Betsy Ray: Arrival

I have arrived! Morocco is beautiful, warm, and sunny! I have to confess to already walking down to the beach in Rabat, as pictured above. My flight went well, despite a two hour delay because of the snow in New York. I was lucky enough to sit next to Moroccan lawyer who lives in the United States, and he helped me practice my Arabic. I managed to order dinner from the flight attendant in Arabic! I already feel like I'm improving, after just a few hours here. I traveled with two other people on my program, and we managed to figure out the train, with help from friendly Moroccans. Looking out the window, flat expanses are covered in verdant green vegetation on the inland side, and the clear azure ocean laps along the coast, its color blending into the blue, cloudless sky. The three of us shared a Harry Potter- style train booth, complete with the sweets cart passing by.

On the train, we met a Moroccan man traveling from Casablanca to Asila who studied English in school between 1992 and 1994, during a brief period when it was widely taught in Moroccan schools before they reverted back to French and taught more Arabic. Somehow he managed to remember a lot of his English, and taught us some key Arabic phrases while dusting off his English.

We finally arrived in Rabat around lunchtime, and checked into our hotel. We have a week of orientation before meeting the host families we will be staying with. We decided to plunge right in with a fabulous lunch of almost-street food, pictured below. Most of the food was deep-fried, so I figured that probably killed all the bacteria! The fish was fresh and flavorful, and the fried eggplant was especially tasty. I took a pre-emptive Tums, but so far so good. Then we walked around the medina, which is the old city of Rabat. A tall castle-like wall surrounds it, setting it apart from the more modern city around it. Shopkeepers stand on every corner, selling everything from fresh beef (nearly whole and on display!) to Ugg boots. Simply walking down the street, I feel like I can absorb the living energy around me everywhere. The day is not over yet, but it's been a wonderful start to life in Morocco.