The Alhambra is HUGE. You really can´t even imagine unless you go there. There are three main parts: the Alcazaba, the Palacio Nazaries, and the gardens. We were there for 4 hours, and it was awesome. The Palacio is bigger and more intricate artistically that the palace we saw in Marrakech, in a similar Islamic style with lots of script written into the walls and incredibly elaborate ceilings. The Alcazaba was the fortress part of the compound. I might mention here that this whole compound is on top of a huge hill. It´s so steep the people jogging up it were jogging slower than we walked, but man, that would put you in shape for life. The gardens are just what they sound like, but more beautiful that I expected. Parts had a playful Alice in Wonderland feel, with tall boxed hedge mazes and dozens of fountains. So without further adieu, here are the photos I promised: one of us crossing the Mediterranean, one of the waterfall at Ronda, one of the Alcazaba, on of me chilling on a turret overlooking the city, and one a garden fountain. Also good news, I think I´´ll be able to do my whole trip after all! I´m being very frugal and it´s paying off. Good thing photos are free because I already have hundreds... :-) Love to all of you!

¡Hola de España!

Well we made it to Spain! Megan and I crossed the Mediterranean on what basically amounted to a freight ship full of semis with one level set aside for passengers. So of course we elected to sit on the deck instead and were rewarded by the sight of dolphins and flying fish! We saw probably a dozen very large, very dark gray dolphins right alongside the ship, and then 3 flying fish that were blue with bright purple ¨wings.¨ I also got to talk in French to a Swiss motorcyclist on his way to a Harley converntion in Spain, which was cool. It was fun, except for the creepy captain staring at us. Morocco has made me infinitely more grateful to live in a society where men don´t treat women like walking meat. We didn´t really get to interact with many women in Morocco because they are so sheltered, but our last night in Chefchaouen (our favorite place in the country, and highly recommended you visit) we took a different route back from the juice cafe (AMAZING JUICES) and came across a neighborhood of children. The boys were playing a variation of soccer mixed with wall-ball, one boy hitting the ball with a board to put it in play, and the girls started Mary Mack-type game when we stopped to watch and invited us to join. It was fun, learning a new game while they sang in Arabic, and I even won once! Some older women saw us and and watched and smiled, which was nice for a change, since every time you pass a man--literally every time--you get ¨I like the skin¨ or ¨Hello sweetie.¨ You ignore it always--they don´t do anything more forward than cat-calling--but I almost never want to be called beauty or sweetie again. First thing Megan and I did once we got off the train to Ronda, Spain was change into tank tops and shorts, and we´re still in them. I wanted to walk around naked just to revel in nonrepressed sexuality, but repressed the urge for now... ;-)
If Morocco was a rebellious teenager, searching for its place in the world, Spain is a woman in her 40s, maternal and mature, but still full of spice and enthusaism for life. We spent a day in Ronda, home of the original bullfights, and saw the beautiful gorge and waterfalls the area is famous for. We were going to hike down to them before our 4pm bus, but when we returned to the hostel at 11am we discovered that Spain is actually 2 hours ahead or Morocco for some inexplicable reason, so we didn´t have enough time after all. We did get to see acres upon acres of olive groves, as thearea is famous for their olive oil, as well as acres of oranges. I could definitely see myself living there for a time, it´s a painter and photographer´s dream, and a perfect mix of bustling city and country charm. We are now in Granada, a beautiful city in the Spanish hills, and our hostel in within spitting distance of the Alhambra. For those of you who don´t know what the Alhambra is, it´s a Moorish palace/fortress about 142,000 m² (about the size of the Versaille palace). It looks amazing from our rooftop balcony, and we´re going up there early tomorrow to spend a few hours. Apparently the inside is truely astounding, so I´ll post some pictures when I have them.
Now some bad news: It looks like I might have to cut my trip short. Megan and I both underestimated how expensive Europe is, and I don´t know whether I can make it the extra 10 days at these prices, but I´m sure as hell going to try. Keep your fingers crossed for me! I´ll post some more photos tomorrow when we get a break in the afternoon. ¡Adios!

Final thoughts on Morocco

It's our last day in Morocco. Tomorrow we leave for Spain. I feel like I've seen a microcosm of the lives of developing countries all over the world, struggling to find a place in "Westernized" society and still maintain their culture. More often then not this seems to mean selling the culture. The people here dress in either chic European and American styles or in very strict traditional clothes. The is a quiet tension between the two. The beggars are taken care of in most places, but in a pitiful way. Some Moroccans embrace other Muslims as brothers no matter their originsm whil I've heard others talk down about Saudis or Pakistanis. Ny overall impression is a beautiful country of confusion. Nonetheless, I look forward to returning someday. Talk to you all in Spain!

Ah, the relaxation...

Ok, now for that long blog entry I promised... We are still in Chef, and loving it. The people in the South were so intense, constantly shoving things in your face, or trying to hit on you. If you didn't respond in French, they tried English, then German. If using short sentances, I can usually pass as French, if in longer conversation they ask if I'm British. I've also been taken for German a lot, and once Swedish. But here in Chef, everyone is very calm and laid back. Apparently the city is famous for growing kif, some of the purest and strongest marajuana in the world, and while Megan and I aren't partaking, we believe that some of the locals certainly are. Chefchaouen is entirely blue, all different shades, because of its settlement by Jewish refugees from Spain hundreds of years ago. When I say we're in the mountains, I mean it. Every street and sidewalk is a ramp or stairs so it's a constant hike. The only flat part of town is the medina, which is tiny. The town's main exports are wool and olives, and I'm enjoying olives for the first time, since here they are fresh off the trees, not packaged in salt and juice. I've been eating lots of delicious couscous and tajine, and the fresh orange juice here would blow your mind. I also learned how to prepare the traditional mint tea, so I gat make it from scratch when I get home rather than buying premade dried stuff here. The one indulgence we've been allowing ourselves other than food (which is still cheap) is jewelry. We've become excellent bargainers, and I am now the proud possessor of a berber bracelet and two pairs of tuareg earrings. I like the styles and now I'm guarded against the evil eye as well. Megan and I found a shop today where the owner specializes in antique jewelry and let us try on the whole 100-year old berber jewelry set, including a silver belt with bells, a beaded breast plate, a necklace, and a beaded headdress, and invited us to take pictures of them. It was like being kids again playing dress up. The pictures here are of spices in Marrakech, the Hamman II mosque in Casablanca, our hostel here in Chefchaouen, and me being goofy in ancient Berber jewelry. :o) Enjoy!

Chefchaouen

I hate the city. After 2 days in Marrakech we rearranged all our plans to avoid cities. People are loud and pushy and I constantly feel like I'm being charged both white tax and woman tax. We took a train to Casablanca yesterday, and saw the Atlantic ocean and the Hamman II mosque, the 3rd largest in the world. Surprisingly, it seems most Muslims disdain the mosque, believing it was built for tourism rather than Allah. It's still so enourmous it's a sight to behold for whatever reason. At 6am this morning we hopped a train to Chefchaouen, a beautiful, small town in the Rif mountains. They grow lots of olives here, and the hillsides sparkle with terraces of silvery leaves, and what look like pink oleander bushes everywhere. It's quiet, there is no bustle, and our hotel is small, simple, and pretty. All the buildings here are blue, and they speak as much Spanish as French so Megan and I both get by. The café I'm in now will let me upload photos, so tomorrow I'll do that and post more. Right now we go to dinner with some backpackers from Utah (small world, no?). Oh, and did I mention there's a REAL FLUSHING TOILET here? The second I've seen since London! I could rhapsodize about the toilet for hours, but I'm hungry after the 10 hours of train and bus rides today. Long post tomorrow, I promise. Love to all!

Marrakech

I dont even know where to begin. Lets start with the fact that Im not using apostrophies because I cant find them on the Arabic keyboard Im using. Our cab driver dropped us off a mile from our hostel, we never would have found it, but two nice moroccan guys spotted us looking confused and pointed us in the right direction. Actually they were quite nice and showed us around the palace today and taught us to write our names in arabic and a few phrases. Mostly I speak French and Megan speaks spanish and we get by. The food here is amazing, very spicy and filling. The sense of everything being real is overpowering. People use herbs and spices for everything, and weve tried a lot of them. The tea will blow your mind, its so sweet and minty, Im bringing some back for sure. The rules of the road are nonexistent, everyone rides motorbikes or donkeys, and there are cats EVERYWHERE. Even in the airport. Theyre hard not to step on. Music is also everywhere, thick with percussion and twanging guitar-like instruments. The air smells spicy. Its hot, but not unbearable. I like it. We saw a visears palace today, tonight we go to the hamman for baths and tomorrow we go to Sawara, a small town nearby. Im taking lots of pictures, and will write again when I can, this is slow going since I keep messing up on the strange keyboard. Al-salaam alikum!

We made it!

After a 2 hour initial flight delay in Denver, we were transfered onto American Airlines and flew through Chicago into London Heathrow on a comfy 777 with inflight tv. My friend Matt came to get us at the airport, and we are currently crashing at his garden-level pad in Egham. We met up with my cousin JD in London this afternoon, went to the British Natural History Museum, then got royally lost on the bus lines, then found our way back to the store to buy an A/C converter for Megan's camera charger. Finally, the tube (mind the gap!) and train back to Matt's for dinner. Delicious ham and cheese keesh and a salad with this strange Italian herb called roquette, which is spicy and delicious. Now watching his cat, Prozac, play in the rain. Tomorrow we'll go back to London for a bit, and I get to see Matt's MRI lab (psych dork, I know), and then we catch our flight to Marrakech at 6pm. Well, that's all for now, I'm headed to the pub for my first ever legal drink!

cheerio,
Jess