Videos

Here are some videos that I took in Morocco.  This one is of the Hassan II Mosque.  The construction of the Mosque lasted 6 years, from 1987-1993.  12,500 men worked 24 hours a day to make it.  It is built by the Atlantic Ocean in Casablanca, and is really a wonderful site to see.  Here is a photo of the main hall where people come to pray five times a day.  The roof above the hall is even retractable! 

This next video is of a giant tannery in Fes.  A tannery is a place where they make and dye leather.  Leather is made from the skin of animals; like cows or sheep.  The process smells very bad!  When we got there, we were given mint leaves to hold up to our noses to cover up the smell. 

This is one of my favorite videos.  Here, I am getting my turban tied to my head and getting up on my camel to ride into the desert.

Here is another video of the sunrise in the desert.  The morning after we camped, we climbed a giant sand dune to watch the beautiful sunrise.

This last video is of a very old city we saw in Ait Ben Haddou.  The sound you hear is of the people being called to pray for the final time of the day.  This city is very famous because many movies have been shot here. Gladiator, Prince of Persia, and Game of Thrones were made here.

Moroccan Adventures!

It has been about two weeks since I have been in Morocco, and I have done a lot!  The trip started in Casablanca where I saw a beautiful mosque that the king of Morocco built around 10 years ago.  A mosque is like a church for people of the Muslim religion. 

Then, we took a train to Fes.  Fes is a big city with a giant market and lots to see as well.  After Fes, we took a bus to a town on the edge of the Sahara Desert.  From there, we took a camel ride into the desert and camped there for the night!

The turban on my head kept me cooler

 

 

From the desert, we took another train to the very big city of Marrakech.  I was very surprised to see what I found in the middle of the market there!

In the market, the have snake charmers and monkeys!  It has been an amazing trip.  We return to Casablanca tomorrow and then fly back to Nice, France.  From there, I will be traveling more of Europe.  Let the adventures continue!!

 

Morocco

 

This week, I added Africa to the list of continents I have traveled to!  Saturday afternoon, I flew into Casablanca, Morocco.  Morocco is a country in North Africa.  They speak Arabic and French here. 

 

 

It was only a two and a half hour flight from France.  But, it is a very different country than I have ever been to.  Most of the people here are Muslim and follow very different traditions than I am used to.  Many women wear headscarves to cover their hair.  Some even cover their entire faces, only leaving a small opening for their eyes.  All women wear clothes that cover their shoulders and knees.  I have been doing the same out of respect for the country's customs.

 

 

After spending two days in Casablanca, I took a three hour train to another city called "Fes."  Fes is famous for its giant markets in the old part of the city.

 

 

The market is a huge maze of all kinds of shops selling spices, jewelry, bags, shoes, and anything else you can think of.  The streets are very small and you can get lost very easily!  The food here is amazing.  They eat a lot of meat and drink a lot of tea. 

 

 

 

One day, we went to the meat market and I was very surprised at what I saw.

 

 

They eat camels!  In the market, there were large camel heads hanging from hooks in front of the meat shops.  I haven't tried it yet, but might later...just to see what it tastes like.

 

 

The architecture here is very beautiful.  They use a lot of brightly colored tiles and fabrics. 

 

Tonight I am taking an 11 hour bus to Merzouga, a city on the outskirts of the Sahara Desert.  From there, I will take a camel ride into the desert and camp there for the night!  I am not sure how great the internet will be, but I will try to keep updating as much as I can!











Meet the Pernins

Many people have asked me where I am staying while I am in France.  Well, meet Julien and Nicole Pernin.  Julien and his mom live in the mountains in Vence, France (a small city very close to Nice).  Julien is a friend of mine I met while living in Argentina.  His mom and him were nice enough to let me stay with them while I am in France.

 They live in a beautiful house in the mountains and have chickens, a dog, and a new baby kitten.   The kitten, Gaia, is the cutest and is sleeping on my lap right now!

Gaia

One of their chickens

Elliott, their dog, is a chihuahua that his mom was given from a friend.  He was a little strange when she got him and continues to be.  They are very nice to him, but he seems to get in a bad mood very easily.  He makes the weirdest noises.  Here is a video of him making his hilarious noises--

 

Here is another video of Elliott thinking he is a chicken.

I am so happy to be here in this wonderful place with such amazing people!  Learning French is harder then I thought it would be, but I love the language and am learning a lot!

Cannes

The other day I visited Cannes, France.  It is about a 30 minute drive from where I am staying in Nice.  Cannes is famous for the international film festival it holds every year.

The cast of Madagascar at Cannes Film Festival this year

Celebrities from all over the world come to Cannes every year for the festival.  They walk the red carpet into a giant auditorium to view the latest movies.

Me on the red carpet!

Aside from the festival, Cannes is a beautiful city year-round.  The bay is full of the biggest boats and yachts I have ever seen.  The streets are full of shops and restaurants.  I really enjoyed my day there, and would love to come back for the festival one day!

If you would like to learn more about Cannes Film Festival, check out their website--

http://www.festival-cannes.fr/en.html

The Mystery of the Man in the Mask

In France in 1669, a man was arrested.  He was held in jail for 34 years and died in 1703.  Today, no one knows for sure who this man was or why he was imprisoned.  His face was always hidden behind a mask.  It is thought that the man was the brother of King Louis the XIV of France, and that he was locked away as to not challenge his brother's throne.  Leonardo DiCaprio starred in a movie about this in 1998 called, "The Man in the Iron Mask."

Today, I went to the island of Sainte-Marguerite to visit where this man was kept.  Ile Sainte-Marguerite is a 15 minute boat ride from the city of Cannes, France.

Fort Royal was built here and used as a fortress (to protect from invaders), and as a prison.  This is where the man in the iron mask was imprisoned for many years.  Today, I got to walk around the fort and even see the cell where he was kept!

It was a very interesting lesson in French history.  It was amazing to see the fort and prison cells still there from so long ago...and also a little creepy!  If you would like to learn more about the man in the iron mask, check out these websites--


http://historicmysteries.com/man-in-the-iron-mask/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man_in_the_Iron_Mask

Back to School

Yesterday was my first day of French class.  I will go every Monday-Friday from 9am-1pm for two weeks.  There are 12 people in my class, and none of them are from the same country!  My classmates are from Mexico, Ireland, Peru, England, Germany, China, Japan, Poland, Slovenia, Canada, and Australia.  My teacher is from France, and teaches the entire class is in French!! 

My classroom

Traffic was very bad on the way to my first day of class yesterday, so I arrived late.  I was very surprised to walk into a class that was entirely in French.  I thought that they would be teaching French, but explaining in English.  It was confusing at first, but I am already learning a lot.

My teacher

It is a challenge, but I am excited for the opportunity to learn a new language in such a beautiful place!  After class, I go out to lunch with my friends and work on a little homework.  The food is wonderful here, and the city is gorgeous.  It makes me almost happy to wake up early to go to school .

The street my school is on

Lunch in old Nice