MAROC

We loved Morocco! It was a bit of a surprise to me to fly into Marrakech and find a clean, organized city full of the friendliest people we have yet encountered. I guess I expected more of a third world experience, but no, Maroc (Morroco) is a progressive, prosperous country. It was the first place we've been where the language barrier had a real effect on our (in)ability to talk to the locals. Given time and lots of luck, Stephen and I between us can figure out what many French signs and instructions say, but jabber at us in French, even in short bursts of childish speech, and we are helpless. I thought, with its proximity to Spain, that there would be more Spanish speakers in Maroc, but perhaps Marrakech is too far south. Luckily, as is true everywhere, we found enough people who could speak enough English so that we could get by.
ButI noticed that the less language skill I have in a place, the more I feel like a stand-out tourist. It's inevitable in world travel, but I never like that feeling. It's impossible to blend in.

We stayed in the second-home flat of a French family in a lovely villa outside of town. It isolated us a bit and made transportation challenging, but it was comfortable and spacious and had a great pool. We are so grateful for the generosity of the Bouvin family who shared their flat. We met them online at homelink.org, the home exchange organization that we use to arrange home swaps. In some cases, such as this (and our stay in Verona, which begins Friday), the exchange families do not have current plans to visit our area, but are kind enough to let us use their home anyway. We look forward to welcoming them to Washington at some point in the future. Our experience in Maroc exemplifies the spirit of home exchange, which I so appreciate and value.

We hired an English guide for an interesting tour of the souks of Marrakech, and another day, we took a bus tour to Oarika valley, where the highlight of the trip was visiting a Berber home and meeting the funny and interesting host family. Morrocans are very outgoing and sincerely hospitable. Traditionally, a guest is served mint tea in little glasses, so we drank hot mint tea on several occasions. Gloria and I, in particular, loved the tea, but on the days when the temperature soared above 40 degrees (104F) ice would have been nice.

Our camera was acting up, so our Morrocan shots are not the best. But check out the video of Grace and Gloria dancing with the Berber ladies in the Oarika valley restaurant. Grace rather wished she were elsewhere, but we certainly enjoyed it.

Sometimes you visit a place and know it's a place you'd love to return to. Morocco is such a place.