I had no idea what to expect when I arrived in Morocco. What would it look like? How did people dress? How did they act? Would I understand their dialect of Arabic? All these questions ran through my head as my plane was landing in the capital of Morocco, Rabat. Morocco was more beautiful than I could have ever imagined. Words can honestly not describe the beauty of Rabat. Each day I learned more about this beautiful city, its people, culture . . . and so forth. I have been in Morocco for six days now so here, to describe to you, are my six favorite things about Morocco so far.
1: The Food
I can stress enough how amazing the food is in Morocco and also how much bread everyone eats. With my host family, we eat bread with every single meal, and breakfast is basically just bread with butter, cream cheese, or jam. Couscous is a traditional Moroccan food eaten for lunch every Friday with bread as a side dish naturally. There is also a lot of French food in Morocco as well, especially the pastries. You know a croissant is good when it is fresh from the oven and it flakes when you break into it. Another favorite of mine is msemen, square-shaped fried dough that is basically bread, butter, and sugar.
2: Mohammed V Avenue
Basically in every single city in Morocco is named after Mohammed V, the first king of Morocco after it got its independence from France in 1956. It’s a wide, long street filled with shops and street vendors, selling everything from mouth-watering food, notebooks, food, clothes, and the most popular item – shoes. I have no idea why they’re so popular, but it seems every three or four street vendors, shops, or carts are selling shoes. I love how it is always full of life, surrounded by people speaking a mix of Darija (Moroccan Arabic) and French, motorcycles zooming down the street, people bartering for a lower price, etc.
3: Mint Tea
A Moroccan specialty is mint tea. Basically every cafe or restaurant serves it and Moroccan families drink it every day. It is the sweetest, smoothest tea I have ever drank and is served in beautiful silver teapot.
4: The Medina
In North African countries, the Medina is a section of a city that is usually the historical, or original part of the city that is walled and has narrow, maze-like streets. I currently live with my host family in the Medina and it is an absolute labyrinth of white and blue walls with houses and markets but it is also the most beautiful part of the city.
5: The Café called Majestic
This is a cafe just outside the Medina that has the most amazing and delicious food. There are bonbons with chocolate glaze and nuts on the outside with layers of dark, white, and milk chocolate on the inside, caramel cheesecakes, macaroons of all different colors, croissants, and my favorite; chocolate chip muffins that have a glazing on the top and in the center, a large chunk of chocolate chips melted together.
6: My Host Family
I was nervous when I first walked into the home of my host family and was unsure what to expect. However, I quickly realized that they are some of the kindest, most amazing and generous people I have ever met. My first night there, one of my host sister’s bought me a wooden khamsa keychain in the souk (market) and had her name engraved on one side and mine on the other so I can put it on my key for the house. I highly suggest if you study abroad in Morocco to stay with a host family because Moroccans are some of the most welcoming, caring, and generous people you will meet.
Here’s to more fun and exploration in Morocco, so stay tuned!