Del cuidad a los montanas, another side of Morocco

Today we awoke early and shared in a final breakfast with our Moroccan host families. The host family opportunity was definitely a very rewarding part of the trip. I realized that they are the first muslim family that I have known personally. I general take it upon myself to resist stereotypes and enter into thingswith an open mind. But I realized my knowledge of Islam was limited to a few discussions of the religion in history class. Having lived in a world with the connotations of 9/11 since the age of 12, words like Islam and muslim entered my consciousness already tainted. However, staying with a family that exhibited hospitality, kindness and great enthusiasm for cultural sharing helped to combat those subconscious, learned connotations. My general impressions about the "muslim-ness" of my host family was their modesty and openly faithful living, visibly trying to live according to God's values and principles. However, my main impressions were that this family was more like mine than different. Hassan loves his wife and she loves her husband. And playing with their baby was like playing with any other baby (so cute!). This I know is part ofwhat Moroccan Exchange hopes to show us, that people are people. This family showed us nothing but hospitality and bid us goodbye with the offer of a place to stay whenever we return to Morocco.

Upon leaving Rabat, we set out on a 4-hour mini-bus ride into the Rif Mountains. It was a long windy ride so we stopped for a bathroom break and some more Moroccan mint tea after two hours before driving back further into the mountains. We arrived in the small mountain village. The houses were painted white and clustered along the sloping sides of the mountains. A young couple from the village hosted us for lunch (sandwiches and mountain couscous) and also let

us ask them questions. They have been

married for about 10 years now and have several adorable children (who kept popping in and out of the room where we were eating. They told us the story of how them met. He was visiting her village one day. He saw her from a distance and thought, that is the girl I would like to marry. They got to know each other over the year. He spoke to her father and they were married when she was only 16. They seem to have a marriage that works very well. He has work, they have healthy children, she is well cared for.

However, their life in this village does seem to be a life of hard work. When we asked them what they do in their free time he said he goes to the local bar for a drink (tea or something as the alcohol is not consumed under Islam) and she enjoys watching TV after her work is done. However, she runs the household, cleans,

cooks and looks after the children. He cares for the land and sells things in the nearby city markets. They also have a small plot of farm land that they tend. Their children all attend school (boys and girls) and the hope she has for he children seems the same as any mother for her child: That they learn and grow up to have a more opportunities life than she does, even if that means leaving the village. The families we stayed with in the city of Rabat were upper-middle class in comparison to the humbler lifestyles (more representative of Morocco's population) that we saw in the mountain village. It was good to visit all sides of Morocco and helped me gain a deeper understanding of this country and it's culture.

After this we drove about another half-hour to Chefchaouen, a larger mountain town and a popular tourist destination. The buildings nestled into the mountains are are painted blue and white. This city grew when muslims were expelled from Spain and came to live here. This was probably our more touristy Moroccan experience. We had a few hours to shop (in the chilly, persistent rain) - despite the rain I was a successful shopper even though I hate to barter. Then we met up as a group again for a charming dinner at the Aladdin Restaurant. I had some yummy cheese salad and a meatball dish that was delicious. For dessert - fresh oranges sprinkled with cinnamon - and the combo of these flavors was surprisingly delicious (Don't believe me? Try it. It was wonderful!) We stayed the night in a hostel that we filled and had all to ourselves. Bundled in Moroccan blankets, we met in a living room of the hostel and shared thoughts about the trip in the candlelit room. It was a wonderful closing night of reflection.

The next morning we rose early and packed up. A group of us took a quick, 30-min hike up the mountain for view overlooking the city. It was a tough hike but gave us a worth-it, farewell look out over the city that was out final destination in Morocco. After breakfast in the square (with my final glass of Moroccan tea) we boarded out bus for a drive back the airport in Tangier. We caught our flight out and said goodbye to Morocco and the African continent as the wheels of our plane lifted into the air. I am so grateful for having this opportunity to visit Morocco and return with a better understanding of the complex cultural and religious influences that make up this fascinating country. I think someday that I would like to return.