September 13 2010 / Atlas Mountains, Morocco

I woke up a couple of times in the night, once when the donkeys got into one of their many braying wars and another at 4AM when the call to prayer happened.  The minaret was located directly in the town, so it was quite clear cutting through the silence of the morning.  I sat up to listen to it because it just seemed so inspiring.  Though the roosters seemed to think that after that it was morning time, I just went back to sleep.  I only woke up next to a donkey braying at 6:30, which was apparently our “wake-up donkey.”  I got up and had a quick breakfast of bread and cheese and after a little bit we set off down the mountain.  It was a nice wide trail with not too many rocks (trucks must have used it or something) so it was very mellow.  It only took us 45 minutes to walk from the village up to the buses, where we spent time throwing small rocks at a larger rock down in the valley as we waited for the slowpokes.  It was definitely a make your own fun adventure.  I have found that although I don’t have very many super close friends on this trip, I don’t really feel too lonely.  There isn’t really any time for it and it’s working out just having just little friendships here and there to last you.  Maybe that’ll change as time goes on, of course.

We stopped in the same town as before, where I bought a soda called “Hawai” and a little loaf of bread that looked sketchy initially but was delicious.  At the train station back in Marrakech we had an hour to wander around, so I bought some postcards and stamps and filled them out for a little while before playing “Cheat” with my deck of cards with a group of people.  On the train itself I sat with Julia, Chris and Collin, and we played Crazy 8s, Hearts, and Would You Rather until we got back.  The train was, unfortunately as Chris said, very caliente.  So very caliente. 

It took FOREVER to get on the ship which was tough because I wanted to write an email SO MUCH to check on my parents and the pups, due to being so randomly anxious about it earlier.  Then I immediately took a shower, which felt amazing.  Dinner was underwhelming after the amazing food that we’d eating during the Berber villages trip, so that was pretty meh, but it was also awesome because I FINALLY saw Desmond Tutu at the meal and pretty much gawped at him the entire time.  He’s always smiling!  :)

After the meal I came back to my room to write some of my blogs and got through the 10th before starting on the 13th when Julie came by.  She wants to go to this Roman bath house that only women are allowed to go to where you can have really cheap spa and massage stuff.  We hung out and talked about Morocco animals, Bot flies and BDSM lifestyle, the last two of which made me feel really squeamish.  I told her I would go to the bath house because that seems like a nice way to end in Morocco.  I kind of wanted to go to the Hassan II mosque, but I did already see the outside and I don’t know if I want to go in the early morning like some people want to.  I am starting to get a sore throat and runny nose from who knows what, so hopefully I will still feel okay by tomorrow.