Discovering Rabat

After taking some time over the weekend to rest and recuperate after our first week, as well as spending some time with our host families and engaging in some homestay integration activities, we started off our second week. 

Monday morning we spent some time engaging with the students at the American Language Center, our host site, for their summer camp program. Our group divided up to work with the students making videos, participating in an art class, and playing sports, including basketball, hockey, and American football. In the afternoon, we were able to participate in a service learning seminar about an important environmental issue in Morocco, the water shortage. Our leaders spent time collaborating in groups to identify the most plausible solution to the problem, and their problem solving skills were put to the test! It was extremely insightful for our group members, and they were extremely humbled once they realized the magnitude of the problem in Morocco, something many of us have failed to consider living in the U.S.

On Tuesday morning we boarded a bus to Rabat, the capital city of Morocco and the home of our CIEE Morocco site. We started our day off with a tour of an artisan factory in Oulja where we were able to witness the creative stages of pottery and mosaics. Then, we even had the opportunity to express our creativity and make our own pottery. We were all so fascinated by how these masters are able to make it all happen on such a large scale level!

Once we arrived in Rabat, we enjoyed a traditional Moroccan lunch and visited the CIEE office before we embarked on a guided tour of Rabat. We were excited to explore a new part of Morocco! We visited the Royal Palace of Rabat where we were able to learn about the government here in Morocco, and then we visited the medina, the old part of the city that is contained within walls. It seemed like a scene from a movie as we scrolled through the medina amongst the crowd and witnessed the various shops and tea shops on the narrow street within the walls. From there, we visited the Kasbeh of the Oudayas, a walled area on the Bou Regreg River that was once used as a fortress to protect from pirates. We really enjoyed learning about the history of the Kasbeh and taking in the views of the river, as well as Salé, the neighboring city. We even took a few minutes to enjoy some ice cream together in the Kasbah to help us beat the heat in Rabat!  Finally, we were surprised at the end of our day with a flukka ride on the river; the whole group was able to relax and witness the locals enjoying the beach on both sides of the river. 

Our escapade in Rabat was a change in scenery, it allowed us to learn more about the history and culture of our temporary homes, and left us extremely exhausted!