Day Ninety Three - How did this happen?

Day ninety three. Over ninety days abroad. Of course you realize that means that the three month anniversary of my departure has come and gone. The 1st of May marked that milestone. On that day I was thoroughly enjoying my time relaxing on the coast of Morocco in a small village named Imessouane. Our room was literally on the coast. I open the door and am greeted by the sea. So, naturally, I spent an entire week there. I loved it. I'm also now thoroughly brown from all the sun I soaked up. The part of the village I was staying in didn't have electricity or running water. It was a little like camping. Until this morning I hadn't showered in 10 days. Yeah, I know that's pretty bad, huh? I did wash myself in the sea though! Needless to say my shower this morning was amazing, even if the water was near freezing.

And speaking of the sea. The sea! What power! I was in a constant state of awe when in the presence of Neptune's strength. Imessouane is known for good surfing. There are very strong winds that create a constant state of crashing waves. In certain parts of this coastal area one can find waves that crash so triumphantly onto the rocks that water sprays 10 meters into the air! That's about 30 feet for all you Yankees out there. This of course is not the strongest show of the sea's great power but for me it was very impressive. I just know that I would stand no chance in the throws of that great beast.

I have been in Morocco for 11 days now. My first two days were spent in Marrakech. This city is hectic, to say the least. In the parts of the old city one must constantly be aware of little motorbikes speeding by that come within inches of one's body. There are constantly people spouting words at you trying to attract you to their shop or food stall. It's quite the experience. There are many tourists here but they somehow manage to mix in with the locals decently enough. This is one city in which despite heavy tourism there is still a strong native culture. Not a feat that many cities around the world have been able to accomplish.

Upon my arrival at my hostel in Marrakech I met a guy named Daniel, from Mexico. We were both solo travelers with no plans in Morocco so we decided to pair up. He's a really nice guy with some interesting stories. Although he is not quite the sharpest crayon in the box. But his kindness makes up for it. We have had a great time together. It's good to have some company. I've also been able to practice my rusty old Spanish! That's been really fun. I guess I actually did learn something in high school, despite my best efforts to the contrary.

Now I'm back near Marrakech, staying with a CS host in a village 30 km outside the city. This is a really cool area and I'm excited to go exploring a bit. Although on my way over here, while boarding a bus, I was pickpocketed and lost my wallet. Luckily for me there was only 25 dollars in it and my driver's license, which is easily replaceable. An important lesson learned. We are near the High Atlas Mountains which contain the highest point in North Africa. I'm eager to get into this region and hike around. I believe that will be our next destination.

There was a time when I first arrived in Morocco that I was extremely excited and wished to travel more in Africa. I was prepared to abandon my plans for Europe and continue in this marvelous continent. But of course I was blinded by my excitement, as usual, and once I looked into what it would take to get prepared for Africa my enthusiasm slowly fizzled away. Because of the vaccinations, medications, and equipment that would be necessary for me to procure I am abandoning my plans for Africa at the moment. I feel I would enjoy it more if I were to outfit myself from the beginning for a region such as this. There are also many parts of Europe I still wish to explore.

My plans currently are to spend a couple more weeks here in Morocco then cross the Strait of Gibraltar in the north in order to reach the southern region of Spain. I am excited to travel in the country and to use the only other language I know besides English. Hopefully the people will be able to understand me.

I have a ton of photos to share. I just need to upload them all which is quite a long process. Once I get them up I will post them for your enjoyment.