Day 2 - Marrakech

We woke up in the morning and took the train to Marrakech with Ali, Tasneem, and Zahra. It took about three hours. Train travel in Morocco is inexpensive and very reliable. I was impressed.

We got to Marrakech and took a taxi to our riad (guesthouse) which was located in some back alley in the really old part of the city. I was kind of scared, but when we got to it, we opened the door onto an oasis. It was really beautifully decorated, very clean, and comfortable. Whew!

The first thing we did was walk over to the Djemaa el Fna, which is the main square. Most of the buildings in Marrakech are made with red brick or clay, so they all look the same color, and people call it the "Red City." It is also the Hot City. By the time we got to the Djemaa el Fna, we were already grumpy and exhausted from being so hot.

The square is filled with vendors and street performers like snake charmers and women who will paint henna on your hands. Unfortunately, the Djemaa el Fna is also the place where many tourists go, so the Marrakshi vendors tend to take advantage. They grabbed us and dragged us around, then demanded payment for their services. One henna lady grabbed me and just started squeezing henna on my hand saying, "Free flower for you," then when she was done, she refused to leave me alone until I paid her. So, feeling a bit tricked and taken advantage of plus feeling unbelievably hot and tired made the Djemaa el Fna kind of an unpleasant experience for me. If you ever go, go late when it has cooled down a bit, and don't let the henna lady get you!

It was neat to see, though. There were people selling all kinds of things from skin care products to live animals to fresh dates.

Another warning for any potential travelers: the taxi drivers in Marrakech don't use their meters, and they will attempt to haggle with you on how much you owe them. Either insist that they turn their meter on, or agree on a price you are willing to pay before you get in the taxi and do not back down from it. There are so many taxis around that you will eventually find someone who will not overcharge.

Day 1 - Casablanca

Our trip to Morocco was fantastic! We made all of our connections and arrived in Casablanca on the 23rd at around noon. We got a taxi to our hotel, which turned out not to be a hotel, but a guesthouse. It was lovely!

We managed to make a phone call to our friends Ali and Tasneem to let them know we made it, and they arranged to meet us. We went for a little walk around the block to keep ourselves from falling asleep, and when we turned the final corner, Ali and Tasneem were pulling up in a cab with their baby Zahra in tow. Talk about good timing!

We went to La Corniche which is the beachside area of Casablanca. It's really beautiful there and we had a little snack at one of the seaside cafes before heading to the Mosque of Hassan II. We got there right at prayer time, so they had the doors open and we could peek inside. As non-Muslims, we weren't allowed in, but the building was gorgeous and we could see the intricate decorations on the inside from the doorway. Jonathan had brought a bunch of baseball caps to give as tips, and he traded two of them to some young boys who were selling tissues at the mosques. They were ecstatic. Jon hadn't brought enough for all of them, however, and he nearly incited a riot!

That evening, our cab driver took us to a lovely restaurant right on the beach where we had an authentic Moroccan tajine dinner.

It was a fabulous first day. I really liked Casablanca. It felt very European, and I was surprised at how large it was. It was hot, but since it's on the ocean, there is a nice breeze, and it wasn't stifling. I was also surprised at how easy it was to get around. There are taxis everywhere as well as buses, and they are in the process of building a tramway. It's very tourist friendly!

My Romance Novel Habit

I went to Half Price Books today to buy reading material for my trip. When I'm on vacation, I pretty much limit myself to reading romance novels. They usually take me about 3-4 hours to read (the usual length of my plane trips), so they are perfect for when I travel. Today, I went to the clearance section and bought 12 novels for $1 each, and I plan to leave them scattered in my wake in the various airports, hotel rooms, and train stations that I will be visiting on my trip to Morocco. At $1 a piece, I can afford to leave them behind and make room for souvenirs.

While I'm not all that particular about the novels I pick, I do usually try to be discriminating. Here are my guidelines for picking a not-too-trashy romance novel:

1) If the title of the book is stupid, I just won't even look at it. I will not read anything called "Knight of Desire" or "The Pleasures of Sin." Gross. This criterion pretty much eliminates 75% of the books on the shelf.

2) No naked or half-naked people on the cover. I refuse to buy those books with the swooning couple on the front. Or back. However, I will buy a book whose front cover opens and there is a picture of that couple that you can't see if you are just looking at the outside of the book. It's really all about the cover.

3) If the plot summary describes the lead female character as "a vixen," or the lead male character as "a rogue," I put it away immediately. No, no, no. Those words are code for "horrible dialogue."

4) If the review quotes on the back say anything about it being steamy, hot, or heartwarming, I probably will not buy it. Those words are usually code for porn-y or sappy.

So, you know, I'm pretty self-conscious about the fact that I'm getting a PhD in English, and I read trashy novels. But, I do have standards; I don't read any old trash. Now, I have to restrain from reading my new stash of trash before I get to the airport tomorrow! I can't wait!

Dallas Summer Musicals

We've gone to see two of the Dallas Summer Musicals so far this year. I'd never been to Fair Park, and it's been years since I've seen a professional musical production, so I was super excited about seeing "The Wizard of Oz" last Friday. I was pretty disappointed. It was exactly like the movie with very little creative license taken by the writers, director, and even the actors. They pretty much did impersonations of the film actors, and it fell a little flat. That's not to say the performances weren't good - they were. So were the singing voices. I really like the movie, so it was still very fun to watch the play. The Wicked Witch of the West was particularly good, and I think it's because she wasn't just trying to copy Margaret Hamilton. She actually had her own interpretation of the character.

The dancing, though, was abysmal. I think my high school drama department could have done just as well. And these people are being paid to dance for a living. Pretty sad. Given that it was a national touring company, I figure that they're probably working with less than they would have if they were on a permanent stage. Like, maybe half their set was missing for some of the numbers or maybe there just isn't room on the Fair Park stage for them to do a big fancy dance number or something. Anyway, it was pretty mediocre. Not terrible, but certainly not fantastic.

So, when we went to go see "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" last night, I was apprehensive. I just hoped it was as good as "The Wizard of Oz" - which is to say disappointing, but it didn't ruin the show or anything. I expected them to cut some of my favorite parts from the movie in the interest of time or money or stage size or whatever. I was WRONG. It was fantastic! They had all the big dance numbers with great choreography (Toot Sweets and Me Ol' Bamboo), they kept all of my favorite parts (ie, the breakfast machine), and y'all, that flying car was awesome! Sooooooo good. And I think the best part of it all was this adorable little boy sitting in front of us who was totally into it. He was talking back to the actors on stage ("Dude, say please!"), he was terrified of the child catcher, and during the song where Mr. Potts is rallying all the children, this kid was pumping his arms in the air in time to the beat. He was so cute and he was having such a great time. Which is kind of the whole point, right? Kids are supposed to love this show. I did when I was a kid, and this little kid's enjoyment of it made me like it even more as an adult.

Success!

My eye surgery is a success so far! I woke up this morning, and for the first time in 25 years, I could SEE. Pretty amazing. The surgery wasn't bad at all - well, not as bad as I was expecting it to be, anyway. Jonathan even got to watch it (which I didn't want him to do, but he did anyway). I was most nervous about the "Clockwork Orange" eyelid stretchers they have to put on your eye, and I will say they were the worst part. So, if you can handle that, then you can handle LASIK.

I could see better immediately after the surgery, but everything looked weird and hazy like the room was full of smoke. I pretty much just kept my eyes closed as much as possible because, really, they hurt kind of badly. It took practically all of my willpower not to rub them. The doctor had given me some extra Valium, though, so when I got home, I took one and went to sleep. After a few hours, it just felt like I had an old, dry pair of scratchy contacts in, and I could see well enough to watch a little TV.

This morning, my right eye is pretty much at 100%. The left eye is still blurry, but I think it will improve as it continues to heal. I have a follow-up appointment today, so we'll see what the doctor says. The amazing part is that I can drive myself to the appointment. Seriously - it's that much better. I have to get my driver's license status changed!

It's pretty fantastic. I feel a little like a biblical character. It wasn't quite Zap! You're healed! But it's pretty close.

Squirrel Thief

Look who I caught stealing the birdseed this morning! That can't be comfortable, Mr. Squirrel.

LASIK

I went for my LASIK consultation today. The doctor said I have beautiful eyeballs. That's pretty cheesy coming from an ophthamologist, but I'll take compliments where I can get them! Anyway, I am having the surgery on Monday. Eeeeek! I am excited and scared.