“Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.” – Miriam Beard

Almost seven years ago I met my husband John (who I sometimes refer to as Conner- so don’t get confused-I have only one husband). I was smitten after our very first date and something told me we were going to be together forever. Little did I know that it would mean traveling the world together- going places I had only heard about or seen in movies.I had always loved seeing new places and meeting new people. Growing up my family took some amazing vacations, and although I never considered myself adventurous in any way, I had this idea: I thought, “I want to see every person on this Earth in my lifetime”. Impossible, yes- but a dream, a goal.

In our seven years together, John and I have been to some really amazing places and experienced things I never would have imagined! Last year we took a 2 month honeymoon through Asia. Yes, your read correctly, 2 months! Who does that? We do! It was unbelievable! We went to 5 countries and more than 14 cities.

I blogged throughout our adventures and you can explore those stories at https://connerhoneymoonadventure.wordpress.com

We knew as soon as our last trip was over that we would be taking another big adventure this year. We hope and plan to do one every year! We went back and forth on where we should explore next. We thought about South Africa, India, and were even tempted to do some new places in Southeast Asia again. We loved Asia so much we definitely will go back one day and plan to see Myanmar, Philippines, Malaysia and Laos. After much debate and indecisiveness I told John to surprise me. One random night he did surprise me and booked our flights- Morocco and Spain it is!

With saved hotel points and airline miles we started planning and booking! I should mention that is how we were able to take a 2 month honeymoon- lots of miles and points!

As the trip approached we got more and more excited! A few weeks before our trip the Paris terrorist attacks happened. I felt heart broken for the victims and their families- as with all such tragic events. With all the media and societal views some anxiety kicked in. Actually a lot of anxiety- but it lasted only briefly. To not travel the world because one is scared would be a tragedy in itself. I believe that most people are good natured and truly kind. I believe learning about others and their cultures is one of the best ways to try to understand the world. I believe the world is meant to be explored and I believe in prayer.

With that said I began packing- 4 days earlier. Like any typical woman, it takes some planning. But of me..a different kind of planning. My husband has taught me it is best to travel with a backpack rather than a suitcase for these types of trips. Last year I thought he was nuts! How could I possibly pack for 8 weeks in 1 pack? Well, needless to say I did it. And while I was sick of everything in that pack by mid trip, it still made travel way easier.It is much easier negotiating large crowds, airports, etc. without a rolling suitcase. Also, nice to not have to check bags at airports. And when you get tired of stuff or it gets worn out (like my Nikes last year) you just toss it and convince the husband to buy you something new.

So here is my pack and how I packed  it.

This was interesting because I wanted to make sure I had super conservative, loose clothes for Morocco, and more fitted, modern clothes for Spain. I read blogs about being respectful in Morocco and not having form -fitted clothes. I made sure to pack flowing long skirts and long sleeved tops and scarves, as well as skinny jeans and halter tops/ crop jackets for Spain. Side note, my kitties were not happy to see me packing- they hate when I leave. However, I am so fortunate to have amazing family and friends who watch my kitties and apartment when we travel.

Well the day finally arrived- we were all packed and ready to begin our adventure. Morocco here we come!

Our travel day was a bit crazy! Since we used points we went from DCA- LGA- JFK- Dusseldorf, Germany- Marrakech, Morocco. Our first flight was short and sweet. Once in NYC we took a NYC transporter bus to the next airport. We found Air berlin and checked in. We were really disappointed when they informed us that we had to check our bags. Huh? We have traveled multiple airlines on the other side of the world without having to check these. This was the reason we take backpacks, so we don’t have to check them. We debated with them for a bit but had no luck. They explained that due to recent threat awareness TSA and airlines were being stricter.John was a little upset, but we gave up and checked our bags. Security was quite intense. There were US army soldiers all around. I actually really liked that and felt very safe in their presence.

After through security we had lounge access which was really nice! Free wine for us:) Once aboard the long flight to Germany, aboard Air Berlin, we were treated pretty quickly with more wine and dinner.  The seats were pretty small, but they had many media choices. Of course I picked a sappy, depressing drama called “Me, Earl and the dying girl”. It was listed under ” Romantic comedies”. Um– let’s just say there was nothing romantic or funny about this movie. I cried 8 times in 2 hours, while John watched an action movie. After that, since I was already semi – depressed, I figured why not watch one of my all time favorites, “The Notebook”. Thank goodness I fell asleep before it got super sappy.

We slept most of the remaining long flight. Once in Dusseldorf we followed the signs at the airport for passports. Everything was in German and there were no instructions. The German guards were so tall and slightly intimidating. After waiting in a long line we arrived to the passport desk only to be told in German ” no. no” and shoed away. ” Well where do we go? We saw another from our flight and we somehow figured out the right line to be in. At Dusseldorf airport we again enjoyed the lounge and some snacks. I tried some German liver pate and cheeses while John had bowls of some strange looking gummy bears.

A couple hours later we boarded our flight to Marrakech. The plane was only 25% full so there was plenty of room. German stewardesses, much like on the Asian airlines, were very pretty and so ,”put together”. We had now been traveling over 15 hours so we were pretty exhausted. We both slept most of the flight and awoke to amazing views of dessert as we approached Morocco. I have never had such a beautiful landing view as this- it was absolutely breath taking. All you could see in the distance was desert and more desert. Pictures do not do it justice–

Arriving to Marrakech

We had no idea what to expect as we got off the plane. All we knew was an exciting, new adventure awaited! There were guards and soldiers everywhere but our flight was the only one arriving. There was nobody else in the entire airport besides those on our flight. Thank goodness our packs made it! We then set out to find our driver. We had booked our riad (hotel in Marrakech) months in advance. A riad is defined as “a traditional Moroccan house or palace with an interior garden or courtyard. The word riad comes from the Arabian term for garden, “ryad”.

An English couple owns the Riad Hikaya, and we had been emailing back and forth since booking.We found it through reviews and trip advisor. The owners, John and Jane, fell in love with Morocco and decided to stay.Jane arranged for a driver to pick us up from the airport, and she helped us a book a 3 day Sahara desert tour. Yes, 3 days in the middle of the desert- sounds crazy right?! But adventurous none the less.

Sure enough our driver was waiting for us holding up a sign.He led us out to his car and upon stepping outside I immediately noticed the fresh, crisp air. It was a perfect 75 degrees and sunny with no humidity. We began our drive through Marrakech and into the medina. A medina meaning “old city” is a distinct section found in North African cities. It is clearly defined with big walls, reminding me of medieval fortresses. We chose to stay at a riad inside the medina to get the full, authentic experience. Our driver pointed out the King’s palace and some other interesting points along the way.  Inside the medina you feel like you have gone back in time by thousands of years-(that is until a motor bike or 10 rush by).

Through curvy, maze- like narrow roads we passed by the amazing architecture, all mostly pinkish in color. The whole medina is a huge continuation of stone building all connected. It is really quite remarkable. Each place, whether a restaurant, riad, individual home- is only distinguishable by it’s door. The doors are absolutely amazing. I love that they are all different! I have decided to have photograph collection of doors from my time in Morocco.

We arrived at the door for our riad and were greeted by a lovely hostess who led us into a sitting room, where we were then greeted by the owner John. The detail in the sitting room was absolutely stunning! From the walls, to the furniture, to the teapot and carpets- and well everything in between. We were served the staple Moroccan mint tea (so delicious) and treats while John introduced himself and told us a lot about Marrakech. John, although British, had been living in Africa/ the middle east for over 20 years now. He had businesses throughout the years in many different countries but chose to settle in Morocco. He explained that the people are generally kind, and violent crimes were not an issue. We learned that Moroccans typically enjoy life more , and work just to work- but work is not a main priority. They indeed are hard workers, but family , pleasure comes first. He gave us some general tips and a map with “must see” things.

John then told us we could upgrade to a larger available room than the one we originally booked at no extra cost. The hostess gave us a tour, and we were mesmerized by the authentic feel and detail. John had everything in the Riad handmade- EVERYTHING! Robes, carpets, teapots, light fixtures, chairs- you name it! It took him 5 years to renovate the property to his liking. I felt like I was in Aladdin!

After some washing up we headed out to explore. We started by grabbing some lunch at a place John recommended called ” Clock”. Terraces are very popular in Marrakech and since the warm sun was calling to us we sat up on the terrace. Of course we had to try their famous Camel burger as our first meal. It was pretty tasty, similar to beef. During our lunch we heard the first muslim prayer throughout the city. At set times during the day many stop and pray. It was quite fascinating.

Once through with lunch we walked the winding streets, trying our best to follow the map were given. You see, although there are street names, nobody seems to know them or follow them. People go by landmarks rather than names.

We somehow made it to the very renowned “square” of the medina where there are snake charmers, story tellers, monkeys and acrobats. It can get very crowded and quite intense at times, but so interesting. We were warned of the women who would try to grab my hand and put henna without my asking. Apparently many have allergic reactions to the chemicals used. I stayed away from those ladies the best I could. I have nothing against henna and think it looks pretty neat, but I am not in favor of any skin reactions while on my trip.

As we walked the streets we definitely got a lot of stares. We got some in China and Vietnam- but nothing like this. The women didn’t seem to really notice us, but the men- oh boy, we got some looks! John admitted it was intimidating at times- and this is guy who is not intimidated easily. I stayed very close to him and felt I had to constantly watch my surroundings.

Through the hustle of Bangkok, Beijing, Tokyo, Saigon, we are pretty good at negotiating through large crowds, but this was new and different for us. As with any large city it takes some getting used to and feeling out. Many younger men and boys offered to help us to where we wanted to go – we had been warned of these scams and knew to politely deny. They often will lead tourists the wrong way or a long way then demand money. Many did not like or denial of their help and would follow us. After awhile we realized they assumed we were British or French, so we decided to pretend like we were spanish and say “gracias”. We quickly learned many Moroccans know multiple languages to include: English, Arabic, Berber, French, and yes even Spanish. Our ” gracias” did not deter them.

Determined to find our own way we got lost in the narrow mazes a couple times. I only got a bit nervous when it started getting dim outside. We went in a couple circles and some local boys laughed at us. We eventually found a rooftop terrace that the riad had recommended where we could watch the sunset and have a glass of wine. The view was nice and we enjoyed relaxing after walking almost 12 miles. Not many places in Marrakech serve alcohol – especially in the medina. Since it is almost all muslim population, they do not drink alcohol. The Moroccan wine was quite good though!

After our drink and sunset we wandered back out into town. A nice young guy grabbed our attention showing us his spices and minerals. He was quite a salesman and convinced us to buy some tea. He even gave me some clay poppyseed bowl that creates lipstick- sounds weird but it’s really pretty cool! He also gave us some authentic toothpicks and complimentary tea and clay mask for my hands. He then said his “brother” would show us a good spot for dinner. We did not have to pay him, he would just take us their since we were now his ” friends”. Right– John at the riad had told us that while the locals were nice and good hearted , they also all wanted to make money. They all had stories- he told us “trust no one”.

Well we followed the “brother” who led us to a very beautiful restaurant. Absolutely stunning and posh- and also empty! The only other customers in the 2 level huge place were 2 british girls. They seemed to be enjoying their food. We looked at the menu and prices and decided to just have another glass of wine and venture out again for food.

I guess that 2nd glass of wine had us feeling pretty adventurous. We decided on street food. Now the Kinsay 3 years ago would probably not have been so inclined to delve into trying street food so quickly- or at all. But found in southeast Asia, some of the best things were from vendors on the street. Don’t think NYC hotdog stands. In other countries street food is how locals eat. The recipes are handed down from generations. If you watch Anthony Bordain, you would see the appeal of these street foods I speak of.

We chose a random little spot with chairs and tables and sat next to a couple local families. Their food looked tasty, so I asked what it was and ordered the same. Tanjine- it was really good! We then decided to try another street booth and went for snail soup! A bowl of snails with broth! Yum! Pretty good if you can get past their eyes and antennas as you bite into it.

We walked around some more and eventually decided to walk back to our riad and get some rest. We really had only slept a few hours in the last 2 days. As we were walking we passed another food stand with a guy selling sausages. My hubby loves sausage so he wanted to try some. As the guy cooked our little sausage and pita he wanted us to taste his fish too. He literally peeled the fish meat with his bare fingers off the bone and offered it to us. “Please try,try”. With his fingernails obviously filled with dirt, John accepted and took his offering. I didnt want to be rude so I did too. We went through this in Thailand and survived so I guess we were trying to be polite. In other cultures it is customary to take food when someone offers you in such a way.

The whole walk home I prayed we weren’t going to get sick. Back at the riad we took an extra probiotic. Luckily we didn’t get sick but John’s stomach made some very loud grumbling noises all night long.

After a great night’s sleep we awoke feeling rested and ready to explore Marrakech some more. We were served a lovely breakfast on the riad terrace and met a nice couple from the Netherlands. Moroccan coffee is quite tasty and Morocco has some of the best fresh squeezed orange juice I have ever had! It may even give Florida orange juice a run for it’s money.

After breakfast we headed out and made our way through the maze streets of the medina once again.

John was eager to find a SIM card that would work in his phone and iPad so we set out to find one. We found a legit cell phone store- (when I say legit I mean it had a door and displayed 4 phones). John asked for some SIM cards that would work and they guy said he needed a passport. Apparently it is a law to scan passports and keep records of anyone buying SIMs/ data. This is part of security to keep track of what people are doing while in Morocco. Not a bad idea but I still felt weird handing over my passport to this stranger. You see John didn’t have his on him, so I had to give mine. I watched as this man made copies of my passport. Awesome. Then John realized he didn’t have enough cash to pay the guy. The man pointed and said “ ATM” down the street. John told me to wait in the store while he went to get more cash. So I waited. And waited. And waited some more. It seemed like an eternity. I started thinking, “what if he doesn’t come back? Do I know how to get back to the hotel? What if something happened to him? Would I call the embassy?”. You think all these irrational thoughts when you are in a place where you know nobody and have no idea where you are.

He eventually returned and after another 30 minutes the guy was able to get the SIM working in his phone. Now we could really begin our day.

We explored a museum that is an old Jewish school. In Morocco up until the 1950’s, Muslims and Jews lived in neighboring communities, even intertwined communities without any problem. Even with such differing beliefs, they could co-exist and be friends. With World War 2,  and much uncertainty for the future, the Jewish feld to Israel. The Jewish quarter of Marrakech was left abandoned for many years. In the 1980’s the king of Morocco sent out international public notices to encourage the Jewish to return to their homes. Many of them did return to Marrakech and other large cities, although the rural areas of Morocco never were resettled by the Jewish and are now mostly (if not all) Muslim.

After the museum we took a tour of the tanneries. It was crazy to see how leather is made and how much time and hard work goes into it. Pigeon poop is used to soften the leather, whether it is goat, sheep, cow or snake. Talk about one of the dirtiest jobs in the world! The tannery workers stand in chest -deep pigeon poop for hours on end. As we explored the tannery they gave us mint to hold under our nose so we could tolerate the smell.

After our tour we were guided to a 3 level store with beautiful handmade leather products from the tannery. There were the most beautiful couches, leather jackets, suitcases. John had mentioned earlier that he wanted a leather jacket, so he tried on a few. The owner of the store was so welcoming and friendly as we explored his store and tried things on. He wanted $300 for the jacket John liked, but we knew we could negotiate. John told the guy he would think about it and we would come back. That’s when the owner’s whole demeanor changed. He got very uptight and aggressive insisting the store was closing for the season and today was the last day (we knew this wasn’t true). John said, “ I need to go back to the hotel and check my accounts/ money”. The owner then said very sternly “oh please, don’t lie to me. You are lying. You know what money you have. You know -“ and he went on and on. I was thinking “great, we are on the 3rd floor of some mean man’s store in a foreign county with nobody else around. “ I felt very uncomfortable and threatened. We quickly got out of the store and walked as fast as we could away. I kept looking behind to see if anyone was following us.

We made it to the crazy medina square again where John got groped by monkeys without his consent. We had a nice terrace lunch where we had some cat company. There are cats everywhere in Morocco. Many of them are neighborhood/ community cats. They are fed by everyone and just live all around. They are very friendly and definitely used to people. When I finished my lunch I insisted the waiter give out remaining food to the kitties. I am a cat person after all.

We walked outside the medina to see the commercial hotels – one where “Sex and the City” was filmed. These hotels were Western standard 5 star and  very glamorous. I am still glad we chose the riad for Marrakech. We got a much more authentic, Moroccan experience. We travel to explore other cultures and staying in Westernized hotels would not have provided the same experience.

That night we had a delicious dinner at a restaurant in the medina near our hotel. I had sea bass perfectly complimented with Moroccan red wine.

Following dinner we walked around the crazy, chaotic streets of Marrakech some more.Words can’t describe the feeling and energy you get walking through this town. John had to use the bathroom so we stopped at a decent looking restaurant and bought some water. As I waited for John a young man who worked at the restaurant offered me an almond. “No thank you,” I said. “No, please have”, he replied. Since we had been in Marrakech I had learned it was customary for people to offer you nuts, tea and/or cookies when you enter their establishment. I didn’t want to be rude so I ate the single almond. The guy then said something to his co-workers/ buddies in Arabic with a laugh and all I could understand was “haha hotel California”. What did that mean? After John returned and we set off down the street I told him about my nut offering and “hotel California”. John was convinced that maybe my almond was drugged or something. He didn’t understand why I would accept it. Umm, because we had been accepting nuts, tea and treats from everyone who offered us since we had arrived.  Great- well too late now.  He kept a close eye on me. I felt fine and made it through the night without an issue.

After some more exploring and craziness we headed back to our riad to get a good night’s sleep. We had to be up early the next morning to begin our 3 days Sahara desert tour! Stay tuned for our Sahara adventures- definitely a check on my bucket list. One of the coolest thing we have ever done- but not all 3 days was paradise!

wadaeaan al'an (goodbye for now),
 Kinz