Arabian Nights

This weekend, I traveled to my favorite destination so far - Marrakesh, Morocco. It was a completely different world.

If you've been to Morocco, you'll know that a blog post could never describe it fully. If you haven't, you should, and soon.
For lack of a better way to sum up my unbelievable weekend, I'll again list highlights:

- Our comfortable, cozy, ramshackle hostel. The couple who owns it, Fran and Abdullah, are warm and hospitable. They provide free breakfast (coffee, fresh Moroccan bread, jam), free hookah, and free sweet Moroccan tea. There are pet turtles roaming the roof and the Arabic couches lining the walls become beds in a pinch. Definitely the best hostel I've stayed in so far.
- The 2-day excursion into the desert, including driving for hours through the High Atlas Mountains and into the Sahara. We rode camels into the desert (mine was named Maharos) and camped in Berber nomad tents under the vivid panorama of stars.
- Sitting around the campfire late Saturday night, sharing jokes with the communicative Berber nomad guides in a mixture of French, English, Spanish, and Arabic.
- Wandering the souqs (market stalls) of the Marrakesh medina (marketplace/plaza) to sight-see and barter with the friendly, funny Moroccan shopkeepers.
- Eating and sleeping for cheap... The rate of both dollars and euros to the national currency (dirhams) is great, and Moroccan food is DELICIOUS. We feasted on lamb kebabs, harira (chickpea soup), tajines (meat and vegetables cooked below an oven, so they're incredibly soft and juicy) and delicious flavorful bread.
- Meeting interesting people from all over the world, from Finns to French to Canadian college students to Arab nomads to an adorable, friendly couple from the UK/Denmark.
- Catching a glimpse of life in not just a new continent, but a whole new world...