Hi Everyone, welcome again on my blog after long break hehe (maternity leave). As I said on my fan page Travel Cooking Agnes on Facebook, I will write in English since now on. It is easier and faster (my devices are from U.K.) plus it will reach more people who sometimes write to me, ask questions and some advices, just they told me that the barrier is language and not everything is clear even when they use translator. I want to make it easier for everybody and that’s why I picked universal language. I am sorry about my mistakes in advance hehe Please forgive me, it is not my mother language ? I am not sure how it will go, but I will try to write every weekend or every other weekend like I did before. Subjects are still this same: Travel, Cooking, Morocco, maybe in the mean time I will sneak in some subjects about kids hehe etc. I hope you will enjoy your time during reading hehe Just don’t expect it will be to serious;) I have always posted a lot of colorful pictures and this time I really am short of time, so I will try to pick at least one from our collection. Best regards and chill out ?.
What surprised me in Morocco? That subject is long like a river indeed hehe When I went to Morocco very first time (I think in 2011), everything surprised me hehe I didn’t understand a lot of things, like culture or mentality, despite of I read about it before. To understand Moroccans all the way, you need to live in Morocco with them and among them (I lived in Morocco almost 3 years) 🙂 But let’s start from the beginning hehe
* Drinking from one glass – oh yeah, that was very bizarre for me. In every Moroccan house you will find a bottle or carafe with a tap water and one cup which is use by everyone ;);
* Tap water – Wherever I live I always drink mineral water from the bottle or filtered boiled water, here I found that everyone drink water from the tap and even in some coffee shops, when you order a warm drink, you will also get a glass of tap water with it;
* Motorcycles – everywhere a lot of motorbikes, streets and sidewalks are full of them (in some European countries it is very rare to see motorbikes and for ex. in Poland it is usually Harley Davidson which is dragged out from garage after a winter hehe We had also motorcycles called “mosquitos” they looked more similar to this Moroccan ones hehe);
* Sidewalks – in some cities there is no sidewalks and you have to share space with motorcycles, cars, coffee shops and small markets;
* Souk – market place, usually quite big, very good prices, a lot of fresh, delicious, seasonal vegetables and fruits plus live chickens and fresh fishes (caught in the morning in the Atlantic Ocean). On the souk you can also buy more bizzare things like some stuff which people use to perform witchcrafts (parts of animals, strange powders and herbs and also more freakish things like body parts dug out from cemeteries..);
* Witchcrafts, voodoo, black magic, rituals, secret prayers and ceremonies plus gnawa music – this is very long and hard subject, this things really exists in Morocco (and all Africa) and they are use by a lot of people, mainly women (usually to get a man and get married, but also if someone is jealous or wants to harm other person);
* Call to prayers – I remember when I heard it first time. I didn’t know what’s going on and it scared me. My future husband explained to me that it is calls for prayers calls Adhan. Call comes from the top of mosques 5 times per day so people can know when it’s prayer time;
* Guys with megaphone – he usually calls from a car to people if they have some old or used equipment to sell or give back (I thought it is some advertisement through speakers hehe);
* A lots of homeless cats – some of them so beautiful and amazing, that you would like to take them home. People feed them, take care of them, they are never hungry;
* Culture of cats – In Poland people keep cats in the house and in Morocco they run freely and then if they feel like they can come home and they will be feed. According religion, cats are clean animals, they were companions of human in Islam and that`s why they have special place in peoples hearts;
* Temporary souks – In the afternoon, usually near the houses, some people come and create their own souks (markets with vegetables and fruits on the streets), they have no license, so police come and usually throw them, but what they do is hehe they just hide for a little bit behind buildings and then come back or go few blocks further and sell their goods hehe funny;
* Warm blood and temperament – in Morocco you can’t say everything hehe, because it can be consider insulting. People have quite temper and it is easy to hurt them or insult them (for example I have always bought homemade yogurt in one shop and last times it wasn`t so thick, so next time I asked seller if today is also watery, because I prefer more thick hehe Well, he was insulted and trust me I just asked, I didn`t mean anything bad and I would buy it anyway, because it was delicious hehe;
* Live chicken, cows in one piece hanging on the hooks – In Morocco when you go buy chicken, you can pick by yourself which one you want and in 5 minutes it is ready for you. Still warm, but without feathers is ready to have last trip to your home and be eaten (I bad vegetarians have heart attack right now hehe). If you prefer beef, you can buy piece of cow. You can show to the butcher which part you want. Meat is very fresh and delicious.;
* Alkohol – In Morocco alcohol is forbidden by religion, however there are special shops where you can buy everything. You can also buy drinks in hotels. Especially if you are foreign.;
* Sheeps on the motorcycles hanged through an arm like a purse hehe – This view is common especially in Aid (sheep holiday, when everyone buys sheep to sacrifice it to God like Abraham (here my article about this holiday – Click Here ).; 
* Beautiful, old castles and ruins from firsts centuries – Indeed amazing, old and breath taking places you can find in all cities in Morocco (have a look at my articles: Click Here , Click Here;).;
* Great views – this topic is to big to even start with (I recommend you to check my previous articles and have a look on our pictures), the best are beaches at Atlantic Ocean ?;
* Wonderful food – tajines (my recipe: Click Here), couscous (my recipe: Click Here ), shawarma, beef with dry plums and almonds.. For more delicious recipes please go here: Click Here ). Morocco has a lot to offer. I also recommend you spices – so colorful, natural and full of flavor.
* Natural cosmetic – Country at the North Africa has a lot of natural goods. The most popular is Argan Oil (my article: Click Here). Popular are rhassul (my article: Click Here), kohl (my article: Click Here) and many more articles about it you will find here Click Here ).
* Goats on the trees – On argan oil trees goats eat fruits of argan. It looks very funny Click Here ;);
* Man holding hands on the streets – They are only friends. At the begging I though they are homosexuals. I was visiting Morocco while I lived in Brighton (called European capital city of gays, so you know).. My bad hehe;
* Mothers – Mothers are very important in Moroccan culture and religion. The mother is the most important person in the world and you should agree with everything she says. Some guys went on different level and printed their pictures with their mams and hang on the wall. Pictures are not always good quality, sometimes with special effects (stars, rainbows).. Mother is very important and kids show a lot of respect to her.;
* Pictures and statues – This things are not liked in Morocco. Sometimes it is said that it can have demons and it is not good to keep them in the house.;
* Beautiful, giant houses seem more like hotels then homes – Culture of building houses – wow.. Some of them are large and breathtaking. In Morocco family is the most important and they build places for all family.;
* Cemeteries – Graves are very modest , there are no flowers or lights on stones. Not a lot of people visit their dead family members, usually because it causes big pain and sad memories. There are also Jewish and Christian cemeteries and all of them have a guards who lives on their territory .;
* Old school ovens for bread – That’s a cool stuff, bread from that oven is really delicious and healthy. Sometimes people (children or women) bring their cakes or cookies and pay just few Dihrams to use this oven. After one hour they can pick their delicious baking.;
* Family is all the time together – They can sit together from morning till night and never get bored hehe When we visit my mam for a lunch, she has enough of us after one hour hehe Just kiddingJ Once I was on lunch in Morocco with a family member of my friend. Of course I accepted invitation, because I though it will take one hour (like in London), however we spent there 7 hours hehe God help me ;);
* Bureaucracy – When you will be in Morocco and you want to sort out something (in government place or get married etc.) you should be prepared for a lot of files, paper work, documents. Usually you can`t sort out things online. You need to be patient, very patient..;
* Bus station – When you are in the bus station, you feel like in the souk. It is very loud and some men want sell you tickets directly. They try to encourage you to pick up specific bus company. Funny thing – when we were in the bus, door were open all the way and helper of the driver picked up people from the street to join the bus 😉 When we were going to Casablanca, he was yelling “White house”, ” White house” hehe It is because in Casa houses are painted white 😉
I could tell you even more funny and strange stories, however it is enough for now and my daughter will wake up soon => feeding time hehe.
Morocco is like a different world for someone from Europe. I live in Poland and I lived in UK. When I am in Morocco I feel like I am in other, ancient world. People wearing djellabas (long clothes) and scarfs, donkeys stand on the streets between modern cars, you can see few camels on the way to Marrakech and all this mysterious, unknown world of beautiful views (beaches) and colorful spices cause that you feel like in other dimension. I really suggest you to visit Morocco at least once in your life (with group of friends or organised trip) and you will see what I mean. See you in a bit and cheers ? Oby nam sie hehe
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