a time to remember

A month ago today, I celebrated my birthday in Morocco. Here’s what I wrote that day with a few edits to keep people mentioned anonymous…

Oct 3 - It is my birthday! On my morning walk around the property, I stopped in the gift shop and there they were ... the perfect princess slippers for this birthday girl! Scooped them up of course as my check-list includes the right pair of the local pointy-toed shoes to bring back.
 

When I boarded the bus, a group of gay couples we have come to adore led those on the bus at that time in singing to me; our tour guide Khalid later sang happy birthday in Arabic and at our lunch stop way up on the High Atlas Mountains, a most delicious cake arrived that I shared with the entire group who were thrilled to partake in such an unexpected treat (just can't figure out how that cake got up to where we were, but I know my BFF made it happen).
 

The road from Ouarzazate to Marrakesh unnerved me more times than I can count as we traveled along the highest road point in Morocco, the Tizi n'Tichka Pass in the High Atlas Mountains which is 6,860 feet above sea level. Though the views are spectacular, I held my breath and prayed as the bus navigated countless hairpin turns on the edges of cliffs that quite frankly scared the you know what out of me! Oh, and it was not a short ride. Each time we seemed to be heading down, up we climbed again...when would it be over is what I repeated as I just kept snapping pictures.

The biggest delight was the surprise evening at Amanjena Resort and Spa where the four of us were treated to a private spa experience followed by dinner outside under the night sky accompanied by a quartet of musicians. The resort was actually closed as they prepared for a group who had reserved the entire place for a four day 75th birthday celebration; somehow my BFF convinced Khalid to get us in, she was not going to deny me or any of us a visit to this wonderful place, we were just to close to miss out!

Place is exquisite! We were warmly greeted by several staff then walked the impressive property to the spa where we sat in a waiting area with a bowl of pink roses floating in a huge bowl of water at our feet. Mint tea and cookies were served before we were taken to a huge group steam room where each of us was scrubbed, hand bathed with black soap, rinsed with bowl after bowl of rosewater, reclined for a rest, slathered with mud then rinsed in fresh for each of us eucalyptus water before our attendants helped us into our robes and led us down a short flight of stairs lined with rose petals to recline. Next was a stop for water and sliced fruit... happy birthday was scripted in French in white chocolate on my glass plate and they gave me a spa candle as a gift. Then we were taken to a room for a massage where our giggling, chatty foursome was reduced to silence as each of us melted beneath the hands of our own skilled personal masseuse; it was hard to get off the table. We took a quick tool around the gift shop, then dinner under the stars where they practically feed you!

My birthday was just a dream that I won't soon forget and yes, I wore my princess slippers to Amanjena! Happy Birthday to me :)

PS - I am most fortunate to have the best best friend a girl could ask for. How did I get so lucky?

It truly was a memorable day and vacation and with this post, I will close out the Moroccan experience. Not sure what I will write about next, so…

keep your peepers open!®