Morocco. Even the name sounds like a place of magic, surprise, generosity and happiness. From my experience, that is exactly what Morocco proved to be. I recently returned from the beautiful country of Morocco. I went with my school on a service learning trip and immediately fell in love with the culture. Prior to going to Morocco, I initially felt hesitant and unsure of the unknown, which is typical because I did not know what to expect. However, I learned to push aside my feelings and attempted not to make any judgments about the country before entering. Despite any potential false stereotypes, Morocco is one of the most vivacious and exciting places I have ever had the pleasure of traveling to.
Morocco is actually considered to be in North Africa, but it is adjacent to Spain, and is therefore close to Europe. Therefore, many Europeans travel to Morocco, and if travelers are from the United States, like I am, then they can easily and accessibly travel from Europe to Morocco and vice versa, especially if they want to experience both countries. I was fortunate enough to meet, and grow to love, Moroccan university students, as well as children who live in an orphanage and underprivileged children. They all gave me an inside look at the customs, traditions and culture of Morocco, which was beneficial for me. Even if an individual is not able to meet locals and be immersed in the culture in the same way that I was, he or she still has the opportunity to travel within the small country. In spite of its tiny size, Morocco still has plenty of tourist attractions and sights to see. You can travel to the city of Chefchaouen, which is also referred to as the “blue city” due to its magnificently blue architecture. You can shop in the medina, which is a section in many Moroccan cities dedicated to stores which encourages pedestrians and disallows cars. You can also eat fine cuisine at one of the many restaurants. You can also explore the city of Fes and its medina. Fes has a stunning handmade pottery store, which non-natives should be sure to pick up a souvenir from. You can also visit the city of Casablanca and pretend that you're in the movie “Casablanca”... or not!
Furthermore, Meknes is a Moroccan hot spot. I had the privilege of visiting a mosque, and the one that I went to is one of the only places of prayer that permits people who do not believe in the Islamic faith to come visit. I was required to take off my shoes when I visited the beautiful sanctuary in order to maintain its pristine cleanliness.
I was even able to visit a former jail that held inmates centuries ago. This opportunity felt eerie because I knew that I was in an underground area that was previously a jail, but it was also quite fascinating.
In addition, I went to the city of Asilah and visited Paradise Beach. If you can’t tell by its name, the beach is breathtaking, and I highly recommend visiting. What was even more majestic than the naturally beautiful beach was riding a camel on it. (Disclaimer: riding a camel is so not as scary as you may think, nor is it a terribly bumpy ride. Camels are actually very adorable, mellow animals.)
As you can see, Morocco is an exotic country, and the flight is less than eight hours from New York City. The next time you want to go somewhere new, try Morocco! If you do, I hope that you fall in love as I did and are able to meet many warm and amiable Moroccan people.
