We just spent the last week in Harhoura, a little beachy suburb outside of Rabat. It's actually the hotel that we first went to right after flying in, so it felt nice to be back and actually have some clue about what we're all doing with our lives. It was an awesome chance to see everyone again. Morocco may look small on a map, but there are other volunteers who live at least 16 hours away from us. The sessions were really helpful and inspiring now that many of us have an idea of the needs in our site. Special thanks to all of the volunteers from years ahead of us who came out to help! Those sessions were definitely the most helpful.
The hotel was also equipped with a glorious swimming pool and water slide, which served as a perfect way to unwind after the information-filled hours earlier in the day.
While there, we were also reunited with our entire CBT group and our LCF. We went out for a very traditional lftour (break fast, but not breakfast) at Domino's which was perfect. Naturally, we didn't bother getting a picture of that meal... Next time!
We we're also introduced to one of the other committees of volunteers in Peace Corps Morocco. The Supporting People with Special Needs (SPSN) Committee is the youngest committee and focuses mainly on developing resources for PCVs to use to better support all members of their community. Each staj elects a set number of people to each committee, and Toby was one of those elected from ours! His first meeting was two days later, where he was also elected to the position of co-chair. Yay Toby! More will come on this later.
On the final night of IST, we held a Peace Corps Prom that was a really entertaining experience. I guess any time you gather 83 Americans in a room with pop music and tell them to dance, they probably will. Also, as couples were encouraged to take other people, Toby asked Cameron during a presentation in front of the whole staj and Alexis went with Kika, Cam's wife. Mostly this just meant we took awesome pictures together, and it was great.
On Saturday we were all free to go back home or on vacation, except those on SPSN who had a meeting. Alexis didn't really feel like heading back to Taounate alone and explaining to everyone why Toby wasn't there only to have him show up a day later, so she went to Tiflet with Cam and Kika for a night. Tiflet is about 45 minutes outside of Rabat and about the same size as Taounate, but much flatter.
Due to some passport errors (in that Toby's was with Alexis and the hotels in Rabat require them for booking a room), Toby came out to Tiflet for the night too! It was a good chance to unwind after the hubbub of a weeks worth of trainings.
Sunday meant returning to Taounate and a series of uses of Moroccan mass transit.
1. Grand taxi from Tiflet to Rabat
2. Tram in Rabat from taxi hub to bus station
3. Taxi from bus station to train station upon learning that the bus was sold out
4. Train from Rabat to Fes
5. Taxi from Fes train station to the Bab FtouH taxi stop
6. Grand taxi from Fes to Taounate
Total travel time: 7 hours - definitely not the most direct route in 100+ degree heat.
And now we are back home! We've only been here a few months, but it really does feel like home now. Yeah, there are a few problems, but they're our problems now, and there's some comfort to that.
For a few weeks, our favorite produce guy has been calling us Taounati (of Taounate) and we've just been laughing along and saying sure. But now! The Moroccan government officially recognizes it, too.
Here you have it - the proof:
It's officially summer now. First I'd like to take a minute to point out that any complaints about the heat that we have are virtually nothing compared to those living around Marrakech or Errachidia or anywhere south of those points. We both bow in awe of you wonderful humans.
However, it's still really hot. It's a dry heat, which is nice. We're averaging somewhere around 100-104 every day, and (apparently) getting in to the 70s at night. The house stays somewhere around 90 all the time, which is nice at times and rough at others.
Note, these are the temperatures across the country at sundown.
But we have a functioning fan and refrigerator, so we can't complain too much (though we definitely will).
That being said, if anyone has a home in Europe that they feel like letting us use, free of charge, for the month of August, don't hold back.
Stay cool!
PS- I would do just about anything for a Chipotle burrito. No questions asked.
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