September 26th, One Day Out Of Ghana

Salem! This is how you greet people in Morocco. It means peace in Arabic. The day we arrived in Casablanca I did the half-day city tour, which was a great way to get a feel for the culture. My first impression of Moroccan people was that they did not like Americans. Occasionally as we were riding around on the tour bus someone would give us a thumbs up but many people gave us the finger as well. It was the anniversary of September 11 when we were there, which made for an interesting dynamic.  What was going on in the states at the time of the man threatening to burn the Koran did not help the interactions we had with the locals. Again the perception that ALL Muslims are extremists goes both ways, many people thought that ALL Americans wanted to burn the Koran.

The next day I left early in the morning with a Semester at Sea group bound for Marrakesh and a camel trek. We took a three-hour bus ride there and spent the day at the local market. The market was filled with snake charmers, monkeys, dancing, and wild bargaining going on everywhere. I have found that I tend to be a push over when it comes to bringing the prices down on things but with more practice and some guidance from friends I am starting to get the hang of it. At one point my friend Hannah and I were trying to bring down the price of these pants and the vendor was not budging. All of a sudden a wave of SAS guys walk up to us and say hello and immediately the vendor took down the price. The influence of a male presence makes a lot of difference in the countries that I have visited so far.  In this market on the same day was the first time I had experienced begging from children. Six little boys approached Hannah and I asking for money. It was a wake up call to say the least and something that will always stick with me.

That evening in Marrakesh we stayed in a hotel and went to a traditional Moroccan dinner. There were belly dancers for entertainment and so much delicious food. Food in Morocco consists of a lot of pita bread, fresh veggies, a small amount of meat, and then fruit for dessert. My personal favorite was the famous Moroccan mint tea that we would have with almost every meal. Not only did it satisfy my sweet tooth but it would just warm my soul.

The next morning we set out for our eight-hour road trip to the Sahara. Sahara means desert in Arabic. During the drive we saw almost the whole country of Morocco. We went through the Atlas Mountains where many of the Berber villages are. The Berber people have few rights in the country even though they make up much of the population, which causes a lot of tension. Morocco’s current King is focusing on poverty issues and women’s rights. There is a picture of the king in every room in every building and it is illegal to speak poorly of him. I have always loved long drives because it gives you time to process all that you are seeing and also it gives you time to really get to know the person sitting next to you. I have made reference to Hannah a couple times now and she has become a wonderful friend of mine on the ship thanks to our long conversations to and from the Sahara. Hannah is from California and truly a girl after my own heart, we speak the same language she and I.

We arrived at the sand dunes late in the afternoon right as the sun was going down. It was a great opportunity to take some photos before we went to our camp for the night. The sand in the Sahara is something I have never felt before, so light and soft that I felt like my feet were being tickled as I walked through it. My excitement overwhelmed me as I stepped off the bus and I immediately started running up the dunes. It was a moment to remember. The Sahara has a quality about it that demands respect; certain stillness exists there.

After the dunes we left for the nomad camp, where we would be staying for the night. At the camp we were greeted with traditional nomadic dancers dressed in all white, chanting the songs of their culture. It was spectacular. We ate and danced into the night and then slept under the stars on mattresses. The next morning we got up at sunrise and each mounted a camel. Camels are amazing creatures and I adored mine. I named my camel Alfred, we bonded big time. Also, just FYI the feet of camels brought a whole new meaning to the term “camel toe”. ☺ We were trekking for about 1.5 hours and then we left back for Marrakesh.

When we arrived in Marrakesh three girlfriends and I left to meet up with other SAS friends for the night. Then the next morning we took the train back to Casablanca. The train back was hot, smelly, and very tight quarters and I loved every minute of it. I am on this voyage to experience what the local’s experience. I am here to be a traveler not a tourist and that means taking in every moment. I was around many individuals who were complaining and completely thrown outside of their comfort zone in Morocco. I however was not and I want to thank my parents for that. They taught me how to get my hands dirty and have always kept me grounded to the earth. I am learning that traveling requires flexibility and patience; I am looking for friends with these attributes when I am out there seeing the world.

In this moment I am sitting out on the back deck overlooking the sea. Two hours ago we passed the equator, very cool! I love being out here. At night I sleep like a baby because the motion of the ship rocks me to sleep. I love the community that is forming around the ship, I love the people I meet everyday. We left Ghana yesterday and are now bound for South Africa. Ghana stole my heart but I will write about that the next time I get the chance to Blog.

I am off to a meeting for my work-study for the Lifelong Learners but am planning on blogging again before South Africa. So sorry to be MIA for the past couple weeks, we never stop moving here. Thank you for taking the time to read this and thank you for your support.

Love,
Sammy

Hi Everyone!

We got to Cadiz, Spain this morning and I am sitting out side of a beautiful cathedral as I write this. I am catching a train soon to Seville so only have a couple minutes to blog.

The voyage from Canada across the Atlantic to Spain was wonderful. We passed in between two hurricanes so the seas were rough for about two days, I was one of the lucky ones and felt great the whole time...seas sickness is no fun. After we passed the storms the ocean was so smooth. I am meant to be at sea, its wonderful.

My classes on the ship are AWESOME. I am going to learn so much. The ship is full of such fascinating individuals with many interesting perspectives, life experiences and wisdom. I sat with Desmund Tutu a couple nights ago and had dinner with him. I am in aww of both Arch (thats what he likes to be called) and his wife Ms. Tutu.

My internship with the lifelong learners has been great so far. There are 62 lifelong learners and man, is this group a riot! I feel like I have an entire extended family on board the ship. Again, this is another group of people that can teach me and all the students on the ship so much.

From what I have seen of Spain I love it. I could people watch all day long haha The clothing, the people, the language its so wonderful to see what I have been learning about. What I continue to realize more and more everyday is that People are just people.

Its only been a morning but I really enjoy being a foreigner. I will post pictures when I can.

Thank you for all the support everyone. I miss you, Until next time :)