First full day in Marrekech!

Wow! Wow! Wow! What an amazing and overwhelming (in a good way) day!

First-I can’t believe that anyone has a better just teacher than we do! (❤️❤️❤️ to Meriem!!!) The deceptively simple agenda turned out to reveal one amazing experience after the other!

We had students that had created stations for us to learn about various aspects of Moroccan history and culture. Each group even had a gift for us based on the topic they presented. We didn't even realize that we got to keep them until . The reception in the teacher lounge even entailed a cake with our house on it! The teachers, administrators, and staff were all so lovely. I loved that everyone knew and respected each other no matter what role they served at the school. As a result, it seemed like family and encouraged each other to do their best. For example, when one student was struggling with English in her presentation, the students and staff were cheering her on until she felt comfortable to continue. The student and all of the students totally impressed us. (She later presented on another day and it was perfect!)

The day before we had spent time at a terraced restaurant overlooking the famous square in the old medina. It had been one of my goals to see it so that was amazing to finally see it in person with all of the hustle and bustle. Tonight, however, we were in a more luxury area of town with a rooftop restaurant in Avenue M. The area could have easily been placed in a nice part of town in Northern VA or Southern CA. It felt very familiar (in a good way) but still had components that were specific to Morocco so you couldn't forget where you were. I could have stayed there for a long time listening to the music, enjoying the scenery, and appreciating the food.

Notes for Future TGCers - The medinas are packed with people. I avoided eye contact and kept looking ahead so I wouldn't be swamped with people trying to get me to buy things. My host was good at giving tidbits on which things were good deals and which were not. Be sure to pay attention to their advice!

Accessibility - Anytime you're going to be in an old part of town, the roads will not be as flat as newer ones especially if there are pavers instead of concrete, etc. The medinas take a lot of walking even if you are just going for a shorter walk. Apparently in the early morning, there are ways to get closer to the action but I don't know if that means that anything would be open at that time. Wear comfortable shoes. Bring any mobility device that might help you. Work in a place to stop (like the terraced restaurant) where you can enjoy the view and feel part of the action but recuperate from the walking and heat.