Final Reflections

It is our last day in Morocco.

We arrived in Marrakech on Friday evening and got a quick tour of the medina and of the market square where people gather every night. The square was full of makeshift restaurants and other stores as well as snake charmers, musicians and the like. We also had the opportunity to experience a real hammam -- a Turkish/Moroccan bathhouse -- that the locals visit often. It was a very unique experience because this wasn't something that tourists experience often. We entered the bathhouse and did everything as the locals do.

This morning we woke up bright and early to visit the old medina. We received tours of a local palace called the Palais Bahia -- meaning great beauty or brilliance -- that was built in the 19th century by Si Moussa, the grand vizer to the sultan. The palace was named after one of his wives. We walked through many of the rooms and took pictures of the grand vizer's tomb along with that of his children and his women.

After visiting the palace, we made our way back through the medina to a local spice shop where we learned all about Moroccan herbs and oils and their homeopathic, medicinal and beauty-related capabilities. (We also had the opportunity to buy some of these herbs, oils and creams and we fully took advantage of it!) For lunch, we found a local restaurant that served fish (as most of us wanted to try something different from our beef and chicken meals) and enjoyed another wonderful meal there. (There has not been a single meal that we have not found enjoyable in some way or another.) After lunch, we made our way to a guest house called "Riad Laksiba" just inside of the medina. We learned that while we have been staying in hotels during our trip (with the exception of the Berber tents) guest houses are a very popular option for tourists who want a very unique and authentic experience. Guests get to enjoy the comforts of a quality hotel but with the hands-on interaction with locals that is missing from that setting. Guests of the riad have the opportunity to actually live with a family of locals who open their homes to others and they get to really learn first-hand about the culture. They even have the chance to help cook traditional Moroccan meals in their kitchen. 

We returned to the market square in the old medina and did a bit more shopping before our guide, Redouane, had to leave us. Redouane actually went to college with our destination leader, Abdel, and we were all surprised when he showed up at the airport and introduced himself as our guide (even Abdel didn't know!) After spending so many days together with him, it was a very emotional goodbye. It is incredible to see how strongly people can impact you even from a brief encounter. We have come to love Redouane as one of our own and he IS part of our family. Everyone that we have met on this trip has just been so welcoming that it is almost overwhelming. We are all very sad to leave the country that we have fallen in love with so deeply. That is not to say that everything is perfect in Morocco but for us on this trip, we truly feel blessed to have been able to experience this country together. The good, the not-so-good and the very different. All of these experiences have connected us as a group but have also opened our minds and expanded our horizons. 

On our drive back to Casablanca, our group was already discussing plans for a 5 year reunion in Morocco. Each and every single one of us has just been humbled greatly by this experience. We might be a little teary-eyed tonight and wishing we could stay just a little bit longer but we are definitely looking forward to strengthening our bonds with each other once we return back to the U.S. and sharing everything we learned about this beautiful country with everyone and anyone who will listen.

Much love from GCP Morocco 2014.