The Rabat Medina. Morocco

Rabat was the first city in Morocco where I entered a medina--I was ill prepared for the onslaught of people aggressively selling goods to me, and our guide had failed to share his approach to successfully warding them off.

I got sucker punched right away--a woman grabbed my hand and started to apply an intricate henna design to it.  I was not mean enough to rip it my hand out of hers.  I say this as a failing--I should have been offended by the invasion of my personal space, but I was at once hesitant to respond and I was moderately fascinated with what she was doing, the design on my left hand emerging quickly despite all the yelling and pulling and denying that I wanted it done.  The upside was that the design came out well and lasted throughout my entire trip, and in the end I actually liked it.  Something to put on my to do list--learn to do henna designs that are beautiful.  Much later in the trip I saw some far more talented artists on the streets of Casablanca, which is where I should go in Morocco for such instruction.

The medina in Rabat is distinctive for the whitewashed walls and the dark and light blue doors and highlights--it is a twisty, curvy, hilly part of Rabat that affords occasional glimpses of the Atlantic coast line that are breathtaking to see.  We had traditional Moroccan tea, which is hot water poured over a glass full of fresh mint, then doused in sugar or honey, and carefully imbibed while simultaneously holding the rim and the bottom of the glass.