I know it has been awhile since I have posted anything to my blog. It has been INSANELY busy in the world of Tom Whalen. For one, and for the sake of this post, my sister Caroline got married in Philly and Morocco.
Today I will chronicle my 13 day trip to Morocco, starting with Saturday, September 17 all the way through to September 28. Bear with me on this. It’s gonna be a long and detailed post.
DAY 1
The start of the trip was on Saturday, September 17, 2022. This was my first day in Morocco. My parents, Aunt Gina, Uncle John and I left my parents’ house in Baldwin, Maryland at 4pm Eastern Time US. We drove to Dulles Airport and were met with horrific traffic! From my parents’ house, usually it’d take a little over an hour to get to Washington Dulles. It took almost 3 HOURS to get there! We were all hungry at this point, so we decided to eat at Carabba’s at the Airport.
After dinner, it was time to board our flight from the United States across the Atlantic Ocean to Africa. After a roughly 7 hour flight, we arrived in Casablanca, Morocco. Our flight left DC at 9:30pm and we arrived at Mohammed V Airport in Casablanca at 10:20am Moroccan time. (There is a 5 hour time difference).
Oh, before I go any further, I need to mention the sunset over Dulles. It was THE most beautiful sunset ever! The sky was pinkish-orange and the Sun was red. It was SPECTACULAR!
Casablanca’s Airport was not that difficult to navigate. However I want to discuss the flight itself to get to Morocco. The plane’s safety spiel was in three languages: English, French and Arabic. They served food on the plane but it wasn’t your stereotypical “What’s up with airline food” rimshot joke food. The food on the flight was—no joke!—Moroccan beer, wine, herbal green tea, and Vanilla Mousse. Oh, and an hour later, it was time for Round Two. Yes, they served food TWICE IN ONE HOUR on the flight! If there’s one thing I learned about Moroccans, it’s that they LOVE to eat!
So finally we landed in Casablanca to meet my sister Caroline and her soon-to-be husband, Reda, and his family. Right off the bat, I have to say Casablanca—and Morocco as a whole—is…interesting. We passed scooters, bikes, donkeys, cows, and rickshaws ALL in 20 minutes on the way to Reda’s parents’ house.
I stayed at Amina and Brahim (Reda’s parents) house for 3 days. Their house looks like a cozy condo from the outside. But then you walk in through this GIGANTIC wooden door on a hinge and WOW! This place is HUGE! Three levels, a built-in pool, in-house maids…it was AMAZING!
Amina, Reda’s Mom, had prepared us breakfast. Pastries and fresh French croissants with olives, dates, fresh herbal tea, and melted honey. I’m sorry, America. But you failed in the Welcome Party department!
I was a little weirded out by one thing, though. We pulled up to the Hilton in Casablanca where Aunt Gina and Uncle John were staying and Mickey freaking Mouse was standing at the entrance to the Hotel greeting people in French. It was a little off-putting to hear an American icon in Africa speaking another language. But wait! It gets weirder! As we were leaving, a circus clown started directing traffic! Even for Reda, a Morocco native, it was a total WTF moment! So if Reda says something in Morocco is weird…it’s REALLY freaking weird!
Oh, just before I go on, as an FYI, herbal Moroccan tea will make an appearance in here A LOT! Tea is a staple of Morocco and EVERYONE drinks it! Even in bars, tea is a must.
DAY 2
The second day in Casablanca was more chill and relaxing. And I needed that after being awake for basically 24 hours. I woke up around 6:30am, so 12:30am back home in Baltimore. Amina and the maids had prepared breakfast. Fresh coffee, tea, honey, and pastries. And let me tell you…Moroccan pastries are TO DIE FOR! M’semen in particular is my favorite! One thing about Morocco is that all the food is fresh! This morning we had fresh baguettes and fresh olive oil.
After a delicious breakfast, we picked up Aunt Gina and Uncle John from the Hilton. We took two cars to the Beach. I am not a Beach person…usually. I find them overcrowded and overrated. THIS Beach, however, had horses and camels. Yes, you could ride a camel on the Beach! I didn’t do it, but damn it was tempting! Generally I don’t go into the Ocean. It’s too cold and rough. But I made an exception today. Now granted, it was only up to my ankles, but I felt obligated.
When we got back to Amina’s house, it was lunchtime. This lunch BLEW MY MIND! Lunch is the big meal over there, so they go all-out with it. We had fish and chicken. The fish was coated in sauce and covered with shrimp. I LOVED THIS LUNCH!
After lunch, I crashed. I fell asleep for a few hours. When I woke up, I was greeted by Reda’s family and relatives offering me snacks and tea.
After that, we just relaxed. We watched TV (soccer, or football as it’s called everywhere else) and just talked. For dinner, we had mini pizzas (think homemade Pizza Bagel Bites).
DAY 3
My last night in Casablanca was my favorite! After Amina and the maids served breakfast, we headed out to pick up Aunt Gina and Uncle John. My Aunt Michelle, Aunt Lori and her husband Billy all flew in that morning. So after meeting up with them, we headed out to lunch at this place called Beach Mama. This place was INSANELY good! We got seafood paella to split. This was THE best seafood I have ever had! Plus the setting and views on the Atlantic Ocean were astounding!
And speaking of astounding…following lunch, our group took a guided tour of the Hassan II Mosque. This is one of the largest Mosques in the World, has the largest Minarets at 600 feet, AND, for the sake of our group, is the ONLY Mosque open to Non-Muslims. Photos do ZERO justice to this place! It is ENORMOUS! As some background info, it was built in 6 years from 1987-1993, was paid for by taxing the entire country of Morocco, and at its busiest (Ramadan for instance) can accommodate a whopping 105,000 people! The Courtyard of Hassan II alone can hold 80,000.
The Mosque is BEAUTIFUL! The exterior alone is a sight to behold! Even the locals love taking photos in front of this place. But then you walk inside for the tour… I am not that religious or spiritual but My God! When I walked in, I thought I was going to cry. The sheer beauty nearly brought me to tears. There were some parts we were not permitted to see, but what we did see was jaw-dropping! Probably the coolest thing was the Cleansing Room. This is a separated male/female bath house where Muslims purify themselves in water before daily prayers. If you ever find yourself in Casablanca, TAKE THIS TOUR! You will not regret it!
After Hassan II Mosque, we all went back to Amina’s house for—any guesses? If you guessed tea, you’d be right! I seriously LOVED the tea when mixed with melted honey. I’m sorry, American tea companies, but your tea is shit compared to Morocco!
After all the relatives left, we sat outside and played Gin Rummy. Amina kept changing the rules, but we still had a lot of fun! We also played Left Right Center, a game Amina and Brahim had never played. It was fun teaching them the game!
Day 4
We left Amina’s house to leave for Marrakech. It was roughly a 2 1/2 hour drive. We stopped halfway through for a restroom and refreshments break. This was my first “real” experience with Moroccan hospitality. The store we stopped off at had a coffee bar. The coffee was 160 Dirham, or $1.60 US. First off, that itself is cheap. I give the woman working the register 200 Dirham or $2. She asks if I had a 1 Dirham coin. When I said I didn’t, she said “OK! I’ll only charge 10 Dirham!” 10 Dirham…or $1…for a cup of fresh ground Moroccan coffee. That is DIRT CHEAP! And it a was GOOD coffee, too!
After that little pit stop, we arrived at our Riad. A Riad is essentially a Air BNB supersized. The place legit reminded me of The Hobbit. The door was down an alleyway and was about chest-high. So you had to duck or you’d crack your head open. The stairwells were winding and narrow. The country is definitely NOT ADA compliant!
We headed to the Jemma El Fna, or Market. I have seen seen flea markets before, but this place? HOLY SHIT! Shop after shop after shop after shop after shop! Did I mention all the shops? And that’s just the first block! Before opening up into the main area, the shops are down dead-end streets and VERY narrow alleyways.
Picture this: It’s mid-afternoon. Thousands of vendors, entertainers, and shoppers in this one street. You’re minding your own business, taking it all in, then HONK! Motorized scooters and motorcycles sneak up behind you. AND it’s multiple scooters…AND in a narrow street, AND they all come from every direction all at once. It’s WILD!
A word of warning about the Market, though. If you aren’t prepared to haggle, barter and have people hound you, DO NOT GO HERE! The vendors expect you to haggle. Rule of thumb: offer half of what they are asking and go from there. The vendors are not intimidating; very friendly, albeit pushy. But this is their means of living and way of life, and I didn’t wanna lowball anyone.
Having said that, my Mom, Aunt Gina and I were invited into this one vendor’s shop and we were treated like royalty! We were in there for awhile! We bought like 6 things from this guy with minimal bartering AND, as he was so accommodating, I tipped the guy! WHAT?!?! That was a Never-In-America scenario! After a few hours at Jemma El Fna, we headed back to the Riad to rest our feet and get ready for dinner.
Probably the coolest thing we saw was a MASSIVE electrical storm from the rooftop of our Riad. It was pitch black! As in the “I can’t see my hand in front of my face” kind of pitch black. Then BANG! The whole sky lit up with lightning and illuminated all of Marrakech. It was AWESOME!
For dinner, we went to this place called NOUBA. This place was nuts! It’s essentially a night club. I ordered Monkfish Tajin (a Moroccan dish) and a local beer called Casablanca. Then came the entertainment. NOUBA has a stage set up over a pool of water. And what happens on that stage? Well, I’m glad you asked! Exotic belly dancers and aerial acrobatics. It was INSANE!
The date was September 20 when we went. But we stayed until about 12:45am, or September 21. September 21 is my sister Abbey and my Dad’s birthday and they knew it at NOUBA. The fine people here brought cake, sang Happy Birthday, and gave people at our table sparklers that had HUGE flames, so essentially a tiny flare. Flares…indoors…surrounded by wood, paper, and plastic tablecloths. Again, a Never-In-America situation!
After getting back to the Riad, I just crashed. It was an insanely busy, but great night!
Day 5
September 21 was fun! I woke up, showered and headed to breakfast at the Riad. The coffee was good, but but the Orange Juice on the other hand? OMFG AMAZING! Fresh-squeezed OJ. It was delicious!
After breakfast, I met up with my parents, Abbey, her boyfriend Aaron, Aunt Michelle, Aunt Gina and Uncle John and headed to the Yves Saint Laurent Garden and Museum. Who was Yves Saint Laurent? He was a gay fashion designer from France who came to Morocco with his boyfriend since Morocco was a very open place in the Muslim countries for gays.
Now that we got that out of the way, the Yves Saint Laurent Garden and Museum is expansive an STUNNING! Getting in was a pain in the ass though. We waited in line for roughly 30-40 minutes just to get tickets to get in. One person working the booth. So we get our tickets. Then there’s another line to get into the Garden and Museum itself. THEN we get pulled from line to get in by security, get escorted to the front of the line, only to be asked where our Tour Guide was since we had quite a few people in our group. After telling the guard we did not have a Guide and weren’t with a tour group, we were sent all the way back to the end of the admission line to wait all over again.
The Garden itself was well worth it! Beautiful plants, very friendly security and staff, people asking if we could take their picture and us reciprocating, and clothing designed by Laurent in the museum were well worth the hassle!
After leaving YSL, we hailed a cab. Then things got interesting… About 30 seconds into the cab ride, our driver got pulled over by a cop. Our driver and the cop actually got into a yelling match. They were screaming at each other! Back home in America, someone would have gotten hurt, arrested or killed. It just goes to show how nice Moroccans are.
Eventually we made it to lunch. We got a private rooftop family-style lunch consisting of lamb, chicken, barley, beer, and a MASSIVE dessert!
From lunch, we trekked to Dar El Bacha, a famous coffee cafe and outdoor museum. This place was GORGEOUS! The architecture was just amazing! Hand-cut marble tile everywhere! It was mesmerizing!
After that, we headed back to Jemma El Fna. It was wild! I tried to get a video of the snake charmers. This one charmer runs full-speed at me holding a cobra yelling “Get picture! Get picture!” I was freaked out. After that, we walked back to the Riad for dinner.
Day 6
Today was great! Why? My Mom, Aunt Gina, Uncle John and I had to get up at 5:30am. Why? Because we booked a hot air balloon excursion.
After getting picked up, we drove to the hot air balloon place close to the Atlas Mountains. I was astounded at how big the balloons are! Yeah, they look decently big in the air. But up close, they are MASSIVE! After a continental breakfast consisting of tea, croissants, and orange juice, we boarded the balloon. This was one of, if not THE, coolest things I have ever done! Firstly, the initial ascent is crazy. The Pilot tells you to duck down for a few seconds and hang on to a handle. A few seconds later, they tell you to stand back up and you are already a few hundred feet in the air. The craziest part? It’s smooth! You can’t even feel the ascent!
Finally, we reached our altitude of 1,000 meters or 3,300 feet. Our Pilot said he had flown people up to 4,00 meters up. That’s over a mile in the air!
We also got the “funny” Pilot. As we descended—onto a trailer platform might I add!— our Pilot told the passengers to yell something in Arabic to the employees. After everyone yelled it, our Pilot said “That means hurry up, assholes!” The balloon deflating is a sight to behold! The canvas essentially collapses and they roll it up like a tarp.
Oh, and before we exited the basket, an attendant comes up and asks if we want a picture on my cell phone. I said yes. So the guy grabs my phone out of my hand, takes a few close-up photos, the says “Bye gullible American tourist!” and runs up a hill with my phone. Luckily he was kidding and took a TON of photos for us! I LOVE the Moroccan sense of humor!
After climbing out of the basket of the balloon, the company had tea and breakfast pastries waiting for us in a hut. The people working there were all joking around and interacting with everyone. It was great!
But wait! There’s more! Following the hot air balloon, they arranged a camel ride for us. Dromedary camels are FREAKISHLY huge! I’m 5’10” (five feet, ten inches) tall and these camels were about DOUBLE my size! When we got to the camels, they were laying down and were still as tall as me! After you sit on the saddle, you are told to hold onto this ring at the front of the saddle. I’m telling you now, if you value your life, HOLD THE HELL ONTO THE RING! See, camels don’t stand up all at once. They stand on their hind legs first, so you slide forward down the saddle towards the ground. It freaked me out, and it takes A LOT to do that!
Once you’re on the camel, you can relax. It was extremely scenic, relaxing and peaceful. My poor camel kept grunting and crying. Turns out I was riding a new mama camel and she was wondering where her new baby was. (It was safe back at the compound stables).
After maybe an hour of riding, we had to get off the camels to go back. Getting off the back of the camel was equally as freaky as getting up. Camels lay down in sections front to back. They essentially kneel on their front knees, so again, you slide towards the ground. The balloon combined with the camel rides is an experience I will NEVER forget!
But it actually got EVEN BETTER on the ride back to our Riad. The Riad arranged transportation and while we were gone, our Excursion driver had left. My Mom told him we were in Morocco because Caroline and Reda were getting married there. This guy, out of the goodness of his heart, had bought TWO GIANT BOXES of Moroccan chocolates and cookies for them. This guy was GREAT! If you are ever in Marrakech, book the Marrakech By Air tour. You won’t regret it!
After the hot air balloon and camel rides, my Dad, Uncle John, Uncle Will and I all went to the Tannery. This is where they make leather and sell it. The shop is only open one day per week and this day was our lucky day. It was cool to see the process of how leather is made from animal to final product. But my God did it REEK! The thing is, the employees know how bad it smells, so they give you mint leaves to smell during the tour. After that, we chilled at the Riad for the rest of the night.
Day 7
This day was INSANE! It was the day before Caroline and Reda got married. We left the Riad to move onto the wedding venue, Palais Ronsard. The pre-show festivities were CRAZY in Morocco!
We arrived at Palais Ronsard around noon and the party started almost immediately! It was nice socializing with everyone! There were about 100 people there, all partying and drinking. It was fun, but my mind was on one thing: my speech.
I had written a speech per Caroline’s request. Around 9:35pm, Caroline and Reda started talking. They chose me to give the first speech. The only thing I could think was, “Oh shit!”
Nothing to worry about, though. My speech went over VERY well! I got a standing ovation and a chant started by Reda. A few other people spoke, including my Dad. A few jokes thrown in and the speeches quickly turned into one big Roast Comedy-Central style. It was SO MUCH FUN!
The pre-wedding was NUTS! Caroline and Reda had hired a camel company to give rides around the venue. My cousin Alex and I had first rides. My Aunt Michelle wanted to ride one as well. I got three rides in, mainly because Alex’s youngest daughter, kept wanting to ride by yelling “Again!” It was an INSANE night and I knew it would be even crazier the next day!
Day 8
Well, September 24 was the big day! That was the day Caroline and Reda tied the knot. The day started off with breakfast at 8:30am. It consisted of eggs, Moroccan doughnuts, pastries, coffee, and—what else?—TEA!
After breakfast and some mingling, it was time for a quick run-through of the wedding. It was a little disorganized but we got it!
After the run-through, my Dad, my Uncle John, Uncle John (yes, there are 2 Uncle Johns) and I went to what we thought was a Harley-Davidson store. This place was NOT a Harley store! It was a place that rented out motorcycles called EagleRider. Kinda disappointing.
It was hot, so I decided to take a dip in the pool. The water was PERFECT! My Dad, some Uncles and I all had lunch together. We got a burger with pulled beef, guacamole, and fries. It was delicious!
Then, at 4:30pm, it was showtime! We had a cocktail reception followed by Caroline and Reda’s wedding ceremony. The wedding was beautiful and Caroline was smiling ear-to-ear and looked stunning! Then came the after party…
The aftermath of a Moroccan wedding is the CRAZIEST THING EVER! EVERYONE was on the stage dancing! I’d compare a Moroccan wedding reception to a nightclub rave. The lights, DJ, live music, fog…it had to be seen to be believed!
Speaking of fog, funny story about that…we were eating appetizers and we saw smoke coming from a table and everyone thought that something had caught fire. As it turns turns out, a fog machine had gone off right next to the table and caused a smoking effect.
The best moment was when Caroline came out on a platform in a gold and diamond-encrusted dress. I lost it. I had never seen Caroline, Abbey, my Mom, or Dad so happy! Caroline’s wedding night was legitimately one of the best and happiest nights of my life!
The trip had culminated in a wedding. I had a few days left on the trip, but I knew damn well that when I got back home my heart would stay in Morocco!
Day 9
We left Palais Ronsard around 12:15pm. But before parting ways, we all had one last family breakfast together. Old family and new family all interacting with each other as if they’d known each other all their lives. It’s jaw-dropping to think I have family in the United States, Morocco and some as-good-as-family friends in Ireland.
Zaina, my new sister-in-law and I get along AWESOME! Everyone on the Akbil (Reda’s last name) side is INSANELY sweet! Seeing my culture and the Moroccan culture meld together into one was nothing short of magical!
After parting ways with everyone, my parents, Aunt Gina, Uncle John and I took a shuttle from Palais Ronsard to our final residence in Morocco: Mazagan Resort. The Resort was RIGHT on the Beach and is beautiful!
When we were about 15-20 minutes away, I didn’t know what to think. Not gonna lie. It reminded me of the Inlet in Ocean City, Maryland. A little iffy and sketchy looking. But then we pull in and OH MY GOD! This place was BEAUTIFUL! (Look, guys. I’m running out of adjectives to describe everything. Gimme a break!)
Walking into Mazagan, I was shocked to find airport-style security. Aka metal detectors and X-Ray conveyor belts. It was crazy how secure this place was!
When we checked in, we got a free—yes, F-R-E-E FREE!— upgrade. Our room had a panoramic view of the golf course. Yes, this place had an 18 hole golf course…and a go kart track…and dune buggies…and ATV’s…and a rock wall…and a spa…and a trampoline park. And a GIGANTIC pool! No joke, the pool alone was about the size of my entire apartment back home in Baltimore.
We just chilled for the rest of the night, as it had started to rain at Caroline’s wedding and carried into the next day after a four year drought.
Day 10
This day was CRAZY BUSY! I woke up around 7am and walked downstairs for the free buffet breakfast. After my Mom, Dad, Uncle John and Aunt Gina and I had eaten, I booked a horseback ride on the Beach. And the price wasn’t bad, either. An hour ride cost 430 Dirham, or $43 US. This was AWESOME! The horse I rode, named Joe, was great to ride…but he had a mind of his own. We even went INTO the water in the ocean. Granted, it was only up to past the hooves, but still cool.
Following that, I did something called Bungee Ejection. This cost 170 Dirham, or $17. It started innocently enough. You are attached to a pair of cables and hoisted into the air, getting a phenomenal view of the Beach and Resort. From there, you gently bounce up and down until they pull you back to the ground. But then things get crazy! This thing quickly cranks it up to ELEVEN! The operator tethers you to a steel grated platform, counts to three, and pulls a cord. You go FLYING into the air! Oh, and the harness has some give to it. So yeah, you rotate and fly towards the ground facing the ground! It was TERRIFYING! So I did it twice.
Next up was go karts. Yes, Mazagan had a go kart track, and a GREAT one at that! It’s all on flat ground with no elevation changes, but let me tell you…you HAUL ASS on the go karts! And since I had the track to myself, the employees allowed me to go FULL SPEED around the crazy sharp hairpin turns. I was nervous I’d spin out, but I didn’t.
After 10 laps on the go karts, I met up with my family on the Beach. I put my feet in and went in up to my chest. The water was cold.
What was cool about Mazagan is that it was completely dead! I saw more employees than guests. I stayed at Mazagan for three days and saw MAYBE 15 guests there. I had that massive pool to myself. The pool’s maximum depth was only 3 feet, but it was still neat having a pool that big at a world-renowned Resort to myself!
Later that day, everyone in my group went zip lining. And yes, this was on Mazagan’s grounds, as well. This was one single zip line, but I found out this is the longest in Morocco at 1,031 feet long. That’s RIDICULOUSLY long for a zip line! My Mom and Aunt Gina were a little nervous. Even my Dad nearly backed out, although that was probably due to a crap ton of steps and the fact my Dad has a bum knee. For what it offered, this activity is DIRT CHEAP! One run will run you 170 Dirham, or $17. BUT if you want, you can do it twice for a whopping 50 Dirham or $5. Five dollars…for TWO zip lines? That is AMAZINGLY cheap!
Following that, we went to dinner, had a few drinks, and watched the sunset on the Beach. This was BEAUTIFUL! The sun reflecting off the water was mesmerizing!
Day 11
This was my last full day in Morocco. It was a shame because I LOVE Morocco!
I woke up around 7am, took a shower, ate my free breakfast, and went back to the hotel room and fell back asleep.
I met my family for breakfast. After breakfast, we went to the town of Jadida to shop. I bought a camel skin leather pouf (basically leather footrest) for 150 Dirham, or $15. That is CRAZY cheap! And that was with ZERO bartering! I also bought an animal skin and canvas painted lamp for the same price. So what would be overpriced anywhere else, I got TWO legit animal skin/leather products for $30. AND no taxes!
When we got back to Mazagan, I went to their Farm. Yes, Mazagan had a freaking Farm on their property! Granted, it’s a very small Farm. It took about 20 minutes to see the whole thing, but I’m glad I saw it. If it had cost money, I’d say it was a rip off. And as a bonus, I was the only one there so I got a FREE VIP Tour by an employee! Granted, he only spoke French and I couldn’t understand what he was saying, but it was still cool!
After getting back, we hung by the pool for awhile. We decided to eat dinner at a restaurant called DOME. DOME was located in Mazagan’s casino. The ceiling in DOME was, well, an ornate dome. So my Dad and I both took a photo of it. A few seconds later, Security approached my Dad and told him not to take photos of the casino. After showing Security the photo, they were ok. I was impressed how quickly they responded. Also I couldn’t wear my hat inside, which was weird and annoying but oh well.
As for food, I ordered a Flag Beer and grilled octopus. It was just the tentacles but believe me…they were delicious and filling!
As an added bonus surprise, on my way back to our room, I was looking for my keycard to get into the room. Keep in mind, both my jeans pocket and wallet were both empty. So imagine my surprise when I found $100 American dollars in my pocket! Hey, I’m not complaining! Any country where you leave richer than when you arrived it fine by me!
Day 12
When I wrote this last day, I was sitting on a plane back in Casablanca at Mohammad V Airport about to go back home to Baltimore. Or at least Dulles in DC then drive home from there.
The flight info said the flight duration would be 8 hours and 25 minutes. However the Pilot said 7 hours, 34 minutes. The total duration wound up being just over 7 hours. So we were ahead of schedule. To me, the shorter the flight the better. It seemed like it took FOREVER to arrive in Morocco!
I was mixed about leaving. On the one hand, I ADORE this country! Every single second in Morocco-whether in Casablanca, Marrakech, or El Jadida-I have enjoyed!
On the other hand, 2 weeks is a long time to be away from home and my “normal” routine. There was a 5 hour time difference so talking to friends back home was a pain in the ass!
Looking back on it, all in all, I can honestly say I personally have ZERO regrets or complaints! Only a few minutes into the trans-Atlantic flight, I found myself missing Morocco already. Everyone I encountered on the trip had all been SO outgoing, helpful, friendly, and accommodating. In essence, this was hands-down, bar-none, without any shadow of a doubt, THE absolute best trip I had ever taken!
The trip had constantly been GO GO GO! We were either partying, doing an outdoor activity, drinking, traveling to another location, or socializing. NO downtime! As I look back, I’m thinking “Wow! That was A LOT! Even by my standards!”
Sure, this wasn’t a thrill-filled trip like a trip to Disney or Cedar Point. Would I have liked to have ridden roller coasters on another continent? Yeah, sure. But whatever. I don’t care. Morocco as a whole is WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY better than any theme park!
So this was farewell, for now, to Morocco. But I know damn well it was not goodbye. I promise I will go back someday. Thank you Morocco for an unforgettable trip! And thank you to Caroline and Reda for inviting me to their special day! And last but definitely not least, thank you to the Akbil family for welcoming me into your wonderful family with open arms!
So that was my trip to Morocco. I loved every second of every minute of it and cannot wait to return at some point! Thanks to you, my readers, for sticking with this post to the end! I appreciate it! I know this was a long one.
-Tom
AuTom's Spectrum 