The Purposeful Henna

    Today started off with two cups of coffee and breakfast on the rooftop of our Tangier hotel. At the time I thought coffee was the right move, but turns out it ruined my plan to sleep in the car ride to Chefchaouen. On the way we passed through the busy streets of Tangier where Liam and Peyton admired all the possible fast food places to eat. We also passed by a number of wind turbines, which directly relates to my renewable energy project. I was surprised by the number of turbines that were stationed throughout the mountains. For some reason it made me question if we were really in Africa. It’s pretty casual to see other energy sectors like power lines and small outhouses, but seeing renewable energy was new to me. We also passed a couple dams which could be tied back to hydropower.

     During the ride I sat next to Liam and Pey. I listened to them count out the number of mosques and Liam added, “seeing a mosque in Morocco is like passing Dunkin Donuts in New England.” I agreed and by the end of the ride Peyton and Liam totaled over 20.

     When we got to our hotel we had a little downtime consisting of me sitting in the sun trying to fight the urge to eat the cookies the hotel staff brought out. Once we got assigned our rooms, I of course took a nap, and then we headed out for lunch. We ended up at a place not far from the hotel that had an amazing view of the city!

     Following lunch we took a tour through the blue streets of Chefchaouen. We ended up stopping at an ATM and while waiting I made sure to check myself out in the bank window. After about a minute of staring at myself I realized there was a man inside watching me the entire time...definitely not embarrassing. He came out and continued to laugh as I bursted out laughing with Liv in the corner.

     One of my favorite parts of the day was our hike up to one of the Mosques at height of the city. Here we watched the sunset and listened to the call to prayer. I was actually able to sit by myself for a while and really soak in the culture and surrounding people. Don’t get me wrong, the hike up was tough! I was winded by the time I got to the top, probably because I only consumed fruit all day. It was definitely worth the struggle though. The view was amazing!!!

    We ended our day with one of the best dinners (in my opinion). I ended up ordering vegetables with couscous and some bean dip. It was pretty amazing and I would definitely recommend.

    In all, today was one of the funnier days of the trip. I got in a lot of laughs and also absorbed a lot of the surrounding culture.

-Madi

The Tangerines

We started off our morning here in Tangier with a rooftop breakfast at 9:00 am...well, actually, it was more like 9:10 am because Peyton and I didn’t wake up in time. I really enjoyed breakfast which consisted of chocolate croissants, coffee, orange juice, bread, and jam. We then had the opportunity to tour the inside of a local synagogue. The Rabbi was super welcoming to our group, and I thought it was very interesting to see the architecture and design of the synagogue first hand. One thing that I learned during this visit that I did not know before was that the men sit downstairs, while the women sit upstairs during the service.

After our visit to the synagogue we walked through the market where we observed all of the stands selling agriculture items such as fruits and vegetables, and handmade items such as pottery and clothing. I was really surprised by the amount of items actually in the market; every single stand in the market appeared to be overflowing. The part that stood out to me the most of the markets was where all the meat was being sold. It was crazy to see in person. This experience definitely made me think more about about where the food we eat comes from, especially when we never see that part of the process in America. The idea of becoming a vegetarian also may have crossed my mind once or twice after seeing all of the raw meat...

After that we visited a beautiful Anglican church which was surrounded by a large green garden. What really stood out to me about this church is how the architecture was designed to look like a mosque, as the architects didn’t want to build a church that stood out greatly from all the mosques. We also learned that the church is open to people of all faith backgrounds, and that everyone is welcome there. I thought this was interesting especially when compared with the mosque, which did not allow anyone that was not Muslim to enter.

From there we continued to walk through the streets and explore the different sights along the coast. We took a break from walking and stopped for tea at a restaurant that had a beautiful ocean view, before heading off to lunch as a group. - Liv

After spending the morning walking through the medina of Tangier, and having lunch we arrived at a museum called the American Legation Museum within the medina. This museum was a tribute to the American-Moroccan relationship and displayed how our cultures have intertwined throughout history. I was fascinated to learn how Morocco was the first country to recognize US independence. I found this interesting because our guide at the museum seemed proud of this fact, and in American schooling this fact is not displayed and our relationship with Morocco is rarely mentioned in required history courses. The museum guide explained how the building was a US "embassy" before what we know as embassies formally existed. The US gifted the building to Morocco for them to create this museum for just a dollar a month as rent. Many diplomatic meetings were held in this building over the years. The rest of the museum highlighted the artistic influence the two countries have had on each other. The rooms were covered with paintings and pictures of famous American artists who got had their art influenced in many forms such as films and literature about the country, or painters and writers who lived in the country using the Moroccan culture to shape their art. These artists became famous in both countries as Moroccans appreciated their intrigue in their country and their way of life. My favorite part was a true story of an American diplomat who came to receive a gift from Morocco, and was thoroughly surprised when Moroccan men brought him two lions and wouldn’t let the diplomat refuse the gift. Next to the museum was a small garden with a beautiful fountain and several turtles which made for a great Peyton and Liam “thumbs up photo.” Overall this was a wonderful way to wrap up our longest day so far and our last day in the city of Tangier. - Clancy

                                      

It has been very interesting exploring Morocco as American tourists because we are presented with Moroccan culture rather than immersing ourselves in it. We have received many comments, both positive and negative, about being from the U.S., but we are also not discreet about being tourists. First of all, it has been absolutely incredible learning about the wide variety of cultures and beliefs; for example, it was enlightening to meet a rabbi and a priest at the same time while in a country where Islam is the largest religion. Despite our group’s various religious beliefs, we were welcomed to both the synagogue and church as guests. Throughout the day, we made efforts to speak in either French or Spanish when talking to shop owners, waiters, tour guides, and more. I knew I didn't seem French when someone responded to me in English! One of the biggest differences between Rabat and Tangier is that the Tangier citizens seem to appreciate having us as tourists more. Today people were saying hello to us and inviting us to appreciate their work. AJ and I were able to take a picture with a man selling nougat, who we met in Tangier two years ago while on Geronimo. Just to show how kind Moroccans are, he gave us two pieces of Nougat for free. When we were at the indoor markets, it was incredible to see how hard people worked, but also how willing they were to show us what they were making and how the goods were produced. At the end of the day, we visited the American Legation Museum and learned about America’s relationship with Morocco. One of the first facts that our guide said was that the museum offers classes for women to learn languages and writing. I believe that these lessons are beneficial for the growth of Morocco, and I remembered that there are many groups of women who are also working on this effort. Overall, it was thrilling to learn about a new culture and see the differences between each city, even in the same country. I cannot wait for the rest of the trip to see how the culture evolves and changes. — Morgan

WE LOVE BREAD

Today we started our journey with a luscious breakfast consisting of bread, savory pastries, yogurt, chocolate cake, dried fruits, juice and coffee. We then quickly hit the road traveling north to Tangier. We drove through a heavily agricultural area with rolling fields of lush green. We learned that much of the coastal agriculture that we were seeing was wheat and bananas. We also saw an abundance of sheep and cows along the highway. Throughout the drive two things that surprised me were the clumps of people congregating in park areas beside the highway and the highly manicured nature of the landscapes lining the highways especially closer to cities. I (Madeline) learned that people flocked to the parks that happened to be along the highways leading away from cities because they were usually much cooler than the cities themselves.

On the way we stopped in Asilah, a small town on the way to Tangier. There we stopped for lunch at a traditional Moroccan restaurant. Liam and Clancy were extra adventurous in getting the octopus which was beautifully cooked and, I’m told, tasted amazing. After lunch we walked around the kasbah, a gated old city. Throughout the kasbah, the bottoms of the majority of building were painted blue to pay respect to the Jewish spirituality. While walking through we ran into many people trying to sell us foods, crafts, and other cool trinkets. We saw lots of handmade paintings and special northern Moroccan hats. We learned that the traditional Moroccan woven hats have two distinct patterns, the northern Moroccan variety having colored pom poms and the southern version without. We continued through and passed the Hassan II center for international affairs and another school. Many signs we saw included the three different languages of Morocco, Arabic, Berber, and French. Arabic unlike Berber and French is read from right to left, so it was interesting to compare the three very distinct and different languages. Asilah also had a beautiful view of the ocean which we all thoroughly appreciated through the walls of the city.

After visiting the kasbah we drive to Tangier. While blasting music in the car we had some amazing views of the ocean, including some camels on the beaches. We stopped to take a group picture on the beach, and Ms. Cotton, Charlotte and I (AJ) attempted to take an artsy video of ourselves doing cartwheels. It was so nice to walk on the beach and take in the view of the coast, especially after lots of driving.

Once we got to Tangier, we visited the Grotto d’Hercule (Hercule’s Cave). The rocks from this cave were used to construct many buildings in Morocco such as the medina wall. While walking through, it felt like you were going through a maze with lots of turns and hiding places. At the end of the cave there was an opening to the Atlantic Ocean, which was a super cool sight. Shortly after our cave adventures, we visited the place where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Mediterranean Sea. Morgan and I (AJ) did some reminiscing, as we traveled here on our Geronimo trip sophomore year. It was amazing to see Spain on the horizon, and it reminded me of sailing through the Strait of Gibraltar and seeing Africa and Spain on either side.

After exploring the city for a while, we had dinner at “El Morocco Club.” The restaurant was a little more Western inspired, as it had pastas and seafood on the menu. Now, this is where things get interesting. As an avid bread enthusiast, I came up with a system of rating the quality of bread we have at each meal. I try to save some of it for everyone else but sometimes it’s hard because I love bread so much. I use my own expertise as well as the general consensus to rate the bread on a scale of 1-10. Three things are taken into consideration: texture, how thoroughly cooked, and flavor. Today the bread at breakfast was a solid 7.5, as it was pretty moist and had a nice flakiness to it. The bread at lunch scored a 6.5, because although it was well cooked and only a little chewy, the flavor was lacking. Thus, the dinner bread won (scoring a 8) because it had a very nice spiced flavor and was the perfect texture (not too chewy or too dry). Overall, today was a very good bread day. I am confident that this system will help us find the best bread in Morocco, and I am excited to see what tomorrow brings.

Love,

Madeline and AJ (bread enthusiast)

The Accidental Henna Tattoo

            Today was definitely what you could consider a traveling day! I began packing yesterday around 1PM with the attempt to leave my house around 2PM and get to the front circle around 2:20PM. From there we all loaded the bus and made our way to Logan for our 8:15PM flight. The plane ride was not as bad as I anticipated! Compared to my 16 hour plane ride to South Africa, it was pretty much a breeze.

       I do have to say the last plane ride was a little bumpy, and turbulence is something I don’t necessarily do well with. Before our attempted landing I actually had to turn to Liam and ask for a plastic bag, you know just in case of an emergency. We all got off the plane safe and met up with our tour guide who preceded to take us to some destinations around Rabat.

       My first impression of Morocco didn’t match my original expectations. It was more modern and lively than photos I observed in class. For some reason it gave off more of a ‘touristy vibe’ which was somewhat shocking.

      Our first destination was the Hassan II Tower. As a group we walked around observing the many staggered pillars and beautiful architecture. We even got to go inside the mausoleum to observe the amazing artistry (photo is attached below). Our tour guide talked a lot about the history of Morocco, more specifically about the ethnic  groups and some of the background on the surrounding Mosques and structural buildings.

      We then made our way to the more touristy section of Rabat. As a group we walked through this beautiful garden that was placed perfectly within the blue buildings. This was by far my favorite place of the day and the only place where I unknowingly got stopped by a woman who decided to give me henna.

      Overall, travel days aren’t usually the best but this one served some purpose. Although my exhaustion got the best of me it was cool to dive into the day and fully engage in some of the Moroccan culture.

- Madi

Day 1: Morockin the Casbah

Day 1 started off at 2:30pm in the St. Georges front circle, then ended a long 24 hours later in the Riad Dar Dar in Rabat. After a flight delay, a quick layover in Paris, and a final landing that was just a little bit too exciting, all 14 of us made it to Morocco. We got started immediately, finding our tour guide, Mbarek, in the airport and heading straight to the Mausoleum of Muhammad V. Seeing the unbelievable architecture of the Mausoleum snapped everyone out of their sleep deprived states and left all of us in awe. 

Following our visit to the Mausoleum, we headed up to the Kasbah overlooking Rabat. Upon entering the Kasbah we saw a beautiful garden with an orange tree in the center. After exploring the garden, we began to walk down the streets surrounding the garden. This experience brought to light the fact that we were tourists in a foreign country, as many of the locals were instantly able to seek us out and attempted to sell us goods. Our tour of the Kasbah ended at the main square which overlooked the Atlantic Ocean.

We ended the night at a restaurant that served unbelievable tangines, and headed back to the hotel. Tomorrow we are looking at an early morning drive to Tangier, our next stop on the trip.

- Liam

Today's the day!

In less than six short hours, three faculty and eleven St. George's School seniors will be headed to Morocco. Our travel starts at Logan Airport in Boston with a layover in Paris before landing in Rabat at 1:10pm local time (7:10am EST).

Devon Ducharme and I co-teach the Global Studies course and traveled throughout Morocco last August determining the best locations to bring the students to enrich their learning experiences. This trip, we will spend time in Rabat, Tangier, Chefchaouen, and Fez. In selecting these areas, we hope to learn about Moroccan culture, political structures, development, tourism, and environmental concerns, amongst other topics.

The students have spent the past few weeks narrowing down their research questions and conducting preliminary research. Additionally, each student has a field research plan in place in order to reap the full benefits of our week in Morocco. Each night you'll hear from two or three of them about their experiences and what they are learning.

These are some pictures from our trip last August, a taste of what's to come! Thanks for following along.

- Caitie Cotton