First Blog From Morocco!

Drumroll please for the first Moroccan blog!...This is actually from yesterday, but the internet connection wasn't good enough to post it-so think yesterday when reading it! 

Today they went pretty easy on us since we are all running on empty. The flight here was delayed so we spent 7 hours sitting around at the airport. With a 2 hour bus ride to the airport and then a 7 hours sitting in the airport then the 7 1/2 hour flight, then another 2 1/2 hour bus ride to our location (Note: For security reasons we aren't allowed disclose our specific locations in blogs or facebook or anything like that) you can imagine how sleepy I am. I have had two really good meals though and I also got to go walk along the beach for a bit which was beautiful. OH-get this-our bus from the airport to the place we are staying was escorted by 4 cop vans-2 in the front and 2 in the back! It was pretty exciting. But, even more crazy is that we have our own personal guards---and there are a TON of them. They are at all the entrances to our street and all in front of our two buildings (the place we are staying is like a big beautiful house/hotel-but think Moroccan (ie., no AC, cold water showers, etc..)) anyways if we leave the 'hotel' on foot some of the guards follow us. So picture like 5 of us walking on the beach and 3 guards in full uniform just a few feet behind us! It will only be like that here though and that is because there are 67 of us all in one place so we are kind of a target. But, don't be stressed they don't anticipate any trouble, it's precautionary because of some Americans (in the USA) were trying to stage a mass burning of the Koran on 9-11. So like I said it's just precautionary cause that is all a little fresh.

The flight over was pretty bleh! The airplane was very old with communal tv's--I've been spoiled with flights that have individual tv's  :) My food tray was broken so I had to eat off of my lap. That was pretty amusing and I had everyone around me laughing. I told them that the not so nice airplane was our ease into our new life. Then I told them to check the toilets on the airplane out-that they are just holes in the air with two ceramic tiles for our feet. Everyone was laughing. But, we made it here safe so that's what counts! 

We had lunch as soon as we got here and it was delish. First, we had fresh bread and a salad of shredded carrots, diced cucumbers and beet root, boiled eggs and cauliflower. The second course was grilled fish (not sure what kind, but it was good). Then we had lamb tagine with dates (no couscous though as that is served only on Friday's). Finally, banana's for dessert! Then we had orientation which lasted a few hours. It started with a Moroccan welcome which was Moroccan men in traditional costume playing the drums and dancing. They were fantastic! And then all the formal paperwork, introductions, safety speeches and staff introductions. After that we had some free time so that is when a bunch of us went for a walk down to the beach. There were camels and miniature horses and sand and ocean :P You had to watch were you were stepping as you walked along the shore as there were camel poop trails all over the place (Francesca and Nicole, don't worry I took pictures of it for you :)

Then when we got back I decided to have a shower...and since the clothes I'd been wearing since we left Philly were sweaty and smelly and we don't and won't have washing machines, I decided to multi-task and shower with them on-hahaha. So I've done my first Moroccan load of washing! They are hanging in the window drying as we speak. All the girls thought it was a pretty genius idea. We have showers here but they are kind of like the ones at the pool or in a shared dorm. 

Dinner was Chickpea soup, then Beef burgers with cheesey pasta, and yoghurt for dessert. Lunch is the biggest meal of the day which I like...

I will post pictures tomorrow or Saturday so keep an eye out!