Friday, May 1, 2009

Day Two: Morocco!

We took the ferry over the strait to Tangier. I have wanted to go to Morocco for years, so I was so excited! We had called the guide that our guide book suggested (gotta love Rick!) and Mohammed was waiting for us as we got off the boat. While everyone else was funneling though security we breezed though with a nod to the guards, and when people would come to hound us to be our guide Mohammed would just wave them away.  It was fabulous!

We took a walking tour through the old city. Mohammed showed us the way the city really works. It was wonderful.  Here is a man cutting tiles with a chisel and a hammer. He handed a little yellow tile to Jensen- who for some reason was thrilled and kept it for the rest of the day.

We got to see a nice touristy snake charmer (in between tour groups- lucky us!) The funny part was that the whole time a strange man was draping a live snake around Jensen's neck he was busy staring and the men with the drums. (Mohammed is in the middle in the tan kaftan.)

So we took him over to see them, and this face resulted!  Such a typical Jensen face!

From the old city looking out to sea.

I loved all the writing/graffiti, probably because I couldn't read it...

The boys in front of the Kasbah.

Rock the Kasbah!

Most people here don't have water in their houses so there are public fountains all over and they bring their bottles to fill up- and as you can see here- Mohammed says some people are smarter than others...
I wished I could imprint the smell of the spices on my brain and call up the romance of it any time I wanted. It was just like I hoped it would be.

We ate at a traditional Moroccan restaurant that was phenomenal. One of the courses was a spiced ground chicken wrapped in phyllo dough with little piles of powdered sugar and cinnamon on top- sounds crazy, but oh my goodness, with the ambiance and everything it was magical.
Jensen and I watching the musicians. See that huge window- letting a nice little breeze in... sigh.

Jensen liked the bread.

Jensen paid the man for his artwork- wasn't so sure about handing him the bills he'd just fought for. (He loves money...)

Mohammed and me in one of the market stalls- full of olives!

Yummy! And when I looked at these pictures the first time I realized that I forgot to eat one!!!

Chickies.
Escapees!

Jence and me at the main center of the old town.

A cemetery. Al always makes fun of me for thinking cemeteries are so cool, when I haate dead bodies... oh well.

Jensen can spot a kitty or puppy at 100 yards.

This is how they weave their cloth. Your buy your yarn and bring it to any of a number of men in these little tiny rooms and they make your cloth- then you take it to get it made into your kaftan.

We had such a wonderful time. And the most amazing part is that Jensen was amazing!  Like unexplainably good- astoundingly good. Bizarrely good... so we have decided to start praying to Allah, seeing as how the miracle happened on his turf... 

And he was pooped.

4 comments:

Heather said...

Hurray for Jensen being an angel! Sounds like a magical trip. Great pictures!!!

gma chrissie said...

Sweet little boy that get's hims little wheels run to the nubbins...! Where did you get the cute little mini-binkie? Or is it just the cute little maxi-Jence?

Laura said...

What a fun trip! I admit that I avoid travel afraid my little ones might turn out to be not so sweet...I'm glad Jensen was so good. I miss you!

Jen Hamner said...

Gosh I am so happy to see these pictures...they are just as wonderful as the stories you told.