Original Story Published by: Gina Zammit for Darling Magazine
Photography by: Wes Sumner
At its best, spring not only delivers a necessary emptying of things we no longer need, but makes glorious room for new experiences and the capacity to enjoy them more fully. We’ve always got our passports nearby, and we know you do too. So we’re daydreaming our way through Morocco in the below all-senses-engaged story from Darling Issue 20.
One Way Ticket to Morocco, Please
Upon boarding the Royal Air Maroc flight from New York to Casablanca, I could not control my excitement. Like giddy children anticipating a visit from Santa, my travel partner, David, and I had trouble sleeping on the brief flight but were decidedly unfazed by our lack of rest. Everything from that moment on seemed rare and special, even the semi-frozen butter pats served on board with flaccid sourdough bread, softened from its plastic exterior, because we were just six hours away from a place we knew would surely be magical.
Morocco is an otherworldly and mysterious land full of hidden treasures; if you blink, you may miss something truly wonderful.
Roughly the size of California, from the vast deserts of the south, to the towering Atlas Mountains, and the laid back surfing community in Essaouira, surprisingly, many comparisons (beyond size) can be drawn between the two. Like the vast cultural differences between the cities of San Francisco and Los Angeles, the diversity of Morocco can be seen on just about every level.
The terrain, culture and cuisine all vary by region and, sometimes, even by individual villages. The locals typically speak at least three languages – Arabic, French and English – but some, particularly those in the northern region along the coast, are also fluent in Spanish, German and Berber, an ancient language native to North Africa.
The people of Morocco tend to keep their cards close to their vests, and this trait expresses itself beyond their relationships, it’s in everything from the architecture to fashion and the cuisine.
Unlike Europeans, Moroccans prefer to have inner courtyards in their homes as opposed to outward-facing balconies, and what may seem as an unassuming structure, could turn out to be a venerable palace once seen from the inside.
