Finally...Morocco
Sorry I have been MIA for so long. Suffice to say I have not had the most reliable access to the internet in the past week and a half....but there is so much that has happened since the last entry. On Sept 19th we left Istanbul for our excursion around Turkey. It was SO incredible but also totally overwhelming. We drove over 3300 kilometers in 8 days....it was pretty much insanity. But we did get to see some amazing sights.My highlights, briefly:
- the memorials at the WWI battlefields of Gallipoli and ANZAC cove
- the cheesy Trojan horse from the movie Troy which is currently living in the square in Canakkale, about 25 kilometers from Troy!
- the Troy site itself, although it was pretty jumbled and not very well restored
- the magnificent grandeur of ancient Ephesus, including the beautifully restored facade of the library of Celsus and the amphitheatre where St. Paul spoke 2000 years ago
- the crazy "fairy chimneys" in Cappadocia--volcanic rock formations which have thousands of cave dwellings and churches carved out of the rocks
- whirling dervish performance in Cappadocia
There is so much more that I left out...but it was awesome. Hopefully soon I will be able to upload some pictures.
On to Morocco! We arrived in Casablanca after 8 hours of travel on Tuesday night, and then had four more hours by bus south to Marrakech. Our hotel is right downtown, about 20 minutes walking distance to the old Medina and the Djemaa el-Fna, the main commercial center of the city. It was strange because almost immediately I felt comfortable here because so much reminded me of Niger, where I was last summer. Everything from the sounds and smells to the red clay and sand everywhere seems familiar. Yesterday, we had not heard from the University which is sponsoring our program here, so we had some free time to recover from travel and explore the area around our hotel a bit. The food here is incredible! The have great fruit juices of all kinds, but especially orange--fresh squeezed every morning at breakfast. Along with strong coffee, french pastries and some tomatoes and cucumbers, I'm set. The most traditional Moroccan dish is the tajine, a terra cotta dish with a tall, conical cover which is filled with meat and vegetables and sometimes fruits such as prunes (in my case subtract the meat) and is heated on charcoal. We went to a great restaurant at lunch today with Professor Ahmet Sajid from University of Cadi Ayyad, our coordinator for the program, who met up with us today and showed us around the area. Everyone we have met is very friendly and welcoming and curious about why we are here. I'm excited to start classes tomorrow as well-if they're anywhere near the quality of our lectures in Turkey we will definitely be learning a lot. In the next few days we will be assigned a Moroccan student to be paired up with who we will get to know. So far things are off to a very positive start!
I miss everyone at home so much. It was strange getting on a plane to leave Turkey and landing in ....Casablanca. It's weird not to be going home, but I love Morocco so far. The culture shock is a good thing. Thanks to everyone who has been writing me comments...I wish I could reply on here but just know that it makes me smile to read every one! Love to you all!
posted by Abby @ 9:22 AM
5 Comments:
ABBY!!!!!!!!
So, I finally got in gear and am leaving you a comment...haha...Everything sounds amazing and I know for a fact that sometimes words are insufficient to describe everything that the eyes take in. I've always wanted to go to Morocco, and I'm sure I'll find myself there some day. Make sure to eat couscous---it is amazing!!! Email me when you are going to Greece so I can hook you up with all the great places!!!
Thanks for the update on blog Ab--it's fun to tell friends where to "tune in." Love you always,
Mom
abbyabbyabby! morocco! and.. i'm... still in ohio. but still really excited about that! granted, probably not nearly as excited as i would be were i in morocco, but it's okay. i think i'll be able to deal with it :D i definitely want to see some pictures, buddy. it all sounds so AMAZING. i have my first test in spanish tomorrow.. yikes! wish me luck with that. que mas... i've had some really good vegan cookies and my nose is kind of stuffy. and life is wonderful! i hope the same is true for you :D i love you! <3lindenface
Abby,
I=love you. Ok, so this is kind of crazy, but your mom and I have been emailing. She requested some Christmas Fest tickets for me. What a lamb! Now my grandma and grandpa can come to Christmas Fest.
That's awesome that you are in Morocco right now. Have you heard/seen a bendir? It's a frame drum played with the fingers and hand. I just listened to a song accompanied by the bendir and medieval fiddle. Yeah for Arabic influences in Medieval Spanish music! Sorry, I'm getting random. I've just been doing music history listening for two hours.
To completely change the subject, I hope you have quicktime on the computer. Because you need to watch this awesome clip from the daily show:
http://onegoodmove.org/1gm/1gmarchive/002382.html
My brother told me about it. Its the first day of a four day special called "Evolution Schmevolution." It's pretty freaking hilarious.
You might also be excited to know that a group of Ole dems are starting Jon Stewart parties every Thursday night. They meet at 9:30 in Viking and then watch the daily show at 10:00. I haven't gone yet, I kind of don't have a life outside of music and homework. But I hope to someday.
Wishing you were somehow here again,
Sarah
P.S. Yeah, I know that's a song from Phantom, so sue me.
Hey Abby, Tia Iris and I have been watching your travels. It's fun to see new places and cultures. It's something you will never forget. So be careful and remember we are checking in on you from Florida to.
Uncle Bill (y tia Iris)
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