Sunday, April 4, 2010

Into the Wild



During our travels in India and elsewhere, Charlie and I have had good experiences visiting UNESCO World Heritage sites. And so, we were pleased to see that Lonely Planet suggests an itinerary to visit each of the 8 World Heritage sites in Morocco. We decided that the next place we would go, from Marrakech, is Ait-Ben-Haddou.

We went to the bus station to ask about buses, and that is when we were approached by a tall, thin, Moroccan man in a leather jacket who told us that he would take us to Ait-Ben-Haddou and to the desert to spend one night with the Bedoin. Charlie immediately said, "We are in." I'm thinking, "Who is this guy? How can we trust him? Why does this trip cost so much? What do other official tour companies charge? This is just some strange guy!" - none of which I feel like I can say right in front of this guy, and so I just stay quiet.

The man asks, "Do I have your word that you will come with me, tomorrow morning?" Charlie gives him our word. And just like that, we are bound to go with Abdul to the desert.

The next morning, we wake up early and I have a horrible migraine. I feel nauseated and dizzy and pained by the drilling in the side of my head. Charlie and I get into Abdul's car and I slump in the back seat while waiting for my medication to kick in. As we drive out of the valley where Marrakech is, we make our way into the High Atlas mountains. They are called the High Atlas mountains for a reason. They are very high, and the roads are very steep and winding. And Abdul drives very fast around those winding roads. "STOP THE CAR!"

I have not thrown up since I was 8 years old. My stomach is made of steel. I usually enjoy winding roads (and, for that matter, air turbulance) the same extent as I would enjoy a good roller coaster. But that ride was awful. I had to demand that we stop twice to keep from spewing and I rested on the side of the road to let the crisp, cool wind on my face still me and relieve me from the horrible reeling feeling in my belly. As we left the worst of the High Atlas behind us, my medication finally kicked in and I started to feel myself again. After 4 to 5 hours, we picked up two people, Jee and Sacha, who were joining us on the trip. When Jee started to feel car sick, I offered her the front seat and I sat in the back feeling just fine. I told you, normally, have a stomach of steel. I don't know what came over me eariler that day.

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