Chefchaouen

This weekend I went to an amazing city about 5 hours north of Casablanca. Chefchaouen is a city nestled in the Rif Mountains were most of the homes are whitewashed in shades of blue. The medina, walled in city, was big enough to walk around and get a little lost, but small enough that you could find your way back fairly easily. It was so tranquil and peaceful; such a difference from the noise and chaos of Casablanca. The prices were reasonable and there was not much bargaining; while I have gotten better at bartering I also appreciated the break for bargaining.  

We drove to Chefchaouen, I really enjoyed the different scenery and seeing more of the countryside of Morocco. I really felt at home in the mountains driving on those curvy roads. You can see more pictures on my facebook at http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150264112759853.383044.620259852&l=625abbf0cd   

On our second day we took at hike to see the "Grand Cascades," aka this large waterfall. Well long story short, we got a little lost due to the lack of a real trail, thank you Morocco. We hiked for about 6 hours, and it was hard core hiking, I could barely get out of bed the next day. It did make for a fun adventure, we crossed the river, going from one side the next, following the trail, 11 times on the way back. I'm so glad I got to share this adventure with my friend Gail.

Gail has been one of my closest friends here during my first year. I'm sad to say that she will be going back to America after this year; I'm really going to miss her. She's been a great friend who has challenged and encouraged me. She has been there at just the right moments so many times. Thankfully she'll be living in North Carolina, so we plan to meet up this summer. Even though she's a Carolina fan, she's a friend worth keeping!