Wowza. I have had a whirlwind of the last couple of days.
Friday: Typical class in the morning (we had a Darija quiz - I couldn't remember how to say here is your money, so I finished my shopping dialogue with, sorry I have no money! Bye).
In the afternoon we went to an association for street children that work to educate them and then reintegrate them into schools. They provide formal education in an informal setting. We played with these adorable little guys (it was an all-boys center) and tried to teach them english. I had a group of 4 around me that would repeat everything I said. Then they tried to teach me more words in Darija. However, would laugh whenever I said anything. I also taught them some french. We ended the afternoon with an intense game of futball, Americans vs. the moroccans. I don't remember who won, but it was really fun. Soccer really is the world's game.
In the evening was bath night. And by that, I mean my roommate and I packed into the car with our host family and drove 30 minutes outside of Fez. We went to a hamon, a public bath house. This one is a natural geiser-type thing that smells of sulfur, but people use the water and the steam for its bathing qualities, since it is evidently very good for your skin. They have separate bath houses for men and women. It was quite the experience. In the end I smelled not so sweet but my skin felt oh so soft. If you want any more detail, ask me later.
Saturday: We had tours. We went to Volubilis, which are ancient Roman ruins in Morocco. Very cool. We saw amazing architecture that remained in tact and beautiful mosaics that were uncovered. The romans never cease to amaze me with their advanced technology and way of living. Anyone who insists that we are more educated or evolved since ancient times has obviously not been to ancient Roman ruins.
We had lunch in Meknes and then went to the imperial city of Meknes. Moulay Ismail established this city as the capitol of his empire, building a beautiful city among an even more beautiful countryside. This city could be called the Versailles of Morocco with the elaborate buildings. The place he is buried is a huge walled palace essentially and is decorated with elaborate mosaics and architecture. As far as I know, only he resides there. During his reign I heard that he owned 12,000 horses...
Contrasted with the beauty of the city and the architecture, is a dark side of the city. Evidently, Moulay Ismail really was a tyrant. "My subjects are like rats in a basket, and if I don't shake the basket, they will gnaw their way out." He is quoted as saying. We saw the dungeons that were only known to the emperor and the guards that guarded them, since they are located beneath the city. There he imprisoned at least 60,000 people. Eery to see the place where thousands of people died torturous deaths.
I love you all and miss you!
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