Explored Morocco for a week with Oriana, and it was quite the adventure. The diverse country brought back fond memories of India, with its narrow streets, haggling vendors, and tantalizing street food. We navigated the maze of souks in Marrakech, took overnight buses into the Sahara Desert for a camel ride and camping escapade, and relaxed in the mountainous blue city of Chefchaouen. It truly was a week of being on the road, feeling like traveling backpackers, but every second of sleep deprivation was worth it.

Our first stop was Marrakech, a picturesque orange-tinted city with winding souks in the medina. We visited the Bahia Palace, a beautiful and intricate work of Islamic architecture, and the Majorelle Gardens, a calm oasis compared to the hustle and bustle of the city.

Wandering the maze of souks led us to discover quaint nooks and crannies, as well as delicious food stands. In the evening, we went to Jemaa el’Fna, the main square of Marrakech, which comes to life at night, with numerous stalls selling street food, souvenirs, and entertainment. Vendors are relentless, too – the number of funny comments we received from men is kind of crazy.

Side note: Morocco is cat country, and I couldn’t help but snap some photos of them (with a few dogs included, of course) throughout our trip.

After Marrakech, we took a train to Fes, where we hung around for a couple of hours before taking an overnight bus to Merzouga, on the edge of the Sahara Desert. The sand dunes looked like they were perfectly painted; the sight was so unreal. During the day, we explored the area around Merzouga, visiting a Mauritanian music village and a Berber home.

In the evening, we rode camels into Erg Chebbi, the dunes of the Sahara, and watched the sunset. Camels are one of the funniest animals. They’re so cute, but with such strange mannerisms!

Staying in a desert camp was so fun – it made me realize how different we live our lives in the city, always rushed and pushing forward to the next thing. In the desert, it’s all about relaxation and slow enjoyment; everything is governed by the sun and the stars. I’m not sure if I could sustain such a lifestyle forever, but I do frequently yearn to get away, to go off the grid and be free of urban society.

After a night of stargazing and playing music by the fire, we woke up early to watch the sunrise before riding our camels back to the guest house in Merzouga. Our overnight bus back to Fes was in the evening, so we basked in the sunlight on the terrace, learning about the lives of the people in this small desert town.

Our overnight bus journey was quite awful – fitful sleep, an extremely cold bus, and Arabic techno music blasting the whole time. It was worth it, though, no matter how sleep deprived we were when we got to Fes at 4 AM. It was Oriana’s 21st birthday, which made it all the more memorable! We fought to stay awake in the train station until 8 AM, when we caught our bus to Chefchaouen, the blue city.

In all our sleep deprivation, this day was wonderful. Chefchaouen is a photographer’s dream and a beautiful sight. Nestled in the Rif Mountains, surrounded by lush green valleys, the city is perched on a hill, a sea of blue and white stucco buildings that bring back memories of Greece and Italy with a Moroccan twist. We spent the day wandering through the narrow blue streets, snapping photos and buying souvenirs.

At sunset, we hiked up to the Spanish Mosque, which gave a sweeping view of the sprawling city and its surrounding landscape. I didn’t realize how much I missed the mountains until we came to Chefchaouen.

Our time in Chefchaouen was leisurely, spent experiencing the city with its natural beauty and surroundings. Our flight to Spain was from Tangier, so we took a bus and stayed in an AirBnB by the airport that night. The villa was right on the beach, owned by a New Zealand and Moroccan family who were so friendly and hospitable. It was the perfect end to our trip.

Morocco was a dream, a reminder of so many places I have been but with its own unique charm. Being two women, Oriana and I did receive a certain level of unwanted attention, but we felt safe everywhere we went, and experiencing this country with Oriana made it even more memorable. From the city to the desert to the mountains, our travels were far-flung and varied, but beautiful and thought-provoking all the same. Given the proximity of Morocco to Europe, it is easy to forget the disparities that divide places that seem so close to one another. Visit Morocco, if you can – it will open your eyes, make you more aware of how you live in relation to the rest of the world. I hope these photos gave you a little introduction.