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Marrakesh, Morocco

Chris and I often talk about our life and how many amazing things we have experienced as a result of our careers. Being a military family has its share of challenges, but the rewards are also plenty. Traveling around the world has definitely been the biggest reward for our family. Our children have traveled and experienced far more than most people ever dream of doing in an entire lifetime. They are only 6 and 4 years old. Pretty incredible. To think they have gone elephant trekking, climbed the Great Wall of China, seen the leaning Tower of Pisa, Eiffel Tower, Buckingham Palace, Empire State Building, taken in a Red Sox game at Fenway Park, skiied the Swiss Alps, seen the fields of tulips in Holland, basked in the sun of Tuscany, traveled 4000 meters above the Earth in a hot air balloon, ridden camels in Morocco, and traveled to nearly fifteen countries on four different continents. Traveling with children is much more costly, but these experiences are far richer because we partake together as a family. What a rich life we've been given.

Our latest adventure took us to Marrakesh, Morocco. Many warned us against traveling there given the heightened security threats. Chris completed the necessary paperwork and training to gain his clearance to travel and I researched. All sites indicated it was safe. We are vigiliant when we travel regardless of where we go, so this was going to be no different. We keep a tight grip on our children, watch what we say, who we interact with and of course, plan our excursions carefully. Safety is our priority.

Going into this trip, we thought this may be our last trip before our baby arrives in March, so we were willing to splurge a bit more than usual. Traveling with a family of 4 is not cheap, but Ryan Air flights make it a bit more doable. We paid $740 for our family of 4 which included 2 checked bags and reserved seating. Some people suggest not reserving seats as you pay a bit more to do so, but I like the idea of not having to wait in line and being guaranteed that I will sit with my entire family. We booked a quadruple room at the Kenzi Agdal Medina All Inclusive Resort. It was a bit more than what I would typically pay, but we wanted something that would allow us to relax, provide all necessities on site and was located a bit away from the city center. The hotel didn't disappoint. A buffet was provided for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The food was acceptable, nothing like American fare, but an attempt was made. I have never eaten so much bread and Claire has never eaten so many french fries as we did in that 4 days. Tagine is the go to spice for meats and vegetables. After four days of eating it, we grew very tired of it. I did buy some tagine spice at the market and maybe after a few months, we'll give it a try at home. Our stay at the Kenzi Agdal cost 920 Euros. It included meals, drinks, and room. The hotel offered 3 pools, one which was a kiddie pool complete with water slide. There were daily activities included as well as a kid's club and hamam (Moroccan sauna). We didn't do any of those.

We booked a shuttle (marrakechairporttransfer.com) at 5 Euros per person to bring us between the airport and hotel as well as return trip. They were easy to work with for this portion of our journey and made life much less stressful. I highly recommend arranging a shuttle vs. negotiating with a taxi driver. This company also provides excursions/guides for various sites. We booked a trip around the Medina to include the Souks (markets) and Marjorelle Garden (developed by Yves Saint Laurent). The cost was 700 dirhams (comparable to 70 Euros) for 4 adults, children were free. The guide through the souks was essential. There are many alleys, combined with music, and many people. It would be very easy to become disorientated or simply not see all there is to see. We were able to visit a herb shop, take a lesson in herbs and their medicinal uses, watch Berber carpet being made (Claire actually helped weave the strings), and watch leather shoes made from the point of dying the leather, to sewing. It was pretty amazing. The souks were chaotic. There is Arabic music playing throughout. At 12:30, the prayer call also came on over the loud speaker which signals Islamic people to go to the Mosque for prayer. This element increased my anxiety a bit. It was at this point the souks were more congested than normal and it was all a bit over stimulating. None the less, we pushed through and enjoyed our shopping experience. I am a decent negotiator, but was even a bit initimidated interacting with some of the merchants. They are much more aggressive than those I encountered in China. They seem to show more emotion and take things very personally. I did purchase a few items for less than 50% of the starting price, so don't be afraid to go low and walk away. They want the sale and will call you back into the store to negotiate more.

We spent the afternoon by the pool. It was chilly, but the kids swam anyway. Thankfully, Chris agreed to go in with them as I wanted nothing to do with cold water.

That evening we went to Fantasia, which is a Moroccan dinner show. They serve several courses of traditional Moroccan fare, which includes bread, olive oil, tagine, lamb, and fruit for dessert. While dinner is served, singers, drummers and dancers come to your table to perform. The cost is approximately 30 Euros per person. A bit on the expensive side for a dinner with kids, but it is more about the experience. Following dinner is a show in the arena, where camels, horses, and the dancers/singers/drummers entertain.

Day 2 included an early morning hot air balloon ride. I have wanted to go on a hot air balloon ride ever since I watched my Grandpa take a ride in Arizona when I was a small child. It was as awesome as I imagined. We were picked up from our hotel, driven to the site where the crew was busy getting the balloon ready. The kids were excited! We enjoyed a quick bite of rolls and green mint tea in a traditional Berber tent while the finishing touches were put on the balloon. Minutes later, we were ready to roll! The views were amazing. We watched the sunrise over the Atlas mountains. This trip was our big splurge at nearly 6000 dirhams for our family of four. It was totally worth it though. Our balloon ride lasted about 45 minutes. We landed and were taken back to the tent for a huge traditional breakfast. The kids took a quick ride on the donkey and we were lead on a tour of the Berber house--built from mud, water and straw much like an adobe. We left and were taken to the camels for a ride. The kids thought it was such a great day. It really was. Around noon we said our goodbyes to our guide who was fabulous and were dropped at our hotel. We made our way to the buffet, took a quick nap and hopped on the free shuttle to the souks. Mya vomitted just as we were about to hop in the van. She insisted we go to the market, so we went. She ended up vomitting one more time inside the market, but was fine from that point on. I think it must have been something she ate, poor girl. She was such a trooper.

Our final day included a trip to the Atlas mountains. This portion of our adventure reminded me much of our trip to China. We made several stops along the way, learning how they make pottery (still by a manual wheel), watched a demonstration on Argan Oil, which is only made in Morocco and Mexico. We enjoyed tea with an elderly man in his Berber home. It is quite an extensive process! This visit was a bit awkward as the older man simply made the tea. He didn't speak English, so it was WEIRD! Our guide explained the process. Traditional Berber homes are bare bones. They have no luxuries. Basically beds and little else. When we stopped and opened the doors, small children flocked toward us. We found some candy in our backpack, so I began handing it out. It was such a sad sight. Our children could care less about candy or really anything else that they have frequently, but these poor kiddos rarely enjoy such treats. They would receive some candy then quickly transfer it to a pocket and come back in for more. It was like feeding a flock of seagulls. We returned to the car after the tea and continued our tour of the mountains. Many gentlemen were working the land, plowing with donkeys and an old sythe--no modern machinery involved. Shepherds were also plentiful. They lead their sheep to the pasture which was basically desert land with tumbleweed, ensure they stay on their land all day, then guide them back home. It reminded me so much of Bibical stories I have read/heard. It was amazing to actually see it first hand. We enjoyed lunch at a resort--again tagine. Delicious, but by that point we were so tired of seeing more of the same. Chris and I ate as to not insult. There was a playground on the resort, so the girls were excited to play. We let them spend 30 minutes or so running around before we left for our final leg. It was a great day, but we were glad to return to the hotel. Our guide was rather young--25 years old. He was explaining that he'd love to go to the University. It is free in Marrakesh, but extremely difficult to get into. He has been trying for years. Such a sad situation. He was a great guide and so nice.We really enjoyed our tour.

Once we returned to the hotel, the girls changed into their swimsuits and we headed to the kiddie pool. They had a blast while Chris and I soaked up the sunshine. It was in the 70's during our entire visit. Lovely!

Morocco was so very different than that we have experienced before. It was eye opening. The locals we encountered were very kind and welcoming. We tried to lay low on the fact that we were from the US, but most questioned our limited German, so we ended up coming clean. We were pleasantly surprised that most spoke fondly of the US, admitting they'd love to visit or speaking to the many opportunities there. Again, not what we expected.

A few other pieces that we found interesting:
Kids go to school for two to three hours per day. Some walk miles along the highway to go to and from school. We witnessed small children doing this. Of course, this would NEVER happen in the US in this day and age.

Most children begin school at age 5 or 6, but many quit by the 6th grade due to the limited availability and money involved. Families in rural areas are required to move into the villages that have schools for these aged children, which of course, costs much money.









It happens everywhere we go. People ask to have our children pose for a photo with their children. So funny.































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We offer of shuttle (www.ltoursmorocco.com) at only 3Euros per person

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