Day 2 - Rabat, Fez and Belly Dancing!

We arrived in Fez this afternoon, after a morning orientation and lunch in Rabat. We had lunch at one of the host families’ houses. It was a huge house, but a huge house is Morocco is not measured by width but by length (meaning its so high it goes up like 5 stories). The ceiling (which I hear is common in Moroccan homes and hotels) is open, so I’m not too sure what happens when it rains. We were served at two round tables and given one large pan full of couscous, chicken and vegetables all boiled together. We each got a large spoon and were told to dig in. There were no plates or other silverware, so we literally took spoonful’s of chicken.  For dessert we were given a large bowl of fruit (different melons) in the same fashion. After we went into another room (which we had to take our shoes off before entering) and were given mint tea. THERE IS TEA EVERYWHERE. I’ve already had tea like 5 times and I have been here 2 days.. it’s like their thing. So anyway we had tea and crackers in front of the television (which is also common here). I also experienced my first non-western toilet. It was a hole in the ground of a tiled floor and there was obviously no toilet paper (so luckily I came prepared with a pack of tissues).

Then we got on 2 hour bus ride to Fez. We are currently staying at a beautiful “riad” which is like a villa. Our room is beautiful. It has decorative windows, lamps, tables, chairs, and a beautiful bathroom (although the shower is only a faucet). 13 of us went out into the Medina here to check it out…which was QUITE an experience. First of all it was very difficult to stay in a group of 13 when the walls are so narrow and the streets are so crowded. We literally could not take 2 steps without some guys coming up to us and cat-calling us. We were followed by so many men trying to take us to their tannery or “show us the way home”. A little 10 year old boy stayed with us for 35 minutes trying to get us to come to his fathers tannery. The shops and stuff were cool but it was so crowded and hot that we all just wanted to get out of there after the first 10 minutes. It took us another hour before we made it out. Luckily one girl on my program spent the summer in Fez on another program so she knew where we were going. The streets are also extremely steep so we were walking in a group of 13 girls, uphill, in the 95-degree heat and crowded streets getting touched and catcalled at…for over an hour. By the time we found our Riad I had never wanted to sit down so much in my life. Luckily my room as A/C (which is rare in Morocco)

Now I am full as can be. Just had the most amazing Moroccan meal at a real Moroccan (but kinda touristy) restaurant with lots of music and belly dancing!! We had 5 courses, which of course ended with tea. We ordered Moroccan wine which I think is much better than American wine..and now I am about to pass out!