After all, what’s all the excitement about visiting Morocco? Why do so many people, especially women, search for this place, if it’s such a different country compared to others? This has always been my question, until I had the courage and go there and see with my own eyes the beauty and what makes this such a unique and special place.
My name is Daniela, I’m 18 years old and, in April, I decided to travel to Morocco alone. I can’t remember the last time I had felt my heart racing, so much adrenaline, happiness and fear at the same time. Fear is actually the word that best describes my arrival in this different country. I was really scared and I didn’t think I would survive Morocco alone.
But as with everything in life, it’s the initial impacts that hurt. Fear quickly went away and was replaced by fascination – for smells, colors, food, culture and people. The people we think that are so different from us and therefore more cruel or cold, are not. Of course we can’t trust everyone, but we can’t be suspicious of anyone and Morocco was the proof. I have never met people so happy to help, so proud of what they stand for and with so much interest in welcoming people from all over the world. I stayed in Chefchaouen and Fes, two completely different cities and completely unique in their own way.
Chefchaouen – the blue city. For me, it’s the city of relaxation and reassurance that being alive is one of the greatest blessings we have in life and we forget about it. It’s a charming place, out of an authentic movie where every corner is the perfect excuse to stop and make that moment infinite. The place where the interior of the streets is able to calm the incredible heat that we feel outside them. The place with the most magical and beautiful sunsets I’ve ever seen in my whole life.
Fes – the spiritual city. My arrival in Fes was really scary. For those who do not know, Fes has one of the largest medinas in Morocco and one of the busiest as well. The noise, the smells of delicious food, the atmosphere and the smile in the face of every person that passes by. Fes is a lovely place, the place that made me feel at home and that makes me want to return for a long time. Every corner is a new path to an even more wonderful place. The tanneries, the incredible rooftops with amazing panoramic views, the mosques, the doors painted with so many colors and the constant change between the sun and the shadow are the things that make Fes such a special and spiritual place.
Morocco in general was an adventure that stays forever in my heart. A completely different culture from mine and yet I was accepted, even being a woman. As everyone knows, being a solo traveler woman can be a difficult road, but there have been times when I felt safer than in my own country. The stereotype that it is impossible to walk in Morocco alone being a woman is a lie. There are risks and it is up to each one to be careful with the path we take, with the people we trust and to respect such a different culture.
But above all, the highlights of this trip were definitely the immersion into the culture which is certainly possible if you are open minded, the incredible food full of flavor and love and the people who always welcomed me so well and made me bring Morocco in my heart.
I advise everyone, once in a lifetime – take a trip that breaks the stereotypes of society. A trip that will take your breath away just for thinking about it and a trip where you can find a second home. Morocco has it all! I’ll be back for sure!
Daniela Dias
