Wow, leaving Morocco today was a lot harder than I thought it would be. There are several new friends and people whom I will miss very much. Although these last few days have been difficult, I definitely enjoyed my time here, and I’ve come to love many things about this country.
So Sad to Leave Morocco
One of the things that truly I love is their yogurt. It’s firm, but not thick, and slightly sweet, and I believe it’s called raib. I had some the first morning in Casablanca with Anas, and it was amazing! On my last nigt in Marrakech, I found some in a store just before returning to my riad. Usually you buy that kind of yogurt in an open cup and eat it in the store. I did that and bought one in a take-home container. And I ate it last night while I was packing…and it was DELICIOUS!! (In the airport, they didn’t have that yogurt, but they had a pastry shaped like a teardrop, so I got that to match my emotions about leaving, and the lack of raib).
View From Marrakech Tarmac – Palm Trees, Desert, Mountains…
I also love the fascinating mixing of cultures and terrains I encountered in Morocco. In the Marrakech airport, as I walked from the terminal, outside and out to my plane before boarding, I could see the palm trees and sand dunes and mountains behind them. This combination and view was the reason I had wanted to come to Morocco, (and specifically Marrakech) in the first place. I was fascinated that a place could exist with such extremes of climate and terrain in one area, and wanted to see that vista for myself. I was glad that I saw that because I hadn’t found that specific combination of landscapes in town yet.
After only a couple of hours on a plane, I arrived in Las Palmas on Gran Canaria, the largest island in the Canarias, or the Canary Islands. This is actually part of Spain, something I only recently realized. However, I saw a picture on a website called atlasobscura.com that looked really cool and I decided I wanted to check this place out. We’ll see if it lives up to the beauty of the photos.
In truth, I am so excited to be back in the “first world” again! I had no idea how thrilled I would be, but when Zuri (the guy I’m staying with through AirBnB) showed me where to put the recycling in his house, I almost died of excitement. What?!!?! Recycling! This is amazing! He and I had a good laugh about that. (I then proceeded to worry every time I put something in the bin about whether or not I was putting it in the right compartment tor not!) But I was very happy to be recycling again!
There are also some other pluses to being in Europe. After living for so many months in second and third world countries, I am looking forward t0 a few of the minor luxuries that I can find in a first world country. I am able to find convenience stores that are convenient – i.e. I can get groceries in the middle of the night, if I want. I can get a map for the bus routes and the schedule and they are generally correct and on time! So many amenities!
Papas Arrugadas
Escargot
I tried some delicious local food called papas arrugadas, which are salted, boiled potatoes served with mojo rojo or mojo verde, a red or green salsa. So tasty. I also found a place where I could got some excellent escargot, something I’d been craving for a while. Yay Spain!