I have never thought when I first applied for being a mentor that I’d be the one who would have the chance to visit Morocco. One might think that being originally from Cadiz, at the very south of Spain, I had visited this country many times. But for some reasons, I’d never made it to Morocco, until we headed there with the UNE Seville students.

On the way to Morocco we were all tired, since we had to get up at the crack of dawn that morning, but the excitement of arriving in Tangier made the bus ride a pleasant one (the guys were looking forward to be reunited with their UNE Tangier friends, who had been visiting Seville the week before).

When we first disembarked at harbor of Tangier, we were warmly welcomed by Abdeslam, our guide for our stay in Morocco. He first took us to lunch in DARNA, the Women’s Association in Tangier, where we started a Moroccan dining experience that would last three days! After the meal they told us about the goals and aims of this association. Then we met the UNE students from Tangier to play Scavenger Hunt, as a way to discover the city. I have to confess that this wasn’t my favorite city during the trip, but there were some spots that left me enchanted. We spent the last hours of the day in the UNE Campus in Tangier, where we enjoyed a great dinner and shared long talks. Some decided to go out and enjoy the Moroccan night, while others went to bed to get some rest for the following days.

The second day of our trip started with some bad news: not only it was time to say goodbye to our UNE Tangier friends, but also our coordinator Ruben had to go back to Spain because of personal reasons. Fortunately, we still had the support and company of our guides Abdeslam and Lynn, the founder of ESA, who we got the pleasure to share this experience with. It was a long day, full of adventures: a camel ride in Cape Spartel; a stop in the only point of the world where the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea meet; followed by a short stay in Tétouan, where we enjoyed some couscous for lunch and visited its souk (bazaar); and ultimately a stop at a viewpoint on our way to Chefchaouen. However, the best part is yet to come.

We were warmly welcomed once again by Akram (whom we have had met during lunch in DARNA), our coordinator in Morocco and also my host brother in Chefchaouen. We were served some delicious Moroccan tea and yummy pastries by Asid, Akram’s mom, a wonderful woman that made us all feel like at home. Then we met the other Moroccan host students and all went to visit Chefchaouen’s city center and its citadel.

On our third day in Morocco, Abdeslam took us to the most beautiful spot I’ve been to in years. We went through the beautiful blue and white streets of Chefchaouen and even had to hike a little until we got to the top of a hill, where we got to see even better the beauty, which this little city has to offer. Afterwards we had some Moroccan tea, visited a weaving workshop and enjoyed another yummy Moroccan meal at Akram’s aunt’s house, where all the girls attended a henna session while being delighted in an Ansalusi music performance. The evening was all about going shopping and buying souvenirs, which would make us remember those wonderful days in Morocco. When we went back to our homestays, we were once more surprised by the dinner Asid had prepared for Nikitta, Leah, Akram and me. The day came to an end with a photo session where we put on typical Moroccan dresses and a visit to another wonderful spot in the city, where Akram and his friends took us to admire a sky full of stars.

As the time went by, I got more and more impressed by Morocco and kind of fell in love with this country.

Defying the rain and the cold, we set off to Granada early on a grey Saturday morning. The sleepy faces son gave way to exclamations of amazement as we approached Granada and the sight of the snowy Sierra Nevada greeted us.

Thanks to the great location of our hotel, we were able to check in and leave for a short stroll and lunch before leaving for the Alhambra. Granada is a splendid city, with its Moorish stlye and the inviting smell coming from the tea bars. After this short break we hurried to catch the bus that took us to the Alhambra.

Neither the chilly wind nor the rain could defeat us on our way through this haunting palace. Fortunately, we had a really great guide who made sure we didn’t miss a bit of the monument’s bountiful history. No wonder it’s a World Heritage Site! We were taken through a maze of sumptuous chambers and charming fountains, where we learned about its history and took plenty of pictures –big shout out here to our guide and photographer, Robert. However, all good things must come to an end, and so did our visit to the Alhambra. A short walk downhill, trying not to fall, as it really was a steep slope, and we were back in the city.

We had some free time until dinner, so we took the chance to do some shopping –which included bargaining for scarves, purses, or Arabic handwritings. Some of us even got to experience holding a huge parrot on our shoulder! There was this Street packed with tea bars, and some of us chose to give them a go and treated ourselves with delicious Moorish-style teas at a cosy Alhambra-like bar. Granada is a city with a captivating atmosphere that leaves no one indifferent. Just like Sevilla, it’s filled with history, but it still keeps that romantic air that makes it different. Granada is full of life, specially of students, and, as I was telling some of the girls, it is the birthplace of many of Spain’s most famous music bands.

It is also worth mentioning the succulent dinner we got to try. Pasta, seafood, all kinds of meat, special meals for our veggies… We could choose among plenty of mouth-watering dishes, thanks for choosing that restaurant, Rubén!

On Sunday we enjoyed what was, in my opinion, the most beautiful part of the trip, and of Granada, actually. The final day began with a walk from the cathedral, passing by Paseo de los tristes on our way to the viewpoint, where we were delighted by a marvelous sight of the city spreading below. Oh, and also by a skinny dog wandering about.

After some more shopping and another tasty lunch, we got ready for the journey back. It had been an intense stay in Granada, short but rather fruitful. Before coming back, some even had the strength to go hiking around the city! Some were asleep a minute after hopping on the bus, but their sleep was son interrupted by the wows as we got a final glimpse of Granada, with the white peaks of Sierra Nevada on the background.

All in all, I think Granada is a must see for anyone visiting or, actually, living in Spain. Sadly, the trip was for a weekend only, though I really hope the UNE students enjoyed it as much as I did!

I wanted to start writing this the night before heading to Granada, but who was I kidding? The night before a trip you are excited and everything is chaotic, so definitely, it is not a good time to write.

Doing this trip as an ESA Mentor means a lot to me because I am in love with this city and I wanted to share this feeling with the UNE students. As I had foretold, the trip was marvelous despite of the fact we only spent one night there.

#1 Day: Saturday

It was extremely early in the morning and the weather wasn’t cooperating with us. However, our first adventure together (ESA Sevilla coordinator Rubén, ESA mentors and UNE students) had already started. After a three hours bus ride, we arrived in Granada. So, as soon as we got our rooms at the hotel we were ready to walk around the city and have lunch. Some of us decided to go for tapas to recharge our batteries: when you order a drink in Granada, you are given a free tapa. We had to try it! Then, the Alhambra and Robert, our wonderful tour guide, were waiting for us. The Alhambra is a Moorish palace and fortress where different Muslim emirs lived until the Catholic Monarchs (Reyes Católicos) reconquered the city. Every single detail in its architecture and gardens amazed us and we felt as if we had traveled through time.

Next stop: a walk around narrow and steep streets, full of leather bags, beautiful and colorful lamps, handicrafts... We felt like we were in Morocco, even haggling worked sometimes. At each corner, we could discover so many different features… from surprises and beautiful scenes for artsy pictures, to graffiti covering old walls. It was getting darker and it was time for dinner. We all had a splendid one together, after which we still had energy to enjoy Granada’s nightlife.

#2 Day: Sunday

A sunny Sunday ‘greeted us’ and invited us to enjoy our last hours in Granada. After breakfast, we went to the Paseo de los Tristes to admire the Alhambra from a different place. Then, it was time to be ready for hiking in order to arrive at Mirador de San Nicolás (Saint Nicholas viewpoint). Amazed by the spectacular view of the reddish Alhambra and the snowy mountains in the background, we stayed there a little while. Friendship started to be obvious in our group pictures. Finally, it was time to have lunch and say goodbye to this amazing and lovely city which fascinates people from any culture, country or age. But don’t worry, people from Granada have an expression: ‘if you go to Granada once, you will definitely go back’. So let’s believe this statement and we all will be back soon!

ESA: Can you tell us about the experience you had taking students to Morocco this past spring 2014? Where did you all go, what did you do?

RD: We traveled to the North of Morocco over a long weekend, from Thursday to Sunday. We started with lunch at DARNA, The Women’s Association of Tangier, a community house helping local women in need. Later on, we explored Tangier and its most notable landmarks: the Grand Mosque, the Kasbah, the Petit Socco, the Grand Socco, the Spanish Consulate, the American School of Tangier, the Tangier American Legation... Did you know that the American Legation building was the first American public property outside of the United States? We also visited the old city of Tetouan and its unique medina. And we stayed at host family houses in the blue city of Chefchaouen in the Rif Mountains. Over the weekend, we enjoyed a guided tour through the city, we hiked, we weaved, we rode camels, we had a henna workshop, we had lots of fun during an Andalusian music performance and we delighted in the Moroccan cuisine (the couscous, the harira soup, the bayssar... mmmm!!!). The whole weekend we were accompanied by Abdeslam, our guide, a wise man that introduced us to Morocco: politics, economy, social habits, traditions, gender issues, etc. We definitely made the most of the weekend.

ESA: How did the students respond to the experience?

RD: Very positively. Most of them described this trip as “terrific” or “by far their favorite experience of the entire semester” - many of them said it was “unforgettable” and “life-changing”. The weeks before the trip they all were concerned with what kind of accommodation, food or communication they were going to have in Moroccan houses. By Sunday, they all shed tears when saying good-bye to their new friends.

ESA: What did you hope the students would get out of the trip?

RD: As novelist Chimamanda Adichie warns, “We risk a critical misunders- tanding because of the danger of a single story”. I hoped that the students would understand that there is not a single story of Morocco, likewise there is not only one Spain, but many. As one of the students said while crossing back the Strait of Gibraltar, “You realize that although we live half a world apart, everyone is actually more alike than you thought”. Mehdi, Doua, Zaid, Abdeslam, Anuar, Akram, Chaymae... the Moroccan students they met - and lived with for four days - shared with them their stories, their thoughts, their fears and their hopes. And they realized the differences are much less important than the similarities.

ESA: Do you remember a moment on the trip when you thought, this is a truly beneficial trip for these students?

RD: There is a photo that is able to envisage that moment when I thought “Yes, this is what I was hoping for them to experience”. We arrived in Chefchaouen and headed to Doua’s house. Doua is a smart English Litera- ture student at the University of Tetouan and was born in Chefchaouen. She usually helps us coordinating with the host families, so her family house is a sort of a main office before students move in with their host families. So there we were, altogether having tea and pastries with Doua’s parents and the other Moroccan students who arrived to pick them up. With open arms and a welcoming atmosphere, there was no room for fears, just smiley faces and laughter.

ESA: Did the experience in Morocco bring something to you on a personal level? And on a professional level?

RD: Every time I travel in Morocco I learn new things on both a personal and a professional level. In general, the way we perceive the Arab world is contaminated by stereotyped images and preconceived ideas in which we shouldn’t naïvely trust. The reality is much more complex and complicated. And not always easy to be unveiled and deconstructed. I believe that the personal stories I have the opportunity to hear in first person when I am in Morocco help me expand my horizons. And what is education but expanding horizons?

ESA: You will be taking more American students to Morocco with ESA in the future. What hopes/aspirations can you project on those trips for the exchange between the two cultures?

RD: Metaphorically, I would like them to close their eyes and observe what they see. I hope we can spend as much time as possible with the Moroc- can students, listen to them, make things together, get involved with their community and share as many thoughts and experiences as possible.

I think it was John Dewey who once said that education is not preparation for life but life itself. My aspiration is that these trips become an important part of the students’ lives.