Journey through Morocco Day 5:
Salaam alaykum/Bonjour de Morocco!
Today was the long haul drive. At first, we took a quick detour to retrieve Mrs. Smith’s long-lost bag from the Fes airport. Mrs. Smith’s elation was enough to sustain the group morale for the whole day. We drove through the Atlas Mountains, during which we enjoyed beautiful scenery. The winding roads made the ride somewhat like a carnival ride. On our way up the mountain we were surprised to see snow! We felt as though we had arrived in Switzerland. The temperature dropped to a low 40 degrees Fahrenheit. We first stopped for a snack, drink, and bathroom break at a small town called Ifrane. We enjoyed coffee, hot chocolate, tea, and various other treats. From there we made our way back to the winding roads of the mountains. Along the route we took in and enjoyed the beautiful scenery of Morocco. We even got to see a special ceremony involving horses called Fantasia.
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After several hours of driving through the mountains, we ate lunch in a Beni Mellal villa. It was the home of a famous Moroccan television chef. Her family’s home doubles as a private restaurant where a group can eat at with a previously made reservation. Our meal started off with salad, rice and vegetable medley, and bread. Our main course was a chicken pastille, which was different from the type of pastille we enjoyed at the restaurant, Marrakech, in Philadelphia. The chicken pastille in Philadelphia was sweeter, while today’s pastille was savory. Our meal culminated with a crepe (with a thousand holes) and honey, oranges with cinnamon sprinkled on top, and traditional Moroccan mint tea. What a meal!
Back on the road, we were ending our long, yet enjoyable, journey. We took our last “Moroccan 7th inning stretch” and enjoyed the vanishing greenery, rivers, and animals as we entered the beautiful city of Marrakech (where we will be staying until Thursday). We checked into our hotel and enjoyed a dinner of vegetable soup, beef, rice, and vegetables. Today’s after dinner treat was cream puffs with chocolate. We are now sitting by the pool, enjoying the beautiful Moroccan night, and finishing up this blogpost.
We hope you enjoyed this glimpse into today’s journey through the ever-intriguing nation of Morocco.
Wadaeaan/Au Revoir,
Zach, Mike, and Nick