First Time To Africa!

May 2024

With the Portugal segment of our trip complete, we jumped on a flight and before we knew it our plane touched down in Morocco and we took our first steps on the continent of Africa! We maneuvered through small alleys to our riad (a hotel located in a traditional Moroccan home) and got our first glimpse of Marrakesh. We were nervously excited and had a feeling that the next two weeks would be nothing short of memorable.

With google maps in hand, we stepped out into the bustling streets of Marrakesh where we promptly got lost. We wandered the alleys of the medina (old city) and took in the sights and smells of the carpet souk, spice souk, pottery souk, and basket souk (souks are open-air street markets). In between souks we sipped tea, sought out shade at a nearby madrasa (old university known for its impressive architecture), and tried not to get run over by both motorbikes and donkeys. After a few hours our senses were overstimulated in the best way!

For dinner we headed to Jemaa el-Fna market, one of the largest outdoor food markets in Africa. We spent the next hour dodging persistent vendors, avoiding the men holding large snakes (no thank you), and trying not to lose each other in the crowd. We sat on metal stools and slurped snails (a local delicacy) straight out of their shell. Corbin ate quite a few while Tatum tried one and decided that was enough. We ended the day at a rooftop restaurant, eating chicken tagine and couscous while watching the sun set over the buzzing market. 

Next, we joined an organized tour that traveled east towards the Sahara Desert. We jumped on the bus, introduced ourselves to our fellow travelers, left the city behind and were soon surrounded by the impressive Atlas mountains. We spent the next two days traveling while making pit stops at mountain viewpoints, small villages, an oasis, and even a cheesy (but fun) shop where we dressed in Moroccan garb and Tatum got henna tattoos. One highlight was touring the small clay/straw hut villages where we had local guides teach us about Berber history and culture; we were fascinated by their nomadic caravan lifestyle and traditions (probably because we could relate to being on the move all the time hehe).

After two fun (but hot) days on the bus, we made it to our final (and even hotter) destination... the Sahara Desert! Feeling giddy, we hopped on camels and headed into the orange hills of sand. The dramatic and harsh landscape blew us away (as did the wind) and we did our best to soak up every second. After a quick sandboarding session (and wipeout for Corbin) we rode our camels to a desert camp where we spent the last night of our tour dancing to the beat of drums near a bonfire (we felt like we were back at summer camp!). 

What's better than one night in a desert camp? Two! We said goodbye to the tour and spent the day escaping the heat at a pool before ANOTHER evening camel ride into the dunes. This ride was special because it was just the two of us and a warm-hearted Berber guide. We enjoyed the serenity of the desert and heel clicked as the sun set over the dunes. We arrived at our 'luxury' desert camp and spent the evening star gazing and relaxing in our canvas tent. 

Our evenings in the desert truly felt like a once in a lifetime experience and became the highlight of our time in Morocco. If you ever get a chance to go, do it!

After a busy first week in Morocco, we decided to slow down and spend 4 days in the city of Fez. Mornings were spent relaxing and working in our riad and afternoons were spent exploring the city. Fez's medina is a maze of winding clay alleys filled with carpet shops, mosques, food markets, and leather tanneries. Day after day we were blown away by the hospitality of the locals... we were told "marhaba" (which means "welcome") by smiling locals with a hand on their heart countless times while walking in the medina.

Two experiences in particular stood out during our time in Fez... the first being a tour of a tannery. The tanneries are where leather is prepared/dyed before being sewed into various products. They are colorful, humbling to visit because of the intense labor involved, and extremely smelly! The tanneries are pungent because workers soak the cow hides in pigeon poop as part of the 'prep'. Luckily, our guide gave us mint leaves to hold to our noses to mask the smell. 

The second experience that stood out was a unique lunch. We decided to grab a snack at a shop where locals were eating. The owner of the small restaurant was so excited we wanted to eat at his shop that he began bringing bowl after bowl of food to us. If you finished a dish... He would just bring more! We didn't want to appear ungrateful or rude, so we just kept eating! It was delicious and needless to say we did not leave hungry. Speaking of food... guys, we ate well in Morocco! Some of our favorites were chicken tagine, almond and chicken pastilla, and harira (a hearty tomato lentil soup).

Our last stop in Morocco was the "blue city" of Chefchaouen. This small town is nestled in the mountains in northern Morocco and is famous for it's blue colored buildings, stairways, and streets. You might be thinking, 'why is the city blue?' and although there is some debate most believe the the blue represents the color of the sky and heaven in Jewish culture. A large number of Jewish refugees fled to this area during WWII. In Chefchaouen we spent our time hiking to viewpoints, strolling the blue photo worthy streets, and playing cribbage while sipping on mint tea.

Wowza... that's a wrap. Let's just say that our time in Morocco exceeded expectations. We found the people to be welcoming, the landscape to be diverse and breathtaking, and the culture to be colorful. Can't wait to see what our next African adventure looks like. 

With Love,

   Boots Abroad

Corbin’s

   Highs: The Oasis Berber Village, riding camels in the Sahara Desert, the kind locals, the very local lunch

   Lows: shop owners trying to get you to buy, the smell of the tanneries

Tatum’s

   Highs: time in the desert, souks of Marrakesh, experiencing a completely different culture, yummy food!

   Lows: dealing with the heat, getting sick on the way to Fez, very persistent vendors at times

Bloopers... Expectations vs. Reality:

Tatum booked a riad in the heart of Fez which had a stunning rooftop. We envisioned ourselves sipping coffee, playing cards, and watching sunsets on said rooftop.

The reality was it smelled like SHIT.

Remember those tanneries where they use pigeon poop...we found out where they keep the pigeons.