Winter Break: Escape to Morocco

Sunset in Marrakech, Morocco

TL;DR or Quick Summary 

1. The semester ended with the successful summiting of Mt. Essay and a long but eventually fruitful exploration of the online grading portal USOS. 
2. After leaving Białystok, I headed to Warsaw to meet up with a friend. We visited Treblinka, the German extermination camp outside of Warsaw. 
3. After that, the journey to a sunny land begin. To get to Morocco, I had a one day layover in Milan, Italy and then flew to Marrakech.
4. Marrakech (and Morocco in general) was a completely different place. I wandered markets, bought rugs, and rode camels into the Sahara. It was a great adventure!
5. The trek back to Poland and the Fulbright Mid Year meeting was a test of endurance, an exercise in sleep deprivation, and a demonstration of the wonders of coffee.
6. In the last few days before the summer semester starts, I am applying for jobs back in Texas and planning out the some of the semester. 

Summiting Mt. Essay and Discovering USOS 

Me, the last week of classes

As mentioned in my last post, the final assignment for most of my classes was an essay. Since they were writing classes, it only made sense. While I do not regret the decision, it was certainly a marathon effort to get everything done before I left. 

My 2nd year students were given the options of three different essay topics and then had to write a 2-3 page argumentative essay. Most were fairly successful. Many ended up choosing the same topic, 'Is it possible to be a hero in the modern world,' which made many of the essays monotonous, but well written nonetheless. The second most popular topic was 'Is it better not to know what is going on if we cannot do anything about it?' Those essays that addressed this topic were probably the most interesting. Students were split on their positions. Several claimed that being aware of things completely outside of your control would just lead to depression and a sense of helplessness, while others claimed that being aware of uncontrollable events was a necessary part of life. Overall, it was impressive to see how their improvement over the semester. 

My 4th year students had more free reign over their final essays, which made grading them more interesting. Somewhat surprisingly, the only topic that was repeated was 'Should couples live together before marriage?' Out of the four students who wrote on this topic, three argued that couple should not live together before marriage and one (who is currently living with his girlfriend) argued for the other side. Overall, their essays were well written and well organized. For this semester, I hope to offer my 4th year students more practical English skills since they can already write quite well. 

The final challenge of the semester was figuring out USOS, the online grading system used by my university. While the system 'works' once you get everything set up, it was a challenge to get to that step. Through the help of many people in my department, I was able to get everything set up and entered. At one point, there were two secretaries, one administrator, and two professors trying to help me gain access to all of my classes and students. If any of you are reading this, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy end of the semester to help this bumbling American! 

After submitting grades and fielding some last minute student emails, I was off to Warsaw. 

Treblinka Memorial 

Warsaw and Treblinka

This section will be sad facts about experiencing the remains of Treblinka, so if you are you here for my witty commentary and adventures, feel free to skip down to the next sections. 

Like nearly all of my trips out of Białystok, my first stop was Warsaw. There I met up with an old friend from camp who was on a trip through Europe. Due to the cheap flight schedule, we only had a day in Warsaw and actually decided to leave to city and visit Treblinka, the extermination camp about an hour outside of the city. It was (by design) pretty isolated and we had to take a train followed by a taxi, driven by the wonderful (if completely unable to speak English) Stanisław. 

The site itself was completely destroyed by the Germans during their retreat, so it was a very different environment than Auschwitz/Birkenau. There was a small museum about the site and the reconstruction attempts of various universities and scholars over the years. Treblinka was composed of a small labor camp and a larger extermination camp. The prisoners at the labor camp were primarily used to quarry gravel and in other local industries. Conditions were harsh and most people died during their time at the labor camp. 

Stone shards with city names 

The extermination camp was just that. Victims arrived and disembarked at a station designed to look like a normal rail station. They were told it was a transfer station and that after a shower they would be on their way somewhere else. Instead, they were lead to gas chambers, killed, and then burned or buried. Today, there is almost nothing left of the camp. Ground penetrating radar has been used to try to determine the layout of the camp and the location of mass graves. 

At the site, the is a large T shaped monument surrounded by large fragments of stone with city names carved into them. I could not confirm this, but I assumed they were the names of the cities from where the victims came. For most of our time at the site, we were the only two people there. The ground and trees were snow covered and the I only really heard the wind and the crunching of snow underneath my boots. It was a very somber experience. 

Treblinka is worth a trip for anyone interested in learning more about the concentration camps. 

The Duomo in Milan

Milan: A Rainy Day in Italy 

The next day, we began our journey to Morocco. The way the flights worked out, we needed to spend one day in Italy to get the best prices. I was happy to have some authentic Italian food and do some city exploring, unfortunately, Milan was not having it. We arrived to Milan fairly early in the morning (thank you 6 am flights) and dropped our stuff at the hostel. After having a minor tussle with my bank about travel notices, we headed out into the city.

It was a rainy and just overall miserable day in Milan. The temperature was warm for Polish standards, but combined with the constant drizzle, made for a cold and wet day. We walked to the major tourist site in Milan, the Duomo, a massive cathedral situated in the center of the city. Even in the rain, it was very impressive. The inside seemed even bigger than the outside and was maybe the largest cathedral/church I have ever been in.

Inside the Duomo

The admission included access to the roof of the Duomo which was a very unique experience for me. Walking along the stone shingles in the rain while being several stories up in the air was an experience. The rain and clouds gave everything a more serious feeling and brought the gargoyles to life (they really served as fancy gutters).

On the roof of the Duomo 

Food wise (I mean how could I go to Italy and not talk about the food), lunch was disappointing, but dinner made up for it. For lunch, we ate at a restaurant near the Duomo (mistake number one) that wanted us to use a fancy electronic self ordering system. It was similar to the ones at McDonald's but much, much worse. If I had not been so hungry, watching everyone in front of me trying to figure out the system would have been hilarious. Once we finally ordered, found a seat, and got our silverware, the food was very meh. The disappointing lunch however, just increased the need for a great dinner.

After trying and failing to see da Vinci's The Last Supper (you have to book tickets weeks, if not months in advance), we wandered through a park, were seemingly chased by a vindictive taxi, and accidentally walked into a castle. Back at the hostel we made friends with a Taiwanese medical student attending school in Poland! We invited him to dinner with us and had a great time. This restaurant did not disappoint. I had a great sausage pizza that I wish I could have taken back to Poland with me. The next morning, we were off to Morocco!

In Search of the Sun: Marrakech 

Soaking in the sun on the hostel roof. This is the first time I
have exposed my arms in months.

Getting off the plane in Marrakech was a like a little taste of home. In fact, Austin and Marrakech are almost at the same latitude. It was about 70 F (21 C) and I had to roll up the sleeves of my sweater. In order to avoid the hassle of getting a taxi from the line, I had arraigned a pick up though our hostel. Unfortunately, I made a mistake Google told the wrong landing time and we got to hang out at the airport for about an hour. After finally getting to our hostel and dropping our stuff, I just sat on the roof top patio soaking in the sun. 

The Market Experience

One market from above

Eventually, we decided to get a small taste of the city. It was certainly different than the calm of a Polish city center. Walking into the main souq (open air marketplace), I was surrounded by noise, colors, and smells. There were many tourists (identified by sunglasses and a somewhat overwhelmed look) but even more Moroccans going about their daily business. There were probably 30 juice stands that all sold the same juices for the same price. There were street vendors with hats, bowls, watches, and other small souvenirs. There were women going from tourist to tourist aggressively attempting to (and sometimes succeeding at) give you a henna tattoo. There was a long section of stands selling grilled food that smelled amazing and whose price was negotiable. 

Fishing for bottles in the main souq

At night, the market underwent a transformation; it became even more crowded and alive. In the open square, large circles had formed around different performers or events. Several circles had musicians playing upbeat music. In one circle, people attempted to knock over a filled soda bottle with a ring on a stick. Another contained a mini flight club where two men in boxing gloves had a short 30 second fight. It was the place to be at night. 

Spice store

Leaving the main souq, there were endless alleys and streets lined with people selling soap, oils, fabric, lamps, charms, rugs, clothes, and practically everything else. It was like being stuck in a shopping mall that had no signs, bathrooms, or organization. That said, it was a great experience. Walking through the streets, you would transition between districts with very little warning. I went from the leather curing district (it smelled like a chemical plant) to the metal working district (also like a chemical plant) to the dyers district (no distinct smell) all in rapid succession. 

Since I don't look Moroccan (I know, I was shocked to discover this too), vendors would call to in different languages to try to get my attention. French and English were the most common, but there were also attempts in German, Dutch, and Spanish. None were overly aggressive and some had some very creative attempts to get my attention. 

• 'Very low prices, only 1 million Euro!' 
• 'Free lunch, only today!'
• 'Come come, it is free! ... Free to look!'
• 'Skinny girl, skinny price!' (This one wasn't directed at me)
• 'Come my friend, you are too skinny, you need to eat!' (This one was directed at me)
• 'This is my best product, you drink and then BAMZI!' (Man selling Moroccan Viagra)

Lake Lalla Takerkoust and Jet Atlas 

The magic of Jet Atlas

The afternoon of my first full day, the whole Fulbright crew (8 people at this point) decides to head out of the city and visit a nearby lake, Lake Lalla Takerkoust. The first step was getting a taxi for 8 people that would take us 45 minutes out of the city, wait for about 3 hours, and then drive us back to the city. With a little the help of a great French speaking Fulbrighter and a little bartering, we able to get a pretty good deal on the taxi. 

Dinner on the lake

Unsure of what we would actually find at the lake, we headed out undeterred. One we arrived, the lake was beautiful, but most of the shoreline was dirt and undeveloped. However, about 100 meters away from us was a patch of green land that looked surprisingly luxurious. We decided to investigate and discovered the magic of Jet Atlas. It was like a mini-country club with a small patio, light restaurant, infinity pool, and hammocks. It seemed like the kind of place you would need a membership to enter, however, the gate was open and no one was there to tell us no, so we walked in. 

Inside we dropped the big bucks and ordered some water, coffee, and even two cokes (I'm surprised they didn't kick us out). We hung out at Jet Atlas for about an hour and a half moving from patio to hammock to gazebo. Sadly, no of us came prepared to swim so we could only stare longingly at the infinity pool. 

After leaving Jet Atlas we had a traditional Moroccan meal, the tajine. It is dish with meat (chicken or beef), veggies, and often couscous cooked in a clay dish. It is often pretty oily and served with lots of bread. While it is a good dish, on our desert excursion, we basically had it for lunch and dinner three days in a row. So by the end of the trip, we were all pretty tajine'd out. 

The next morning, we woke up early to start our three day desert adventure.

Lake Lalla Takerkoust at sunset

Desert Excursion or How to Spend 3 Days in a Small Bus 

The Fulbright Crew. We all actually made it into one picture.
The real miracle of the trip!

Our two night, three day trip took us across the Atlas Mountains, through old movie sets, and to the dunes of the Sahara right next to the border of Algeria. In the mini bus were the 9 Fulbrighters, 2 Dutch girls, 2 Argentinian guys, and a Spanish couple. And of course, Jamal, the driver who constantly smirked at the obnoxious Americans in the back of his bus. It was a good group, but I think we were all ready to have some space by the time we got back on day 3.

Day 1

On the road through the Atlas Mountains

The first day we left Marrakech early in the morning and headed east, over the Atlas Mountains. Going through the mountains was slow and curvy. The back of the bus definitely felt a little car sick on the journey, but luckily Jamal stopped frequently so we could get out and take some pictures (and more importantly so he could smoke). The Atlas Mountains were beautiful and changed from lush and green to dry and brown pretty quickly.

Ait Ben Haddou, abandoned city in Morocco 

The first major stop Aït Ben Haddou, an old abandoned city that has since been used in numerous movies. Jamal dropped us off in the modern city across the river and gave us an hour. We crossed over the small stream in the mainly dry riverbed and hiked into the old city. While several parts were in poor condition, some people had set up shops and several moved back in. Some of the movies filmed there include: Lawrence of Arabia, Indiana Jones, Gladiator, Prince of Persia, and Game of Thrones. It was a cool site to visit.

After that it was back in the bus until we got to our lunch spot, were we had tajine. The rest of the day was spent driving further east, although by this point we were out of the mountains so the ride was easier. The night we spent in a surprisingly nice hotel in a ravine. It was a hotel full of other people doing the same trip as us and everyone was understandably exhausted. For dinner we had tajine.

Cozy hotel fireplace

Right outside of my room was a small and fortunately warm fireplace. After dinner, the Argentinians, a Fulbrighter, and I had an interesting conversation with another bus driver. In different languages (Spanish, French, and English), he claimed to have met several famous actors and then proceeded to discuss his ideas to improve the world. While I didn't completely understand everything he was saying, it was really enjoyable to hear someone's genuine opinions about the world and the way he sees it.

Day 2

I just wanted a picture of the rug
but then this happened

The next day after a relatively quick bus ride, we stopped in Tinghir, the largest city in the area. We had a tour of the fields and city that ended up in a Berber (nomad) family's home where they wanted to sell us some Moroccan rugs. As they told us, 'No one enters thinking they will buy a rug, but then you buy two.' For me, this prophecy held true. I ended up buying two rugs, a larger white one and a small black one. Whether or not the price was actually good, I know I would have spent much more money on similar rugs back in Marrakech. The rugs are currently bringing some non-green color to my overly green apartment.

After rug-mania, we stopped for lunch at a nice restaurant by a river. We had tajine.

Three hours of driving later, we finally arrived at the desert. The sand dunes really seemed to come out of nowhere. One moment there was flat and dry ground, then a couple of small sandy hills, and finally on the east side of the road, unbroken sand dunes. We arrived at Merzouga, a small town that surprisingly also was home to the Moroccan National Auto Museum. 

My faithless steed: Barack 'Spitty' Obama

Getting off the bus, I saw our mode of transport into the desert, 15 angry camels all tied together. My camel was not having a good day. As he stood up, he let out a roar that sounded like a dying Brontosaurus. I was informed his name was Barack Obama; I gave him the nickname of Spitty, for reasons that should be obvious. He had the bad habit of stopping too late and rubbing his mouth all over the back of the person in front of me. I think he did it on purpose.

Camp fire in the desert

After about 30 minutes of riding, we arrived at our camp for the night. It was a large grouping of tents. There was one central tent where we congregated, played cards (BS is apparently a universal card game), and ate dinner. Surprise, we had tajine! After dinner, we headed outside where our hosts started a fire and played drums. There was some minor dancing, but no large group musical numbers spontaneously occurred. After about an hour, it started to get cold (the low that night was below freezing) and people started to trickle off to bed. One of our hosts introduced us to some of his desert games, most of which were played with camel poop. That's one experience I did not imagine having.

Day 3

Sunset in the desert

The next morning, we got up way before the sun so we could make it back to Marrakech at a decent hour. The morning was still quite chilly and breakfast was waiting for us on the other side of the camel ride. After climbing up on Barack (with a good morning roar) we started the slow trek back to civilization. Maybe it is just because I have not ridden a horse in a while, but camels are much less comfortable to ride. During the ride it is mildly uncomfortable, but getting off the camel causes the built-up soreness in your thighs to become readily apparent. We had our usual breakfast of various types of bread with apricot jam and butter. Fortunately there was also coffee. 

The rest of the day was spent trekking back across Morocco with Jamal. We took a couple of short breaks and our final tajine lunch stop. Going back across the mountains this time proved even more interesting due to heavy rain. I don't know how frequently in rains in Morocco during the winter, but we were certainly treated to a nice long shower.

Our camel train 

In his infinite wisdom, Jamal concealed the fact that he had a microphone and aux jack for the stereo for most of the trip. I suppose he didn't want to have a sound track of terrible songs for the entire journey. However, for the last hour and a half of the trip, he let us use it. Unfortunately it didn't work with everyone's phone, so we only got to listen to one Dutch rap song. 

After about a 12 hour bus journey, we arrived back in Marrakech and had something other than tajine for dinner. It was a much needed change. One quick shower later and I collapsed into bed for some well deserved sleep. 

Overall Morocco was a great place! The people were nice (even if most were trying to sell me something), the food was good (in moderation), and there was a lot to do. I would very much enjoy returning and seeing some of the other cities, Fez, Casablanca, or Rabat. Winter seems like the ideal time to be there because summer temperatures can get very hot and the sun was a great break from the cloudy Polish winter. The culture and general feel of the city is very different than the US or most of Europe and stood in sharp contrast to most of the other places I have been. If anyone is considering a visit, I would highly recommend!

The road out of the desert

Looking Forwards 

This semester will start next week and I hope to have a better grasp on all of my classes from the start. I already know most of my students; they know what to expect from me and I know what to expect from them. Teaching English has definitely been a challenge, but because of the support from my university and students, it has mostly gone well. 

I will continue teaching my writing and integrated skills classes, but will also add conversation classes. This will hopefully be an opportunity to have more frequent and open discussions with my students. 

Anyways, thanks for reading! Hopefully there are not too many proofreading mistakes in this post!

Bonus Pictures

Our desert campsite

Main souq

The lobby of our hostel

At the rug store