couldn't believe my eyes..when I looked out my window I could see the Sahara Desert and camels right outside! (The night before it was dark when we arrived) It was so surreal! That morning a local guide gave us a tour of a little desert town and showed us how they get water etc. 

While other people were doing an ATV tour we decided to have a photo shoot then hang out by the pool! 

And then came the moment I had been waiting months for! CAMEL RIDES! We all took a day pack, loaded up our camels and we were off to camp in the desert! 

I have to be honest, riding a camel for two hours was NOT very comfortable but it was one of the coolest things I have ever done in my life. We rode two hours into the desert until we came to our camp. There were little bungalows with cots which were alot nicer than I had expected.  

That night we were served traditional Moroccan food and it was the best meal I had. After dinner we sat around a campfire under the full moon and danced and listened to the workers playing the drum. Later we dragged our beds out of the tent so we could sleep under the stars. Although I woke up at 5 am sure I was freezing to death it was the most incredible experience! An hour later we woke up to hike a sand dune and watch the sunrise, another incredible and unforgettable experience!

Before it got too hot we rode our camels back to the resort and started our way back up to Spain. It took another couple of days to get back up to the border but we made some pretty cool stops along the way. We stopped again in Meknes and had a tour of the city and the market place which was really cool to see! 

After our afternoon in the market it was time to go back to Tangier to take the ferry home. As we drove I reflected on the last five days. I thought about the amazing people I met, the incredible experiences I had and I couldn't believe that I almost didn't come. And that's when I realized; living in fear is no way to live. People have ideas and opinions about places like Morocco but the truth is they are just ideas. Most people have never been there and they just fear the unknown. I never once felt unsafe and was shocked by how kind and welcoming the Moroccan people were. Morocco is an incredible place with so much culture and so much to see. I have learned that if you are respectful of the culture and make an effort to speak the language you will be rewarded. I know that many people have stereotypes about Muslim countries and maybe they have stereotypes about Americans. But after this trip, I believe the only way to overcome this barrier is to visit these countries and show them that you are different. Embrace the culture, immerse yourself and be the change. I will be forever thankful for this trip, for the lessons, the amazing people I met, and most of all for the experiences I had which will truly last a lifetime!