End of Fes Phase I
Hi everyone!
Fes Phase I has officially drawn to a close. We left the Medina at the crack of dawn this morning (okay, maybe 8 a.m. doesn't exactly count as "the crack of dawn") and headed off for the train to Marrakech, where we'll be staying for about a week before beginning our whirlwind adventure in the mountains and deserts of the South.
For all of us, the departure from Fes was a little bittersweet; each of us found that we had bonded with our host families to a surprising degree, and realized that we'll miss chatting with our host siblings about our lives, helping our host mothers cook dinner, and, most of all, eating that home-cooked dinner. It took us a while to get over our initial culture shock, but it was in Fes that we all grew to overcome that boundary, and it was Fes that had come to feel like home to us. At the same time, though, we're all ready for a change, and are all excited about the next phases of our journey; even talking about all the physical geography we'll cover (mountains, deserts, oases, valleys...) makes me excited!
Since yesterday was our last day in Fes, it marked the end of this first period of ISPs (Independent Study Projects). We got to see what each member of the group had been working on over the past few weeks, and the projects were INCREDIBLE. Lindsay performed part of the belly-dancing routine she'd learned--which was SO good, and looked so cool when she did it--and Lexi showed us the 3 pieces of painted wood she'd made, which were unbelievable. Somehow, she had managed to produce these beautiful pieces that looked just as good (if not better) than the wood paintings made by Moroccan professionals. As for me, I'd been pretty sick in Fes, so it was hard for me to devote as much time to an ISP as the rest of my group. But I did get some insight into the Moroccan medical system (which, incidentally, was amazing).
We're all looking forward to the next few days in Marrakech--we took a short stroll around the Medina this evening, and can't wait to see more!