The Story
Witnessing Beauty in Faraway Lands
Life has been a whirlwind since the elections! I have traveled, finished papers, and experienced a variety of weather patterns. I am also in the planning stages for my last break travel plans: trips to the cities of Asilah, Tangier, Ceuta and Tetouan.
Beginning with recent travel adventures, I have the great pleasure of describing just how stunning the Sahara was! Words (in any language) simply cannot describe the awe that I felt when I stared into the vast expanse that was the Sahara. It was lonely, desolate, and I felt so very small.
Getting there, as always in Morocco, was an adventure involving a number of buses, vans (not all of which were roadworthy) and constant negotiation. However, it was worth the effort as this fell into the category of “once-in-a-lifetime.” After roaming the desert by ourselves and looking at the border area between Morocco and Algeria, we headed out on camels on a guided night in the desert. The setting sun was breathtaking but could not compare to the myriad of stars nor the desert sunrise. For evening entertainment we sang songs and played drums with our Berber guides until midnight, then rested a few hours before the sunrise.
Being a late sleeper, I do not often get to experience the beauty of the sunrise, but it is truly something to behold. Watching the sun come up over the sand, its rays of light slowly creeping along the massive dune hills is something I will not soon forget. In a few words: extraordinarily beautiful.
I returned to Ifrane and returned to the hustle and bustle that is AUI. I have just finished a paper for my North African and Governments and Politics course, bringing to a close my paper writing for the semester. It was a relief and now that I have little work in the coming weeks, I am looking forward to doing some last minute traveling and shopping!
In addition to paper writing, I also experienced many different weather patterns in the past few weeks. Ranging from warm 75 degree days to bitterly cold 15 degrees, sunshine to rain and snow, gentle mountain breezes to viciously cold winter gales, I feel as if I have seen it all. Last week, Ifrane received its first substantial snowfall and it was a winter wonderland. The ground was so beautiful and with the perfect dry snow we all hope for during the winter months. Taking advantage of the weather, I engaged in an epic snowball war on the way back from the market. Among the casualties " the produce I had just bought!
Looking to the future, I am planning on traveling during the last ‘Eid al-Adha break to the North. My friends and I are planning to visit Asilah (an old Portuguese port), Tangier (the famed international port whose visitors include: William Burroughs, Jack Kerouac, Alan Ginsberg, and Paul Bowles), Ceuta (Spanish controlled enclave in Moroccan territory), and Tetouan (a nice quiet town with few tourists). I am very much looking forward to seeing this, as yet unexplored to me, part of the country! Till next time!