Another continent checked off my list

Ever since moving to Spain I have been wanting to go to Morocco. A couple weekends ago I was out with some friends and I was talking about how I was dying to go to Morocco, but just didn’t think it was going to work out. Then one of my friends, Elizabeth, said, “WAIT! I just booked my flight to Morocco! You should come!”

Well that was settled I would be going with Elizabeth and four other girls. Quick, cheap, easy, and exactly what I was wanting a “Moroccan light” trip, as Elizabeth called it. She filled me on the plans. A friend of hers had gone to Rabat and had stayed at a surf hostel there. Rabat is a city less touristy compared to Marrakesh or Tangier and is located on the coast. I had always wanted to surf and the thought of surfing in Africa seemed to good too be true.

I imagined myself looking like this:

But Elizabeth had different envisions…..she pictured this:

Haha if only! Here’s what I actually looked like:

I promise it is really me! So I didn’t catch any major waves or do the splits while someone was holding me up, but I did get up almost every time.

Our surf lessons lasted for two hours and went a little something like this: We stretched and were taught how to paddle and stand up on land before heading out into the ocean, by the owner of the surf lodge, who is also a pro-surfer. Then he went off to help the intermediate class, while we got handed off to a younger guy-who barely spoke english.

I forgot to mention we also got to wear wetsuits, that may or may not have been wet from the previous day…..:/ yucky And were a little saggy in certain areas…

Oh and we also walked through a cemetery on the way to the beach! Kinda creepy, but it does make for a pretty sweet photo.

Surfing honestly wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be. Balance is one of the main aspects of surfing so since I had been a flyer and know how to wakeboard and ski, I felt pretty comfortable. Danielle even said, “Samantha you are really good! I think you should take up surfing as a hobby.”–Love that girl!

After two hours of surfing, fighting the tide, and swallowing a hefty amount of salt water we were all dead and ready to get out of the wet suits. Thanks to Elizabeth we found a cute little french restaurant located on a boat called Le Dhow close to our hostel.

Mausoleum of Mohammad V, where past kings are buried. 

The Hassan Tower (near the Mausoleum) 

Lamps at the Medina (market) 

Unfortunately, I didn’t get to spend a lot of time in the Medina because it was starting to get dark and we didn’t feel like roaming the streets of Rabat at night was the best/safest idea. 

I felt like I was in Aladdin! 

Our first night in Rabat we ate a very traditional moroccan restaurant, recommended by the pro-surfer. I wish I knew the name of this restaurant, but it’s something in Arabiac. I really hoping for some couscous but they were all out by the time we got there.

The menu

We had no idea what we ordered because our waiter did not speak english, so he spoke to us in French. We tried, “hablas español?” No luck. It turned out to be chicken and french fries with this amazing sauce. Rabat is also famous for their mint tea and MAN is it AMAZING! Maybe its the large amounts of sugar they put in it or the freshness of the mint, but I’m sure a fan. I had to buy some before I left because I fell in love.

And I have to add just a few pictures of our hostel because it was so beautiful. It was more like a house than a hostel.

And lastly…this was our rooftop breakfast. I was sad to leave the sunshine and the ocean, but Morocco could only ever be a place to visit for me. It it such a different world there. Ciao for now!