Here's Looking At You, Kid!

Rabat, Morocco - I have been dying to use this famous Bogie line from "Casablanca," even though we never actually visited Casablanca.  I am hoping that just by the mere fact that we are in Rabat, very close to Casablanca, it counts!

Here almost a week now, we arrived after a very calm, yet foggy 20-hour sail.  In fact it was so foggy leaving Gibraltar, we decided to take a little 3-hour break in Tarifa, Spain before making the cross over the Gibralatar Strait.  The Captain was a little stressed to cross over one of the most major waterways leading into the Med with zero visibility.  Of course, having a radar would help, but we don't!  I was not scared until out of the blue a German sailboat was almost upon us and we all did a quick 180.  It was a good idea to wait it out...

We arrived in Rabat at dusk, just at prayer time.  A beautiful fortress laden canal leads you to the marina, lights just starting to turn on and prayers emanating by loudspeaker out of the main mosques in the city.  It is beautiful music/prayers and we hear them about 5 times a day.  While we do not pray, it does make us stop and take note.... a good break during the day.

This marina is a bottleneck for many of the sailors planning on going back over the Atlantic to the Carribbean.  Since there is a specific season - or window of opportunity - all the boats are basically on the same schedule after each being at different places in the Med for the summer.  There are French, American, Norwegian, Canadian boats here... all with the same itinerary:  Canaries, Cape Verde and cross over.  Each has minor variations on the same theme.  There is a group rally called the ARC, which is a group that one has to pay to belong to.  All boats leave the Canaries together on November 23, so many of the boats here in Rabat are headed to make it for the ARC prior to their departure date.  We have met yet another buddy boat - MEHARI - which is a family of 8 (yes, parents with 6 children ranging from 17 to 1!).  Their catamaran is the size of ours and they happily have been co-existing for almost three years.  Their little baby was born while they were in Israel.  Mehari has the same idea to try to go to the Gambia as well... so I think we will be boating together for the next couple of months at least.  We feel more comfortable if we are not alone in certain parts and two catamarans together makes both Captains feel a little better.

The marina here is quite chic and while in America we have the sense that all the women are covered from head to toe, we have found here in the big city - the capital  - there is a wide variety of how people are dressed.  There are modern areas of town, as well as structures from antiquity that are quite well maintained.

A few days ago the 12 of us (Mehari and Begonia) took a five-hour train ride to Marrakesh.  The ride in itself was an experience, with so many kids trying to get on a crowded train car.  Little by little the locals gave us some space and Miles, the little baby, was a hit among everyone.  In this culture it is common for the women to simply pick up a baby without asking permission. … so at least Miles’ mother had a break and didn’t have to take care of the baby throughout the trip.

The landscape we passed through is very similar to some parts of CA or AZ… in fact, in Marrakesh, some parts even reminded me of Scottsdale!  Once there we met the requisite camels, and went to the main marketplace.  That marketplace is a mixture of sounds, smells, noises… so many stimuli all in one place.  It was a sight to see.  And if you show even the remotest interest in something, the vendors will immediately try to bargain with you.  Everything here is negotiable…. I mean everything… taxi rides, meals, camel rides, water to drink, etc. 

The idea was to stay at a local youth hostel.  Great idea… but the directions for how to get there were very vague:  “from the main square, find the building with a tin roof and go down that alley until you see the pig feet vendor, then make a left to the next alley, until you see a bamboo-covered ceiling, etc.”  Needless to say we got lost for about 2 hours.  A little stressful as it was getting dark, we were with 8 very tired children and there are people galore walking by, pushing, motorcycles passing through very tight spaces at all speeds, bicycles, horse-drawn carriages all while vendors are shouting at you trying to sell. Sebas and I just held onto a kid each and navigated through the (organized) chaos.  There is so much for sale, much of the same products over and over (snake charming services, dancing monkey entertainment, little leather camels, Aladdin-type shoes, lanterns, henna tattoos, etc.) that one has to wonder if all of it sells.  It seemed like years of inventory. 

When the alleys started to get darker and a little more remote, and the people thinned out, we thought it was a better idea if two of the guys went to look for the hostel and we waited for them to come back for us.  We finally made it, only to relax, freshen up and then go out again to eat at an outside “restaurant” at the square.  I kept thinking of Tio Max how he would have loved the chicken, lamb and beef skewers there.  On the way home after dinner, we were able to find the hostel just fine and realized the first time we had done a huge circle within the labyrinth that are these alleyways in Marrakesh. 

The next day we visited the home of a Berber family.  These are an ethnic group here in Morocco that had been known throughout history to be very barbaric with the Arabs.  There is an entire colony in the Atlas Mountains and they have now clicked into the tourist trade by opening up their homes and serving tea.  The particular family we visited had three generations all living together in one mud home.  They had two cows for fresh milk that lived right in the house with them, which the kids really enjoyed plaing with.  They served us the typical spearmint tea, fresh butter, fresh honey and homemade bread.  The bread here is similar in flavor to a baguette, but is shaped in a round shape. 

After this visit we went to some waterfalls a little higher in the mountains and climbed and climbed.  Can you believe that up the mountain there are also vendors selling their wares?  They coud find any random steep incline and make a stall out of it.  On the way back down the mountain we did eat some lamb, chicken and beef cooked in a “tagine” – a clay conical shaped pot that is put directly into the fire.  Delish.  By the time we arrived back in Rabat to the boat, it was past midnight and already Sofia’s 8^th birthday!

Sofia had been a little concerned these past few months leading up to her birthday about whether we would be sailing en route to somewhere or stuck without other kids on her big day.  She was very thankful to have her new friends celebrate with her and decided to have a “World” theme to the day.  So, the kids dressed in international garb and we had yet another get together on Begonia.  I made some cheesecakes and since the theme of this entire trip is to “Be Flexible,” we used our imagination, and put 2 of the cakes together to make the figure 8 - perfect!  Sofia was thrilled too to hear from family and friends back home who sent her warm birthday wishes.  Thanks for thinking of her!

We have been very pleasantly surprised by our visit to Morocco.  It is a beautiful country with very happy and warm people.  Having been here over a week now, awaiting another “weather window,” we feel we have gotten a good taste of the country.

NEXT STOP:  Canary Islands, leaving Tuesday or Wednesday of this week for this 3-4 day sail.

Foggy Strait of Gibraltar

Zero visibility

Captain taking a catnap after his early morning watch shift.

Entering Rabat canal

All of us with the water vendor

The Captain with the water vendor -isn't he hot in that outfit?

They said the water tasted like coffee

Playing hide and go seek

Admiring ancient relics

Benjie has a new friend

Beautiful tilework

Scene at the mosque

With Levi

Getting dark, lights welcoming us

Entrance to Rabat medina

Buying fresh dates - We're addicted!

Hassan, tower of biggest mosque in Rabat

Sofia and friends

"Window shopping" at the medina

They sell interesting things at the medina

Tha baby is very popular with the ladies

Kids on the train to Marrakesh

Scene from train

Scene from train

Are we in Scottsdale?

Playing with palms in the desert

Just HAVE to do a camel ride while in Morocco

Too close?

This pottery was to die for

Snake chamers

Tea vendor

Henna vendor

Isn't that the bamboo ceiling we were looking for?

Has anyone seen the youth hostel?

The princess on her 8th

Kids from around the world...

Very happy to get Kammie the Camel.

Here's looking at you, kid!

Happy Bday, Sis!

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FOUNTAINE PAJOT ATHENA 38 CATAMARAN FOR SALE – After our wonderful experience, BEGONIA is ready for its next sailing family – with or without children!  Please contact sebastiankoziura@hotmail.com for more information.