I am worth more than 50 Camels and a Coke.

شكر

(Thank you in Arabic, pronounced shokran.)

I spent the weekend in Morocco touring three cities: Tetuoun, Tanger, and Chef Chouen.  It was awesome.  I saw things in markets I thought I would never see: all stages of chickens, fish, cats stealing fish, so many fresh vegetables and so many other things.  They even had a "pharmacy" which was a little shop with natural deodorant, shampoo and other things too.

I rode a camel. My friend thought it was hilarious that I had the opportunity to ride a camel before I did a horse.  Next on my list is ostrich, donkey and then maybe horse.

My favorite part of the entire trip was definately in Chef Chouen.  We had free time so we were bartering with the merchants.  There was a blanket that I was looking at in one of the shops and I didn't really care if I bought it or not.  It was a nice enough blanket and if the price was nice enough I would have bought it.  So I started bartering.  He started at 15 euro, I started at 2 euro.  I wasn't going to buy it for more than 5 euro.  That was "all" I had left.  And by that I meant, I wasn't going to get the extra euro that was still in my wallet.  He didn't go down far enough so I walked away. 


I walked past his shop and he called me back into the shop.  The price was now 10 euro.  He could go farther.  I walked away again.


I walked past him again and he called me back into the shop, yet again.  The price was now 8 euro.  I really just wanted to pay the 5.  So I walked away.


A shop a little down the ways, I was looking at something and a friend wanted to buy something from the shop and who should appear?  The man who wanted me to buy his blanket.  We got talking.  He owns four shops, four houses and only has one wife but wants another one (in Morocco is legal to have up to four wives - they like polygamy).  His friend had seven houses.


At some point, he asked me to marry him.  I don't quite remember how we got there.  My friend asked how many camels he's give for me.  He said 30.  I said 40,000.  Apparently there aren't that many camels in all of Africa, according to him.  He went up to 35 and a friend of mine (a guy) said 50 and a coke.  I tried to get the owner to marry the guy for 50 and Coke but he wasn't liking the idea of marrying a guy.


And that's how my friend got 50 camels, a coke and I got a husband.

Unfortunately, there were no wedding photos.  This is a friend of mine who was also wearing "traditional" Moroccan garb (dglabas).  I assume they are traditional, although you just can't trust anybody in Morocco.

Just kidding.  Some kid showed up with a magic trick that was really cool, and the guide took me away (to lunch).


I passed the guy again on our way to the bus and he offered the blanket to me again, 7 euro.  I didn't have 7 euro.


I like to believe we parted as friends.