Postcards from Morocco

By Rose Cahalan in Special, Travel, TXEX on April 10, 2013 at 4:08 pm | 1 Comment

There’s nowhere quite like Morocco, as 17 Flying Longhorns discovered on a recent 14-day journey in this country of contrasts.

Geographically, Morocco’s climate ranges from arid deserts to lush Mediterranean forests and even snowy mountains. Culturally, it’s a singular blend of Africa, Spain, and France. “Everything was really vibrant,” says Texas Exes payroll and accounting coordinator Miranda Palmer, who hosted the March 16-29 trip. “The spices, the food, the smells and colors—it was wonderful.”

In Casablanca, the group visited Rick’s Cafe—still much as it looked in the classic 1942 film Casablanca. In Fez, they had tea with a Berber family in their home built into a cave. They shopped in noisy markets and toured contemplative mosques, including the Koutoubia Mosque in Marrakeech—whose 282-foot minaret drew comparisons to that other Tower all Longhorns know and love.

Below, Palmer shares a few of her favorite photos and the stories behind them.

“In Morocco, every meal ends with green tea, and there’s an elaborate ceremony around how you drink it. This waiter could pour the tea with his arm stretched up high—without spilling a single drop.”

“These are spices molded into pyramids for sale in a market. I couldn’t figure out how they got them to stay in that shape.”

“The architecture was definitely a highlight of the trip, especially at the many mosques we visited. Ornate, breathtaking, over-the-top, surreal …”

“We went to lots of markets, or souks. I learned the art of bargaining—some of the sellers are really aggressive. This photo of some beads for sale at a market is my favorite from the trip. I have it set as my computer’s background so I can remember Morocco any time.”

“Our camel ride was an incredible experience. We were picked up in a fleet of SUVs and drove for miles into the Sahara. It was amazing to me that the drivers knew the way in the endless desert—it all looked the same to me, and of course there were no roads.

Our ride was a little delayed by a sandstorm, and that was intense—you couldn’t see anything but sand. Once it died down, we literally rode off into the sunset.”

Tags: flying longhorns, Morocco, travel