We awoke to a quiet morning in the sleepy town of Amizmiz where all that could be heard was a rooster’s crowing. After a late-night of dancing the evening before the group made its way into the breakfast area, each eager for a cup of coffee or tea accompanied by Laughing Cow Cheese, boiled eggs and Moroccan breads served with honey and jam. Following this, we lugged our luggage up the steps of the resort-style hotel as our rooms were located underground, got them loaded into the trailer and boarded the bus, headed for Essaouria. Watch the video below to see some of the countryside we saw along the way.
Most of the history of Essaouria, located right on the Atlantic Ocean coast, dates back to the 18th century but some parts are as old as the time of the Phoenicians. During the winter months, the winds’ howls are at their strongest and waves are at their peak. Surfers certainly were aware of this as we saw several riding those waves.
After lunch, we headed to the beach for camel rides and arrived just in time to see members of the board and alumni dismount the camels. Half of the students chose to ride the camels and half did not, which led to a debate in the bus on the way back to the hotel. We have a number of animal rights activists among our group whose passions for this I respect. They requested that photos of students riding the camels not be posted here so you will see above the board and alumni members along with their companions riding the camels, providing you with a sense of what that experience was like.
For the rest of our final day in Morocco we were all given 100 dirham to use for shopping or dining and sent off on our own to enjoy the charming town of Essaouria.
BACK TO PHILADELPHIA
Saturday, it’s up a 5:00 am for our last bus ride, this one taking us to the Marrakech airport. When we arrived, hugs were abundant and tears were shed as we all said our goodbyes to guides Rabab and Mohamed. Our two weeks in the ancient country of Morocco with its beautiful and varied architecture and art, the friendly people in the cities and rural areas who were always so eager to please, and the spiritual ambience that seemed to surround us wherever we went will be remembered for years to come. Beslama Morocco….
