The Story

Adam Farrar Updates from Morocco!

Oct. 28, 2008 | By Adam Farrar, DSJ International Correspondent

Greetings once more from Morocco! The latest adventure this semester was 'Eid al-Fitr Break,’ the holiday at the end of Ramadan. During the six day holiday I traveled to Rabat, Casablanca and Essaouira.

Beginning with Rabat, I never realized how much of the city I had not seen! I was fortunate enough to stay with a friend’s family and my experience speaks to the advantages of traveling with a local. The big event in Rabat, in addition to meeting my friend’s family was observing the day of the Eid. Finally, a day when there are no restrictions on eating; in fact it is forbidden to fast! However, because it’s a day traditionally spent with family, no restaurants were open.

The whole day, Tachfine Baidas (my friend), his sister Talila, and I traveled around Rabat to see areas such as Haya Riyad, Agdal, Souissi, and finally Rabat Ville. It was in Rabat Ville that we visited friends of the Baidas, enjoying Moroccan hospitality with endless sweets, food, and of course, mint tea! Afterwards, Tachfine, Talila and I ventured into the Old Medina of Rabat where I sampled a Moroccan seaside delicacy… Snail Water! Yes, I tried Snail Water (Ma’ Bubush), which is snails, boiling water, and assorted spices, combined to make a pretty tasty drink (with a reputed hallucinogenic effect, but alas, not for me).

The next morning, Tachfine and I left for a day-trip to Casablanca. After meeting a friend, we all headed to the Hassan II Mosque. This is one of the most impressive and imposing religious buildings I have ever seen. Easily visible from anywhere in the city, this enormous Mosque even extends over the ocean, referring to a verse in the Qur’an about praying over water.

After taking in the sheer size of the building, the beautiful architecture, and the noon Adhaan (call-to-prayer), the three of us had lunch at Rick’s Café! While not actually filmed in Morocco, enterprising Moroccans have capitalized on the movie. Unfortunately, with the fame of the restaurant comes a large price tag. At an incredibly nice restaurant complete with piano (but no Sam when we were there), the three of us enjoyed the only meal we could afford, cheeseburgers!

Early the next morning, I left Rabat for Marrakesh to link up with friends (Frauke and Amber) to head to Essaouira! After arriving, boarding the bus, and traveling for 3 hours on a poorly maintained road with somewhat reckless bus driver, we arrived safely in Essaouira! This beautiful seaside city is similar to Ifrane in size, but completely different in terms of climate and activity.

Wanting to make the most our time, we began our day at 10 AM with exploration and shopping. The most incredible views of the ocean were from the main square, so we spent a lot of time relaxing there. Later in the afternoon we went to an apartment rented by some other friends who were also in Essaouira for lunch on the rooftop terrace. After enjoying all the sights, sounds, and smells of a port town, we departed early Sunday for Ifrane and 13 hours and 45 minutes later we were back at AUI.

While it was a whirlwind, it was a break that I will not soon forget! Until next time… this is Adam in Morocco!