When traveling overseas you can plan to blow your first hundred dollars just learning the money system. African countries have such colorful money, that you may feel like you’re playing monopoly. In Morocco it is customary to tip anyone you bring into you space. Example if you ask someone can you take a picture of them, you give a tip…..If you ask them to take a picture of you, you give a tip……If some helps with your bags, you give a tip..Etc. And they a quick to say “My tip please”. So today I asked this guy for directions, who seemed pretty harmless. He was walking on crutches; he had bandages around his head and leg. After told me where to go he put his little wobbly hand out for a tip. I think I accidently gave him like $50.00, because his eyes got wide, his face lit up, he dropped his crutches, and skipped away, waving the money in the air screaming something like “je suis riche, je suis riche”…  And to made bad matters worse, the directions he gave me were wrong……lol

Tomorrow we leave Rabat and are headed about 5hours inland towards the desert to a place called Marrakech. I really enjoyed Rabat, today we went to the Masjid for Jama. It was so pretty, they had chandeliers all over. Most of the young Muslim girls here wear regular clothes with a scarf.  They are pretty strict when it comes to how woman are dressed at the Masjid for prayer. Only your face, hands, and feet can show. Mostly all of the women had on over garments, but only about 5 had on plain ones. Everyone else had on satin animal print, multi-color swirls, sparkles, polka dots, and plaid. It was super colorful on the woman’s side. I have been Muslim my whole life, but being Muslim in a Muslim country is a whole other experience. It is wonderful! No more random checks at the airport and train station, because the last name Youssef raised a flag. Now, security sees me coming, they smile, ask me if I am okay and have a nice day. I’m really happy I did not go through with changing my last name to Thomas. Lol…I have to admit Morocco is a very beautiful country; the men are so well mannered. They speak really soft and if they are trying to sell you something and you say “No thank you” they just smile and keep it moving. The other thing that’s awesome is that every man here wears their pants up on his hips. No more of the God forsaking underwear showing. Just thinking about it is making me want to throw up.  But like all things there was a trade off. So I gave up saggy and tight pants, with undies showing, and gained jeans with sandals…lol ..In my book that’s a fashion NO<NO for men. But I will take toes over butt’s any day….lol

Until we meet again, this is your Urban Mystic Gypsy reminding you that life is for Living, not Wishing!!!  See you in Marrakech!! Over and out