Week 2: Adventures in Morroco!

    My second week in Granada proved that there truly is no rest for the weary! Despite the heat, we set out Monday evening for a walking tour of the Albaicín neighborhood. As the oldest part of the city, the Albaicín is a stunning example of a well-preserved Spanish Muslim quarter. The uphill trek was more than worth it. Once we reached the top, we were rewarded with breathtaking views of the Alhambra. We also learned about the city’s layered history, including the settlement of its earliest inhabitants and the eventual expulsion of Muslim communities. Visiting the Albaicín Mosque made it a perfect site to explore the legacy of Arabic and Moorish culture for our LTAF 120 class.

    On Wednesday, we dove into Granada’s literary and political past with a tour centered around the life and work of Federico García Lorca. As an influential poet and playwright who was tragically assassinated during the Spanish Civil War, Lorca remains an integral figure in the city’s memory and identity. Seeing the city through his eyes added an emotional depth to our understanding of its recent history. We closed out the day with a fantastic flamenco show in the Albacin region– truly an out of body experience.

    By Friday, it was time to head to North Africa! We sailed from Tarifa to Tangier, Morocco, where we were welcomed with a traditional Moroccan lunch shared with Congolese refugee women from the Darna Association. The organization empowers refugee women by helping them develop artisanal skills and earn income through product-making. Many of them have the goal of eventually immigrating to Europe. After hearing their stories, I purchased a handmade blue-and-white bag with a matching purse to support their work.

    That afternoon we took a quick camel ride by the Mediterranean sea before we traveled to Tetouan. The next morning, we explored Tetouan’s vibrant Medina with the help of a local guide in an expertly led tour. In a Medina, everything feels communal. Vendors display their goods, neighbors greet each other, and there’s a constant hum of life as people buy, sell, and socialize.

    Later, we continued on to Chefchaouen, the famous “Blue Pearl” of Morocco. After another insightful tour of the Medina, we were split into small groups to spend time with local Moroccan students and their families. My host, Simo Harras, is a 17-year-old studying finance who dreams of attending Tangier University after high school. We met his parents, siblings, and shared a delicious homemade meal of rice, salad, chicken tagine, Moroccan mint tea, and Ghoriba Bahla cookies. We talked for hours about life, dreams, and culture. It was beautiful to see how much we had in common despite the differences in language, religion, and geography.

    Back in the medina, I learned how to bargain for the first time! I bought a leather bag, jasmine body oil, my own Moroccan mint tea, and spices. We ended the night with a private concert featuring traditional Andalusian music, a perfect close to a truly magical day.

    Morocco was unforgettable. It was an enriching, inspiring, and beautiful experience. I already can’t wait to return.

-Kaylin