I’m kind of on the go, armed only with my iPad (which supports next to nothing when we’re talking about the Blogger program), so I’m not sure when this will get posted. That said, life is pretty good here- and I’m happy to be back in a place where my mornings start like they did today- before the coffee and catching up on current events…
It’s been a little while since I’ve done a running entry, and in the few times that I’ve run in Rabat I have always wanted to write about this place. My excellent friend Christina (who is used to my happy snap running style journalism) was kind enough to indulge me as I once again pulled out my camera for a 4 mile run around her hood. This was bound to be better than the first run that I documented with her- one where we kept getting lost around Budapest and unwittingly breaking the law as we ran through traffic tunnels that seems like a good idea at the time.
So here are some photos of Rabat. I am nothing of an expert on Moroccan cities, but I can tell you the country’s capital is more cosmopolitan than what your mind’s eye might envision. Accordingly, I think some photos from our morning stroll will give you a fair idea of life downtown.
There’s a bounty of great fresh food in Morocco (to include persimmons and cherimoya!) but our pre-run snack was a culturally appropriate handful of dates.
It’s 6:30AM, and once again the world makes its case for choosing to run at the crack of dawn. I love the silence of time and place, and around here there is a soft green mist that is the hallmark of a town coexisting with the sea. Four hours later as I type this, the sun now shines and sleepy streets have been replaced by a cacophonous symphony of car horns and diesel engines.
Christina is my intrepid guide, and our four mile loop takes us from rather anonymous city streets to unassuming (yet undoubtedly old) avenues that juxtapose l’Occident and the old school Maghreb.
I need to consult Christina to tell you about all of the things that I see as we plod along and keep a sharp eye out for pedestrian-blind taxis. To me, this architecture is uniquely Moroccan – but at seven in the morning I’m not looking for a guided tour. Instead I’m struggling a bit to get my body to settle into this relatively taxing run. I think it’s the humidity that’s tripping me up.
Now what’s a run in this parts without a picture of a mosque? The mosques here are quite beautiful, and I promise that you’ll see at least a couple more as I continue my visit.
As we got to this part, my mind clicked in remembrance from my first visit to Rabat. “Right near here is where we had that amazing pistachio ice cream, right?” As it turns out, my memory serves me well….nevermind that the House of Parliament is just off to the left and should probably have been more notable. It would appear that my faculties of retention all seem to center around random experiences as opposed to meaningful tourism. Bravo Megan.
It’s not too common that I have someone to run with in all of these cool places, so I ask Christina to take a photo of me. This is for you, Mom and Dad. For the rest of you, Rabat Parliament is just off to the right.
Look! It’s a killer taxi coming out of…another neat old wall…..yeah.
Manhole covers remain one of my favorite things to photograph. Probably because I appreciate countries that are kind enough to consider its walking (or running) public and cover up these death traps.
We pass Christina’s university and our Garmin watches note that we’ve put away four miles. We’ve got 13.1 miles to run in two days, so I’m happy to be done with our last training run before our event in Casablanca. Still, I’m amazed that my body didn’t feel really comfortable until I was almost at the four mile mark.
Rabat is starting to wake up, and I’m ready to head back in for a stretch and fantastic breakfast of plain yogurt, banana and Kashi GoLean. Sorry- kinda like the pistachio ice cream, I find it hard not to talk about my exciting breakfasts.
My last photo as I’m on the floor stretching out after my run. Even inside the house, I still get to take in the incredible Moroccan style of living. I can’t say this with absolute authority, but Morocco is unlike any other country on the planet- it’s just beautiful.
That’s it for now. I’m looking forward to our next run- with or without camera. Until that time I’ve got some detective work to do along the lines of walking, eating and shopping. Dieu est grand.