IrisSituated in North Africa, the country of Morocco is one of wonder. From souks and medinas to the food culture and desert, there are layers and layers to peel back and explore. A visit to this wondrous destination should be on everyone’s bucket list. Here are some things I wish I knew before my journey:
1. Moroccan men worship–ahem–shapely women (the curvier/heavier, the better) and have no problem making it known (especially in souks). The catcalls can be borderline aggressive and a bit unnerving for a foreigner.
2. Hunting down the famed Moroccan staple, couscous, should be saved for the end of the week. It is traditionally served on Fridays because the real deal takes a long time to make (most families reserve the laborious task as an after-work/end-of-week activity).
3. The average Moroccan speaks a variety of languages–very well–and will alternate rapidly mid-sentence, so the high school French you proudly thought would show how cosmopolitan and worldly you are will likely not impress a polyglot Moroccan.
4. Public bathhouses are not for the faint of heart. Sure, you expect to be half-naked in front of strangers (as if that’s not anxiety-inducing enough), but you may not bargain for actually being bathed by a stranger whose brisk, efficient scrubbing is akin to beating wet laundry against a sea rock.
5. Almost all mosques are off-limits to non-Muslims, so if visiting/exploring houses of worship is high on your sightseeing list, you may want to find another way to learn about Moroccan mosques (with the exception of the famous Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca).
Have you traveled to Morocco? Are there things you wish you knew prior to going?
Heading to Morocco this summer (as a solo woman). These are interesting tidbits. Thx!