The biggest surprise to me upon arrival was the weather… why is it cold? I thought it was going to be mid 70s and sunny, but today I was a little chilly, and the wind was preying on my downfall. So I’m really hoping it warms up or just isn’t as windy because I also don’t want to cover up my cute outfits with a jacket every day, hehe. We do need to be very careful, because even when it’s chilly, we might forget that the UV is still very high. I made that mistake before when I was in Guatemala and the UV was very high, but it was cloudy and cold so I didn’t expect it to be so harsh. I was fooled and got burnt to a crisp! So please learn from my mistake and still use sunscreen everyday because the UV gets pretty high here. Everything else we experienced today was pretty on par with my expectations, and I enjoyed walking around the mall and of course eating lunch. I got McDonalds because I couldnt decide on anything else and it was definitely slightly cleaner tasting than it is in the US. I also ordered something that isn’t sold at American Mcdonalds which were fried gouda bites. They were yummy I highly reccommend. Think like mozzarella stick but a creamier, less salty cheese inside.

The mosque was beautiful, and the tour was very fascinating. Even though this is boring, what surprised me most is that it was built in only 6 years. That is almost unbelievable because of how intricate each detail was. The engraved ceiling, the marble, the doors, and literally everything else seemed so perfect and looked like it would have taken decades to complete. I think it is very important to learn about various religions, because in most cases, that is what defines the culture. It is obvious that the Islamic religion has shaped every Moroccan’s way of life, so I thought it was especially wonderful that we were able to tour the mosque and see their place of worship.