Rabat

The past few days have been pretty amazing. Rabat is a big city on the coast and is very modernized. The home base where we are staying is an amazing house...very nice part of town, just 5 minutes drive from the city. The house we are staying in was previously the house of the spanish embassy...so yeah, we are pretty much living it up. Don't worry though; we are brought back to reality every time we have to do the dishes;) Yesterday, after orientation, I went to the medina with Noor and Heather, two awesome volunteers. We had a great time and ending up buying some very sweet scarfs. The scarf shop owner was a really sweet guy and he was watching the football game while we were in the shop, which inspired us to want to go to a football game. Apparently they only cost a few dollars to go to, so perhaps one of these days.

Funny story though...on the way to the medina, we were walking around the kasbah and some guy was trying to be our tour guide and we were trying to get rid of him (they act all nice like they will show you where to go, and at the end ask for an insane amount of money in return) but he just wasn't taking no for an answer. We were trying to really politely decline in french and he wasn't listening, when Noor pipes in with "nous sommes bien"...intending "we are good and don't need your help" but instead meaning "we are good...(insert the Friends tv show line that you say after fortune cookies fortunes....sorry but I must keep this pg)"...the guy just stopped, burst out laughing and said "have a great day!" ahhh, good times.

Today was the first day of placement, and I am volunteering again at an orphanage. Quite different from the one in Tanzania, this place is huge and has over 200 kids. They are taken care of pretty well and had an amazing lunch of potato/green bean/chicken stew with yogurt for dessert. We took the kids outside to play and I ended up playing "soccer" with a bowling pin and small plastic ball with two of the handicapped kids and another volunteer. It was a blast. I ran into a french family who had adopted two boys from the orphanage 15 years ago, and they were all there today visiting it. They were some of the two happiest boys I've ever seen...they loved playing with the kids.

We had a tour of the city today and went to see the old roman rooms (chesbah). They were pretty cool..apparently the ancient city was wiped out from an earthquake a long time ago. The weather has been amazing here so far...sunny and 70s during the day with the bluest sky ever. Made for some amazing photos.

We spent the evening figuring out weekend trips. The other volunteers rock...everyone is so positive and happy and excited about life. We are going to go to the Sahara this weekend and ride camels out to tents in the sahara and camp overnight. It should be amazing. and next weekend, I think I'm going to head back to Essaouira and soak up the sun on the beach some more, eating the most amazing fish ever;) eric, another volunteer, wants me to go windsurfing with him, so we shall see...perhaps I will try...essaouira is, after all, known as one of the best windsurfing spots. aaahhh, life is good;) hehe, not trying to rub it in or anything, but I hope you all are enjoying the lovely fall weather right now=)

I miss you all and can't wait to see you all!