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Hospitality in Morocco – Unexpected Surprise in Local Cuisine
A few months ago, my girlfriend and I traveled for the first time to Essaouira, Morocco. After a few days spent there enjoying the beach and visiting the city, we decided to rent a motorbike to go around. The sun was shining, the road was deserted.
We drove through the argan trees plantation, we stopped on the way to look at the landscape, the camels, and the goats. A perfect holiday day! A couple of hours later, we saw on the side of the road a wooden road sign saying “beach, 12 km”, and indicating a dirt road.
Excited by the adventure, we turned and followed the road.
Heading For A New Adventure!
The road was bumpy, dusty and full of stones. Driving the motorbike was getting demanding but the landscapes were amazing. Small villages, rivers and we had the opportunity to discover a part of Morocco unknown to most tourists.
After an hour, I didn’t manage to avoid to ride on a stone. I avoided the fall, but my foot was injured.
Finally, after another 30 minutes riding, thirsty, dirty and with a foot bleeding, we arrive at the end of the road. We were now facing the Atlantic Ocean. The sun was high in the sky, downhill the beach was deserted and the big waves of the ocean were breaking noisily. Kind of picture perfect.
A very steep road going downhill to the beach, where a few houses were near some fishermen boats. Impossible to go down with the two of us on the motorbike.
We had to make a choice. Should we go back to the main road and find a place to eat before going back to Essaouira? Or should we continue downhill and hope that one of the houses on the beach was a café?
We decided to push our luck and went downhill. Being that I was the only one that could drive, I drove the bike downhill, trying not to fall, and my girlfriend walked down.
After some cold sweats, we managed to reach the beach and the houses.
By chance one of them had the word café written on it. We came in. The house was quite basic, two tables, four seats facing the beach, and a barbecue in a corner. In another corner, a cat with her kittens seemed to be the only occupants. We were disappointed, we would now have to ride back and wouldn’t be able to eat or drink anything for a few more hours.
Tired by the drive, we decided to stay a bit to relax before going back. After a little while we were playing with the kittens when a man appeared.
The Encounter that Changed the Day
His name was Husain and we started to talk. When we asked him if it was possible to eat something, he told us the café was closed today. It was a bank holiday; the fishermen didn’t go fishing and there’s nothing to cook.
We then asked Hussain if by any chance a hidden restaurant was nearby, or an easier way to reach the main road.
He explained that his café was the only here and that there was no other option to reach the next big village than to go back to the main road, and then very spontaneously he said: “ but if you want, you could come to my house for lunch”.
Surprised by this gesture, we accepted and Hussain called his wife to let her know about our arrival. He offered us mint tea before we went back to his house. Altogether, we took the direction of Hussain’s house, located in a village a 20 min by walk from the beach.
A dozen houses very close together made the village. Our arrival was not discreet: dogs barking and kids screaming drew the attention of the rest of the village and we saw more and more people taking a look outside of their houses.
We arrived at Hussain’s house and he introduced his wife and his 3 kids.
The house was quite simple and welcoming. Hussain offered us to sit in the living room, on of the 3 benches disposed in U. On the wall, some paintings done by the kids. The same kind of drawing that all the kids around the world do. A house, the sun, some flowers and some smiling people 🙂
Hospitality in Morocco with A Surprise
Before eating, our host brought a bowl and poured some water to allow us to wash our hands. The lunch started with some bread and olives, in the kitchen his wife was finishing to prepare the main course.
She then came into the living room, bringing in her hands an old tajine pot. We were bit a stressed. Worried about being nice with our host, but afraid about the spicy or unusual food.
The moment of truth arrived: Hussain took off the hat of the tajine pot. Inside, there was some tagine mutton and… french fries! We were bowled over!
By having a lunch with a Moroccan family in the small village, far from any touristic area, I really didn’t expect to have french fries for lunch. We asked Hussain if his wife cooked that for us. A bit surprised by our question, he explained that the kids and him love that, so his wife cooked some from time to time. Sitting together, we ate our french fries. Laughing with my girlfriend about the clichéd ideas that we had.
[bctt tweet=”In the middle of nowhere during our adventure in Morocco, we were surprised by what the local hospitality had to offer. ” username=”contactrwc”]For the dessert we shared some juicy pomegranate. We talked a bit, played with kids, then it was time for us to leave this small village and go back to Essaouira.
I heard a lot of stories about my traveling friends sharing lunch with local people, praising the taste of some exotic meals. I didn’t eat anything unusual, but I learned that some things are universal, as kids drawing or the french fries!
Maxime Quantin a 30 years old Frenchman living currently in Ireland. Traveling is a real passion, and he has the opportunity to live in Indonesia, Sweden, Germany and of course France. It’s in Asia that he prefers to travel. He is always amazed by the different cultures, and loves to talk about tradition with local people. The question of the impact of tourism is also something fascinates him. A year ago, he launched My Travel Moment, a collaborative blog where he gathers inspiring travel stories from people from around the World. You can find him
The Kindness Chain – Jennifer Millikin
Joining the kindness chain — > I have a thing about balloons. I don’t like them. They pop, they cause fights between my kids, and they float away. And after each of these scenario’s plays out the tears fall like a summer rain. Me and balloons, we are not friends.
But on a Friday night at a packed restaurant, I found myself staring into my son’s big, brown eyes as he sweetly asked for a balloon. “Sure,” I told him. “Let’s go pick one out.” Our meal finished, we rose from the table and went to the scanty cluster of balloons loosely tied from a rail.
“I want the blue one Mommy!” My son squealed, just one second before another little boy joined us.
“What color would you like?” I asked the boy standing beside my son. His mother made her way toward us.
“Blue.” He replied.
I looked at the balloons, the cause of so much angst, and saw only one blue balloon. I glanced at my son, his little hands held out in anticipation, and handed the coveted blue balloon to the other boy. The boy’s mother thanked me and they went back to their table.
My son’s face crumpled and in seconds he was gushing tears. He was devastated. I now had another example to add to the list of a balloon’s possible offenses. His tears did not stop. They flowed through the painstaking wait for my husband to pay our check. They poured on the walk through the restaurant to our car. He sobbed while I strapped him into his car seat. I stroked his hair and told him I understood his disappointment and that it was ok to feel sad. I explained mommy was trying to be kind to the other little boy.
“Excuse me?” I heard from behind.
I turned around and there stood the little boy and his mother. Lip trembling, he held out the balloon.
“You don’t have to—” I started to say, but the woman stopped me.
“It’s important to him,” she nodded at my son, strapped in and whimpering. She bent down and said to her son, “This is how we love people.”
He pushed the balloon to me and they started back to the restaurant. Astonished, I yelled my thanks as they walked away. The mom turned back to me, smiled and waved.
I cried on the drive home. A stranger’s show of kindness to the child who holds my heart was more than I could handle.
A few years have passed since that happened. My kids no longer have an affinity for balloons and I have not mysteriously developed one either. My awe and gratitude for a fellow mom’s kindness has not decreased as time has passed. It is a constant reminder of the love I must teach my children to show to everyone, even to people they do not know. And I very begrudgingly admit, this all happened because of a balloon.
Personal note: I think of this experience often. It compels me to put down my sword and armor and open up. This mother and her son were Indian, and we are White. To her, my son was not a color but a person with a feeling. In today’s tense political environment, it is a beautiful reminder that we do not feel in different colors.
The Kindness Chain – Shalini Tyagi
Joining the Kindness Chain. — >
Often we warn our kids about “stranger danger”. We teach to be wary of any unknown person, not accepting anything so on and so forth. On the other hand some or the other time one comes across a kind gesture by a total stranger and it leaves the heart just a little bit warmer..
Any story of kindness should not be withheld, it should be told and retold, bringing back some faith in an otherwise harsh world..
This incident, that I want to share, happened a few years back the day we moved to Dubai.
Travelling with two small children, my daughter just a few months old. Moving houses is a mammoth task with so much luggage,and being encumbered by a baby pram was a nightmare happening.
We somehow managed to haul ourselves to an airport cab and reached our new apartment building.
Upon reaching the building we were presented with the problem of taking the luggage up to the apartment along with the kids .
My husband was about to call the security guy to help when three men stepped out of the elevator , all dressed to go out for the evening.
They walked up to us and welcomed us to Dubai, then asked us whether they can be of help. We thanked them but requested them not to be hassled and carry on.
But they were not taking NO for an answer and told us to just bring the kids up to the respective floor and carried ALL our luggage to our front door. We unlocked the door and they deposited all the huge suitcases in our hall and further offered to get any groceries from the store.
After we assured them we had all we needed, they bade us a goodnight and left.
To many this would just be a small gesture, but for us in a new and strange city, it made a world of difference.
We knew nobody back then and these three strangers left us with a glow in our hearts and hope.
Since then I have had strangers open doors for me, carry my groceries in the elevator or just smile to wish a pleasant day and I never forget to be grateful.
Even I try to do my bit, a new mom trying to negotiate a double pram can always use a smile and a hand. If even for a few seconds I can be that stranger that a person can be grateful for, the world is still beautiful.
Shalini Tyagi
The Kindness Chain – Sneha Jhanb
Joining the Kindness Chain – In Vegas, in a community I lived in, they did mealtrains for families where there was a person sick or had just delivered or lost a job etc. They asked me when I had to suddenly go in to hospital for a surgery. I of course had other help but kindness in communities does exist. It inspired me to organize meal trains in my mommy group as well. We all brought food for new delivered moms in the group for 2 weeks.
In North Carolina, I met with an accident on the road, and I did not have cell phone handy. A random stranger stopped his car, asked me how I was, called 911 l, ambulance and my sister for me and then I was alone and was scared and I asked him if I could just hold his hand for a moment and he let me. This was almost 11 years ago.
Finding Love and Commitment With Family Easily in an RV
The biggest push to move into an RV was the immense love and commitment to family I witnessed over and over by each full-time family I found online.
Finding Hope in Overwhelm.
Staying up late one night in our hotel, I was mulling over the decision to buy an RV. Would it be good for my child? Could Ed and I survive in such close quarters? He’d only been back in the states for a few months and we were still adjusting to one another. Are there people out there that do this successfully? I want so badly to feel that love and commitment to family. Will this help or hurt that desire?
Completely overwhelmed, I decided to search for RV families. Little did I know the full-time family not only existed, but FLOURISHED inside the RV.
Searching, so many different channels and blogs popped up. It didn’t take long to notice a completely different family dynamic. I saw families having fun together! In a small space! I found a family of 11, completely killin’ it out on the road. I read through a couple’s blog on how they started their marriage in an RV, successfully building different businesses and income streams TOGETHER! Then I came across a full-time family that looked just like mine! I learned of their desire to come together as a family and spend as much quality time together as possible.
Above all, I saw each full-timer showing love and commitment to family. Wow! These were the desires of my heart!
After that, it was a very easy decision to move into the RV.
My Own Little Full-Time Family
So we quickly bought and moved into an RV.
Am I happier? Do my values and priorities line up? Am I feeling that love and commitment to family?
YES! (I mean, mostly. Everybody has bad days, ya know.)
RVing makes you commit. You have to be all in or you’re gonna crack.
Move in day!
The small space forces us to be together. I can’t close the door when I’m mad because well, there is quite literally no door to close. I must communicate my feelings as I have them. There’s just no room for a grown woman to explode. Other RVers feel this way too, especially with the added pressures of moving around.
Before the RV, my husband came home to a stressed wife. I would put him on “daddy duty” immediately. (Okay, this means I’d practically lock Chelsea and Ed together in her room.) I felt I needed them out of my hair so I could catch up on cleaning or other duties. Despite being my own doing, I was jealous of their ability to play and be carefree. (Yes, I can be that crazy.)
How could they have fun while the mother of this family struggles to get the jam off the cupboard?!?! How rude!
Now, I have so much less to take care of and it brings great joy to hear or watch my husband and daughter play. Even if I’ve gotta do the dishes when he gets home, we’re all in the same room so I get to experience those daddy daughter moments. I don’t really resent housework anymore.
The small space also highlights when I’m feeling weak. Despite taking only 15-30 minutes to clean the RV, there are times when the thought of picking up one sock is equivalent to solving the world’s hunger problem. In our townhouse, it could take a week for the effects of that to show. Here in the RV, it takes a day. When I don’t bother picking up, my husband notices immediately. This signals to him I’m struggling and he begins helping me around the house. It has done wonders for our marriage.
The Magic of Nature
Have you ever heard the phrase “You just need some fresh air?”
Of course you have.
Well in the RV, we spend a lot of time getting fresh air. I mean, when you live in 380 square feet it makes it easy to want to get outside. With the added advantage of living on a campground with plenty of room to run, play, and explore, we get outside for hours each day.
And I’ve learned the simple act of getting into nature together is a miracle for the soul of the family.
When we moved into the RV, my toddler was just starting to use real words. Now she can name birds, scream there is a squirrel running up the tree, and point out turtles and fish in the pond. There is something magical about your child learning about the outdoors firsthand.
Looking into the water together, teaching her about algae
My heart swells with pride when Chelsea recognizes an animal in a storybook from real-life experience. Just writing this is making me smile! As a mother, there has been nothing more exciting than to see my child learn and fall in love with the world around her.
There is also great power in the cookout.
Yep, simply cooking outside has brought me so close to my family. My daughter loves watching us fire up the grill. I don’t know about your kid, but mine gets super excited for dinner. Being outside, she can run some of that excitement off before it is time to settle down and sit to eat. It makes dinner so much more enjoyable!
Getting this excited about dinner is just a normal RV thing
So why is RVing a secret formula to love and commitment to family?
Shared experiences.
Yep, that’s it. Living in an RV forces you to share just about everything with the people around you.
Michael Boyink of Ditching Suburbia put it best. He states that RVing has added layers to the family foundation:
“We(‘ve) negotiated new places together, discovered new foods together, explored beaches, deserts, and mountains together. We’ve encountered and interacted with different types of people together and learned a ton about our country and its history together.”
All of that boils down to shared experiences forging that love and commitment to family. I know all this to be true, oh so true.
And while my family isn’t traveling yet, living in this RV has forced us to share many things. We are dedicated to our daily walks together. Together, we meet lots of new and interesting people that come in and out of the campground on a daily basis. We watch the sunset together and cook dinner as a unit. Just about everything done is a family affair. It is forging a very strong bond for the Wilcox household.
And that is where the real magic is, how and why RV families can show that love and commitment to family.
It is because the family unit is getting back to the basics, working together to learn about the world around them and experience new things. The family bond strengthens as its members become explorers together. There are so many shared.
The family bond strengthens as its members become explorers together. There are so many shared experiences, it is hard not to feel close to each other.
Liz Wilcox is a free spirit on a mission to unite all RVers and dreamers. She does this at her Virtual Campground through a sense of community, one on one help and advice, but above all but-gusting laughs to keep you going when the journey gets tough. Get hooked up (that’s a funny RV pun, she swears) at lizwilcox.com.
Change Your Perception of Yourself
Once a dog ran into a museum- where all the walls, the ceiling, the door and even the floor were made of mirror.
Seeing this the dog froze in surprise in the middle of the hall, a whole pack of dogs surrounded it from all sides, from above and below.
The dog bared his teeth -and all the reflections responded to it in the same way. Frightened, the dog frantically barked – the reflections imitated the bark and increased it many times. The dog barked even harder and the echo was keeping up. The dog tossed from one side to another, biting the air – his reflections also tossed around snapping their teeth.
Next day in the morning the museum security guards found the miserable dog, lifeless and surrounded by a million reflections of lifeless dogs.
There was nobody, who would make any harm to the dog. The dog died by fighting with his own reflections.
Value of Life
Story from Sikhism
A man went to Guru Nanak Sahib and asked, “What’s the value of life?”
Gurunanak ji gave him one stone and said, “Find out the value of this stone, but don’t sell it.”
The man took the stone to an Orange Seller and asked him what its cost would be. The Orange Seller saw the shiny stone and said, “You can take 12 oranges and give me the stone.”
The man apologized and said that the guru has asked him not to sell it.
He went ahead and found a vegetable seller. “What could be the value of this stone?” he asked the vegetable seller. The seller saw the shiny stone and said, “Take one sack of potatoes and give me the stone.” The man again apologized and said he can’t sell it.
Further ahead, he went into a jewelry shop and asked the value of the stone. The jeweler saw the stone under a lens and said, “I’ll give you 50 Lakhs for this stone.” When the man shook his head, the jeweler said, “Alright, alright, take 2 crores, but give me the stone.” The man explained that he can’t sell the stone.
Further ahead, the man saw a precious stone’s shop and asked the seller the value of this stone. When the precious stone’s seller saw the big ruby, he lay down a red cloth and put the ruby on it. Then he walked in circles around the ruby and bent down and touched his head in front of the ruby. “From where did you bring this priceless ruby from?” he asked. “Even if I sell the whole world, and my life, I won’t be able to purchase this priceless stone.
Stunned and confused, the man returned to the guru and told him what had happened. “Now tell me what is the value of life, guru ji?”
Gurunanak said, “The answers you got from the Orange Seller, the Vegetable Seller, the Jeweler & the Precious Stone’s Seller explain the value of our life… You may be a precious stone, even priceless, but people will value you based on their financial status, their level of information, their belief in you, their motive behind entertaining you, their ambition, and their risk taking ability. But don’t fear, you will surely find someone who will discern your true value.”
Respect yourself.
You are Unique.
No one can Replace you!!
The Bird’s Trick
There once was a merchant who had a bird as a pet that he kept in a cage. One day, the merchant said to the bird, “I am going to India on business, the land that you are from. Do you want me to bring anything back for you.”
The bird replied, “Not really, I just want my freedom.”
“No,” the merchant responded.
“OK then,” said the bird, “Can you at least go the jungle in India and tell the free birds over there about me and how I am in a cage.”
So the merchant agreed and complied with the bird’s request when he got to the jungle in India. And as soon as he finished his statement, a wild bird that looked just like his own fell to the ground.
“Oh dear,” the man thought. “This must be a relative of my bird, whose sadness of hearing about my bird’s captivity has caused him to die.”
When the merchant arrived home and the bird asked what happened, the merchant sadly replied, “Unfortunately, when I spoke about you, one of your relatives collapsed immediately upon hearing how you are in a cage.”
When the bird heard this, it too collapsed in its cage.
The merchant thought, “Now the news of his relative’s death has killed my bird!”
Greatly saddened, he picked up the bird and put it near his window. Immediately after he did this, the bird flew out the window and to his freedom.
From a distance, he said to his former owner, “You have been tricked. You thought that misfortune had struck me, but in actuality the opposite has happened. The message of the way I could free myself was sent by my relative through you.”
And with that statement, the bird flew away.
8 Amazing Things About Travel in Cuba
Havana has been on the hot list ever since tourism opened for Americans. As someone who blogs about travel to Cuba and has gone five times in the past year, I get the question all the time: is it safe for kids?
Short answer: YES! Long answer: Some cities are just better than others.
The Most Kid-Friendly City In Cuba
The city of Havana is just like every other major city. The underbellies of society put out on front street: trash, crumbling buildings, and massive amounts of pollution. Don’t get me wrong, there are great things about Havana. But when I think of children, my number one suggestion would be the city of Viñales.
Why Is Viñales Safe?
Viñales is a town 2 hours west of Havana and can be accessed by taxi for $60 from the airport. While Cubans in general are very family and community-oriented people who incorporate children in every aspect of life, the city of Viñales itself is especially community-oriented.
With only one main road, and houses of every color lining the street, you immediately feel safe and secure. It’s a town where children can walk the streets alone, run in and out of each others houses, and play together in the town square. You better believe you can’t get lost or in trouble without a neighbor or two knowing about it.
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Salsa Lessons for Kids
Speaking of the town square, there is always live music. Whether it be at a restaurant or the Casa del Cultura, music is sure to follow. Children and adults alike can take salsa lessons for $10/hour at the casa del cultura or booked through their casa particular. And at night at the Casa de la Musica, there is a nightly cultural dance show that starts at 9PM.
Stay With A Cuban Family
Accommodations in Cuba are fairly inexpensive at around $25-$30/night. But it is best to stay in a casa particular. These are either separate apartments or guest bedrooms where a Cuban family will rent out their extra space. To be in community with the locals is the best way to travel and the best way to have your children’s accommodations met. But please also be respectful! This is someone’s home, not a concierge service.
My personal favorite is Casa El Cactus. They will arrange everything from your salsa lesson, to your taxi transfer, to your tobacco tour, and will even cook you breakfast, lunch, or dinner in house.
Go On A Horse Ride Through The Tobacco Farms
There are two options for touring through the tobacco farm: the walking option or the horse option. The guides have trained their horses to handle people of all ages from birth to the elderly. There’s no greater feeling than going on a slow walk through the tobacco farms by horse with your little one sitting in front of you. These tours only cost $25/person for touring with a personal guide through caves, lakes, coffee plantations, and tobacco farms.
The tobacco farmers walk you through the entire process of growing, preserving, and rolling the cigars, and even give adults a complimentary cigar to enjoy. These are the authentic Cuban cigars that John F. Kennedy loved so much. Viñales Valley is the only place where you can purchase cigars and the profits will go directly to the farmer as opposed to the Cuban government.
Snorkel and Swim at Cayo Jutias
A trip to the Caribbean just isn’t complete without a beach day. Daily trips to the nearest beach of Cayo Jutias are made from 9AM and return at 5PM. Upon arriving on the beach, you’re greeted with the most crystal clear blues and greens that you’ve ever seen.
It’s hard to grasp how perfect the water glitters and how calm the sea is. Palm trees offer shade on the white sand, coconuts filled with rum are served at the bar, and fresh lobster is sold on the sea. In addition, if you walk far enough, you can find starfish hidden in the shallow waters. You just can’t get a better beach day than this.
Bike Rides To The Mogotes
If your kids are old enough, I highly recommend doing a bike ride through the Mogotes to see the huge limestone cliffs that are signature of the Viñales Valley. If that is not an option, you can take a taxi to Hotel Jazmines and see the incredible view poolside. The landscape is so beautiful it doesn’t even look real.
Other Tips for Kid-Friendly Travel in Cuba:
- The water is not safe to drink.
- Bottled water is available at every store for mixing formula.
- Pack lots of sunscreen.
- Bring a mosquito net.
- Be flexible because Cuba is about laughs and going with the flow and not for the uptight.
Kiona, Ph.D., is an advocate for women, minority populations, and being self-aware and accepting when cultures mix. She believes that if more people traveled, the more humans would have mutual respect for each other and a greater appreciation for the things they have at home; making the world more about love and less about hate. Her blog partners travelers with the best recommendations on how to conquer a country with minimal hassle and on a budget. You can find her website here.