Four hours in Paris was just enough to get a taste of France, let exhaustion settle in, and locate my ELF partner in crime, Wendy, who will be working as a fellow in Oujda, Morocco this year. We boarded our flight to Rabat, and, after determining that we are both equally clueless about what we will be doing this year, we settled in for the final leg of our trek to Rabat.
After getting our luggage, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the Rabat Airport was a sea of quiet and calm (everyone waits outside for arriving passengers).We exited the cool airport and got an overcast and warm welcome from Morocco. We were greeted and whisked away by our Regional English Language Officer, her assistant, and a driver from the embassy. We quickly found ourselves in the centre of Rabat, with tall white buildings, lots of traffic (cars not motorbikes!), and and palm trees. The driver deposited us at Hotel Rabat, where, at last, I was overcome with the sense that I had finally arrived in Morocco. Inside the lobby, we were surrounded by dark wood, colorful patterns, and the mixed scents of cigarette smoke, incense, and spices. We had arrived.
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| Hotel Rabat Elevator |
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| Hotel Rabat |
Mint tea was poured. I relished the first taste of the Moroccan social beverage and was pleasantly surprised to discover a warm, tasty, sweet drink that I will be happy to enjoy at every social occasion. We checked in to our rooms, and, after a quick look around, I tried my best to take a nap. Jet lag doesn't like naps, so I rationalized that I would force myself to get up before dark and get out for some food. The traffic outside and my growling stomach kept me on track, and I made it out by 6:00 for my first glimpse of Rabat.
I quickly noticed that the savy pedestrian skills I gained in Vietnam will be useful here. An aggressive approach with a mental prayer seems to be the way to go when crossing traffic. The one major difference is that cars, rather than motorbikes, make up the bulk of the traffic in Rabat. I wandered past a park, saw my first snail vendor, found a modern square with trendy cafes, and ventured inside the walls of the medina. Without a map, I was reluctant to get myself hopelessly lost, so I resisted the urge to explore the alleys deep inside the medina. I skirted the outside edges and saw, heard, and smelled just enough to confirm the vision of Morocco I have been imagining since May.
Once I managed to navigate my way back out of the medina, I headed back to a restaurant in the modern square where I found both WIFI and my first chicken tagine - a traditional Moroccan dish with delicious spices, potatoes, olives and chunks of lemon. At the end of day one, I am feeling satisfied, excited by the possibilities, and ready for some deep sleep and Moroccan dreams.
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| Hotel Rabat |
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| Chicken Tagine |
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