Our site visit was quite the experience!  Definitely more of a taste of poverty, but I surprised myself in mastering the turk toilet and discovering I can survive without a shower for 4+ days. I did cheat, however, and washed my hair after my new host mom heated some water for me (yep, no hot water there either, and yep, I haven't become totally un-Americanized yet).  We'll be living with our new host mom until we find our own place after swearing-in on April 1st.  I think I will be experiencing the hammam as well while staying with her.

The High Atlas Mountain region is a naturalist's paradise.  We visited a natural bridge carved through 1.8 million-year old "travertine" rock.  The opening to the monstrous cavern is in the shape of the African continent.  It was a moderate hike on a warm, sunny day.  

           

Once we're "in site", Mal and I plan to return and follow the footpath along the river and back to town.  The trail ends at our "dar chebab" (house of youth), a recently renovated structure with activities for youth ranging from theater to co-ed Scout troupes to English classes.  The English language classroom is a teacher's dream, with Penguin Readers, DVD player and wide-screen tv, new white boards, and more.

The return trip to our site was an adventure.  First, the grand taxi we were riding in broke down, but it couldn't have happened in a more beautiful location.

Also, the train car we were riding in was evacuated en route to Meknes (yes, just our train car).  This made for more delays (and some rattled nerves) and a 12 hour trip back home.  But, hey, we were able to spend a night in Marrakesh at the beginning of the trip and I enjoyed dancing with the Berbers in Jamaa el Fna Square.  The proximity to Marrakesh will definitely be a perk we'll take advantage of.  Until next time!

So much has happened since I was last able to update this blogspot.  First of all, I celebrated the first of three birthdays that will happen overseas during the next couple of years.  My ever-thoughtful husband Mal organized a surprise luncheon with the other volunteers in my darija class.  He also disclosed my secret to our host family, and they threw another surprise party with cake, gifts and the neighborhood kids attending.  It was a wonderful day.

The party continued into the next day, when all of us volunteers got together with our host families for an afternoon of tea and conversation.  We've made some life-long friends over the last couple of months with our gracious host families.

There was no shortage of cake and cookies at the gathering!

Last month, we also took turns teaching English to the boys of the dar chebab...

And then headed out into the neighborhood for a day of break dance filming.

The lighting at sunset is beautiful in this part of the world.

Peace Corps allowed us another partial weekend of r&r in Fes...

And then it was off to Meknes for more PC training, and cultural indoctrination:

I got my first henna!

And site announcements were made!!  We'll be in a small city not far from Marrakesh, in the foothills of the High Atlas Mountains.  Mal and I will visit the town this week.

Enshala!