Travelogue: Morocco Part 1 (Dec 2019)

We took a G Adventures tour this time because frankly, I was tired from planning and wanted to hit up as many cities in Morocco as possible. This itinerary was quite hectic with lots of traveling in between but we met so many like-minded travelers who made the trip so much more fun!

Casablanca was the meeting point for the group. We flew in and explored the area a little bit on our own.

Our first meal in Morocco — of course we had to have tagine! The couscous were so fluffy and tasty, like no other couscous I’ve had before. Mint tea was amazing, and it was only the first of many to come…

A few of us went to a local bar and drank “Casablanca” beers. It reminded me of Cuba, very old school and smoky.

The next day we drove to the Roman ruins of Volubilis, an UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Throughout our trip, we had a lot of olives — which I normally dislike but I loved them here. We enjoyed a homecooked meal here in a village called Mhaya.

Next, we went to Fes, or Fez.

You can easily get lost in the medina as you can see from this panoramic view…

Onto the medina!

Lots of food and crafts.

I learned that green is a symbolic color for Islam.

Every meal came with a “salad” spread — small dishes before the main dish that usually included some plates of vegetables, beans, bread, etc.

This pastilla was easily my favorite food in Morocco — it’s a savory pastry. The outside was crispy and inside full of meat. SO good.

Next, we visited the tannery where leather jackets and bags and shoes were made and sold. You can bargain too!

It smelled because of the pigeon poop they used to soak your leather goods in… they even gave us sprigs of mint leaves to cover up the lovely scent.

Stopped by a buffet on the way to the desert…

Our hotel was located in the middle of the desert in Merzouga.

Sand dunes are my favorite.

We rode camels into the dunes for sunset.

Ate dinner in a tent.

After dinner, we sat outside around a campfire and listened to drummers and danced along. It was absolutely beautiful.

The next morning, a few of us woke up early to catch the sunrise.

We then visited a local family.

More drumming and dancing! I loved it!!!!! This was in a village called Khamlia where they played Gnawa music for us.

To be continued…