Morocco
Every once in a while a country captures you. To be honest Europe to me is "easy." You can get around using English and Europe has enough similarities to the United States that living is relatively easy. I used to think that was the way to travel so you don't end up in difficult situations, but I've switched. Give me adversity in a different culture. This has manifested itself in my love of travel in Asia and South America. I never had a significant interest in going to Northern Africa or the Middle East, but that's all changed after this trip. While living in Spain, I ventured down to Morocco and fell in love with the region. Even getting down there was difficult with the airlines overselling our seats and stuck in the airport for an entire day. I also didn't check with the Taxi driver how much it cost beforehand, and he promptly asked for about 2x the normal price when I was dropped off at my hotel. Lesson learned.
Not to be perturbed, I ventured into the Medina or market square in Marrakesh soon upon landing. I arrived at night and the square was lively with shows, acts, and vendors everywhere. The culture could not be more different with Muslim prayers over the loud speakers from a bell tower every few hours. Several circles were around the Medina with different shows going on such as an 8 piece band I actually got to play with! Others were story tellers and magicians. What made it special is I think I saw maybe one other tourist there. It truly felt like a different world and I'm thankful I got to experience it. It's hard to describe but playing an instrument in the band was one of the most surreal experiences. I felt like I'd transported another planet, but we made new friends and didn't want the night to end.
The next day was a highlight of the trip. I won't bury the lede so we ended up doing a camel ride in the evening. It was one of the better experiences of my life. The experience was serene. Although we were more in the rocky area of the desert, the geography was so different than anything I've experienced. We had a guide drive us a few hours outside of town and then proceeded to hang in a tent in the desert and enjoyed some tea. We hung out with our guide and camel herders while savoring the moment. After enjoying some tea we got on our camels and had a caravan with some other travelers. Watching the herder gather the camels was interesting as these animals were his livelihood. His life revolves around living with them and taking care of them in the desert. The desert at sunset was unbelievable with hues I've never seen before. I've heard camels are an uncomfortable ride, but I found them very easy and enjoyable. The ride was pleasant and got some great photos. Moments like this make it fun to be alive.
Afterwards we went back to the tent at sundown and enjoyed a traditional Moroccan dinner of what they call Tangine's. The meat was delicious and incredible considering how remote we were in the desert. The moments after dinner I won't be able to do justice, but we sat inside the tent in a pitch black night under a beautiful moon. We sat with our camel herder and our tour guide scrolling through pictures and videos we took during the camel ride. We took a lot of funny pictures such as me trying to put a hat on my camel that pitched a hissy fit after. The camel herder laughed for what seemed like 30 minutes as we scrolled through my pictures. Although he knew no English, communicating through pictures and humor created a unique moment I'll never forget. Our tour guide is obviously paid on creating enjoyable experiences, but was one of the nicer people I've come across. I've come to appreciate it more that there are always good people in any corner of the world despite any preconceived notions.
In the morning I went to a Moroccan Hammam. A Hammam is a fancy word for a Turkish spa, but the culture around it is interesting. The Muslim/Moroccan culture from at least what we were told bathe once in a week in a Hammam. Most of the citizens do it in public baths where you bring your own bucket and soap while someone harshly scrubs you and exfoliates some skin. Then a soap/mud is applied and you sit for a bit. We opted for an official/nice spa. I'm not a big spa guy, but I'll be honest it was pretty great. We had a 3-step process where we went into a sauna where someone scrubs you, another steam room, a tub, and then a massage. Not too shabby! I could get used to it. It made me wonder why it's not more popular in the U.S. but perhaps health code is a bit more difficult.
The next day during daylight the square was lined with a 100+ food stalls, snake charmers, chained monkeys (which were sad to see), and other spectacles. The Medina wrapped around the center of the city and could get lost for several hours. We ended up buying some local shirts for our future camel adventure. The markets had incredible leather goods although it was a little difficult to decipher the high quality goods from the lesser quality.
Another day we took a 3 hour ride to a waterfall outside of town. It was beautiful with several large waterfalls where you took a little row boat underneath. The path was lined with several monkeys at the entrance that were looking for peanuts or to steal your hat/sunglasses. I actually had a very friendly monkey that sat on my shoulder for almost a good minute. The geography in Morocco was immaculate and differentiated from what I'm used to. It made me want to explore more of the country. We also went to one of their gardens known as "Le Jardin Secret" that was randomly sponsored by Yves Saint Laurent the famous fashion designer. Another staple of Morrocan culture is the vast gardens that are immaculate. The tranquility and beauty created an interesting place to meditate while resting. Moments of reflection have been a staple on this trip and have allowed me to relax and think more clearly. This is something I've continued to focus on and think will allow me to think more critically at work and in my personal life.
Spain
Spain always seem to be one of the top places for Americans to visit and it's hard to not see why. Spain has a plethora of culture, food, and beauty. The people were extremely friendly although taught me a lot about slowing down. Everything shuts down several times during the day and it's even hard to find a place to eat during certain hours. The food was incredible enjoying several tasting menus where the chefs essentially created works of art. The architecture in Spain is simply some of the most gorgeous I've ever seen and even office buildings are a marvel to behold.
I stayed primarily in Valencia, which although I was unfamiliar with going on this trip ended up being of the more beautiful sites I've ever seen. The architecture was majestic on every corner and their Art & Sciences area was simply one of the most stunning man-made structures I've ever seen. Unsurprisingly it took over a decade to build and caused several protests along the way with the people believing the government was wasting taxpayers money. It's made me appreciate America a little more despite our crazy politics in recent years, I think we do a decent job comparatively. This came to fruition as I was going to go to Barcelona but riots and protests broke out, so we decided to go to another place.
I journeyed around Spain for a bit and found some amazing smaller towns with significant history. Before I journeyed down to Morocco I stopped in Seville and Granada that were spectacles in southern Spain. The architecture was some of the most stunning I've ever seen and learned a ton about the culture. I had never realized how much Moorish influence was in southern Spain after several Moor raids conquered the areas. They brought palm trees to the areas they conquered leading southern Spain to have palm trees everywhere with more Muslim architecture creating a significantly different environment than I had seen in the likes of Valencia/Madrid/Barcelona.
Seville and Granada have some of the most toured areas in Europe with the Alhambra in Granada and the Royal Alcazar in Seville. We toured both and the pictures don't do it justice. The palaces the Moors built and then later conquered by Christians created some of the most interesting architecture I've ever seen. The focus on detail while creating pleasant gardens were a sight to behold. I continue to be amazed by how much culture from hundreds of years ago dictates the current personalities of these destinations.
Again I continue to appreciate that interactions with people and learning new things are some of the most important aspects in life. I had the pleasure of 5 family members coming to visit Spain and it was a great reminder how important family is. My family doesn't get out of the country much so it was a great experience to host them in another country. I think I even got them to get out of their comfort zone while we tried some local cuisines. The group I'm surrounded with continues to surprise me and I constantly learn from them. I'm making new friends in every country that come from different walks of life and unique jobs/skill sets.
Some things I'm thinking about:
- Sustainability continues to be top of mind for me and how we can improve. We encountered a sushi restaurant that charges you extra if you leave any sushi on your plate to insist you don't over order and waste any fish. It's definitely made me more conscious of waste and how we can improve.
- Culture is hard to change. My family and I went to a bullfight in Madrid, which I was against going in the first place but they thought it would be good to experience some culture. Most of us left after the first bullfight and the rest left after the second. I knew it was brutal going into it, but I had no idea how bad it is. The bulls don't stand a chance, which I previously thought it was more 1x1 vs. a matador. It's anything but. Interesting after talking to many locals, most of them were against it. Apparently it depends on the political party in charge whether they are even legal and a lot of arenas change whether they kill the bull or not. Madrid is one of the most traditional of the bunch, so it's difficult for them to change.
- Muslim culture fascinated me and I fell in love with Morocco. I never thought I would be interested in that part of the world, but I'm already planning where I want to go next. Egypt has crept up on my list along with others such as Jordan, Oman, and others. I'm excited to learn more despite a culture I was originally less interested in.
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