Small Town, Large Town and All In-between

Last week was a busy one, classes are now in full swing and if that was not enough I decided to get off campus for a bit. I had been on campus for two full weeks, with occasional trips to Ifrane which hardly counts as really getting off campus.

So it was about time to explore a bit more of the surrounding region, small towns, large towns, and countryside included.

Middle Atlas Mountains

Wednesday I went with a few friends to the nearby towns of Ain Leuh and Azrou. I must admit, I felt very out of place in these small towns. The markets were packed with people, men and women in their traditional garbs and donkeys and horses all competing for the same space. These were certainly areas where foreigners were not often seen, and I felt I was so obviously not Moroccan.

View of Ain Leuh

The experience as a whole was a pleasant one. We ate an amazing lunch from a, quite literal, whole in the wall restaurant with barely enough space for seating. And from Azrou we bought delicious cookies and explored some of the small market place.

Sweets shop in Azrou

While I may not have belonged, I appreciate being given the opportunity to experience an honest view of small town Moroccan life. It was very different than the resort town of Ifrane, and certainly different than any other large tourist destination city.

On Saturday I was able to spend a bit more time in the countryside, partaking in a pastime that Ifrane is known for; skiing. I had never been skiing before, so this would certainly be an experience. And an experience it was, for skiing in Morocco is nothing like anywhere else. I went to Michlifen, a well-known slope.

Now, as I said, I have never been skiing before. But I know if I ever go skiing in the U.S., my experience will be drastically different than the one in Morocco. To gear up I was taken to a stall full of skiing equipment and was fitted with boots and skis that were in no way matching. Nothing matched. But they worked! And that's the important part. Then my friends and I were taken to a bunny hill to be taught how to ski. Though our instructor spoke no English, and just a bit of French, I somehow managed to learn to ski and did not fall once for which I can be proud. Even got two thumbs up from my instructor!

So skiing in Africa? Didn't go too badly!

Then Sunday was Fez day.

Bab Boujeloud was my first introduction to Fez and would be my last sight before leaving. The blue gate was the entrance to a maze of a market place. The city was built on-top of itself, and in the alleys crisscrossing the city at times it seemed the sky far above was only a myth.

Bab Boujeloud

Within the market maze

My group was led through dark side alleys, and then up steep flights of stairs, to get a rooftop view of the tanneries. Large pools of dye spanned out before us, smelling strongly. These were old dye pools, a tradition kept alive at Fez.

We ate on a terrace, looking out over the city of Fez from above with the mosque and distant ruins on the hill acting as focal points in the vast sea of tan buildings.

Coffee and traditional cookies on a terrace

Fez is a mysterious city, circling back upon itself in a twist of alleys and side streets, and more than once we found ourselves somehow back at Bab Boujeloud. Perhaps I will return and attempt to discover more that Fez has hidden.

Welcome to AUI

Al Akhawayn University is situated on the fringe of the resort town of Ifrane. Ifrane is known for its ski slopes in winter, so around this time of year the town hosts many Moroccan tourists. It's a quaint town situated in the Middle Atlas and yes, it is cold.

Also returning this time of year, are the students.

I have been in Morocco for 2 weeks now, and it certainly has been an experience. I arrive January 10th in the Casablanca airport, where I would get two connecting trains from Casablanca to Fez, the city where representatives from the university would pick me up.

I quickly became grateful for my French knowledge. Morocco is a multi-lingual country, most Moroccans speak specific dialects, Arabic, French, and often English as well. For me, that was extremely useful. As a non-Arabic speaker, having a common language in which to converse with the Moroccans I interacted with during my trip was extremely helpful.

I arrived in Ifrane in the evening, and the following 4 days were filled with  orientation sessions informing us about Morocco and the university. There are about 40 other international students, most from the United States with a few from Japan, China, and Canada. All the students are very nice and we easily began to get along. After a lot of paperwork to get out Moroccan residency cards we entered the weekend and the fun activities they had planned before classes started.

(Campus week 1)

On Sunday I went on a hike organized by the university to a place called Hebri in the Middle Atlas Mountains. It was an absolutely gorgeous hike, up and down the mountain slopes and between the narrow valley passes and wide plateau expanses. We stumbled across men chopping wood in the forest with their pack donkeys and dogs. The student guides took us to see Fox Hole, a large hole in the earth that opened suddenly in the midst of the wide plateau. Down far below I spotted two of the foxes for which the hole was named.

(Beside Fox Hole)

After building a fire and roasting some marshmallows we headed back from the enchanting mountains to the University campus.

Orientation ended, classes began.

I am taking five classes, two anthropology, public speaking, and a French and Arabic course. I was excited for each one, and from the first introductory classes each sounds fascinating. For anthropology I am taking Gender and Islam, and Women, Society, and Politics. It is truly interesting to be able to take such courses in Morocco, with fellow classmates who were raised in a society, religion, and culture very different from my own.

The week was progressing smoothly, I was beginning to better understand the campus, how things worked, and was being introduced to my courses. On Thursday the snow began and did not stop until Sunday, and even then there were a few flurries. It was gorgeous to see the snow weighing heavy on the leaf clad branches of the campus trees. I have traded one cold place for another, though I had not suspected that one day I would witness snow in Africa.

(Campus week 2)

Road To Morocco

On Monday, January 9th 2017 I'll be boarding my plane at JFK to embark on the first leg of my trip to Al Akhawayn University, Morocco. This journey will include a plane ride, a train ride, and finally a car ride, and I'll eventually find myself in the Atlas Mountains in Africa.

But this journey will not have begun with that first step into the airport, it began much earlier when I was first considering studying abroad. I am a current undergraduate student at Bloomsburg University, pursing degrees in French and Anthropology as well as minors in Spanish, Latin American Studies, and Linguistics. As a student of culture and languages, it was a simple decision to study abroad. My previous study abroad took me to Mexico, to study the local market systems and Spanish. This time, I was interested in practicing my French abilities and experiencing a new culture.

Al Akhawayn appeared the perfect fit, with the rich culture of the country and the ability to practice my French skills and learn Arabic as well, and through Bloomsburg University the exchange was made simple. With the help of the Global Education department I was helped figure out cost of the exchange, scholarships I could apply for, and how credits would transfer.

And so, soon enough I'll be setting foot in the foreign country of Morocco, to tackle this semester abroad. I will continue to chronicle what I learn from these next months on this blog, so feel free to check in periodically to see what Morocco has in store for me!