Travel during Eid: A Moroccan Adventure

by Jordan Addison (United States of America)

A leap into the unknown Morocco

In the summer of 2018, I embarked on what would be a year-long adventure combining an overseas internship, study abroad, and many solo trips in between. I started out in Morocco by interning with an organization called AIESEC. AIESEC is a youth-ran, non-profit organization that partners with the UN to create volunteer and internship opportunities abroad. The organization is present in over 120 countries and their projects align with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We do this with the 2030 Agenda in mind, which calls for a plan of action to strengthen quality of life and longevity worldwide. During my 6-week internship, which was split up between the cities of Casablanca and Tangier, I was given the opportunity to travel the country and reflect on my experiences by creating recruitment material. My job was to encourage people from all over the world to experience everything that Morocco has to offer, and I took many different approaches to fulfill this goal. Although the Local Committee members would organize various activities to showcase the day in the life of a Moroccan, myself and the other interns found that we should also set aside time to do some more independent traveling as well. One opportunity that we took full advantage of was to travel during the holiday of Eid. Morocco is a Muslim country, and much like the US, most places of employment close during the holidays. Eid al-Adha is a 3-day Islamic holiday commemorating sacrifices made for Allah. Having lived with a host family, I learned that tradition calls for a sacrificial slaughtering of an animal (like a sheep or goat), then distributing it amongst family members and neighbors alike. As a vegetarian, I was hesitant to partake in this holiday, so I instead traveled to Marrakesh, Morocco, a city in the south of Morocco known for its endless markets and winding streets. One day in particular, we took a day trip to Al Haous, a valley region that lies about an hour and a half south of Marrakesh. This was suggested by some locals working in our hostels, so a group of about 6 of us left enough time on our trip to visit. As Al Haous is a rural area, there is no way to get there by public transportation, so we had to improve a bit. I did not speak any Arabic, but luckily, the majority of the people that I was traveling with came from countries such as Egypt, Algeria, and Tunisia, so they were able to speak Arabic, and sometimes French, fluently. After asking around for some advice on how to get there, we found a local goat farmer that was headed to Al Haous to make a delivery and was generous enough to offer us a ride. So, there we were, driving down dirt roads with goats strapped to the top of the van, in the midst of the most beautiful views. It was a truly beautiful interaction, combining the local and the global- we actually had difficulty fully communicating with the farmer, because he primarily spoke Berber, the local language. When we arrived at our destination, we were hit with a wave of hunger. We had brought snacks, prepared for the possibility that there would not be many options this far outside of the city, but we were pleasantly surprised at what we found here. Ourika, the village that we eventually settled on, easily had the best food out of the entire trip. Situated directly on the Ourika River, many restaurants used the large rocks in the middle of the river as a place to seat guests, allowing water from the stream to rush over your feet while you enjoy fresh orange juice and the best tajine marocaine in the country. After our meal, we took a hike up the valley, following the hand-painted signs until we were greeted with a tall waterfall, right around the time that the sun was setting. To this day, I look back on that day in Al Haous and the Ourika valley with such fondness and appreciation.