Hi friends! How are you? I am back from my adventure – actually, I got back Wednesday evening but I have been SO busy! In the days since I have been back I have a) line read Inhale Exhale AGAIN, this time in order to approve the layout, and there were some small changes that were needed in terms of spacing, of all things, which meant a very careful read was needed, b) caught up on all the domestic things like laundry and groceries, and c) threw a party for thirty-five people to celebrate my husband’s 60th birthday.

Further to a), the instructors of the creative writing course I took prior to writing Inhale Exhale reinforced that the number one audience of my book is ME, because I am going to be reading it over and over again, and wow, is that true. Fortunately, I DO love this book, so it’s not a chore to read it. I can’t wait to share it with all of you! Further to c), the party was a lot of fun and went off without a hitch. It felt like a bit of a stretch to host dinner and drinks for thirty-five only three days after getting home, but it turned out great.

But where have I been? Well, if you follow me on Instagram you will know that I spent the past few weeks in Morocco, by way of Paris. It was an absolutely incredible trip and I cannot say enough about it. We booked a small group tour with Intrepid Travel, which I would really recommend. They are a company that really commits to responsible tourism, they hire local guides and give back to the community, and they arrange all the transportation and accommodation, which makes travel very easy. We had booked a premium tour, which meant that the accommodation was very nice, and that lots of meals and activities were included. Travelling with a group, particularly filled with people who are strangers, is always a bit of a risk, but we all – well, almost all – bonded immediately. There were twelve of us to start with, but two had to go home to Australia mid-trip due to a medical emergency, and all of us got along great. Except for one person, but there is always one in a group, isn’t there?

Here is a photographic overview of our trip:

Casablanca. This is where I will say that the first night in Casablanca, I wondered if we had made a grave error. Casablanca is a big, busy, bustling city, and the transfer from the airport to our hotel was the most terrifying vehicular experience I have ever had, and I have been in a car accident. The only thing that kept me mentally together was the thought that we were in a nice car owned by the driver, and surely the driver would not smash it. Let’s just say the automatic braking system kicked in several times, and beeps from the side sensors about being too close to other cars kept sounding. But – spoiler alert – we did not die, and I felt a lot better after meeting up with our group, eating a tagine dinner accompanied by live traditional music, and taking a nice long shower.

A huge benefit of this fancy tour was that we were able to go into the Hammam of Hassan II Mosque before the actual opening hours. This is the only mosque in Morocco that allows non-Muslims to enter, and it was incredible that there were so few of us there in a space for twenty-five thousand.

After our tour and discussion about peace, love, and Islam with the guide, he said An American cruise ship is docking in five minutes. If you want to use the WC, you should do it now. Tour over! As we made our way back to the bus, swarms of people were flowing in, so I was very happy to have that quiet, peaceful experience.

Rabat. This is the new capital of Morocco and it’s very beautiful, right on the sea.

Meknes. I loved this small city so much. We had the option to go for a group dinner, but I really wanted to explore the square, so my husband and I opted out. We walked through the shopping stalls, had a bite to eat while listening to music and watching dancers, and then bought sparkling juices and took them to the rooftop of our riad, where we admired the night sky and listened to the call to prayer.

Chefchaouen. All of the above happened in just one day, so I was happy to spend two days in the famous blue city, Chefchaouen.

On the way we stopped to see the Roman ruins of Volubilis.

Fes. I loved this city, with the palace and the old medina.

Erfoud. After Fes we had a very long travel day to Erfoud, a little oasis on the edge of the Sahara Desert.

Merzouga – The Sahara Desert! This was an absolute highlight of the trip, riding camels into the desert and spending a night there. We watched the sunset and the full moon rise, and it was magical.

After the sunrise the next morning, we hopped on our camels and headed back on the road.

Dades Valley. We drove through the Atlas Mountains to spend some time in the Dades Valley. We toured a very small village with a local guide, and were welcomed for tea with a family who lived there. It was so wonderful hearing about village life, and how the community all works together and takes care of each other.

Road of A Thousand Kasbahs – Ait Benhaddou. Have you ever felt like you were in a movie? I did when our bus started on the Road of a Thousand Kasbahs, and our guide put “Rock the Casbah” on the stereo.

We ended up at Ait Benhaddou, which was where certain scenes in Game of Thrones, as well as Gladiator, were filmed. My husband and I opted to “climb” to the top and then to the panoramic viewpoint, both of which were just simple walks that took less than ten minutes.

Ouirgane. After being at a pretty big hotel in Dades, we ended up in a family-owned riad in Ouirgane, which is quite remote, and we had a local guide walk us around the village.

Marrakech. We participated in a very fun cooking class with a women’s collective outside of Marrakech, and then ended the trip with two days in Marrakech.

Oui Oui, Paris. On the way to and from Morocco we spent some time in Paris as well. Between France and Morocco, I had ample opportunity to practice my French!

All in all, it was an unforgettable trip and an incredible experience. Morocco is a country of many different landscapes, culinary traditions, and languages, and it is filled with people who are warm, welcoming, and hospitable. I am so grateful I got to experience so much!

As of this moment I have 252 unread posts in my blog reader, so it may take me a bit of time to catch up with all of you. Meanwhile, tell me: what’s going on with you, how have you been, what have you been doing? Tell me everything. xo