Seeing Morocco through new eyes

It is very different to see a place as a tourist vs a resident. Since Haim's parent's, who were both born and raised here, joined us in Casablanca about 5 days ago the trip has taken a wonderful new tone. Maybe Haim and I were just a bit sick of trying NOT to pay tourist...hard when you don't know the language that well....maybe we were just overwhelmed by our constant need for (major) guard and small crimes of opportunity (as is the case in any VERY poor country, where you are a "rich" foreigner)...maybe we were spending WAY too much time together and Haim needed some new people to hang with....

Whatever the case, the past 5 days have been the most enjoyable time that we've spent here (only slightly rivaled by the crossing and our time in Tanger.) Marco and Alice both spent their youth in and around Casablanca, so as soon as they arrived we had an instant navigator....which was well needed, since it took us 90 minutes to reach an airport 25 minutes away when we went to pick them up! We joined them in visits to their homes, and Marco even ran into an old neighbor. Lastly we visited the graveyard where Alice's father is buried...a site she had never before visited, as he died about 6 months after she left Morocco for Israel.

After 3 enjoyable days in Casablanca, we've headed to Meknes, a decent sized university town about 60 km south west of Fes. Meknes seems very manageable to me; large enough to feel like a city, but small enough to feel somewhat knowable....and the best hotel we've been in in Morocco doesn't hurt either. While Maya has found no playgrounds to speak of lately, she has had some nice nature time, lots of cats, and an wonderful large public square in which to push her dolly and stroller...which does not make too many appearances due to the challenges of busy streets combined with a dawdling 2 year old.

Our first day in Meknes was spent wandering the beautiful streets of the Medina, and taking Maya on a long promised carriage ride. The evening hours were spent enjoying the square, which is used as a selling stage for mystery remedies and the like. Yesterday we spent the afternoon at Volubilis, a large, fairly well preserved Roman city, over 2000 years old. Maya climbed ruins, played in mud and streams, and had a wonderfully messy time! Last night we ate a small shabatt dinner of some bought fish and a few salads prepared by Alice. Te hotel let us use an empty dining room, and we had a nice, early evening. Today, while Alice and Marco rest, Haim, Maya and I will probably continue to explore then town in a leisurely fashion, and try to pick a route for tomorrow's drive to Azrou.