Warm greetings to all from Morocco! Warm is right… It’s roasting outside! But I’ve been running around town with cotton from head to toe.
Today I was walking back from the congres past the mosque beside out riad, with a shawl over my head and sunglasses… My most blending in attire. A man shouted at me in French, “bonjour madam! Today you are Muslim; yesterday you were not! I am confused!” I laughed, and replied I was simply showing respect. Obviously, the locals keep a bit of an eye on the tourists for him to notice my garb.
So Marrakech is as I remember, but also very different. It’s not as busy or exotic as I remember.. But honestly, my first trip here was my first trip to Africa. So in comparison to, say, Ethiopia, it’s neat, tidy, and dare I say, somewhat westernized. However, Marrakech is also as I remember. Full of food, extremely friendly people, and with beautiful design in every doorway and tile. It’s a sensual voyage just to walk down the street.
I had to get some photocopies made this morning, and I sat in a cafe-restaurant while I waited for the elderly gentleman to lay each piece of paper on the glass and push the button 15 times. Jason is laughing at me, writing this… But seriously, I have developed a lot of patience working in Ethiopia! So I sat in the cafe, and took unobtrusive pictures of the mechanic shop across the street, the passerby, and even the canaries singing blythly about my head.
I drugged Jason with melatonin last night, and he is apparently a complete lightweight. He was so groggy this morning, he went back to bed after I hauled him to breakfast upstairs. This afternoon I went to see a friends’ presentation (and a few others) at the congres, and now Jay and I are going out to do touristy things. Now that he’s awake.
Mostly, he says.
I’ve been doing fine in French, now that my head is in it. The presentations today we in Spanish, French, and English, so my friend is translating my materials into Spanish for me, and I’m speaking in Franglais in true Canadian fashion on Wednesday. I don’t mean the lazy melange of the two.. But switching back and forth! I’ll have to do some vocab research before then, though!
À demain!
Jason’s first tangine.
The restaurant’s ceiling…
The breakfast, sunning and top floor of the riad.
At our riad.. Our bedroom is on the second floor.
Our neighbourhood.. We are right beside a mosque, and hear the prayers starting at 3:30am!
The bedroom lantern… It’s probably four feet tall!
The tea and sweets I am eagerly consuming as I write this post.
Hi form mommy! To my girls!!
