Marrakesh Madness

Enough of the rain. When the opportunity came along to travel to Morocco for some meetings about Charity Vision, Rebekah decided she wanted in. In fact, she decided to bring along the kids, Susie (Shaynie's best friend) and our Nanny Amanda. It was a full family affair.

We rented a Riad (a garden house) right in the middle of the old Souk.

Rebekah spent the mornings lounging in the sun on the rooftop, sipping the delightful mint tea - while the kids danced and sang and talked, and did whatever else crazy 12 years old do.

 The called themselves The Dauntless Three. They were a happy bunch. Most of the time...

 They especially loved coming up with names for all the cats we ran into (like Sunshine Paw, Lion Heart, Shadow Pelt...)  and we ran into a lot of cats. Seriously. There are a lot of cats in Marrakesh.

 We started each day with a hearty Moroccan breakfast. My favorite was the fresh squeezed orange juice. It reminded me of my childhood in Ojai.

 Then it was off to explore. The kids usually fell into some type of formation, arm in arm. In fact they came up with a number of formations, to help navigate the crowded alley ways and side roads (which they shared with fruit stalls, motorcycles, donkeys - and of course cats). These formations had names like; Train formation, Race Car formation, Free Flow, Avalanche formation, Dad formation,  etc...  You get the idea.

 One morning while I had meetings, the group stopped by the Amal Women Center to learn how to cook the national dish Tajine. They chopped, diced, dashed and prepared all types of meats, spices, and vegetables. Lots of vegetables.

Then they popped it all into a Tajine for an hour or so to cook. 

As a side benefit, some of the money they spent went to the women center, which helps educate and assist local women escape from the vicious cycle of poverty, by teaching them cooking and life skills.

They all had a great time. So much love and food, 

 Which I understand was delicious.

 Then it was back to the market.  It was a great place to wander. A stereotypical North African Bazaar, with all the sights, sounds and smells you would expect. Weston bought a knife, and carried it around with him just to be safe.

 We loved the local dress in Morocco (a Djellaba). It felt like we were on the set of Star Wars.

 Rebekah enjoyed buying food and snacks to keep her going.

 Shayne had no interest in buying anything. Weston wanted to buy everything, and enjoyed the haggling. He settled on the dagger and a wooden cane (that he wants to bring to Church).  What is next, a monocle?

 We took a day trip to Essaouira, on the Atlantic coast. It gave us the chance to see some of the lovely county side.  We even passed by a tree full of goats.... Look it up, it is a real thing!

 We went with the whole crew there to help Charity Vision. I think they were in a hurry, as the police stopped them 5 times.  I was given a speeding ticket on one of the stops. Paid on the spot. I decided to go the speed limit from then on.

 This city has been a sea port for a long time, even the Romans were here. However, the Portuguese are responsible for the massive fortification (to protect their trade routes and supplies).

 We enjoyed some local seafood, did some more shopping, and the kids even took a hour or so to attend their online science class. Their teacher must think we are crazy?

 On a different day we visited the local clinic of our host Dr, Mohammad. He works with people suffering from brain injuries and trauma. This little boy was abandoned at birth, and up until a few months ago could not walk, and would cry and scream all day long.  No one could touch him. With some help, love and affection, he is now starting to walk, and he does not scream anymore.

 The kids sang songs to a sweet little boy suffering from Cerebral Palsy. He was such a cute little guy. The human brain is truly amazing.  It is exciting to see results from some of the new research and techniques on the subject, especially with people that previously would have been written off.

Then it was back to the Market.  We seemed to end up there every day or night. Weston dabbeled with the dark side, but then came back around. 

 Rebekah bought more sweets and nuts (this place was literally swarming with bees!)

  Safety was a concern as we explored the warren of nooks, ally's, and winding streets. Especially since we had quests. We tried to stay together. Thank goodness for Weston's' trusty dagger.

 We visited Bahia Palace, akin to the Alhambra in Spain. The craftsman ship was amazing.

 I understand it took a very long time to finish. In fact they still use the expression "They finally finished the Bahia"  today when a long, overdue project is completed.

 Of course the biggest hit was our foray into the desert on ATV's.

 Miles and miles of nothing.  Desert, dust, sand, some sheep, Oh - and this one palm tree.

Off in the distance the impressive Atlas mountains rose from the horizon, boasting a fresh coating of snow!

 The kids were not old enough to drive, but Rebekah talked (bullied) the guide into it. They had the time of their lives; and as a perk, no one died.

 We even stopped for tea and cookies at a small village in the middle of no where; and as a perk, no one got sick!

 The kids felt and acted like rock stars. They were very demanding on the ride home. A bunch of motocross Diva's!

 We ate a lot of Tajine. In fact, I think it was on every menu. Sometimes that was the entire menu. When possible we found places with rotisserie chicken, salads and even pizza.

 When at the coast, Shayne ordered muscles (to the horror of our friends - who found it a strange choice for a 12 year old).

 Morocco is a real feast for the senses. So many colors, aromas and sounds.  The temperature

 was pleasant in the daytime, and then freezing when the sun went down. But the family took it all in stride, and tried to enjoy all of it.

 Luckily, I found a stall frying up fresh dough.  A Moroccan donut. I could not resist. Apparently you can order by the kilo!  So I did.  I can not image doing that at Krispy Kreme. There were over 25 donuts, all tied up on a string. It cost me $1.10. Nice. Bring on the grease. That tastes good in any language.

 We tried to balance it out with lots of fresh orange juice. At $0.40 a glass, I was okay with that.

 Rebekah braved a few meals on the street. She was a real trooper. Weston even tried a few new dishes, as he continues to prove he is no longer picky. We were very proud. Of course we could not argue with him-  he had a knife!

The girls went for a Henna tattoo.  We almost got some done on their faces, just to freak out Susie's parents. Rebekah was the voice of reason (again). 

We left Morocco, full of Tanjin, trinkets from the market, a weeks worth of sun and warmth, and thrilled to have met some great new friends trying to make a difference in the world. Hopefully we all learned a few things -for example,  did you know there are lots cats in Marrakesh?