I felt whole, happy, excited, relaxed, comfortable and was surrounded by 3 other women that I could be totally myself with, letting all other mental social games that arose at the beginning of our journey go as if they were swept away by the Saharan sand. 

Truly, one of the most memorable and joyous dining experiences of my life, and I have had many. Camaraderie, connection, conversation, ambiance, lighting, savory sea bass, wine that was so succulent the glass begged to rejoin  my palate the moment after settling it down. We joined hands for a prayer of gratitude before we indulged in some of God’s greatest earthly gifts. 

Frenzy and Fun on the Way Back

Considering we were still a bit new to the currency, although it doesn’t get much easier than dividing by 10. We decided to hail a cab home since we were still unsure of how safe it was to walk home close to midnight now. Kristin asked the doorman about a cab, he is this charismatic swift manner took her phone in hand over to a taxi driver down the street. Coming from C-Town where we had to be hyper-vigilant of pickpocketing and were advised never to walk even one block at night due to the prevalence of theft, I was concerned. It was actually Angela who pointed out that the cab driver now had her phone. At that instant, I switched on and involved myself in the negotiations, watching the phone with an eagle’s eye. 

He asked her how much she wants to pay. “She hesitated, as we had no idea what was normal yet, saying” Well, I don’t know – 20!” Me in my partial wine-filled sleep-deprived head thought of 20 U.S. dollars for some reason.  The cabbie argued that this was too little for 4 people. I told him what’s the difference if you take one or 4 of us, it is costing you the same amount of time and gas. I didn’t like that he was still holding her phone when we were clearly arguing price (we warned we must do with taxis/markets here in Marrakesh). 

This banter continued, feeling a tenseness seeping into the air. I didn’t want to take the chance of her losing her phone, we didn’t know enough about this culture yet, just having arrived.  The very strong, bold, brazen almost aggressive part of me that rarely peaks its head,  like a  lioness needing to protect myself of the cubs, grabbed the phone out of his hand (which I might add required a bit of force) walked swiftly away and told him, we would just walk home!!!

Mo, who’s from Singapore, was standing there quietly watching the action and hurried up to me saying “Damn Mira I want to go shopping with you, you really know how to handle and take charge!” We laughed hysterically and felt empowered, then suddenly we realized that 20 dirhams was only $2.20. Now I felt a bit badly. We offered the poor guy only $2 and then argued about the cost!

We were too far away now and I will never forget to drop the “0” again. Still, I think he was going to hold onto the phone until he came to a price that was acceptable to him and I didn’t like his ransomesque strategy. Plus, we needed to walk off some of this delicious wine before bed. 

The four of us were a natural crew on our 15 minute or so walk back in the brisk desert air,  forming pairs as we walked than switching without even thinking as we crossed streets and ended up in a new position. 

We learned quickly that crossing streets in Morocco are almost like a game of cat and mouse, feeling momentarily safe then quickly having to sprint. The green light switches to red without even a split second of warning (no yellow lights here), instantaneously seen, heard, and felt by the moving masses of cars and mopeds making their aggressive way forward, we quickly learned to dart across the streets like rabbits. 

I never slept so soundly in all of my days at 106 Adderley, the sun rose much later here and the light blocking curtains also worked in my favor. In CT the sun would pierce through the shades early, like 5 a.m. early. 

Kristin woke up seconds after I did and for the first time in over a month, we started our morning with a proper meditation. Yes, I found my sanctuary finally!!!  I had wanted to meditate in CT but my only meditation was being in nature or writing. My energies weren’t settled enough to bind with the practice there. 

Here, we were blessed with a beautiful and by comparison lavish apartment filled with royal red curtains, silk and velvet royal red and earth green coaches and embroidered pillows galore, a huge dining room table perfect for writing or entertaining, a patio that was sun-soaked, 2 bathrooms with plenty of space for my more than abundant lotions and potions. I felt like we were in our own living space, not in temporary uniform dorm housing. A sense of gratitude with a nuance entitlement to this upgrade after the emotionally arduous month in the “Mother City”.