Return from Morocco

I am back safe and sound from my adventure to Morocco! I spent an amazing two weeks traipsing around Morocco with two friends from the States, Katie and Carrie. We all met in Casablanca on April 12 and hopped a train to the Ourika Valley that night where we stayed at a small hotel near the Atlas Mountains. We spent the next few days exploring Marrakesh and the Cascades d'Ouzoud where we hiked in the Atlas Mountains. Katie and I then set off to Essaouira, a beautiful, quiet beach town where a classical music festival was taking place. Finally, Katie and I spent the last few days of our vacation in Fes before returning to Casablanca for our final night in Morocco.

Morocco was a vibrant and incredible country! I will be sure to share more of my Moroccan travel adventures this week, but in the meantime I will leave you with some pictures.

The market in Marrakesh


The rooftops of Marrakesh at sunset


The Cascades d'Ouzoud




Essaouira




The King's Palace in Fes


A panoramic view of the old city of Fes


I hope you are all well and wonderful!
B

Port Alfred, Pineapples, and Politics

My first term of graduate school is officially over! To celebrate, I am headed to the beaches of Port Alfred, where I will attempt to write a research paper on the inclusion and implications of political news coverage in celebrity gossip blogs. This will prove to be quite a challenge due to my three second attention span, but I am determined to complete this paper before I leave for Morocco on Saturday.

In the last few weeks I have planted a garden with the children of the Jozi township, visited the world's biggest pineapple sculpture, attended a political debate for the upcoming South African Presidential election, and nearly fell on my face in public because I was staring at a guy who looked exactly like Superman instead of watching where I was going.

I also gave my first Rotary presentation to the Grahamstown Rotary Club, which went wonderfully, and performed at a local cultural event evening with some of the cast members of the Vagina Monologues.

More to come soon!

Love,
B