Tea Pouring - Photo by Marie Henfling
Shikaht Dancers - Marrakech
CASABLANCA AIRPORT
Cutting the tour short, our travel back to the U.S. was straight
out of a Mission Impossible script. At the Casablanca
airport, Addi helped find porters for our luggage. I was
finally feeling somewhat calm as we checked in. All was
smooth until one of us got turned away from the counter!
Even though Maudria had a confirmed seat like the rest of
us, the airline said they had no seat for her. She was told to
go downstairs to see a ticket agent. Addi went with her to
help since he is also fluent in French and Arabic. He came
back shortly saying, “It is a zoo downstairs with hundreds
of people trying to fly out or make airline arrangements.
The wait is three to five hours long to talk to anyone.” Oh
noooo…she was not able to board with us!
And by now, daughter Andrea was feeling ill. Stomach
issues. She was moving sort of slow. Andrea was not eating
but bought two bottles of water and juice as we waited to
board. Then they confiscated these same bottles from her.
She had just bought them 10 minutes before to the right of
the same gate! The rest of us (8 sick out of 12) were trying
not to cough in public with our respective colds, sinus
infections, etc. My anxiety level was starting to rise once
again. We were a sad, bedraggled-looking bunch.
Andrea and I had paid extra to sit together, but this didn’t
happen. The airline felt we should be happy that we got a
flight out and not to quibble! I was seated in the front of the
plane and she was in the back. The flight was totally full. I
was seated next to a traditionally robed woman with henna
on her hands, arms, and neck. She let me photograph her.
An hour into the flight, I was told that my daughter had
passed out in the back of the plane! Andrea was very sick! I
rushed back and she was on the floor looking disoriented. We
cleaned her up, found dry clothes for her, and the attendants
Andrea Sleeping at the Airport