Today’s blog post comes from Worcester State University student and Spring 2020 blogger Victoria Donahue! She’s studying abroad with us in Seville, Spain.
Morocco… a country I have heard much about but never expected it to be possible to visit.
When I was researching Sevilla, and the surrounding areas I noticed how close I would be to Morocco. That right there sparked my interest in the North African country. Once I got to Sevilla, I started thinking about how I was going to get to Morocco, and how I was going to get there safely. Being completely honest, I was a little nervous, and all of these questions started to swarm my mind. Was it dangerous? Would I feel safe? What is it going to be like?
After some research, and help from my friends we found a program called “We Love Spain.” This program brought us from Sevilla, all around Morocco, and even stopped in Gibraltar on the way! I must have been on that website for hours; reading all the reviews, looking over the itinerary, thinking about if this was something I wanted to do.
I decided: I was going to Morocco. A few days passed and the day finally arrived.
My housemates and I woke up and arrived at the meeting point across the river. We got on the bus, and the program director, David, started talking to us about what the weekend beholds. As he talked about our first stop, Gibraltar, I was so excited! We stopped at a lighthouse and I took in the breathtaking view of The strait of Gibraltar and the lighthouse. I took millions of pictures with the view of Africa in the distance.
We then took a bus to the top of the mountain to where St. Michael’s Cave is located. As we drove up, monkeys started to appear and it was amazing. We got out, and the monkeys were just there; hanging out. They went up to us and climbed on our shoulders, where I was able to get some great pictures. I journeyed into St. Michael’s Cave, which was amazing, and I am so happy that I added the tour in.
Our time in Gibraltar was ending and it was time for Morocco!
We got on our bus to the ferry where we boarded and sat on the top deck. It was a nice ride with an even better sunset. After a long day of travel we went to our hotel, a beautiful Arabic structure right on the beach. They fed us a delicious dinner and it was time for bed to ensure a good night sleep for tomorrow’s long day. Saturday: the day of exploring. I started off my day with a traditional Morocoan breakfast of fresh bread, goat cheese and coffee of course. Our next stop was Tangier, where we rode camels on the beach! It was so scary, and I honestly thought I was falling off at many points.
After our amazing time in Tangier, it was time for Chefchaoun. Our drive there from Tangier led us through the mountains, and finally I saw it: the Blue City. It was even more beautiful than I could imagine. Everything was blue and white, and just so detailed. We took a tour of the city and got free time, which was filled with me taking hundreds of pictures!
Chefchaoun was probably one of the most beautiful places I have visited- and this is one of my favorite pictures of myself there!
Chefchaoun was a dream, but it was time to leave for Tetouan back for dinner. Included in the trip was an Arabic Fantasy Dinner, which was probably the best part of the trip. We were in a beautiful Arabic restaurant, filled with dancers, musicians, and henna. After a four course dinner, it was time for the fun to start! It was like I was in the “Prince Ali” scene from Aladdin. There was music, dancing and just fun. They brought people up to dance, and even recreated a traditional Moroccan wedding! It was definitely a night to remember.
The next day we traveled into downtown Tetouan to the leather market and a traditional pharmacy.
I ended up buying a natural lip gloss, rose facial lotion, and a leather backpack! I made sure to keep a Dirham coin to remember my trip! I finished the day with some traditional Morocan green tea, and it was time to go home. Although this trip was only a weekend, it was a weekend to remember and I am so happy that I was able to cross Morocco off my bucket list.
