Ouarzazate! I got 2 turn tables and a microphone.

We arrived in Ouarzazate after a 9 hour bus ride through the beautiful countryside and awe inspiring High Atlas. The ride through the mountains was insane! Thank goodness it was the first day of Ramadan because there was barely anyone on the road. I could totally see myself working in one of the berber villages which are majestically placed on the mountainsides. They all have rich beautiful green gardens contrasting with the red walled houses and white mosques. We arrived in Ouarzazate just as the sun was going down and we were greated by cannon shots and a W.W. II sounding air raid siren going off as the call to prayer began letting people know they could stop fasting. At first I thought the Luftwaffe was about to rain down some bombs. So far Ramadan has been a very exciting and hard thing to deal with. We cannot eat or drink in public and I try not to do it in front of my LCFs (Language Cross Cultural Facilitators) which makes trying to pronounce certain things in Darija interesting. Also the meals are switched to account for the fasting. At 7pm we have Breakfast which consists of sweet breads and jams with dates and soup then at 10pm we have dinner which usually is one of the larger meals. For lunch we have a salad and bread with water and tea. I must admit I am getting used to such light meals with no grease and fresh produce. However, it is EXTREMELY dry here so I constantly feel dehydrated and in need of some water. I drink about 3 to 4 liters a day! I found 6 liters of bottled water at market for 30 dirhams, which equates to less than a dollar / liter. Usually at about 11pm the whole city is out after spending dinner with their families and hang out in the plaza in front of our hotel until all hours of the night. Last night we played soccer, frisbee, and American football with the Moroccan kids who in turn taught us a little bit of language but for all we know could have taught us swear words. The past few nights I have fallen asleep to the rhythmic beating of the drums, singing, clapping, and children laughing and playing in the plaza. Not too bad if you ask me! I am currently trying to figure out a better way to upload pictures because blogger takes forever so keep checking for them!

P.S. Word on the street is that Leonardo Dicaprio is filming a new movie at the Atlas Studios which is right down the road from us. I'll let you know if I see him.