FROGLEGS

After a long day and an even longer night, we are back in Spain.On Saturday night, we decided that it’d be best to take the night train from Fes to Tangier. After we checked out of our hotel on Sunday morning, we were on our own until the middle of the night. At midday, we met some local friends doing some stuff with 24-7. They might even be starting a monastic community at some point very soon. It was exciting to meet people in that place who have a similar heart to ours.Figuring out what to do when you don’t have a hotel to go to in a strange city can be a little bit of a challenge. It was also a very hot day. We tried our best to find a bar or a cafe with air conditioning, but struck out. We ended up at a McDonalds at one point in a desperate attempt to find a decent toilet to use and a cooler environment. It served its purpose. (more…)

Early tomorrow morning, we’re headed from Fes to Tangier on the nightrain.

It’s been a pretty laidback trip.  No robberies, the hassles by locals seeking money haven’t been too bad, no sickness and the places we’ve stayed have been decent.  We’ve seen some spectacular sights and eaten excellent food.  The tajine we had in Rabat and the cous cous we had last night in the Fes medina were especially nice.We’re meeting some guys this afternoon that have run a 24-7 Prayer week.  That should be interesting.  After that, we’re going to head off to the medieval medina to pick up some gifts and try not to get ripped off to badly before heading home.We’ve made friends in a couple different cities and as a community, we have some ideas about what we’ll be able to do with whom here in Morocco.  All in all, a success.It would have been nice to venture off the beaten path a bit further, but I think that’s something for another time.Door – Morocco 2002, originally uploaded by Supermagicmike.

Everytime I come down to Morocco, I am struck by the extremes that exist here. Rich and poor are two obvious ends of the spectrum.  Casablanca, the largest city Morocco, also has the third largest mosque in the world, Hassan II.  We went and saw it yesterday and it is immense.  I’ve seen St. Peters in Rome and La Giralda in Sevilla.  They are popsicle stick constructions next to this thing.  Opulent, extravagant and grand are all adjectives that fail to explain just how impressive this building is.  Some friends there told us this morning that the mosque cost 5 billion dollars to build.  Apparently, at least half of that money came from donations with the other half coming from the King’s coffers.  I have to say, I initially thought that it seemed like an amazing project.  But then I read this morning that over one third of Casablanca’s residents (4 million) live in some of the worst shanty towns in the world under totally impoverished conditions.  Couldn’t 5 billion dollars have gone to some other, possibly more important ends?  I’ve no room to criticize though. How much of our church budgets worldwide go to building projects that sit empty 5-6 days a week while children, widows and orphans go hungry?  I can’t say that we, as Christians are leading the way either.But then there are other things… Like the fact that it was actually cold (yes, cold!) in Casablanca yesterday and blisteringly hot in Marrakech today.  Casablanca was so wide and spread out.  It seemed like you could see loads of sky everywhere you were.   Now, as I sit at a frustratingly slow and malfunctioning PC here on the edge of the medina in Marrakech, I know that the concepts of personal space and being able to look up and see the heavens is going to be gone for a few days…Phew! Keep me cooped up on a train for 15 hours in two days and I start rambling first chance I get.

le souk !, originally uploaded by …cathzilla.

Jim, Samuel and I are off to Morocco on Sunday morning. The wives and kids will be in El Puerto de Santa Maria at Jesus and Rachel’s place until we get back in a week or so.

We’ll be stopping in Rabat, Marrakech and Fes; in that order.See you on the other side.