Not to be confused with the city of Agadir that was destroyed by an earthquake and later rebuilt into a tourist destination, but rather, the traditional buildings that gave the city its name. Throughout southern Morocco are the remnants of what was once a thriving Amazigh (Berber) culture that extended over most of North Africa. Before the arrival…
Living in the United States, I never imagined living in Africa, yet here I am at the tail end of year three. When I’d imagined a life abroad, like most Americans, I suppose, I imagined European destinations. There was always something in the back of my mind, a sense of the unknown, that made the…
Reason 1,242 Why I Love Morocco:
The Marrakech medina is actually just many little medinas within one enclosure
Most neighborhoods, whether in a big city or small town, still adhere to a medina mentality, meaning most daily needs are within only a few blocks. Each small area typically has a butcher, a green grocer, a dry cleaner, a hammam, a baker (or community oven), a barber/hairdresser, at least four cafés, a pharmacy, hardware store, tailor, a dry goods shop, and endless small convenience stores. What’s not in a shop, is usually at a nomadic stand that shows up every morning. Often, there are also shops for clothing and shoes, doctors’ offices, gyms, and small restaurants.
I had made plans to travel to and stay in London a few months earlier, but circumstances being as they were, I needed to change plans and decided to begin in Dover. What began as an inconvenience turned into one of my more amazing trips. Instead of remaining within the city, I explored the countryside…
Note: This post was begun months ago during the end of summer, but life became complicated so its final edits and publication were postponed again and again. Every week, it seems, I discover yet another amazing aspect of Morocco. Over the course of the last few weeks, I’ve had a chance to explore the coastline…
Small grammatical errors should be forgiven when one’s writing in his or her tertiary or quaternary language.
Reason 888 Why I Love Morocco: Almost everyone speaks at least two languages, most speak three, many speak four, and it’s not unusual to find someone who can speak as many as six or seven with reasonable fluency. Yet, to a person, all are equally, incredibly humble about this amazing talent..
I’ve been to Meknes (مكناس) more than a dozen times, but as with anything too common, it means I never truly appreciated it. Most of the time, I was there for some sort of Peace Corps training or meeting, so the daylight hours were occupied and I never really had the chance, nor the inclination, to…
First, let’s be clear, since I don’t want there to be any misunderstanding. There is an extensive coastline along Morocco’s most southern coast that, as of yet, I am not allowed to enter as a current Peace Corps volunteer. I want to visit Dakhla and Laayoune, insha’Allah, but I can’t. Not yet. So, this is…
I can’t be sure, but I doubt any country celebrates it’s monarchy as enthusiastically as the Dutch. I hadn’t planned on it, but my brief stopover in Amsterdam, Netherlands coincided with the national holiday of Koningsdag, or King’s Day, preceded by Koninginnenacht, Queen’s Night. Coming directly from another monarchical system, I reflected on the difference between the…
I am a lover of the odd and unusual, especially the absurd. Thankfully, politicians and regional pride create endless oddities as political bodies and their leaders draw arbitrary lines in the sand in order to separate ‘us’ from ‘them.’ These can be found throughout the globe, from the bizarre Finland/Sweden argument over a misplaced lighthouse and its…
