I've been in Morocco for a week now, but I still need to go back to the beginning to start my blog. So traveling. Packing was difficult, but not for the reason you might think; while I managed to pack all my stuff into one fifty pound bag with relative ease, trying to figure out how many bags I could take on the plane/check was really way more difficult than it should have been (so many phone calls to Royal Air Morocco + Delta)! And my computer exploded! After 10-15 hours chatting with Dell, I learned that my graphics card would have to remain exploded for my semester abroad. Those last minute details...fortunately, my computer is still able to send emails/facebook/blog/etc. Let's just hope it doesn't explode more in the coming weeks (somebody knock on wood)!
In any case, I got to the airport, said my goodbyes (sorry Mom), and was on my way...only to have a freak earthquake close down the entire east coast, and thus redirect my plane to Allentown, Pennsylvania for two hours. The plane had only taken on enough fuel for us to reach JFK; as the pilot said, "the weather conditions are just perfect today." Funny about that. So what would have been a very long layover turned into a mad dash to get to the plane (great success!). I was relieved when the plane finally took off for Casablanca. And then, my first cultural treat; food was served immediately after sunset, for فطور ( f'tour, normally means breakfast, but in this case, it literally means breaking the fast during Ramadan). We enjoyed honey covered dates and other sweets before our main meal (lasagna, which was surprisingly delicious). At the time, I didn't know that the small breakfast of bread and cheese served three hours later would be the last thing I would eat until 7:30 the next evening!
Fast forward 7 and 1/2 hours. Off the plane, through customs, and bag successfully reclaimed! During the flight, I met some other students traveling to جامعة الاخوين (Al-Akhawayn University); we traveled together on the train from then on. Due to Ramadan, none of the airport stores were open (we managed to buy bottles of water for the day, but even if stores had been serving food no one would have been comfortable eating in public). The rest of the trip was uneventful--a 4 hour train ride from Casablanca to Fez, waiting in the parking lot for a few hours, then a 1 1/2 hour shuttle up to campus. Our driver did stop twice on the way up to buy fruit from street vendors--we were confused. And after dinner in the campus cafeteria, I collapsed for the evening. Jet. Lag. But I made it, الحمد لله!
Soon, more to come about my traveling adventures from the past week!
In any case, I got to the airport, said my goodbyes (sorry Mom), and was on my way...only to have a freak earthquake close down the entire east coast, and thus redirect my plane to Allentown, Pennsylvania for two hours. The plane had only taken on enough fuel for us to reach JFK; as the pilot said, "the weather conditions are just perfect today." Funny about that. So what would have been a very long layover turned into a mad dash to get to the plane (great success!). I was relieved when the plane finally took off for Casablanca. And then, my first cultural treat; food was served immediately after sunset, for فطور ( f'tour, normally means breakfast, but in this case, it literally means breaking the fast during Ramadan). We enjoyed honey covered dates and other sweets before our main meal (lasagna, which was surprisingly delicious). At the time, I didn't know that the small breakfast of bread and cheese served three hours later would be the last thing I would eat until 7:30 the next evening!
Fast forward 7 and 1/2 hours. Off the plane, through customs, and bag successfully reclaimed! During the flight, I met some other students traveling to جامعة الاخوين (Al-Akhawayn University); we traveled together on the train from then on. Due to Ramadan, none of the airport stores were open (we managed to buy bottles of water for the day, but even if stores had been serving food no one would have been comfortable eating in public). The rest of the trip was uneventful--a 4 hour train ride from Casablanca to Fez, waiting in the parking lot for a few hours, then a 1 1/2 hour shuttle up to campus. Our driver did stop twice on the way up to buy fruit from street vendors--we were confused. And after dinner in the campus cafeteria, I collapsed for the evening. Jet. Lag. But I made it, الحمد لله!
Soon, more to come about my traveling adventures from the past week!
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