Morocco: Better Than A Taco

Earlier this year, I did a post on Ethiopia, which is one of my top dream vacation spots of all time. I've realized, though, that that was really the only post on Africa I've done on this entire blog! And that ain't right, cuz Africa's pretty cool. So I figured that I owe Africa another post, and since I've already written about a jungle-y sort of country, I though I'd write about a sandy one: Morocco.

Since Morocco is a sandy-ish African country, I think I ought to visit some sand dunes; what trip to a sandy African country is complete without sand dunes? I would love to go all movie cliché and get a camel to ride out there while I watch the sun set, too. That would be cool. Believe it or not, even though the desert is thought to be some sort of barren, lifeless nothingness, there is actually a fair deal of wildlife out there that really isn't found much elsewhere, including but not limited to: ostriches, chameleons, hyenas, gazelles, and jackals (who doesn't love a good jackal, am I right?).

A camel caravan crossing the sand dunes of the Sahara in Morocco.
Image Courtesy of: Guide4Tourist

One place in Morocco that I have heard is absolutely gorgeous is a little mountain town called Chefchaouen. Kind of a weird name, but it's supposed to be pretty cool. First of all, it is situated in the Rif Mountains, which are very foggy and green and cool-looking in all the pictures I have looked at. Secondly, the entire city (well, almost) is blue! How cool is that?!

I've officially found where I'm gonna live as a retired old lady.
Image Courtesy of: Gallivant Girl

Another thing in Morocco that I would love to do is stay in a riad. A riad is basically just a traditional Moroccan home that has been converted to a hotel, kind of like a Moroccan bed and breakfast. Riads are generally cheaper than normal hotels, and any one who knows me really well knows that I love to save money (it's a genetic thing), so this is a major plus. Besides the lower prices, riads allow you to get a better sense of Moroccon architecture than just staying in a Hyatt or something. What's not to love?!

The courtyard of Riad Chouia Chouia in Marrakech.
Image Courtesy of: Hotels and Ryads

Finally, while in Morocco, I would love to visit the city of Fes. Like Chefchaouen, Fes has gorgeous architecture, but gorgeous in a much different way. It's got the more typical Moroccan type of architecture, with the fractals and stuff. I am absolutely obsessed with Moroccan styles, so I would be more than content just walking around and checking out the buildings and tiles and mosques and stuff. Fes is also well-known for its leather tanneries. Usually, I'm not a big leather person, but these look pretty cool.

The beautiful fountain of Fes.
Image Courtesy of: Trip Advisor

Morocco is a fascinating country with a ton of history, beautiful architecture, and life. I would love, love, love one day to visit this amazing place.

Ethiopia: An African Utopia*

*Before I say anything else in this post, take a second to appreciate that nice rhyme in the title there. It may or may not have required a rhyming dictionary, but it is by far the best rhyme I have made all week.

Ok. Now back to Ethiopia.

Ever since I went to a killer Ethiopian restaurant down in Salt Lake, I have wanted to travel to Ethiopia. Ethiopia is a pretty boss place. Most people don't really ever consider African countries as a travel destination, unless they are in to service work or safaris, but as I've looked into it, Ethiopia has a lot of fun and different experiences for tourists.

One thing I really want to do in Ethiopia is feed hyenas. Natives of the city of Harar, known as "hyena men," have tamed hyenas here for centuries and call them out by name to feed them from their own mouths (meaning the hyenas are literally eating out of their mouths)! Hyena men will often ask for volunteers and teach foreigners how to feed the hyenas, as well. You can watch a pretty cool video of this here.

A hyena man in Harar feeding a hyena.
Image Courtesy of: Globe Spots

I don't cook. Ever. It drives my parents insane how all I eat comes from the freezer, a restaurant, or their time and effort. In all honesty, I actually enjoy cooking; the maybe five times in my life I have cooked have been pretty enjoyable. The problem is I have absolutely no cooking skills and even less time (yes, I am aware that is in the negatives, and, yes, that is accurate). However, one day I will have time and lazy kids like me, so I will have to get some cooking skills, and what better place to do so than an Ethiopian cooking school!

Lalibela Cooking School is a well-known cooking school located in Lalibela, Ethiopia, where students can learn how to prepare authentic Ethiopian dishes. You can learn how to make injera (like a sourdough crepe) and curries and vegetable dishes. The classes are a little bit expensive, but hopefully with my future time and lazy kids will come a little bit of moola, if you're smellin' what I'm steppin' in.

Students and teachers after a class with a meal prepared at
Lalibela Cooking School.
Image Courtesy of: Food for Life

If I ever go to Ethiopia, I also want to visit Omo Valley. Omo Valley is located in Southern Ethiopia, where much of the country's "African" wildlife live. It is home to hippos, lions, gazelles, giraffes, zebras, rhinos, and all that jazz! Another thing in Omo Valley that sounds really interesting is their native people. The Omo Valley is home to about 200,000 people belonging to eight different African tribes. It is one of the only places on Earth where you can find people who are untouched and unaffected by the modern world and global culture. I think it would be amazing to see how life for these people is without any influence from the rest of the world whatsoever.

Children of African tribes living in Omo Valley.
Image Courtesy of: Wild Frontiers

Ethiopia is a fascinating country home to amazing opportunities. Although many people often overlook this amazing country as a travel destination, it has many unique and enjoyable activities for travelers. So next time you are looking for a place to go outside your usual trip to the beach or Boston or wherever, consider Ethiopia.