Random observations about Morocco

Random observations about Morocco.  I wish the internet connection were stronger because I would love to attach photos!

1.       Cats are everywhere!  They are usually very, very, very skinny, and it makes me so sad to see. 

2.       The flowers are beautiful.

3.       I love the colors you see everywhere…flowers, fabrics, tapestries, ceramics, shoes, mosaics…

4.       The king’s presence is everywhere and you can see his image on stamps, on posters, on billboards, in homes.  Our guide told us that people used to fear the former king, Hassen II, but that people fear for this king, Mohammed VI.

5.       Moroccans are so welcoming.  They put our sense of hospitality to shame.

The host family with whom I stayed for two nights in Fes:

6.       The Medinas (walled-in old city) and souks (markets) are the places that strike me as being the most different in Morocco.  It feels like they were designed for people to get lost.  Although I know that isn’t the purpose, it happens regularly (happened to four of us today)!

7.  While it isn't necessarily written, hot mint tea is the national drink.  Look how it was served in one restaurant. 

8.  The second national drink is orange juice.  You can find freshly squeezed orange juice everywhere.  As foreigners, we have to be careful about which orange juice we drink.  In hotels it is usually safe; in the street, we don't dare drink it because we want to keep our stomaches and intestinal tracks happy.