I never posted this blog post. It’s been almost two years. I think that posting it back then was scary because it meant my trip was coming to an end. It is time to complete this journey as I embark on a new one: Life.

2 years later, here’s my post from Morocco.

Morocco was so different from the other parts of Africa I visited. The climate, the landscape, the people, and the culture were very unique from the rest of the ports I had just come from. I went on a Semester at Sea run program called “Sahara Camel Trek” while I was in Morocco for all four days. We spent many long hours on a bus to get to the part of the desert we would be camping in. It was nice to drive through the country and watch out the windows. Our tour guide spit out facts and told stories as we drove about the places we were passing through. The meals we stopped for on our drive were so incredible. There was so much cous-cous (my favorite food) and such delicious meat. There was one dish that I need to find the name of that was Filo dough filled with an assortment of meat, topped with powdered sugar and cinnamon. It came to the table first, so wondering why they started with dessert, I took a bite and realized it was full of meat. It was such a weird taste but I loved it. After much driving around (and stopping to eat), we arrived at destination. We got on our camels and took off on a two and a half hour trek to our camp. The camels were really cute to look at, but not as cute to ride for 2.5 hours. By the end of the trek my legs were numb and my back was throbbing. I could not imagine using a camel as my main form of transportation. Our camp was so cool. It was just a circle of large tents with some tables and chairs in the middle. Once I got my things settled, I took my shoes off and headed out to explore the desert. The sand in the Sahara was the softest, finest sand I have ever felt. It felt like I was walking on a cloud. After dinner, stargazing, and swapping stories with friends it was time to crash. I woke up the next day around 6:15 to watch the sunrise. What an unforgettable sight. It was humbling to watch the orange sun come up over the sand dunes. We then trekked back on our camels and headed to Marrakesh. In Marrakesh, I got the chance to see a little more of the culture of Morocco. Something I noticed in my personal experience with the local people was how they valued relationships. It seemed in the market that if you built a relationship with a seller, or just chatted for a moment about something other than what you were buying, they gave you a lower price and treated you very respectfully. The market in Marrakesh may have been my favorite one on the whole trip. It was so colorful and lively. Morocco was such a unique port, and a great way to end my travels with Semester at Sea.