Travel: Morocco: Not your typical spring break

"Where is all the sand?" I thought to myself when I landed at Mohammed V Airport in Casablanca, Morocco. It turns out that much of Morocco is actually very dense with forests and vegetation, despite what most people might think. The Mediterranean climate of Morocco is much more comfortable than one would imagine when contemplating a visit to North Africa. "Bienvenue en Maroc! Welcome in Maroc!" I frequently heard while walking down busy streets. Not knowing whether I was French, English or American, the locals were quick to cover their bases and make sure I understood that I was welcome in their country.

My trip was a short one, only a week long, coinciding with CSULB's spring break. I spent about 20 hours on four flights to get to Casablanca, but once I was there I was immediately in love with Morocco. I will admit, Casablanca is a rather new city built by the French when they landed their forces there last century, and has little to offer tourists other than a large airport and a beautiful mosque. Hassan II Mosque is the second largest mosque in the world, behind only Masjid al-Haram in Mecca. It is also one of the few mosques in the world that allows non-Muslims to visit.

After only one night in Casablanca I took a train to Fes, the former capital of Morocco. Fes is one of the four imperial cities of Morocco and life inside the walled Medina of Fes el Bali has not changed much for around 1,200 years. The Medina is filled with souks (shops) that sell everything from tasty fruit and vegetables, clucking chickens and freshly butchered lambs, beautiful fabrics, rugs and hand woven clothing. The walkways are extremely narrow and when somebody walks through with a donkey loaded with goods, you better hug the wall and get out of the way! An official tour guide is a cheap and easy way to make sure you don't get lost. They will take you to the most important things a tourist wants to see including the leather tanneries and several shops where you can see artisans working their crafts.

While staying in the youth hostel located in the Ville Nouvelle (French built "New City") I met quite a few fellow young travelers. I tagged along with three people from England to a small town called Chefchaouen located in the Rif Mountains.

It was quite a journey to get there. Many of the busses were sold out because it was a busy Moroccan holiday week but we managed to make it, after spending five hours on a hot bus without air-conditioning that broke down along the way. It only cost about $4, so we couldn't complain too much.

On our way, we met a very friendly Moroccan man named Youssef. We were hesitant to trust anybody as we had heard stories of people befriending you only to receive tips. We were lucky though. Youssef turned out to be a great friend. He helped us find some very affordable rooms in a beautiful guesthouse and took us out for tea. While there, he asked if we would meet his family that night and eat dinner with them. We were happy to oblige and ended up spending the following evening with them as well.

Morocco may not be your typical spring break destination, but I can not describe how much I recommend it, especially to young travelers who are willing to spend time getting around. Everything is extremely affordable (I spent only $400 on everything except my plane tickets) and you will never forget the friends that you inevitably will make.

My only warning, and it has nothing to do with safety, is that knowing French is helpful. You don't need to be fluent, but a grasp on the language or knowing Arabic will make life much easier and more enjoyable as Moroccans will strike up conversation with you often. Being able to talk with them was one of my many highlights