Morocco: Ouzoud Falls - Rabat

Hola!  

I boarded a van early in the morning to take a van out to Ouzoud Falls. This time the trip was only about 3 hours. The falls were in a small community, and when we got there a tour was offered for 40dh, which really exceeded my expectations. The tour guide, a young man, spoke many languages and said everything in Spanish, French, Arabic, and English to accommodate the group.  He was also very flirtatious with me, and boosted my ego quite a bit by the end of the day. There was only two English speakers, myself and an Irish man, named Patty (how Irish!) so we spent most of the day together. We started at the top of the falls, then went for about a 2 hour guided hike through the olive trees and carob trees. I learned a surprising about. For example, olive oil is like wine, and gets better as it gets older. So extra virgin olive oil is the oldest. Carob trees grow what look like green beans, and the skin is used to make dark chocolate. The peas inside weight .2 grams, and the tour guide told us that no matter where in the world a carob tree is, the peas always weigh the same, so they became what we know as a “carat,” for measuring gold and diamonds. We then walked down the cliff to the waterfalls where he pointed out some caves that the natives originally lived in. The waterfalls were quite beautiful from the bottom, and we crossed the water, took some photos, and walked back up the other side. From the other side, on a sunny day, you can see a rainbow that forms in the mist of the falls. Also, we were lucky enough to see monkeys in the trees! There was a family of four of them, and one came quite close when someone took out bananas and mangos. It was a wonderful day, and we managed to get back to Marrakesh by dinner time, at which point I had a Hamam at the spa that Abdul worked in at the day time.

This olive tree is 900 years old

Ouzoud Falls

Monkeys!

A Hamam is a typical Moroccan scrub, bath, and massage in a large steam room. Women of all ages and shapes sit in the team room, completely naked, bathing, and a trained hamam artist covered me in oils, clay, and scrubbed my whole body with an exfoliating glove. Some people find the hamam “invasive,” which I suppose it could be to some, but most find it refreshing and relaxing, and a way to really immerse yourself in an aspect of Islam culture. Hamams are done once a week by many women, and are largely a social activity. The hamam artist then poured warm water on me in buckets, while washing my hair and face.  Afterwards, you dry off and get a massage. My skin was the softest it’s ever been, and I really enjoyed the experience. I then intended to head back to my hostel, as it was getting dark, but the spa was right in the middle of the Souks, which is a maze of markets quite famous in Marrakesh. I got quite lost, but I felt safe enough and decided to just wander the Souks and do some shopping and take advantage of being lost in the middle of the most famous part of the city. I found some great buys, including a shop that sold mosaic tiles saved from buildings that had been torn down, and some cool fossils. I then purchased some cherries and nuts to eat for dinner, and got directions back to the main square. When I arrived at my hostel the Spanish girls had left my room and two American girls, Anny and Rachael, had moved in. They had just finished two years in the Peace Corps in Kazakhstan, and were doing a bit of travelling. We feasted on the food from the market and shared stories from our travels on the rooftop balcony before going to bed. My day was practically perfect.

Common items sold in the Souks:

Spices

Slippers

Dishware

Nuts

The next day I slept in, as I was feeling a bit under the weather (I think I was mistaken to wash the cherries with tap water), ran a couple of errands, then headed to the train station.  The train from Marrakesh to Rabat was rather unpleasant, as I was definitely dealing with food poisoning and the train bathroom was mostly dysfunctional. However, I was sitting nearby a lovely English couple who were on their honeymoon and were quite chatty. I arrived in Rabat in the evening, and was excited to discover the train station, the royal palace, the parliament, the protests, and my hotel were all central. Due to the protests I was unable to take many photos, as it seemed to annoy the cops, and foreigners are forbidden inside the royal palace. So I mostly enjoyed a long stroll around wealthy Rabat, observed the protests, and ate some pizza. My hotel had fantastic internet, so I used my night to Skype with friends and rest for my long flight the next day.

The protests

More on Ghana soon!