Day 2 in Morocco

It's overcast and around 50 degrees. Morocco feels a lot like a muggy spring day in Seattle. We landed in Casablanca airport at 7:30 am Wednesday, 4th of March. When I stepped off the plane it was a bit warmer and the air was humid and muggy. Looking out the windows of the charter bus, northwest Morocco seems to be a very green place as well. Many cattle and sheep were grazing and laundry was swaying on the clothesline. The only thing that seemed out of place were the palm trees at the airport. They must have flown those in.

This is the first day of training. We got off the charter bus after a 4 hour ride directly from the airport to our hotel, southeast of Casablanca. All I wanted to do was shower and sleep, but instead we checked in to our room, ate lunch, then directly into our first training session. Once the presenter turned off the lights for a PowerPoint, I was out too, well only every few seconds or so. Thankfully the PowerPoint session was short and we had a coffee break after that. Then another session where they issued our medical kits and mosquito nets. We also learned how to take our temperature using the electronic thermometer and the paper ones, then more paperwork for our medical interview and vaccination records. Then we got dinner, another session then a guided tour of the city.

I have to say it still hadn't hit me that I was in Morocco until our guided walk around the city. I knew for sure I was in a foreign country because everyone was staring at us. We looked like a herd of tourists. After a long day of travel and information intake, I was happy to end the day of a hot shower, possibly one of the last ones I'll have for a while.

Today was the second day of training sessions. All very important and useful. It will take some time to digest and a few hours of reading the multiple handbooks that we received on PC policy, PC Approach to Safety & security, PC Emergency and Evacuation Policy, PC Health Policy, and I'm sure I'm missing a one or two more handbooks. I think the one that everyone got a kick out of was the one hour session on diarrhea, probably not so funny when you actually get diarrhea out here.Anyway, the doctor defined diarrhea, explained the causes, other possible symptoms associated with diarrhea, and of course treatment. Apparently, a lot of volunteers get diarrhea. My dad told me that in the Peace Corps they used to say conversations went from banal to anal.

Lovely... The important thing is that I'm happy and healthy for now.

We also went to the siouk today, the open air market. It was crowded... More on that later.

bye for now,
Felicia