Farewell Dinner in Tangier

Right before boots on-the-ground....

The "Diving Board" near the group's campsite. No lifeguard on duty= no diving. Assurances given that the ledge was much wider than it appears in this photo. The illusion makes for a masterful shot.

Encountering locals digging for clay while on trek. The clay will be used to make a wood-fired stove.

On Trek and Digging It!

Katie and Tim with Chefchaouen in the background

At the ruins of Le Tour Hassan in Rabat

Danielle and the group putting a fresh sheen on the "marabout" (Sufi Saint's Tomb)

Trekking through golden wheat fields

Group in Tangier, with Abdul, pre-departure

The group in a guided tour of Tangier's "medina"

A Colorful Close to the Program: Sunset over Tangier

Katie and Russ on a miniature rock-climb

A break to enjoy the Riffian wildflowers and wilderness

The beckoning path from Chefchaouen to Zawiya Habteene; a friendly country canine, Thilj ("snow"), joined the group for a good portion

The group helps repaint a "marabout" (Sufi Saint's Tomb) as part of a service project

--Tim

In just a few hours, the group will rise early Saturday and begin their 3 day trek in the Rif Mountains, a less traveled wilderness of Morocco where locals, not tourists, are the norm. The landscape, the region's unique history and indigenous culture, its self-sufficient inhabitants with traditional dress, the opportunity to stay with a village family, and a community service project involving the repainting of a Sufi saint's tomb (marabout) will all make for an exceptional 72 hours. It's likely that the group will not have cell service in the back country so we may not have an update until they exit from their trek on June 1. However, if we receive a report between now and then, we will certainly post it.

More Chefchaouen touring

Katie with the holy village of Moulay Idriss in the background

Russ and Tim with their Fes home-stay host, Moustafa

Salaam Alaykum!!! The highlight of our trip has definitely been our homestay at the medina in Fes. We stayed with a family of five and the daughter Senae luckily speaks spanish so we were able to practice with her. on our last night she took us through the medina and led us through the area where her family shops away from the beaten path. we were able to meet and bargain with a family friend who owned a store and after talking for a while the fourth call to worship sounded from the minaret and the shop owner took us along with Senae to see the mosque where he worships. on the way out we ran into a few relatives... we were able to gain a new perspective on the community by shedding our backpacks and experiencing the streets with an local.this morning it was very hard to leave such a wonderful host family from who we learned so much. we will not easily forget these past few days in Fes and will definitely be keeping in touch!!!

b'salaama (With Peace) from emma and grace

hi moms!!!!!

I can't believe we are halfway through our trip. Almost every preconceived notion I had coming into Morocco has been broken, which continues to remind me of how much I have left to learn. My favorite cities have been Fes and Chefchaouen. I feel like I'm stepping back in time when we explore the medinas, but our backpacks and cameras remind me what year it is. On our way to Fes our train broke down but it was a blessing in disguise because it allowed us to have great conversations with Moroccans in Arabic, Spanish, English, and Italian. Our homestays gave us the opportunity to see inside the personal lives and space of Moroccans that many other tourists never have the opportunity to see. We shared meals and tea with our families and I drew pictures with my host sister. We also had the opportunity to visit a shelter for boys. Even though many of us could not communicate with language, we played games with them, which reminded us how much you can communicate without words. Each day reminds me how much I love to travel and I can't wait to explore this region more.

Katie