Last weekend was another great time in Morocco. I went on the ALIF (Arabic Language Institute) Camel Trek. I had considered not going, as I have already been once, and it was such an amazing experience that I didn't want to try and top it, but several of my friends from the villa (where I live) were going, and so I decided to go with them. Even though we did relatively the same things, this trip was entirely different from the last, and I'm very glad I went. I mean, it's the Sahara...what was I thinking not going again? lol.
We started the trip packed into a bus. The group was about 20 strong, and there were definitely some interesting personalities that came along. But I just put in my ipod, and off we went on the five hour ride to our first hotel. The kasbah (fortress) we were staying at was amazingly beautiful. It had been restored into a quite luxurious resort complete with pool (indoor and outdoor), sauna, jacuzzi, and buffet. The buffet was the most dangerous part. I am ashamed at how much I ate. lol And of course the eating didn't stop once we left because we just went to another hotel the next morning where we had tea and lunch before heading off on our camels. Needless to say, I'm still recovering from a weekend that felt a bit like a neverending Thanksgiving.
The camel ride was 2 hours into the dunes. We ended at the tallest dune for miles just in time for the sunset. It took us 20 excruciating minutes to climb it, but once we got to the top, it was entirely worth all the pain and effort. We were able to watch the sun set and moon rise basically simultaneously. It was breathtaking. Plus, it was a full moon, and it was also the closest it will be to earth for the next 200 years or something, so it was definitely a once in a lifetime experience. The moon was so bright the whole night that there was absolutely no need for lanterns or flashlights.
We were served a traditional Berber dinner and then set up our beds under the stars where we slept with two very warm blankets and all the layers of clothing that we had. It got quite chilly over night, but under the blankets, it was perfect.
The next morning we woke up at 5:30 am to watch the sunrise. We did not reclimb the dune, but we were on the eastern side of it, so the view was still perfect. After sunrise, we got back on the camels, trekked back to the hotel to another delicious breakfast buffet, then loaded back into the vans for our long ride home.
It's pretty hard to believe I've already been here basically an entire month. At the close of the this week I only have two weeks left of school before term ends and I head off to Ireland to meet Shannah.
I absolutely love it here, and I am going to miss my routine a lot.I really do feel like I just got here, and I'm going to miss all my friends at the villa, but at the same time, I feel like six weeks was the perfect amount of time to stay. Not so long that I start to feel restless, but just long enough to truly miss it. I think what I'm going to miss most are my friends at the veggie market. The three old men I buy my nuts, fruit, and veggies from are adorable and have been so patient with me learning all the different names for things. They have also taken to giving me free food whenever I pass. Just yesterday, I wasn't even buying any nuts, but I was given three dates just for dropping by to say hi. The people are just so incredibly generous here, and it's something I still have trouble getting used to sometimes. It's also something that is going to seem so obviously absent when I get home. Even if people can't help you here, they still try. Sometimes, as in the case of giving directions, you don't end up exactly where you wanted to go, but there is always another person waiting to give you a hand. It's a very beautiful part of their cultulre that I hope doesn't ever change.
