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One question that I often get asked is: "What should I pack when I go to Morocco?"
In my experience, most of the time, this question is asked by women. And being a woman, this list will definitely have a feminine slant. Of course, this list is not exhaustive. It just hits what I think are the 'must haves' in addition to your regular necessities.
#1. Pack an awesome carry on.
My first trip to Morocco was in 2002. My flight from Vancouver to Heathrow left on time, and technically arrived on time. But there was no runway available to land on. So we flew around London for over an hour. Then finally we were allowed to land. However, there was no gate available to taxi into. So we sat on the plane for an extra couple of hours. Of course, I missed my connecting flight and was put on a Royal Air Maroc flight later that evening. (Remind me to tell you that story sometime.)
So I arrived in Marrakech at 1 am. (Remind me to tell you that story sometime, too.) Of course, my checked bag did not arrive. And? I had a very poorly packed carry on. One extra shirt. One extra pair of underwear. My makeup, toothbrush and some hand lotion. That's *it*. Yes, I took my makeup off with hand lotion that night. And moisturized with it. It wasn't nice.
I was only in Morocco three weeks that trip. My bag did not arrive for ten days. (And checking if it had arrived or not was nothing short of a nightmare. Could I just call and ask? NO. I had to go there and talk to the guy in person. Multiple times.)
However, I made do. I bought a bottle of Pert Plus in the medina. It worked as shampoo, conditioner, hand soap, body wash and laundry detergent. I dug through mountains of Matronly Moroccan Underwear in the souq and found two pairs that I could tolerate wearing. I found one little shop that had Nivea face cream (I used it as a makeup remover, too) and a Nivea toner (praise the Lord) and I started to feel a little better about my predicament.
Then guess what? I had a little surprise. (Stay tuned for #2...)
So please. Pack a *real* carry on. I actually plan for at least one of our bags NOT to arrive whenever we go to Morocco now. (My husband was the lucky guy last time. He waited about 5 days... And had to take an all day trip to Marrakech to get it.) Have all of your necessities. A few changes of clothes. All of your medications. If you can't live without it for several days, it needs to be in your carry on.
#2. Tampons.
Ladies, if you are ok with pads, you will have quite a few to choose from if you get caught in Morocco during those first few days of your cycle. I, however, am not a fan, and was on the prowl for tampons. I had a couple in my purse that first ill-fated trip, but I knew I had to find some supplies ASAP. After searching for hours, all I could find was pads. I bought some, as I couldn't go back to the hotel with nothing.
But then I saw it. A hair salon. It had a fair bit of retail space in front and I just had a good feeling about it. So I scoured the shelves. Then I saw a couple of boxes of my favourite brand of tampons hidden on the lowest shelf in the corner behind the counter. (What are the chances that my favourite brand was the only brand there? Ha!)
I was so happy I wanted to cry. I gestured to the lady working there that I wanted some. She smiled really big, gave me the thumbs up and grabbed me a box. I was so thrilled to find them, I asked for a second box. Then I passed her the pads I'd just purchased still in their bag and said "Find them a good home" in what was probably very poor French.
So why the limited variety of feminine hygiene products? Well, I'm guessing it has something to do with preserving the modesty of the girls. I, for one, find tampons a lot more modest, but those in more conservative cultures would disagree.
#3. Stomach meds. Lots of them.
Let's continue with the semi-blushworthy items, shall we?
I've never had a problem with the water in Morocco. (I drink bottled, but I cook and brush my teeth with tap water.) I've never had a problem eating in someone's home.
But restaurant food is another story.
I'll never forget that shrimp thing I ate in Essaouira on Christmas Eve. It was delicious. A few hours later? I wanted to DIE. That feeling lingered for about 10 days. And remember! I was without my luggage! I had to go to the Moroccan pharmacy and get whatever they would give me! (It was ineffective!)
I can also tell you the story of a rotisserie chicken in the Djemaa al Fna in Marrakech. But I'll spare you the details.
Please. Bring Immodium to Morocco. And Pepto. And Tums. Even consider a prescription from your doctor for antibiotics that you fill before your departure to take in your.... You guessed it! In your carry on! I did that once and was so glad I did. (My doctor gave me Cipro).
I always do the same for our young daughter whenever we go away somewhere with potentially dodgy bugs in the food and/or water. (We used the antibiotics in Mexico, but got really lucky with her in Morocco last year... For which we are thankful. Other kids traveling to Morocco aren't nearly as lucky.)
#4. Ereader.
Even if you have a very busy itinerary planned and don't normally like to read, I really suggest you bring an ereader full of good books. There can be a lot of down time in Morocco. While traveling from town to town... or just during the evenings after a long day of walking, you might just want to relax with a book.
Buying English books in Morocco is very frustrating. I started going there in the dark ages before Kobos, Nooks and Kindles even existed. I hated hauling a lot of books in my luggage (that probably wouldn't show up anyway.) So I'd often not have enough reading material. A few shops had some selections, but were always really expensive. Even used books were overpriced. I remember bursting out laughing at someone who was trying to charge me 200 dirhams for a tattered copy of _Bridget Jones' Diary_. And it wasn't just the rough equivalent of $20 that he wanted, he also wanted the brand new hardcover Alice Hoffman that I was attempting to trade in order to sweeten the deal.
So yeah. Bring books. You often find yourself waiting around in Morocco, so it doesn't hurt to have some entertainment.
#5. Hammam kit.
One of my favourite things to do in Morocco is go the hammam. I love love love it. There are two types of hammams: the ones that Moroccans go to and the ones that tourists go to. I like both. If you're going to the latter, you don't need to take anything. But you really should visit the former, too. And for that one, you need some supplies.
You can and should buy savon noir and a kessa in the medina before you go to a public hammam. But I like to have a few more things along with me. A toiletry bag that can get drenched, my own shampoo and conditioner, nice smelling body wash, shaving gel, a razor and a face cloth are some of my hammam essentials. Also, be sure to have a towel and a hair brush for afterward!
I want to go to the hammam now.
#6. Modest-ish Clothing.
The Moroccan population is 99% Muslim. No, the women don't have to dress a certain way. They are free to wear as much or as little as they like. But when visiting, I like to dress a little more on the modest side as to respect the faith tradition of the vast majority. No that doesn't mean a djellaba or hijab. But for me, it does mean 3/4 length sleeves and pants or skirts most of the time.
I have no problem wearing bathing suits and tshirts at the beach. But the thought of strutting through the medina in a tube top and hot pants just doesn't seem right. (And now that I'm thinking about it... I personally wouldn't feel right wearing such an outfit anywhere. Trust me. You'd be glad to avoid such a sight.)
#7. A 10 ml Bottle of Saadia Organics Argan Oil.
So you're going all the way to Morocco. The land where Argan Oil flows like a mighty river. Why in the world would you get some from a business based in Vancouver?
Well, our company makes the best Argan Oil on the planet. It's authentic, eco-friendly and ethical. An 'impossible-to-find-elsewhere' combination.
My Mother-in-Law, Saadia, and some of my other relatives manufacture it for us in Essaouira. Then Saadia ships it directly to us here. There are a lot of fakes in Morocco -- and everywhere. Spend your money on a brand you can trust.
Argan Oil is ideal to take on any vacation. It's just so multipurpose. Any little quirks with your skin, hair and nails can be easily fixed with this stuff. And it's amazing for any kind of rash, cut or scrape you might get. It also works wonders on blisters, bug bites and sunburn. It has anti-bacterial properties, feels so soothing once it's on, and all of that Vitamin E heals whatever ails you right quick.
So there it is, friends. My List. I hope it helps!
xo, joèl~
PS Stay tuned for my next entry: "My Perfect Day Alone in Essaouira, Morocco"
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