Travel daze

We have reached the point in our travels where it is all starting to run together for me. We wake up in Essaouira and end the day back in Casablanca. I struggle to remember what day it is or what floor I am staying on this time. And in the midst of all of this, thoughts of home are creeping in. I hear it in the conversations on the bus. I see it in texts from loved ones at home. And I feel dazed.

Today was a travel day. We left beautiful Essaouira and made our way slowly along the coast. The views were amazing. Our first “comfort stop “— I have come to love that expression—was at a cafe that blurred the lines between coffee and ice cream. Next, we stopped at Safi to explore the pottery there. I think most of us found beautiful new treasures we are determined to make room for in already overloaded suitcases.

Lunch was at a beautiful seafood restaurant next to a lagoon. I think Brian will be talking about those oysters for a long time to come.

Finally, our second comfort stop was at a McDonald’s. I kept thinking there should be some kind of punchline here—a bus of American Fulbrighters walks into a Moroccan McDonald’s and . . .—but the only thing I heard was praise for the ice cream.

We returned to Casablanca and made time for a trip to the busy Marche Solidaire before returning to our hotel. The time is going quickly and promises to speed up even more as we head into for Friday’s presentations.

Text and pictures by Candace Cone