A Moroccan Riad.

Many homes in the medinas of Morocco are unassuming from the outside, led to by a door from a narrow street. Once inside, there is often an open courtyard with a fountain and a garden of sorts. They are called Riads, which means home or palace. We stayed in Riads in Marrakech and Fez, because I suppose that is just where people stay when they visit Morocco. It was an inexpensive and beautiful living arrangement that even included breakfast each morning with four different kinds of bread, two kinds of fresh squeezed juice, the famous Moroccan mint tea, eggs, and cheese. More food than any two people could ever eat in one sitting. We really did feel like we were living in a palace.

This was the Riad we stayed at in Fez, and that last photo was the view out of the window of our room.

Fez, Morocco.

We liked Fez more than Marrakech. It was a little calmer, cooler, and easier to navigate, but just as unique and beautiful. I especially loved the views of the city, the narrow streets, the completely different culture, and the breathtaking architecture around every corner. Morocco is a gem. 

The one thing that really stood out to me from our time in Morocco is how much people are shaped by the culture they are born into. In the United States, it seems that we have this belief that we get to choose our life- our religion, our career, where we want to live, etc. But in other places, such as Morocco, life is often set out before people, and it is theirs to live into. I realize this is a grand generalization, but in our conversations with people, it seemed that many followed the culture of  their family, practiced Islam, and rarely left the area they grew up in. Islam is such a part of their culture, with the call to prayer announced five times daily, the fast of Ramadan (which is to come in July) affecting the daily lives of everyone in the medina and country; their religion is their identity. Most of them wouldn't think of the possibility of denying their faith, moving away, or being far from family. It was an interesting perspective to juxtapose with ours in the United States. It left me wondering: Is there really any part of our culture in the United States that we are raised with which is sacred to us, or does whatever path we choose along the way become sacred? And how is it that people in our society come to see their chosen path as universally correct, even for those who live in a completely different culture? How is it that once many people choose their path, they began to see all others as a negative deviant of what is truth or morality?

Just one naive traveler's jumbled thoughts. 

Marrakech, Morocco.

The entire first day we spent in Morocco, these words repeatedly ran through my head: this is the craziest place I have ever been. Hearing the call to prayer five times a day over the speakers of mosque minarets, receiving constant attention from shopkeepers trying to sell things, experiencing the busy square of Marrakech (that never sleeps but always contains snakes, monkeys, musicians, and endless food vendors), and exploring the winding streets that cannot be navigated via map. It is the most chaotic of places, but we have grown to love Morocco in the short time we have been here, in the same way we do every other country that we have been to. We are given a glimpse into a people and a culture different from our own, reminding us again that there is a common humanity we all share, and yet the dissimilarities are what makes this world a beautiful place to explore.

We ate snails at midnight...

...from a street vendor, in the midst of people that never seem to sleep. A midnight snack after watching Spain beat Portugal in shoot outs during the semi-final of the Euro Cup, which is extra exciting for us, because we will be in Spain for the Euro Cup final. 

We are in Morocco, and I guess we are doing as Moroccans do? Eating snails, in this most chaotic of places, where we have spent more time lost on the winding streets, than we have found where we are going.