Blog Post #5 - The Marrakesh Not-So-Express

This morning we checked out of our hotel in Casablanca and took a taxi to the train station, where we were meeting Ms. Calarco (the librarian at Owasco Elementary) and Mrs. Wilkinson, a 2nd grade teacher in Wisconsin whose class connected with Mrs. Garrett's 2nd graders at Genesee this past year. 

 The train was over an hour late and when we finally boarded, while the seats were comfortable, the air-conditioning wasn't working and the outside temperature hovered around 112 degrees!  It started working about a half hour before we arrived in Marrakesh, which was, in total, a three and a half hour trip. However, we had lots to talk about, which made the trip go by quickly. 

How could I not post this?!?

Our beautiful hotel, the Mogador Palace, was a welcome site after the hot train ride. We checked in, completed our registration for the conference, and explored. The hotel restaurant didn't serve dinner until 7:30 pm so we enjoyed some delicious Moroccan mint tea.

After a swim in the pool to cool off, followed by dinner, we decided to take a taxi to Jemaa el -Fnaa, a section of Marrakesh known as "The Times Square of Morocco." It was a feast for the senses, with performers, food vendors, hundreds of souks (markets) with clothes, spices, purses, and much more.  We found a restaurant overlooking the square and enjoyed delicious virgin Mojitos.