Taghazout/Agadir

On Tuesday, I left for my last adventure in Morocco before heading home. Tuesday night we (Lesley, Viviana, Byron, Rim, and I) left for Agadir to spend our last week on the beach. This was the first time, my host sister Rim was able to travel without her family. We arrived in Agadir early Wednesday morning and meet up with Viviana's friend, Adam. Afterwards, we took a bus to Taghazout which a little North of Agadir. When we arrived in Taghazout, we needed to find a place to stay. Rim's friend started looking for one while we waited on the beach. I started to get very impatient waiting. Rim kept telling me to be patient. During this time...I really noticed cultural differences. Rim and her friend wanted to handle everything while we waited....but we did not like to wait. Therefore we started getting impatient and wanted to see the places ourselves. Eventually a guy walked up to us and asked if we were looking for a place to stay...and of course we said yes. Viviana and Lesley left to look at the place...Rim and her friend got upset because the rest of us started looking. Viviana and Lesley came back with a place right on the beach for 500 MAD a night. The first night we cooked spaghetti, play cards, and watched Gladiator. The next day we read, slept, played cards, walked on the beach, learned how to play poker, and fell asleep outside under the stars. The weekend was very relaxing. Our bus wasn't till Friday night at 10:30 PM. So we delayed leaving our beach house till 5 PM then left to find food and waste time in Agadir. We arrived in Rabat at 7:30 AM on Saturday.
The Beach:

Breakfast:

 Where we stayed:

Chefchaoune

On Thursday, I traveled with the group to Chefchaoune. Our trip to Chefchaoune was our last trip as a group. Next weekend is some of the students last weekend in Morocco. Time is flying by. The first night we stayed an hour outside of Chefchaoune we stayed in the mountains with a family. Walking around the family’s house we could hear the cows and donkeys. I was almost one with nature but I wasn’t sleeping in a tent and I had running water. The next morning, Friday, we hiked to a cooperative. The cooperative sold honey. Afterwards we traveled to the city of Chefchaoune to check into our hotel and take a walking tour around the city. The city was very blue. We walked to the Spanish Mosque at the top of hill and around the city. Our tour guide was amazing and he owns a store in Washington State called Mint Tea. Saturday morning, Darby and I learned how to make carpets. What a great experience! The carpet making process was hard...we took so long to make a small piece of carpet. While Darby and I were making carpets tons of people were coming into talk, watch, and take pictures of us. Let's just say... I don't foresee carpet making in my future.That afternoon our tour guide and his brother meet up with us to hike to the waterfalls in Akchour (a Moroccan National Park). Hiking to the waterfall we crossed through the water 12 times!!! I fell into the water once almost damaging my camera. Once I fell into the water, I just decided to walk through the water instead of skip from rock to rock to get to the other side without to prevent my shoes from getting wet. Despite hiking in a national park, there was tons of trash. A lot of Moroccan’s hike and eat in the National Park but keep their trash at the park. Our tour guide kindly picked up three bags of trash on the back to the car. The next day, Sunday, Viviana and I worked out, the group walked around the city and then headed back home. Here are some photos from my adventures:

The place we stayed at the first night in the mountains:

The co-op:

Chefchaoune:

 Our Hotel/Hostel:

 Walking around Chefchaoune:

The Spanish Mosque:

Carpet Making:

 The Hike:

Casablanca to Oualidia

Last weekend a couple of friends and I ventured to Casablanca and Oualidia.
Viviana and I left for Casablanca on Friday after working out on my roof. If you are looking for a good work out video, check this out:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BS7XkoGmhXQ

We took the train to Casablanca to visit the biggest mosque in Morocco and visit the famous Rick's Cafe (from the movie Casablanca). Upon arriving in Casablanca, Viviana and I looked for a place to stay but everywhere was booked. We finally found a place to stay but we missed the last tour of the mosque...so we decide to at least visit the mosque to say we went. After visiting the mosque we attempted to walk to Rick's Cafe...on the way to the Cafe we asked people for directions. We still got lost and ended up in a creepy neighborhood. To escape the neighborhood, we walked into the back entrance to a fancy cafe. It wasn't Rick's Cafe but we were satisfied. Everything on the menu was SUPER expensive so we decided to treat ourselves to Fondo. It was absolutely delicious. Around 5:30, Viviana and I meet up with Byron and a Moroccan friend of ours to go to the Casablanca under 17 soccer game, Morocco v. Tunisia  The crowd was divided into the two Casablanca teams. One side cheered for their Casablanca team and the opposite side cheered for their favorite Casablanca team because Morocco does not have a national cheer for their soccer team. Morocco tied Tunisia and there was a fire started in the crowd. Apparently that happens often, no one was injured. Afterwards, we walked to a recommended restaurant. I had the best salad in Morocco there. Viviana, Byron, and I stayed the night in Casablanca.
The next day, we woke up to catch the train to El Jadida then a grand taxi (a taxi that fits 6 people) to Oualidia. Upon are arrival in Oualidia, we meet up with a Moroccan friend, Oumaima, and Lesley. We dropped off our stuff and went out to lunch. Lunch was absolutely fantastic. It was my first time eating sea creatures, it was weird and the sea creatures were still living. Which freaked me out. Afterward we went to the beach and attempted to get into the water but the water was freezing!! Lesley and I walked up and down the beach and went horse back riding. That night, we made double chocolate chip cookies with ice cream. Sunday morning we woke up, packed all of our stuff to leave later that day. Viviana, Byron, and I learned how to surf!!! We all stood up on the board!!!!!!!!!! It took me 6 tries but I DID IT! Lesley and Oumaima kayaked and meet up with Vivianna, Byron, and I later at the house we stayed at. I absolutely loved Oualidia and would definitely recommend going! On the way back Viviana and I ended up taking the wrong train. So we had to back track...we eventually got home after taking an overcrowd train, a bus, and taxi.

Hassen II Mosque:

 The cafe we stumbled upon:

 Oualidia:

 Sea Creatures:

 The Group:

 Horseback riding:

 We made cookies:

Practicing to Surf: