You Married? Touch my hand, touch my hand..

Without further ado, Morocco. With bocadis in hand, we set foot for our meeting place, Torre del Oro. After joining the travel group and meeting three Greek and two German girls who quickly became our friends, we left for our bus ride that took us to the ferry. Following the seasick and claustrophobic ferry ride, we made it to Morocco. We spent the night in Tangier and shared a dinner with three nice Spaniards. Take note, we have yet to meet Spaniards as kind and welcoming as them. The following morning, we woke up bright and early and left for Casablanca. Our stop in Casablanca was short and wet--a fierce storm loomed directly over what just happened to be the second largest mosque in the world. Curious. This was no trip to Rick's, and no, we didn't meet Humphrey Bogart or Ingrid Bergman.

Next stop, Marrakech. Although we didn't find the romanticized Casablanca we had so hoped for from the movies, we did find the sparkle we had so desired during our hotel check-in in Marrakech. The stroll to our room felt a bit like we had just checked-in to the Bellagio on the Vegas strip. Not in the mood to dabble with the law, we declined Robert De Niro's offer to join him for a drink and a seat at the roulette table. (This is a joke, seeing as it is an Islamic country.) After check-in, we enjoyed our first hearty and authentic Moroccan meal, of course avoiding the foods that could have come into contact with the deadly Moroccan water. What may come as a surprise, due to the overwhelming warnings we got against the Moroccan cuisine--no we did not get sick. PTL. 

Here we have the most passionate, talkative, and fierce Moroccan tour guide around,

  Muhammad. Real original name, huh?

The next couple of days were filled with the exploration of Marrakech. We visited mosques, gardens, open markets, various stomping grounds of Moroccan kings, what have you. Our favorite place in Marrakech was the open market; we took a visit both in the day and in the evening. It was quite the culture shock, to say the least. There are not words to describe the oppression we saw in the eyes of the Moroccan women while walking in the market. As American women, bartering with the Moroccan (Islamic) men was much harder than we had anticipated. To say that they have a lack of respect for women would be understatement. Nonetheless, we left with a few good purchases. 

On our last night in Marrakech, we had the opportunity to see the unforgettable dinner show La Fantasia Chez Ali in Moroccan tents with folkloric shows from the country and a horse show. Yes. It was a true Moroccan Extravaganza. If you're looking for a good laugh, watch a part of the horse show in this video below--the video speaks for itself. 

(well, ok we there was a video malfunction, check back later)

Just a few more Spanish friends we made. 

During dinner, groups of performers came in and made us dance with them. 

Caitlin just couldn't get enough.

The end of our trip was spent briefly touring a couple more cities in Morocco. It was great, but we were ready to be home.  Although we enjoyed experiencing a culture so different from our own, it was difficult to find this trip uplifting by any means. Traveling throughout a country so invaded by darkness left us feeling heavy and fearful. Unable to truly vacate ourselves for the weekend, we felt relieved as we crossed the water in the direction of home. 

This trip challenged us beyond expectation. It led us to trust in the power of God and in the authority we have been given through Christ.