Traveling Morocco during Ramadan

Follow your dreams, do something crazy. Pursue your passion; run, surf, fly.
Get lost in paradise. Enjoy live. 

Merely four days after graduating university I packed a backpack and hopped on a plane to Amsterdam, Netherlands with no concrete plan or expectations. I had anticipated I would blog regularly, however any internet and computer time I´ve had has typically been spent researching the most inexpensive transportation and accomidations for my next destination, along with creating lists of key sites to visit and elements of the culture that would be intersting to immerse myself into. 

It has been seven weeks since my departure from Canada and I have just returned from exploring Morocco. I spent a total of two weeks exloring Marrakech, Casablanca, and a three day camel trek through the desert. 

Marrakech 
My flight from Seville, Spain to Marrakech was a sheer 54€ on Ryanair. Although its possible the airline hired pilots who may not have been as qualified as others in order to keep costs low, and therefore causes customers to fear for their lives during takeoff and landing, we arrived safely in blazing hot Marrakech. 

I had reseached average costs to be paid for things like taxis, meals, souvenirs etc. however, the 40DRH (about $5CAD) we should have paid for a taxi into town was quickly turned into 150DRH ($19CAD) when drivers saw that we were naive tourists. Heather and I had met two Australian boys (Joel and Brendon) on the flight who also happened to be staying the the same riad as us which was fantastic as we spent a good deal of time with them and ended up booking our camel excursion together. 

Joel (Jesus) and I 

The souks (markets) in Marrakech were colourful, lively, exciting, but also intimidating. The shops are run only by men; even women in the streets are hard to come by. The aggressive sellers have you hooked the second you ask ¨how much?¨ as they will demand you state the price you want to pay and progressivly persuade you to increase this innitial price. I was lucky and made a great  Morrocan friend (Hischam) in the souks who helped me to bargin, as he knew most of the prices that the retailers bought the items for, and therefore an approximate value. I bought two colourful lanters for just 20DRH each (approx. $2.50CAD) and a handmade leather bag from the tanneries for 500DRH ($60CAD)!

Leather Bag

$0.20 Ice Cream!

Inside the Souks

Graves of Former Moroccan Kings

Desert
After careful negotiation we aggreed to take a 3-day camel excursion for 750DRH (about $92CAD) through the desert to Erg Chebbi. The trip began at 7am where we were picked up from our riad and began our long drive through the mountians. Only three hours into the tour the heat and winding road had gotten to me and I was sick at our first stop. Unfortunatly, the trip did not get much better from here. Our second night on the excusrion was spent sleeping in canvas tents near the Algerian boarder which were only accessable by 2 hours on camel. Normally, this would be a delight for me as I love adventure and new places. I had already developed a severe allergic reation to something, however, which I was told by fellow travellers could also be a not so uncommon case of insects under my skin. The reaction has become so painful and irritating at this point I was unable to sleep and counted down the hours till sunrise when we would camel trek back to a vehicle.

Allergic Reaction

Overall, the camel trek was an amazing experience and I would love to do it again, however next time with careful preparation and lots of medication! Here are some pictures of the breathtaking views.

I ended up receiving treatment at an international hospital back in Marrakech and recovered quickly over the next couple days.

Casablanca

Most tourists do not choose to travel to Casablanca as it is really just the business capital of Morocco. My former roommate from NYC, Ilham, is from Morocco and kindly put us in touch with her cousins living in Casablanca. For this reason we decided to visit the city and take advantage of knowing locals who were able to show us around. Hajar and Hamza were grand, and welcomed us into their home and introduced us to their friends.

Hamza, Me, and Heather

Breaking the Fast

This year, Ramadan fell during the month of July (during our trip), which provided a unique environment for visiting the Islamic country of Morocco. During this time period Muslims refrain from eating food, consuming any liquids (even water!), smoking or drinking alcohol while the sun is up. For this reason many of the restaurants and almost all bars and clubs were closed during the month, making it a little difficult to find food during the day. When the sun sets, the fast is broken and the call to prayer can be heard almost everywhere in the city. Although I may have missed out on many tasty restaurants, being in Morocco during Ramadan was such a unique experience, I´m thrilled I was able to make it.

Kenya in May

How's Kenya?

GREAT!
Weather has been good so far. A bit rainy a few of the days, but it's a nice break from the sun. June and July are the winter months here in Kenya so it's expected to get cooler. I'm still hoping for lots of sun.

Yesterday we traveled to a dowry for a friend of Saraphina's (George our program co-coordinator's wife). After quite possibly the worst car ride of my life (2 hours in a car full of 7 people- constantantly hiding from police stops) we arrived to the rural village where the dowry took place. So interesting! In Kenya the male must gather and mobilize all his friends and family to support him while approaching the females family and village. This is to show that he is of good character and enough people are vouching for him to marry this girl. When the family and friends arrive they bring gifts and collect money to help the male with the negotiation process where he will eventually bargain with the family over a price (gift) to give to the family in return for his wife. In this dowry ceremony, once we sang for permission to be let into the host family's land everyone ate the food prepared by the future brides family. George informed us that sometimes if the male does not bring enough people or gifts, he will be denied entry and will not be allowed to marry the daughter. An interesting part of the day was when multiple women covered in shawls were brought to the man proposing, whereby he had to select out of all the women, the one he had come to marry.

Last week, along with George and Saraphina, we attended a Gor Mahia football match in Nairobi. Emma and I had bought jerseys the day before and being the only white girls in the stadium we were swarmed by Gor Mahia fanatics who wanted to take pictures with us. Super werid, but funny none the less. After the half we were down 0-1, but Gor Mahia was quick to score a goal to tie it up. Unfortunately the goal scored was not counted and Gor Mahia fans who had been cheering excitedly, quickly turned angry. The fans believed that the ref was corrupt as there was also a second goal that was unfairly counted. As one of the well known chants for this team says "we will throw rocks at you"... and for this game, that's exactly what they did. Fans began stampeding around the stadium, breaking fences to get onto the field and throwing rocks and bottles that the had brought into the stadium to throw at the ref and other team. Emma and I were in the crazy fanatic section and told to stay still as there was a chance of us getting hit. The military was called in with their AK407's and dogs. They began releasing tear gas and firing their guns to control the crowd. Outside the stadium we could hear car windows breaking and gun shots. Eventful night to say the least! The game was called and the ref had to hide behind the military and an ambulance to be escorted out of the stadium. The fans were shouting that they wanted his blood!

With part of my work for Education for Life (the organization I am working with), I attend a rehabilitation centre for youth found in the dump and on the streets called Boma Rescue. The centre is right beside the biggest dump in Kenya where approx. 2,500 people live searching through the garbage when they have no where else to go. We have been told that people are often burred alive here.
Last Wednesday we took a walk through the dump to visit some of the homes of  the children at Boma and learn more about why they were found on the streets instead of in school. The walk was nauseating. Skulls of animals. Pigs, cows, vultures eating the garbage left there. People digging through the garbage with their bare hands in attempt to find anything of value. Most of the stories of the children from Boma are cases of child labour, where a family will adopt a child for the mere reason of profiting or benefiting in some way from them.
There is a boy here at Boma who has stolen my heart! His name is Jenga and he is the happiest most outgoing boy. He wears a ripped purple blazer and shoes 3 sizes too big for him. Last Wednesday after bringing 40 pairs of shoes to donate to the very grateful children at Boma, I learned Jenga's story. He is an IDP - Internally Displaced Person. In the 2008 elections, tribes were turned against one another and because Jenga was of a specific tribe, his family was a target. Both his parents were killed in the post election violence. He was found living in the sewers of Nairobi almost dying of phenomena before he was brought to boma. He now lives with his grandmother who is HIV positive. As heart breaking as this specific story is, I'm confident this is just one of many from the children of Boma. I hope to figure out a way to sponsor Jenga so that he is able to attend school in the future.

On a positive note, I've been here almost a month and no signs of serious sickness. Both Conor and Emma have had to go a near by clinic here in Karioganji for blood samples testing for a variety of different things, mainly Malaria. After receiving medicine though, they are both back to good health!

As these keyboards are terrible and it takes me a year to write each blog I'm cutting this one off.
Kenya is beautiful, can't believe I've already been here a month. 2 more to go!

Miss you all.
Love, Sam!

Welcome to Kenya!

Jambo!

I have arrived in Kenya, safe and sound.

George (the supervisor of Education for Life) met Emma and I at the airport after our 19 hour flight here. I was a little frightened after finding out we would not be living in a church as originally planned but in the same apartment in the slum of Kariobangi that was broken into and robbed multiple times last year when Waterloo students were living in it. So far the apartment has been fine though, despite no stove, fridge, clean water and electrical down times.

The cost of food here is very cheap. A cup of tea or chapatti (pita) is approx. $0.10 each. We were able to have an entire meal for 3 people for $1.00. The rent here however is very expensive because it is owned by the government and taxed very heavily. For our apartment which is only 3 rooms (not bedrooms-rooms) is $130.00 a month. The people here are literally living in garbage. When the garbage truck comes to the area we live people dig through it to find things.

Yesterday, George took us all into Nairobi which is the main city. Quite similar to Toronto it is very busy. Emma and I rode a camel! We also went on a walking safari tour in Kenya's National Park and were able to go in where the cheetahs were and pet them (pictures to come!). The man here was not suppose to do this but let us (I assume because we were white). Where ever we go here children swarm and chant "mazungo" which means white people. In fact in the internet cafe I am in right now there are children outside shouting this. They all want to hold hands and touch us- really strange for us.

Time to head out though. More next time!

"Be strong my bothers" - George 

Leaving for Kenya...

My girly side may potentially be taking over at the moment. Trying to decide what I actually NEED while packing is getting tedious. I wish I could bring my entire room, however my 25 pound weight limit is a little restricting. I currently have one backpack which I will be taking with me on the plane carrying everything I will need for 3 months in Kenya. My second back which I will check in is carrying supplies to bring. So far the big things in my bag are: a small camping sleeping bag (I have to provide my own bedding), a microfiber towel, a roll of toilet paper, 2 boxes of KD, all my medications and water purification drops, energy bars, a flashlight, a camera, some small shampoos, a sweater, a waterproof jacket, 1 pair of shorts, 1 pair of jeans, a few t-shirts... potentially a hair straightener (i know what you're thinking- stop). 

I probably have a million things to do still... 

Starting to freak out. I hear it's normal though. 

next step: get on that plane!

The Thirteenth One.

Robbery, Malaria, political activism, HIV/AIDS, dehydration, diarrhea, flooding, uncooked food, military stops, rebel groups, Yellow Fever, unsafe drivers, rabies, tampered water.

When selecting potential developing countries to volunteer in this summer, Kenya was relatively low on the list. Although I had a strong preference for a country in Africa, the safety and security in Kenya held be back from selecting this location. I was told at the beginning of the semester that where the last two Beyond Borders students lived in Kariobangi, Kenya, their apartment was broken into multiple times throughout the duration of their stay. Along with horror stories of being confronted by large men while walking along the street demanding your bag, loosing passports and other important documents, and being held at gun point are also potential situations that may be encountered in the locations we visit.

In regards to severity, being robbed and getting sick are potentially the most consequential. In 2006 Kenya had an estimated 15 million malaria cases with 40,000 deaths. During this year there were also 684 cases and 155 deaths from an outbreak of Rift Valley Fever. In order to minimize the chances of getting sick while abroad, there are a number of initiatives I have taken. To begin, I faced my absolute worst fear of needles, and after a brief breakdown, received 4 shots to prevent Yellow Fever, Meningitis, Typhoid, and Hepatitis A. In addition I will also be taking oral medication to prevent Malaria, travelers diarrhea and maintain my immune system. As the water from the tap in our living location will be contaminated, it is a requirement to purify the water before consumption. Failing to either boil water or add water purification drops can lead to serious illness.

I reflected upon this for a while after completing our recent depart smart program.

These may be fears of mine, but to others these are just realities. Although these risks and hazards may appear frightening and dangerous to us traveling, the people living in this country face these obstacles daily.  How do they cope? What techniques do they use to deal with these problems? Items such as mosquito nets have been adopted by the people of Kenya to assist in the prevention of Malaria.

While my fears of safety and sickness still dwindle, looking at the amount of vaccinations and prescription drugs we have available to us in order to prepare has started to ease my worries. Although the majority of Kenyans do not have access to adequate health care, I am interested to see what other techniques they use to keep safe and minimize sickness.  

The Twelfth One.

The Eleventh One.

So you’re going to Kenya, eh?

Located in the East of the African continent, Kenya borders the Indian Ocean, Somalia and Tanzania, Sudan, Uganda and Ethiopia. It is approximately the size of the state of Texas with its highest elevation point being Mt. Kenya standing at 5,199 meters. With a life expectancy of 45 years, Kenya is home to a population of 32,000,000 people. To put this in perspective, it contains roughly the same sized population as Canada. Of those 15 years of age and older, the literacy rate is 85%, however the population percentage infected with AIDS is pushing 7%.

Although Kenya has only recently gained their independence from Britain, the land of Kenya has been occupied for millions of years. Portuguese were the first Europeans to explore present-day Kenya.

Today, Kenya is classified as a developing, yet emerging nation with the highest GDP in East and Central Africa. Nairobi is the largest industrial centre, producing mainly processed food, beer, soaps, textiles and chemicals. Based on information read and pictures, I can only assume Nairobi will relate similarly to our capital of Toronto, here in Ontario.

http://kenyanview.com/nairobi.html
City of Nairobi

http://www.mnmkenyasafaris.com/excursions.html
City of Nairobi

Agriculture is exceptionally important as well, as it employs around 80% of the country’s population and is responsible for 50% of their GDP ("Nairobi", 2011). Kenya’s main exports include maize, coffee, tea, beans and fruit. In addition, tourism has recently replaced coffee as the country’s largest foreign exchange earner. Tourists travel the globe to witness Kenya’s well-known game parks, climb Mt. Kenya and visit the city of Mombasa along the coastline.

So if these are the facts we are hearing, why are we seeing this?

The rooftops of Korogocho, one of Africa’s many densely populated slums.

Photo courtesy of Eric Brown/Hewlett Foundation.

http://www.hewlett.org/newsroom/getting-down-the-facts-to-reduce-poverty-in-kenya

In 1948 the colonial government published a master plan for Nairobi, based largely on the British system. Unfortunately, the plan did not take into account the excessive population growth, creating a strain on the city’s infrastructure. The adjusted plan developed in 1973 quotes the governments determination for the country as stated “This desire is made all the more acute by colonial history during most of which Africans were second class citizens in their own country and were provided with fewer social services at standards far below those of expatriates (Keane, 2005).”

Although the government gave the National Housing Corporation a dominant role in providing affording housing, the escalating population was far too vast for this initiative. Kenya's average urban demand for new homes is around 150,000 units, whereas supply is nearer 25,000 (Keane, 2005). Due to poor planning for an ever-increasing population, around 60% of Kenya’s population currently reside in slums along the outskirts of the city. Experts suggest that with only 120 planners to deal with its problems, and without a nationwide commitment from all parties, the next 20 years.

Along with 2 million other people, these slums will be my new summer home.

Keane, J. "Kenya's slum problem stirs urgent effort." Planning. 1648 (2005): 16. 

"Nairobi." Kenya. Web. 21 Mar. 2011. <http://kenyanview.com/nairobi.html>.