Morocco

Going to Morocco I was pretty unsure what to expect. I’d heard about the amazing architecture and food, but I had also heard about the catcalling and recommendations not to walk around alone as a women. I had spoken to enough friends who loved Morocco, and seen enough photos on Instagram to be excited, but I also had my mum in my ear saying how much my sister had hated the madness of the Medina last summer.

Everywhere is going to have it’s good and bad sides, but in the case of Morocco I would say ignore the neigh-sayers and jump in feet first. I went to Morocco with a healthy dose of skepticism and cautiousness, but left with a multitude of good memories and only the most minute negative memories that pale in comparison.

Sometimes a place is made by the people that you encounter along the way, and the connections made. This could not be more true in Morocco.
The scenery is stunning, the food is delicious, but everything that stands out about my trip, and everything that will stand as a lasting memory is from the people that I met along the way. From Jamal, the amazing tour guide we had for a day in Fez, to Hammed, the Berber boy at the Agafay desert camp, the people is what made Morocco for me.
They don’t make the catcalling in the streets go away, or make up for the scamming taxi drivers, but they do show that Morocco is varied and beautiful and it is the Morocco through their eyes that I want to pass on.

Over the next few weeks, I am going to be posting about the people and stories that made Morocco such a great place to explore. I'll also be sharing the best places to eat and drink that we found along the way - because we all know I live through my stomach.

First I will talk about Fes, the old heart of Morocco with it's maze of a Medina and friendly locals.
Next, on to Marrakesh and the tourist hub that most people visiting Morocco will experience at some point.
Third is our experience in the desert at the Agafay Desert Camp where we learnt some Arabic around a fire.
Finally Essaouria, the laid-back beach town where you can let your hair loose and experience a more relaxed side of the Islamic culture.

Every day I was in Morocco I took as much video as I could remember to, then every day I took my favourite two seconds and made them into a video. It is part of a bigger project over the whole year, but with just a couple seconds of video a day it is possible to capture the feel of a place and summarise a whole host of experiences. As a taster of my Moroccan adventure here is my trip to Morocco in 20 seconds.