Morocco

Morocco

I wasn't expecting a stop here, but we decided to nonetheless. A couple days ago we were piloted into Rabat by a guy in an RIB powerboat. There is a sandbar, so we can only get in at high tide, and only if the swell isn't too big. We got through all right, and then tied up at the customs dock. Then we got boarded by two officials who looked around for a little while, then went to our slip in the marina. We get good electricity and water here, and there are at least seven big, burly guards around the marina that I've seen. Dad tells me that Morocco is a relatively poor country, and apparently all the security is to make us westerners feel safe here, which is nice if it's just Rigel and I on the boat. Another result of the different economy is that compared to Europe, everything except imported foreign foods is much cheaper. Where we would pay one euro for a loaf of bread, we can by it for the equivalent of 12 euro cents. Another example is one of our crew members buying a tiny can of Pringles for the same cost of a small Moroccan meal. I got to have couscous today, which is basically pasta, but in tiny little grains. It's actually quite good and Dad came up with a really yummy way of making it for lunch or dinner. Anyway, we met up with another American boat named Solstice in Gibraltar, and they came here too. We had a yummy dinner of fish that they caught on the way here with them, and the adults of Juno went with them for dinner in town yesterday evening. My first trip into town was this morning, and my impression of Morocco is slightly poor, dirtier, but mainly different. The language is different, although most people also speak French, the customs are different, and the food is different. Apparently, there is a much stricter dress code. Women are supposed to cover their shoulders, as Ms. Edee found out when taking an evening walk. Every day we hear the calls from the mosque as the inhabitants of the city are called to pray. This is a strange and interesting place, and we will be seeing more of it tomorrow in Casablanca.
--Orion Date
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