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Subject: Zoe’s Morocco Update

Date: Mon, 27 Jul 2009 18:57:28

Zoe’s Little Update

In short, Julia and I could not find a job, so what better way to reduce spending than to go to a third world country, right? WRONG. So we started down the wrong track by deciding to go on a tour, without ensuring that it was possible to get to decided desination first. So tour decided to Morocco, 13 days, we had a week to get to Morocco, or so we thought. Looking at all the cheap flights website reveals two changes and $5,000 in flights. Not possible when I have less than that amount in my bank account. Checked the buses, none available, went to the travel agent, they said it was impossible, in french. Then finally check the internet and there are now two seats available on a bus from Bayonne to Casablanca, perfect. Loving the thought of a 26 hour bus ride. So for some reason we thought we were leaving on the 2nd of July, but on the 29th we had a closer inspection and we were to arrive on the 2nd, and leave on the 30th of June. For some reason in our heads we thought that we only had 2 nights before our tour started on the 4th, but we counted wrong and the tour started on the 5th. Oops. What does this mean? Way too much time in Casablanca, the largest city in Morocco. We saw so much in Morocco that it would be impossible to tell about everything, over 600 photos worth. We visited Casa, Meknes, Fez, Midelt, the Desert, Todra Gorge, Dades Valley, the Road of a thousand Kasbahs, Ait Benhaddou, Marrakesh, Essaouira and El Jadida. We rode a camel into the desert and stayed in a Berber camp; we were awoken to a sand storm during the night. We stayed a night in Todra Gorge; it was so hot I was unable to sleep. Walking through the streets I smelt some of the worse smells I have even smelt in my life. To add even more comlications to the heat most people on the trip got gastro; luckily there was Julia and two other nurses on the trip because the tour guides had no clue what to do when people started to become light headed and dizzy.

We met some incredible people on the tour and after its conclusion were sad to them go. After the conclusion of the trip Julia and I spent two days in El Jadida and then another in Casa. In the last few days we counted down the days til we left. We had lots of fun in Morocco, however we were never able to relax. Before and after the tour we were being spoken to by most males in the street, we counted them trying to speak to us in 7 languages. However when this happenss every minute and some deluded ones start to follow you down the street you snap and just want to leave. Leave via 35hr bus to France. Loving life. Hehe. If you were worried about Julia and I failing to continue the struggle of carrying our bodyboards around the world, stop your panicking! We took one very oversizes bag which became progressively more and more heavy. Does it make it better that we only surfed twice? Or prehaps the fact that the surf was very bad both those times? Haha. But at the end of the day we now have the claim that… WE SURFED IN AFRICA! Yay.

Since arriving back in France on the 23rd we have hiked up La Rhune, a mountain in the Pyrennes on Julia’s birthday and went for a long surf yesterday. It’s good to be back in France so that we can prepare all our own meals again. In the coming month I will get to see my Dad and Mark (very excited) and will go to Barcelona, experience the Bayonne festival, then have a week until the bodyboarding comps in Portugal. We think that we will only compete in one due to the fact that the expensive entry fees are being charged in Euros($260AUS for Sintra). I’m having a great time and I’m really enjoying being based in one place so we can absorb as much of the culture as possible. French food is amazing; we purchase a fresh baguette everyday as not only do they taste good and fill you up, but they are also very cheap. The French people are also very very nice and we could not site an example of the arrogance which they are sterotyped. Waves have been less than amazing, but yesterday was a lot of fun and reignited the drive to surf. Missing home, but having a ball.

Hope everyone is well and not missing me too much!

Love, Zoe X