After arriving via train we ran into a number of people, and — as
you know — got talked out of our clothing in front of my friends and
what you would expect would be a very “prudish” moroccan woman. After
that experience, we were hungry, and we got a restaurant recommendation
in the main square. The square itself was a zoo … not just
figuratively, but nearly literally …

There were huge groups of people (locals) surrounding musicians,
snake charmers, and monkeys. There was an unbelievable assortment of
food being cooked outdoors … and there were hundreds (we were there
at the “quiet” time of day) of people milling about. We found the
suggested eatery, but decided it was too touristy and walked back
through the square. In the middle we saw the guy with a big, nasty
cobra and a couple of other snakes …

These guys are persistent and very good, and suckered Mark M into
sitting down with them. He almost stained his shorts when the guy stuck
the first snake right on top of his head. When the guy then pointed the
snake at him and asked for money, Mark coughed up. The big lesson,
which has held true EVERYWHERE here … always always always ask how
much something is before you do it. Otherwise the answer is a plain NO
(or “La!” as you say it in Arabic.)

We ate Chicken Schwarma outside on the street at a little “cafe” …
if you could call it that. The people walked by, smoking, yelling, many
on gopeds and some on horse-drawn carts, some dressed in traditional
garb, some as western as the kids on the streets at home. We got fries
with our food — some things never change — and a Coke. I -have- to
find a can to shoot … it’s SO cool to see “Coca Cola” in Arabic
script on the cans.

We rushed back, registered for the University, and made it into the
main session with nary a minute to spare. The opening speaker was Mateu
something-or-other, and he was fascinating.

The guy quit his job and travelled 123 countries via 130 different
modes of transportation. I don’t have the energy to retell his story
now, but it was inspirational in its point — you can do nearly
ANYTHING you set your mind to doing.

From there we left to Le Palmerie … a palm grove that is normally
empty …. but wasn’t tonight!