Morocco
December 30 to January 20

As I am  looking to the dunes and camels through my window  I wonder what this year has  installed for us. The last few weeks was rough, not for the country but for the news from home (robbery). I have been sick for the last couple of days so the group has gone to the desert for 2 days excursions and I am staying in my home. On top of that we lost our camera before crossing to Morocco, from now on mobile phone photos until we buy a new one.

Morocco is full of contrast. We drove from medina to medina, we crossed the planeside and also the snowy mountains and today we are here, on the edge of the desert. This is a real "road trip": Tangier, Asilah, Lalla Mimouna, Rabat and Casablanca; all along the coast up to here; then going to the desert through Meknes, Fes, Azrou, Zeida, Er Rachidia, Erfoud and Merzouga (the desert); finally Tinerhir, Ouarzazate and last 3 days in crazy Marrakech.
The people are extremely nice; is true that they have all perfected the art of selling and that their smile often means one thing, however we never felt unsettled or pushed. Absolutely loved our hammans (moroccan baths) and after a while we were a bit over the tagines (moroccan food).We are amazed to see so much development going all the way; so many constructions and new houses, the nice and long beaches and their unusual markets. The sad bit is to see all the amount of rubbish everywhere; that gets us angry.

I ask Ani what will she say about this experience once she gets home. She ask the same question to me. I said: I couldn't image having a better partners for this leg of our adventure. I am still puzzled by it but we have managed to sleep the 4 of us all together in the home and without any inconvenience. We are in such a confined place but we never feel overwhelmed or suffocated; the amount of "inner place" that we give to each other seems to be the magic ingredient. I love the laughs and the memories and certainly appreciate all the d&m (deep and meaningful) nights. We are so different and yet we have so much in common.