Mystical Morocco

390 miles traveled by train.  3 cities visited.  10 pounds added to my weight.  Morocco was one hell of a port. 

Our whirlwind tour of the Northeast tip of Africa was incredible.  Kelly and I were determined to make the most of our last port and I think we were pretty successful.  We visited the cities of Marrakesh and Rabat on back to back days by train, riding 2^nd class but having a 1^st class experience. 

Marrakesh was over a 3 hour train ride from Casablanca but well worth the travel.  We left early in the morning on Friday arriving around noon.  Sadly we only spent 5 hours exploring the gateway city to the Sahara desert but the exotic vibe of the city was very prevalent.  An oasis at the base of the High Atlas Mountains, Marrakesh truly is a jewel of the Islamic world.  It is home to a Medina with a huge square featuring snake charmers, story tellers and hawkers selling lanterns, tea pots and fresh orange juice.  The maze of reed-covered bazaars and narrow alleyways made me feel like I was living out a scene from Aladdin and the 40 Thieves.  I was never sure what was around the next corner and we got turned around so many times I was beginning to wonder if we’d ever make it out.  I loved every minute of it. 

Unfortunately we weren’t able to see the tumultuous square during the evening because we caught the evening train back to Casablanca but the train ride was an experience in its own right.  On the way there we rode in a passenger compartment that felt straight out of Trading Places.  There was an older Arabic woman, a father and son and another Arab gentleman who were very pleasant.  We didn’t have much of a conversation because of the language barrier but it was interesting to see how the two strangers interacted with the young boy who they didn’t seem to know but fondly played with and helped entertain. 

Our train ride back to Casablanca was a different kind of ride.  We made the train with less than a minute to spare before departure and we were counting our blessing to not have to wait the two hours for the next train.  What we didn’t realize was that there would be no seats like on the way there and the train was packed with passengers carrying what seemed like their entire life’s belongings.  You see they never really sellout second class in Morocco, they just pack you in.  We spent part of the trip standing in an area between the train cars, part sitting on the floor in a nook behind some seats and then again crowded in a hallway outside the bathroom.  It may sound awful but the time went by really quickly and the people watching was well worth the ticket. 

The people on the train were all very nice and helped us figure out where we were going since we couldn’t understand the announcements.  This being my first trip to a Muslim country I wasn’t sure what kind of reception we would receive.  I’ve never subscribed to the “evil Muslim” stereotype some people try to use to divide the world but being the obvious tourist we are we still stick out.  Every person we interacted with on our trip was wonderful.  From the old woman who offered Kelly here granddaughter’s sweatshirt to sit on when we were stuck sitting on the train floor to the guy who walked us to the Medina when we were lost and trying to decipher our map. 

Traveling is a wonderful opportunity to get out there and see that people are generally good and we shouldn’t let the media and the actions of a few crazies generalize an entire population.  Or to put it more poetically, “Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends”. - Maya Angelou