First day in Mauritius:
We were docked in Mauritius and had the ship cleared by 8:30! Definitely the fastest time yet! I was lucky enough to be on the first “taxi” that was going to the waterfront. Mauritius has awesome taxis! Because Mauritius is an island nation and has a large number of ships docked across from the waterfront, they have a special taxi called a “water taxi.” It’s really just a boat with the word “taxi” painted across it. They cost $2 (or 60 MAR Rupees) to ride. I’m extremely glad that I took a large stack of one dollar bills from home. The taxis were fun to ride, but they were also somewhat a pain and kind of sketchy. The drivers wanted to wait until they had a large number of people so you could be just sitting for up to half hour until they decided to leave. I also heard a number of people say their taxi would stop halfway and the driver would try to charge them more money. Luckily that never happened to me.
The first morning I just walked around and looked at the different shops and places to eat. In the afternoon I went on a service visit to the Beau Bassin children’s village where children who are abandoned or taken from their parents go to live. They are situated in families of five-seven children living with a women to be their mom. Similar to the kids in Ghana, they were fascinated with our cameras. They loved taking pictures! We only had a short time to play with them though. I wish we could have stayed longer. After the visit I decided to stay on the ship and catch up on some homework and much needed rest.
Second day:
I didn’t buy any SAS sponsored trips for Mauritius and I hadn‘t planned on buying any. However, SAS has a “donation box” where people can donate the trips if they decide to not attend. Because I didn’t feel the need to see any “big monument’ I decided to just see what popped up in the box and basically take it hour by hour. I would advise any future SASer to keep a constant eye on the box while in port. You never know when an amazing trip will show up! Despite this, I ended up buying a ticket for the “Blue/Underwater Safari” trip. The trip description just looked to amazing to pass up. The trip was worth every penny and is now my absolute favorite trip that I have done so far. First we drove to the northern beach of Grand Baie which is where a ton of SASers rented villas. We were treated to a short presentation by a few activists who are concerned with how pollution and over fishing is affecting the oceans. After that we took a boat to where a submarine was stationed. I was lucky enough to get on a five person submarine which was completely see-through. The 10 person submarine had only small port holes to look through. Riding in a submarine is a completely amazing experience! The first thing I noticed was that my red shirt now looked completely purple. This is because infrared lights don’t penetrate the water. Some of the animals we saw on our “underwater safari” included: TONS of fish, an octopus, and an eel. My favorite thing that we saw under the water was a wrecked ship called the “Star Hope.” When I was little I used to be fascinated with the story of the Titanic so it was amazing to see an actual ship on the bottom of the sea. We wandered underwater for about an hour before we headed back to the surface. After we surfaced, we were treated to drinks and were presented with a cheesy “certificate” souvenir which included our name, the date, and which submarine we had been on. The day ended with some last minute shopping and a short water taxi ride back to the ship.
Day 3
I woke up very early this morning and trekked to breakfast. The previous day I had found a ticket for a trip named “adventure park”, but I wasn’t sure if I was really going to go because I was super tired. I’m glad I forced myself to go because it turned out to be an amazing trip. We left from Port Louis and drove to the southern part of Mauritius to begin the adventure park. The first part of the obstacle course involved rope bridges similar to the canopy walk I did in Ghana. However, I have to admit that I enjoyed these bridges more. There was no large net surrounding the entire bridge so it was actually possible to fall. However, everyone was hooked onto a rope that was suspended over the bridge so you could just pull yourself back up if you fell. The first few bridges had rope handrails to hold on to if you felt like you were going to fall and had only a few of the boards missing. The last two bridges had zero handrails and a limited number of boards to stand on. This was the easy part of the park.
After finishing with the rope bridges you went on to a second course. The first leg consisted of a few boards suspended every few feet with no hand rails. To get across you had to use a rope to swing from board to board. The second task was by far the hardest. This leg consisted of two large rope nets on either side of you, but nothing below you. To get across you had to place one foot on each side of the rope (which never stayed steady) and slowly pull yourself across. It may not sound difficult, but because the ropes wouldn’t stay steady you had to rely on mostly upper body strength to pull yourself across. The third leg consisted of “swings” (which were really small logs) that you had to stand on and swing/jump to the next log to reach the end. Next was a short zip line which was awesome. I only wish that the zipline would have lasted longer. The last leg consisted of literally two ropes (nothing more!) above and below you that you had to balance on and try to walk across. It was hard, but super fun. I have bad rope burn/bruises all over my arms and legs, but it was worth it. I’m posting this a week and half later and my upper body is still extremely sore!
After our tough workout we headed to Flic-en-Flac beach which is said to be the most beautiful beach in Mauritius. We stayed there for about an hour. During that time I mostly laid out and ate. The food in Mauritius is exceptionally cheap. I got some of the best pineapple for 15 rupees (30 rupees=$1), a bag of cotton candy for 10 rupees, and a big ice cream cone for 25 rupees. Three days was not enough time in Mauritius, but I suppose all “spring breaks” must come to an end.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Neptune Day!!
Today I was woken up at 8 AM by the crew, who were all wearing different costumes, playing drums and cymbals and whistles. After a good breakfast (with some new type of yummy yogurt!) everyone met on the top deck for the Neptune Ceremony. For those that don’t know, the Neptune Ceremony is performed whenever a ship crosses the equator. A person who have never crossed the equator while traveling on a ship is called a slimy “Pollywog.” The purpose of the Neptune ceremony is to prove that you have become a seasoned sailor with the nickname “Shellback.” To complete the Neptune ceremony a person must swear to honor and respect King Neptune and his ocean domain. In addition, to show him that you are a true sailor you must have fish guts, or whatever else the crew manages to cook up, poured on you and you must kiss a dead fish. After that Neptune is pleased and you are able to be called a trusty “Shellback.”
Another optional aspect of Neptune day is shaving your head. Although I did not shave my head, a surprising number of people did. At least 15 girls shaved their heads today. The rest of the day was free to work on homework and hang out.
Sorry these are late and not as well written. My schedule on the ship has become increasingly hectic.
Another optional aspect of Neptune day is shaving your head. Although I did not shave my head, a surprising number of people did. At least 15 girls shaved their heads today. The rest of the day was free to work on homework and hang out.
Sorry these are late and not as well written. My schedule on the ship has become increasingly hectic.
Last day in Ghana
My final tour in Ghana was originally scheduled to leave in the afternoon but because the traffic is so intense and the drive was longer than expected, we had to leave at 6 AM. I managed to grab a muffin from the dining hall at 5:30 and headed for the bus. The ride to Kakum national park took about 3 ½ hours. After that we took a short 5-10 minute hike into the forest to get to their famous canopy walk ways which hang 40 meters above the rainforest. The seven canopy bridges are surrounded by a net so it was impossible to fall even though I felt like I was going to the entire time. After completing the walkways we had time to browse the local gift shop. I really wanted to buy a shirt that said “I survived the walkway” but all they had was XS and XL. No larges or mediums.
We then drove about an hour to Elmina slave Castle which is situated in Cape Coast. The castle was built by the Portuguese in the 1400’s to house slaves that were going to be sold in the Atlantic Slave trade. It was the first European structure built in Sub-Saharan Africa and is also the place were President Obama spoke during his visit to Ghana. Despite the areas horrific past, Cape Coast contains some of the most beautiful beaches and scenery in Ghana.
Something I haven’t mentioned about Ghana is the street vendors. I’m not talking about people who set up shop on the side of the road (although they have plenty of those!) Traffic is crazy and often a 20 minute drive takes around an hour or more so Ghana has people that actually walk up and down the middle of the road selling items. Most of the items are food like Plantain chips, chocolate, bread, water, etc. However, they also sell really obscure stuff like ironing boards, binoculars, phone cards, ties, etc. Multiple times our tour guide would leave the bus and buy things. At first I wasn’t sure to think about this, but by the last day I decided it was wonderfully convenient! By the last day all of us were buying items! I bought two bags of plantain chips and three authentic Ghanaian chocolate bars. I wanted to buy my dad an ugly tie for Christmas, but I didn’t see any people selling them except on the first day when I didn’t have enough money.
This is the first port were I experienced true major culture shock. In Ghana, especially in Torgorme village, I was truly a minority being a Caucasian. Children would often stop and stare as if I were an alien. They would also point and say the word for “white person” (I’m not sure how to spell it.) This is also the first port where I really wish we had more time
We then drove about an hour to Elmina slave Castle which is situated in Cape Coast. The castle was built by the Portuguese in the 1400’s to house slaves that were going to be sold in the Atlantic Slave trade. It was the first European structure built in Sub-Saharan Africa and is also the place were President Obama spoke during his visit to Ghana. Despite the areas horrific past, Cape Coast contains some of the most beautiful beaches and scenery in Ghana.
Something I haven’t mentioned about Ghana is the street vendors. I’m not talking about people who set up shop on the side of the road (although they have plenty of those!) Traffic is crazy and often a 20 minute drive takes around an hour or more so Ghana has people that actually walk up and down the middle of the road selling items. Most of the items are food like Plantain chips, chocolate, bread, water, etc. However, they also sell really obscure stuff like ironing boards, binoculars, phone cards, ties, etc. Multiple times our tour guide would leave the bus and buy things. At first I wasn’t sure to think about this, but by the last day I decided it was wonderfully convenient! By the last day all of us were buying items! I bought two bags of plantain chips and three authentic Ghanaian chocolate bars. I wanted to buy my dad an ugly tie for Christmas, but I didn’t see any people selling them except on the first day when I didn’t have enough money.
This is the first port were I experienced true major culture shock. In Ghana, especially in Torgorme village, I was truly a minority being a Caucasian. Children would often stop and stare as if I were an alien. They would also point and say the word for “white person” (I’m not sure how to spell it.) This is also the first port where I really wish we had more time
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Living in Torgorme Village
This trip has been one of my favorite trips of the voyage so far. The day started with an early breakfast at 6:30 and an hour and a half drive to the village of Torgorme.
I had no clue what to expect and I was certainly not prepared for what awaited us in the village. As we pulled up, little children ran along side the bus and waved to us. As soon as we stepped off the bus we were greeted by almost the entire village. They all clapped and cheered and welcomed us warmly as we walked to a row of chairs they had set up for us. In front of us sat the chief, oldest male in the village, and other important members of the community. On our right were the drummers and dancers that performed for us during the ceremony. On our left were the host families that we would staying with. Right next to us were little kids who were not involved in the ceremony but wanted to see us and watch the performance. They were apparently not supposed to be there because every time they saw the strict school teacher they would run away until they thought she was gone.
The first event planned was a traditional dance performance from the school children. After the performance we were called to shake hands with the chief and receive our new name within the community. A persons first name is determined by the day they were born. I was born on a Saturday so my first name is Ami. My last name (not sure how that was decided) is Dodzi (pronounced Do-je) which means endurance. We then received a bracelet from our host family and a handmade pot with both our names written on it.
After the naming ceremony we drove to a nearby army barrack to have lunch. Lunch today was almost identical to what was served at the city tour yesterday. It was even better the second day! It was about that time that many people, myself included, began to feel very sick. The naming ceremony took about 2 and a half ours and we were told to leave our stuff on the bus so no one had any water during the time we were sitting out in the sun. I felt much better after sitting in the air conditioned bus for awhile and drinking almost my entire water bottle.
After lunch I and my friend Lilah (who received the same host family as me) went to our host families house to spend the afternoon with them. My host family included parents with 4 children. The youngest child was only a year old. We watched them cook an afternoon snack called “fufu.” It’s made by taking cassava and plantains which are put into a pot and mashed for about 5 minutes by a large pole that looks somewhat like a baseball bat. After she smashed it up, she shaped it into a ball and put it into a bowl already filled with spicy soup. You eat fufu by pinching a small part of the dough off and dipping it into the sauce. Also included in the sauce are small (whole!) fish. Which was surprisingly tasty. Dad would love Ghanaian food. Almost every piece of food has the perfect level of spiciness.
When we were done eating we decided to play with the local kids. Lilah brought a jump rope to give them. They absolutely loved it! I really wish I had brought something to give them. They have almost nothing to play with. I saw one kid with a pack of cards, but that was all I saw. It was dangerous to try and take pictures because as soon as the kids saw the camera you would have 20-30 kids trying to get in the picture. Their reaction to seeing their picture was astounding. They all pointed and laughed and were just amazed by it.
Later that afternoon the 16 year old daughter took us down to the Volta river bank. At first we thought she just wanted to show us how they fish and how pretty the river is, but then we realized she wanted to take us to the other side of the village in a canoe! It only took about 10-15 minutes but it was a lot of fun. When we had reached the other side we walked around the village to see what a normal day is like. We saw ladies making pottery, a man waving a special type of colorful cloth called Kente (pronounced Ken-tay). Along the way she taught us some basic Ewe words.
Around 6 everyone gathered were the naming ceremony had been held to eat dinner while some people danced and played drums. Around 10 we went home and sat outside to watch the stars. There are very few houses with lights in the village so you can see the stars extremely well. I wish my pictures could capture how beautiful it looked. The room we slept in that night had only one bed in the room and nothing else. People were up and the roosters started crowing at about 3 am. However, I managed to sleep surprisingly well.
Everyone met in the town church at 7 for breakfast. They served us eggs, AMAZING sweet bread, and the best pineapple I have ever tasted. We also got a bit of bad news this morning. We were scheduled to hike to the Tagbo waterfall and see monkeys and be back to the ship by noon. Turns out we had to drive 4 hours to where we would hike and then another hour to see the monkeys. By doing this we wouldn’t get back to the ship until about 9 that night. We were given the choice to take a shuttle back to the ship or continue on with the itinerary. Today was going to be my only free time in Accra so I decided to take the shuttle back to ship.
Soon after we had left a lifelong learner, an older non-traditional student, convinced the bus driver to take us the Shai Hills Game Reserve. At the reserve we saw a family of baboons and a huge herd of antelope. I managed to get pictures of both, but the antelope one isn’t very good because they all ran when they saw us.
After seeing the animals we hiked to the top of the highest mountain that Shai Hills offers. It took about 25 minutes and was very steep. Although their was a path, this place is obviously not a big tourist attraction because much of the hike was straight up rocks. Once we arrived at the top of the mountain we entered a small cave. At the end of the small cave was an extremely tiny opening that you could reach by climbing straight up the rocks and squeezing yourself through the exit. I’m pretty proud that I managed to complete everything. I even have the bruises to prove it!
After our hike we planned to return to the ship, but of course nothing ever goes as planned. The bus refused to start. The driver messed with the engine for awhile but he still couldn’t get it started so we all had to get out and push start it. After that we were on our way home! We managed to make it back to the ship by 3:30.
I ate lunch, showered, and took the next shuttle into Accra. I didn’t do much except shop and use the internet because I have an early day tomorrow.
I had no clue what to expect and I was certainly not prepared for what awaited us in the village. As we pulled up, little children ran along side the bus and waved to us. As soon as we stepped off the bus we were greeted by almost the entire village. They all clapped and cheered and welcomed us warmly as we walked to a row of chairs they had set up for us. In front of us sat the chief, oldest male in the village, and other important members of the community. On our right were the drummers and dancers that performed for us during the ceremony. On our left were the host families that we would staying with. Right next to us were little kids who were not involved in the ceremony but wanted to see us and watch the performance. They were apparently not supposed to be there because every time they saw the strict school teacher they would run away until they thought she was gone.
The first event planned was a traditional dance performance from the school children. After the performance we were called to shake hands with the chief and receive our new name within the community. A persons first name is determined by the day they were born. I was born on a Saturday so my first name is Ami. My last name (not sure how that was decided) is Dodzi (pronounced Do-je) which means endurance. We then received a bracelet from our host family and a handmade pot with both our names written on it.
After the naming ceremony we drove to a nearby army barrack to have lunch. Lunch today was almost identical to what was served at the city tour yesterday. It was even better the second day! It was about that time that many people, myself included, began to feel very sick. The naming ceremony took about 2 and a half ours and we were told to leave our stuff on the bus so no one had any water during the time we were sitting out in the sun. I felt much better after sitting in the air conditioned bus for awhile and drinking almost my entire water bottle.
After lunch I and my friend Lilah (who received the same host family as me) went to our host families house to spend the afternoon with them. My host family included parents with 4 children. The youngest child was only a year old. We watched them cook an afternoon snack called “fufu.” It’s made by taking cassava and plantains which are put into a pot and mashed for about 5 minutes by a large pole that looks somewhat like a baseball bat. After she smashed it up, she shaped it into a ball and put it into a bowl already filled with spicy soup. You eat fufu by pinching a small part of the dough off and dipping it into the sauce. Also included in the sauce are small (whole!) fish. Which was surprisingly tasty. Dad would love Ghanaian food. Almost every piece of food has the perfect level of spiciness.
When we were done eating we decided to play with the local kids. Lilah brought a jump rope to give them. They absolutely loved it! I really wish I had brought something to give them. They have almost nothing to play with. I saw one kid with a pack of cards, but that was all I saw. It was dangerous to try and take pictures because as soon as the kids saw the camera you would have 20-30 kids trying to get in the picture. Their reaction to seeing their picture was astounding. They all pointed and laughed and were just amazed by it.
Later that afternoon the 16 year old daughter took us down to the Volta river bank. At first we thought she just wanted to show us how they fish and how pretty the river is, but then we realized she wanted to take us to the other side of the village in a canoe! It only took about 10-15 minutes but it was a lot of fun. When we had reached the other side we walked around the village to see what a normal day is like. We saw ladies making pottery, a man waving a special type of colorful cloth called Kente (pronounced Ken-tay). Along the way she taught us some basic Ewe words.
Around 6 everyone gathered were the naming ceremony had been held to eat dinner while some people danced and played drums. Around 10 we went home and sat outside to watch the stars. There are very few houses with lights in the village so you can see the stars extremely well. I wish my pictures could capture how beautiful it looked. The room we slept in that night had only one bed in the room and nothing else. People were up and the roosters started crowing at about 3 am. However, I managed to sleep surprisingly well.
Everyone met in the town church at 7 for breakfast. They served us eggs, AMAZING sweet bread, and the best pineapple I have ever tasted. We also got a bit of bad news this morning. We were scheduled to hike to the Tagbo waterfall and see monkeys and be back to the ship by noon. Turns out we had to drive 4 hours to where we would hike and then another hour to see the monkeys. By doing this we wouldn’t get back to the ship until about 9 that night. We were given the choice to take a shuttle back to the ship or continue on with the itinerary. Today was going to be my only free time in Accra so I decided to take the shuttle back to ship.
Soon after we had left a lifelong learner, an older non-traditional student, convinced the bus driver to take us the Shai Hills Game Reserve. At the reserve we saw a family of baboons and a huge herd of antelope. I managed to get pictures of both, but the antelope one isn’t very good because they all ran when they saw us.
After seeing the animals we hiked to the top of the highest mountain that Shai Hills offers. It took about 25 minutes and was very steep. Although their was a path, this place is obviously not a big tourist attraction because much of the hike was straight up rocks. Once we arrived at the top of the mountain we entered a small cave. At the end of the small cave was an extremely tiny opening that you could reach by climbing straight up the rocks and squeezing yourself through the exit. I’m pretty proud that I managed to complete everything. I even have the bruises to prove it!
After our hike we planned to return to the ship, but of course nothing ever goes as planned. The bus refused to start. The driver messed with the engine for awhile but he still couldn’t get it started so we all had to get out and push start it. After that we were on our way home! We managed to make it back to the ship by 3:30.
I ate lunch, showered, and took the next shuttle into Accra. I didn’t do much except shop and use the internet because I have an early day tomorrow.
Ghana day 1
Our ship is now docked in the portside town of Tema which is about 30-45 minutes away from Ghana’s capital city of Accra. We docked at 8:45 and managed to clear customs by about 9:50. Almost all of the day trips were leaving at 10, including mine, so it was a mad dash to get off the ship. Today’s agenda was a tour of Accra.
The first monument we saw on the tour was the University of Ghana which is the oldest and largest University within the country. Next we stopped and ate lunch at a local hotel. They served a dish called “jollof” (a type of spicy rice served with chicken) and potatoes. Ghanaian food is very spicy and very delicious.
After lunch we received a guided toured of the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park. For those that don’t know, Kwame Nkrumah was the first president of Ghana in 1960 (I believe, please correct me if I have the date wrong). He was overthrown with help from the American CIA in 1966. I’ve heard very mixed reactions to his time in office and I am very interested in finding out more.
Located right next to the park is the “Arts Centre” which is an open market somewhat like the Souks in Morocco. Although everyone in Ghana is much (much!) more friendly than in Morocco, I’m still not a big fan of the markets. I’m not a skilled bargainer and I like to shop around in quiet before I purchase anything. In these markets you constantly have people yelling and often pulling you (literally!) into their shop. The last place on our tour was the W.E.B Dubois Center for Pan African Culture. This museum was formerly the house that Dubois lived in during his last two years in Ghana.
Interesting Facts about Ghana:
One of the most popular forms of transportation is the Tro-Tro. These are minivans that have had their seats torn out to fit as many people as possible. I get Closter phobic just looking at a Tro-Tro.
Ghana was the first sub-Saharan African nation to gain independence in 1957.
Ghana is the size of the UK and slightly smaller than Oregon.
Ghana supplies most of the worlds cocoa.
There are over 50 languages and tribes within Ghana.
Ghana is divided into 10 regions. We are docked in the Greater Accra region. The village that I will be living in tomorrow is in the eastern Volta Region. This region contains the contains the Volta river and dam. On the final day, I will visit tour Elmina Castle located within the Cape Coast region. This region is in the southern most border of Ghana and is where President Obama gave his speech last July.
The first monument we saw on the tour was the University of Ghana which is the oldest and largest University within the country. Next we stopped and ate lunch at a local hotel. They served a dish called “jollof” (a type of spicy rice served with chicken) and potatoes. Ghanaian food is very spicy and very delicious.
After lunch we received a guided toured of the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park. For those that don’t know, Kwame Nkrumah was the first president of Ghana in 1960 (I believe, please correct me if I have the date wrong). He was overthrown with help from the American CIA in 1966. I’ve heard very mixed reactions to his time in office and I am very interested in finding out more.
Located right next to the park is the “Arts Centre” which is an open market somewhat like the Souks in Morocco. Although everyone in Ghana is much (much!) more friendly than in Morocco, I’m still not a big fan of the markets. I’m not a skilled bargainer and I like to shop around in quiet before I purchase anything. In these markets you constantly have people yelling and often pulling you (literally!) into their shop. The last place on our tour was the W.E.B Dubois Center for Pan African Culture. This museum was formerly the house that Dubois lived in during his last two years in Ghana.
Interesting Facts about Ghana:
One of the most popular forms of transportation is the Tro-Tro. These are minivans that have had their seats torn out to fit as many people as possible. I get Closter phobic just looking at a Tro-Tro.
Ghana was the first sub-Saharan African nation to gain independence in 1957.
Ghana is the size of the UK and slightly smaller than Oregon.
Ghana supplies most of the worlds cocoa.
There are over 50 languages and tribes within Ghana.
Ghana is divided into 10 regions. We are docked in the Greater Accra region. The village that I will be living in tomorrow is in the eastern Volta Region. This region contains the contains the Volta river and dam. On the final day, I will visit tour Elmina Castle located within the Cape Coast region. This region is in the southern most border of Ghana and is where President Obama gave his speech last July.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Marrakech and Camel Ride
Day 1
I woke up to an awesome surprise at breakfast. Today they were serving Strawberry banana yogurt! It was delicious. The camel trek group left on the first bus at 8 am sharp for a four hour bus ride to Marrakech. I tried to stay awake and take pictures, but I fell asleep for the last half of the ride. Almost as soon as we left Casablanca we were in the countryside. Every now and then we would see a little village off in the distance, but no other towns. We stopped at a convenient store on the side of the road for a bathroom break/snack run. My friend Alyssa bought some kind of wafer cookies and Chicken flavored chips. They taste better than they sound!
We stopped to eat lunch just outside of the city. The restaurant was gorgeous! It had traditional Moroccan carvings on the ceilings and walls. It even had stain glass windows! I admit that I was nervous to try Moroccan food, but I liked it much more than I thought I would! The first course we were served was bread and a mix of different appetizers such as: squash, lentils, eggplant, and zucchini. The entrée was couscous with mixed vegetables and beef. The beef was good but I wasn’t crazy about the couscous. At least I can say I tried it! Dessert was sliced melons and grapes. After the meal we sampled the famous Moroccan Mint Tea. I’m not tea person, but it was pretty good. VERY sweet. One thing I should mention is that drinks do not come with the meal. You must order them separately. Water costs about 20 dirham (roughly $3.) Soda is 25 dirham (I think.)
After lunch we were split into two groups. The first group rode camels to a Moroccan house a few miles away. The second group took a minibus to the house. I was in the second group. When we arrived at the house we were served more Moroccan mint tea and pastries. Once the first group reached the house, the second group rode the camels back to the bus a few miles away.
Camel riding was awesome!! Before we could get on the camels, everyone had to put on a blue turban so our heads would not get sunburned (it also looks really cool!) Getting started was somewhat rough. Camels stand up on their hind legs first, so you feel like you are going to fall off the front of the camel! However, once you get going at a good pace it’s kind of peaceful. Luckily, almost everyone had well-trained and cooperative camels. Mine was perfect! Someone in our group asked if camels run. As I found out the hard way, yes. Yes they do. It was actually fun (and very bumpy!) to run. Once the camel ride was finished, we drove to the hotel where we are staying for the next two nights.
We had about 2 hours to spend in the hotel before dinner, so I turned on the t.v. and was pleasantly surprised to find we got CNN international in English! This is this first time I’ve been able to watch the news since we set sail from Halifax. It wasn’t until I turned on the t.v. that I realized it was September 11th. The story on the news was about a scuffle that broke out during an Anti-Muslim protest at large mosque in London.
Dinner at the hotel was…alright. It was a buffet style dinner with bread and multiple other types of food. I ate some kind of thick soup, rice, and chicken wrapped in some kind of bread.
Day 2
I’ve never been much of breakfast person, but it has consistently been the best meal of the day on these trips. I had a muffin with cinnamon and strawberry yogurt. Although we had to buy drinks at lunch and dinner. The hotel served free coffee, orange juice, and hot chocolate for breakfast.
After a steaming cup of hot chocolate, I was ready to start the day tour of Marrakech!
Marrakech is very different from Casablanca. Casablanca’s buildings are all white and the town is very industrial. Marrakech’s buildings are built with red brick and is very lively. Although Marrakech is less Marrakech is less modern, I prefer it there because there is more to see and do. Casablanca is a nice city but it seems like people are much more interested in the other towns like Marrakech, Fes, and Rabat.
We saw four major monuments on our tour. The first was the national library that is open to students. The second was an old place, named “Bahia Palace”, the third was a cemetery for past kings and their family, the fourth was Marrakech’s “Medina” which means “old city” in Arabic. Every city has its own Medina. Lunch was very similar to yesterdays. We were served almost the same stuff in addition to some type of beef.
After lunch we went to a store to do some shopping. I bought quite a few things and spent only 80 dirhams (roughly $12-14.) When everyone was finished shopping we went to a local pharmacy which showcased different oils, spices, and creams that are produced in Marrakech. The day ended with free time in the “Souk” which is the local (crazy) Marrakech bartering market. All the vendors are very aggressive and some will even try to follow you! Staying in a large group is the best idea. Especially if you are a female with blonde hair. The most aggressive people are the henna tattoo artists. It didn’t happen to me, but they will often just grab your arm when you walk by and start squirting the stuff on your arm and then expect payment. This is also where you can find the monkey trainers and snake charmers.
Dinner the second night was better. It was served buffet style again, but this time they had some kind of pasta and meatballs.
Day 3
After grabbing a quick breakfast, we got back on the bus at 8. We arrived in Casablanca about noon and had to stand in line for an hour while they searched our bags to make sure we weren’t trying to sneak any prohibited items on board. When I finally got through the line I decided to eat lunch and take a nap. I’m not sure what I’ll do tomorrow. Probably just stay in Casablanca.
Traveling in Casablanca is much more of a hassle than in Cadiz. Our port is located in a zone with all types of construction so we have to wait for a shuttle bus to take us closer to town. Also, we are advised to travel in groups of at least 4 or more people. It’s somewhat difficult to coordinate a group that large for travel while people have trips and other things they have to do. In Cadiz you could just get off the ship with a friend, walk a few blocks and you would be in the heart of the city. Anyway, we leave Casablanca at 8 tomorrow night and we have week of classes before we reach Ghana. I’m not sure what to expect for Ghana, but I’m very excited to find out what it‘s like!!
I woke up to an awesome surprise at breakfast. Today they were serving Strawberry banana yogurt! It was delicious. The camel trek group left on the first bus at 8 am sharp for a four hour bus ride to Marrakech. I tried to stay awake and take pictures, but I fell asleep for the last half of the ride. Almost as soon as we left Casablanca we were in the countryside. Every now and then we would see a little village off in the distance, but no other towns. We stopped at a convenient store on the side of the road for a bathroom break/snack run. My friend Alyssa bought some kind of wafer cookies and Chicken flavored chips. They taste better than they sound!
We stopped to eat lunch just outside of the city. The restaurant was gorgeous! It had traditional Moroccan carvings on the ceilings and walls. It even had stain glass windows! I admit that I was nervous to try Moroccan food, but I liked it much more than I thought I would! The first course we were served was bread and a mix of different appetizers such as: squash, lentils, eggplant, and zucchini. The entrée was couscous with mixed vegetables and beef. The beef was good but I wasn’t crazy about the couscous. At least I can say I tried it! Dessert was sliced melons and grapes. After the meal we sampled the famous Moroccan Mint Tea. I’m not tea person, but it was pretty good. VERY sweet. One thing I should mention is that drinks do not come with the meal. You must order them separately. Water costs about 20 dirham (roughly $3.) Soda is 25 dirham (I think.)
After lunch we were split into two groups. The first group rode camels to a Moroccan house a few miles away. The second group took a minibus to the house. I was in the second group. When we arrived at the house we were served more Moroccan mint tea and pastries. Once the first group reached the house, the second group rode the camels back to the bus a few miles away.
Camel riding was awesome!! Before we could get on the camels, everyone had to put on a blue turban so our heads would not get sunburned (it also looks really cool!) Getting started was somewhat rough. Camels stand up on their hind legs first, so you feel like you are going to fall off the front of the camel! However, once you get going at a good pace it’s kind of peaceful. Luckily, almost everyone had well-trained and cooperative camels. Mine was perfect! Someone in our group asked if camels run. As I found out the hard way, yes. Yes they do. It was actually fun (and very bumpy!) to run. Once the camel ride was finished, we drove to the hotel where we are staying for the next two nights.
We had about 2 hours to spend in the hotel before dinner, so I turned on the t.v. and was pleasantly surprised to find we got CNN international in English! This is this first time I’ve been able to watch the news since we set sail from Halifax. It wasn’t until I turned on the t.v. that I realized it was September 11th. The story on the news was about a scuffle that broke out during an Anti-Muslim protest at large mosque in London.
Dinner at the hotel was…alright. It was a buffet style dinner with bread and multiple other types of food. I ate some kind of thick soup, rice, and chicken wrapped in some kind of bread.
Day 2
I’ve never been much of breakfast person, but it has consistently been the best meal of the day on these trips. I had a muffin with cinnamon and strawberry yogurt. Although we had to buy drinks at lunch and dinner. The hotel served free coffee, orange juice, and hot chocolate for breakfast.
After a steaming cup of hot chocolate, I was ready to start the day tour of Marrakech!
Marrakech is very different from Casablanca. Casablanca’s buildings are all white and the town is very industrial. Marrakech’s buildings are built with red brick and is very lively. Although Marrakech is less Marrakech is less modern, I prefer it there because there is more to see and do. Casablanca is a nice city but it seems like people are much more interested in the other towns like Marrakech, Fes, and Rabat.
We saw four major monuments on our tour. The first was the national library that is open to students. The second was an old place, named “Bahia Palace”, the third was a cemetery for past kings and their family, the fourth was Marrakech’s “Medina” which means “old city” in Arabic. Every city has its own Medina. Lunch was very similar to yesterdays. We were served almost the same stuff in addition to some type of beef.
After lunch we went to a store to do some shopping. I bought quite a few things and spent only 80 dirhams (roughly $12-14.) When everyone was finished shopping we went to a local pharmacy which showcased different oils, spices, and creams that are produced in Marrakech. The day ended with free time in the “Souk” which is the local (crazy) Marrakech bartering market. All the vendors are very aggressive and some will even try to follow you! Staying in a large group is the best idea. Especially if you are a female with blonde hair. The most aggressive people are the henna tattoo artists. It didn’t happen to me, but they will often just grab your arm when you walk by and start squirting the stuff on your arm and then expect payment. This is also where you can find the monkey trainers and snake charmers.
Dinner the second night was better. It was served buffet style again, but this time they had some kind of pasta and meatballs.
Day 3
After grabbing a quick breakfast, we got back on the bus at 8. We arrived in Casablanca about noon and had to stand in line for an hour while they searched our bags to make sure we weren’t trying to sneak any prohibited items on board. When I finally got through the line I decided to eat lunch and take a nap. I’m not sure what I’ll do tomorrow. Probably just stay in Casablanca.
Traveling in Casablanca is much more of a hassle than in Cadiz. Our port is located in a zone with all types of construction so we have to wait for a shuttle bus to take us closer to town. Also, we are advised to travel in groups of at least 4 or more people. It’s somewhat difficult to coordinate a group that large for travel while people have trips and other things they have to do. In Cadiz you could just get off the ship with a friend, walk a few blocks and you would be in the heart of the city. Anyway, we leave Casablanca at 8 tomorrow night and we have week of classes before we reach Ghana. I’m not sure what to expect for Ghana, but I’m very excited to find out what it‘s like!!
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Morocco!
Morocco day:
I woke up at 8 am to see a giant rock outside of my window. After our long voyage across the Atlantic Ocean we are docked to refuel at Gibraltar. So I suppose I can at least say that I’ve “seen” the country of Gibraltar J . Global studies was (surprisingly) really interesting this morning. An Islamic professor gave a lecture about gender relations in the Islamic world. She’s teaching a class on the ship called Women and Islam. I wish I had taken that class!! After global studies I went back to my cabin and took a nap. I wanted to sleep until dinner, but I was required to watch a film about the underground hip hop scene in Morocco for my music class. I’ll be meeting one of the musicians featured in the documentary on our last day in Morocco. I managed to get a little homework done after dinner. It’s hard to believe we still have homework and required reading while we are traveling in countries from sun up to sun down.
We have only one day before we reach Morocco which is why today is called “Morocco Day.“ We have both the cultural pre-port and the logistical pre-port meeting tonight. I am exhausted! Although I am very excited for Morocco, I wish we could have another day to unwind from Spain. However, We GAIN two hours tonight! Yay!!
First Day in Casablanca, Morocco.
Ali and I woke up at 6:30 to get ready to pull dock in Casablanca, Morocco. For the first day I planned to do a city orientation which included a visit to the famous Hassan II mosque. It is the words 3rd largest mosque and was completed by the pervious king of Morocco in 1993. We were originally scheduled to leave at 1 o clock in the afternoon, but during the month of Ramadan the mosque is only open in the morning. So our trip ended being the first to leave when the ship cleared Moroccan customs at 9 o clock.
Ramadan is the Muslim holy month of fasting. During this month, Muslims are not allowed to eat or drink anything from sun up till sun down. They can only eat and drink after the sun sets. For this reason, many of the restaurants are closed (except in very touristy areas.)
The tour was supposed to contain a bus tour and a walking tour, but we didn’t get to do much walking because it was raining today. I’m amazed by the modern and traditional contrast of the city. In one block you can see people dressed in jeans and shirts eating a McDonalds. The next block over you can see people fully dressed in traditional clothes and pulling carts.
Visiting the Hassan II mosque was by far my favorite part of the tour. I have seen many grand European Cathedrals in both Spain and France. Although they are all gorgeous, it was nice to see a place of worship with such a different cultural design. During every pre-port meeting females were advised to dress modestly while in Morocco. Nothing that shows your shoulders or anything above the knee. We were also told yesterday that females were not allowed to enter the mosque unless they had their head fully covered. Turns out, we only had to make sure that our shoulders were covered. Most of us covered our head out of respect anyway.
Our last stop on the city orientation tour was to a local craft shop. Everything was very pretty but I didn’t buy anything. Most of the items were fragile pottery and I wouldn’t have a good way to get it home. It seemed like a fairly touristy shop so I’m sure the bus driver and our tour guide got a cut of the profits.
I have always been interested in how women are treated in other countries. Although women are still not quite treated as equals, Morocco is making great strides. The wife of the current king, King Mohammad VI, is the first royal female to have a full education. She is a computer engineer and even maintains a position in the government. Also, In 2003 women were granted the right to initiate a divorce. I was honestly surprised by how many women wore modern jeans and shirts instead of the traditional clothing.
After the city orientation I went back to my cabin and packed for next trip. I will spend 3 days and 2 nights in Marrakech. I leave at 8 in the morning and it’s about a 3-4 hour drive to Marrakech. Upon arrival we will eat lunch in a typical Moroccan restaurant and then depart to ride camels! I’m not able to take my computer with me so this blog will not be updated until I return on Saturday afternoon.
Interesting history fact about Morocco: It was the first country to recognize the U.S. as an independent nation in 1777.
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