Adventure in Morocco

Everyone said we were crazy. Heck, we thought we were crazy for attempting to pack an Arabian adventure into 6 days over spring break. But we did it. And oh my goodness, was it worth it.
First of all, we were so blessed to have Brandon's brother Zac and his family as our hosts. Morocco is a country I would be intimidated to visit alone! (For example, the driving is insane!!)

The (other) Sawyer fam took us to all of their favorite places and gave us new cultural experiences every day.
We spent the first two nights in Marrakech, a more touristy place that exudes old world exotic beauty. We stayed in a gorgeous resort, which was a wonderful retreat after 30+ hours of travel! Our first adventure was driving up into the mountains above Marrakech where Bran and Zac had an awesome and scenic mountain bike ride. Hill and I played with the kids in the most amazing playground I have ever seen!

Then that night we braved the biggest adventure of the trip—exploring Marrakech’s medina in pouring rain on a crowded Friday night. I will never forget that experience of stimulation overload…snake charmers, men putting monkeys in the kids’ faces, tables of teeth, stand after stand of delectable nuts and fruits, store owners beckoning us in Arabic/French/English, mopeds flying all around us…and the beautiful, crazy scene after nightfall. It was so surreal I felt like I had been transported into a movie!

The rest of our trip we spent back at Zac and Hill’s home in Casablanca. We got to experience the Moroccan French culture with Sunday brunch at a fabulous French café…We toured the third largest mosque in the world—simply breathtaking…We visited “Mr. Sawyer” and Malakai’s school…The girls got henna done…

Hill and I had a very different but none-the-less relaxing experience at a Turkish bath (no pictures here!)…

We did more shopping at the haboos (yay for super cheap poufs!!)…and we got to eat at the luxurious gas station restaurant that Z & H have been raving about! Did I mention that the food in Morocco is amazing?? Flavorful chicken with fruits, nuts, and olives, savory breads, the creamiest yogurt you have ever tasted, and sweet mint tea as an after-meal treat! (Soren couldn’t get enough of the tea.) Oh yeah, and an international adventure isn’t complete unless you eat something that sounds disgusting…In Casablanca’s haboos, the specialty food item is camel! I promise, it actually tasted really good:-)

But of course, the highlight of our trip was getting to spend quality time with our dear family and experience their unique life in North Africa. The cousins had an absolute blast with each other, which was such a delight to watch. We love you, Zac, Hill, Malakai and Kiki, and we are so thankful for your open hearts and home!!