Boo!

Well, it's Halloween again. A holiday, in my opinion, worth celebrating by all. Here are my tips for having a great Halloween:

Nerds. Best candy ever. Kids, try to get em', adults give'em away and you will be the hit of the neighborhood. Yum.

Trick-or-Treaters, forgo that tiny orange plastic pumpkin and opt for the pillow case. I know it's not as stylish, but trust me, you will get WAY more candy. You can thank me later (by sharing your Nerds).

Want to celebrate with a quiet night in? Partake in a scary movie that leaves you sleepless and wanting to leave the lights on. My pick? Rosemary's Baby. Freaks me out, and Mia Farrow could not be cuter. Not really gory either, so those with weak stomachs can handle it. If Blockbuster is out, you can use The Silence of the Lambs or Misery as back-ups.

Last of all, scare someone. All day long. Pretend it's April Fool's day and you are the annoying person shouting "April Fools!!!!" except say "Boo!" My favorite method is the oldie but goodie of entering a room a few steps ahead of someone and hiding behind the door. Gets 'em everytime! Fake bugs are good as well.

Ok there you have it, my tried and true tips for a successful Halloween. If you can't find any Nerds, Reeses Peanut Butter Cups are pretty good too...
Happy haunting!

Erg Chebbi

Back to the seeming calmness of Chicago after the madness of Morocco...
It will be days before I can sort through my hundreds of photos and post a link, so until then enjoy my blissed out phone pic from the Sahara. Off to dream of mint tea and harira, and sleep off this jet lag.

Sensory Overload

I can sum up the past few days simply: Morocco is the most overwhelming place i have ever been.

this computer is french, so pleqse excuse the typos and lack of punctuation, as the keyboqrd is not what i am used to, yet another thing that is so vastly different about this place

My travels have been more insane and amazing than i could ever begin to type here in the short time that i have, so for now i will just say this country is something that words, pictures, and movies can barely scrqtch the surfqce of

The easiet thing for me to do is give a stream of consciousness from the past 5 days:
cars people bikes mopeds donkeys carts and CATS everywhere, its hqrd to walk without tripping over one of the above

within the first 30 minutes of arriving i sAw 4 people on a moped built for 1, and a cat in the airport

our riad is the most amazing place ever, a true oasis in the craziness of Marrakech, a place i hqve looked forward to returning to every day, and a place i am heart broken to leave tomorrow, there is an orange tree in the courtyard outside our room which gives us fresh juice every morning

the medina is a maze like nothing i have ever experinced, one thqt requires you to pay someone to help you find your way and requires directions like turn left a the first fountain, right at the second fountain, and when you see two trees take a left until you find a covered market then go through the two arches, but if you reach the spice market youve gone the wrong way

mint tea is the best invention ever, something i never tire of

tagines are a close second

berber soup is amazing

4am prayer calls are not the best thing to wake up to when your riad is directly next to a mosque, but the other 4 durring the day help you know what time it is

it takes a really long time to drive to the sahara

it takes an even longer time to drive back when you are tired, smelly, and sore from riding a camel

always pack a spare tire when driving to:from the desert, as you never know when it might come in handy

a sunrise over the dunes of erg chebbi seen from camel back is pretty much the best thing ever

moroccans are known for their hospitality, camels are not
they like to fart, pee, poop, burp, and grunt in your presence, and to say that they spit is an understatement____ more like vomit up white sticky phlemmy froth

thankfully my camel was very sweet

if youve seen one kasbah, youve seen em all

djemma el fna is best left for another blog, but suffice it to say it is every bit like what people say it is multiplied by 100000000000000000000

the souks are fun to get lost in, and even more fun to bargain in
i have found a place where my stubborness gets me what i want!

you can never but too many poufs, tagines, or scarves!

be weary of the spice man with wandering hands

be weary of the stewed prune tagine when you have a long bus ride ahead of you

tonight was spent relaxing at the riad after a crazy day at the souks, tomorrow we are off to essaouira on the western coast, so computer time will be limited as it has been for the majority of the trip

i cant wait to share more about this amazing place and post pictures!!

2009 is our year cubbies!!! until then....

Adios Madrid!

An update is due, as this is potentially the last time I will have access to a computadora.... y agua caliente... hot water. Hopefully Morocco will be on the interwebs, bu who knows until we get there. A few hours left in Madrid before leaving for Marrakech, and today´s to-do list consists of: pasteries, a trip to Reina Sofia, relaxing in the park with some ice cream, and a snack at the Museum of Ham. Yes you heard me correctly, we are going to eat dinner at el Museo de Jamon. Should be interesting...

Ill updtae again as soon as we return from the Sahara and I can find a computer! Go Cubs!!!