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Elora goes backpacking
  • Elora Shoaf
  • Elora Shoaf

Elora goes backpacking

I am backpacking for 4 months through Northern Africa and Europe! Follow along and see my travels through my eyes! Lue lisää
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  • Matkan aloitus
    5. toukokuuta 2025
  • Elora ShoafElora goes backpackingMatkaaja

    Madrid flight

    7. toukokuuta 2025, Espanja ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

    I flew from Dallas to Madrid and I was blessed to be in business class hehe. I had a super tight connection flight but unfortunately missed it due to timing. This is where things started going wrong… I ended up getting to a desk to see if I could get on a new flight to make my last one still and the workers were so mean. They treated me badly and I ended up having a mental breakdown. Laura ended up coming and tried speaking with them and they treated her poorly as well so we are writing complaints. I eventually bought a new plane ticket to Marrakech for the THIRD TIME! I fly soon and I will finally get to relax for 10 days as my group trip is all planned out.Lue lisää

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    Hiking Atlas Mountains

    9. toukokuuta 2025, Marokko ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    We took an hour long van ride to the Atlas Mountains. Before hiking we learned about the stages of using Argon seeds for all things beneficial. After we ate some lunch and then set off for a fun 2 hour hike. I also got a stye in my eye and scratched the white part so a trip to the pharmacy was well needed for eye drop antibiotics. Surprisingly it was approximately $5 which is insane!Lue lisää

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    Travel day to Tarmigt

    10.–11. toukok. 2025, Marokko ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    Today we left Marrakesh and went through the Atlas Mountains to get to our next destination for the evening. We got to take several stops and visit Unesco World Heritage Sites such as Kasbah Ait Zineb built during the 17th century. The Kasbah was also used for films such as both Gladiators, Prince of Persia, and Game of Thrones. We eventually made it to our accommodation for the evening and got to enjoy a campfire and music with other guests.Lue lisää

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    Ouarzazate to Merzouga

    11. toukokuuta 2025, Marokko ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    We traveled to our next destination in Merzouga to do glamping in the Sahara desert. We stopped at the vallée des roses where the city is covered in roses that also serve as a natural fence to keep out wild boar as they are dangerous and considered dirty in the Muslim faith. We also had the opportunity to try on traditional Amazighs outfits and they were beautiful. After we arrived to the Sahara and had a beautiful night.Lue lisää

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    Merzouga-Saharah glamping experience

    11.–12. toukok. 2025, Marokko ⋅ 🌬 29 °C

    We arrived to Merzouga and split into 2 SUV’s to drive through the desert to our accommodation. Our accommodation was 2 large tents with comfy beds and a beautiful camp ground. Once we checked in we set off for a camel ride for the sunset and it was truly a dream come true! My camel was named Jimi Hendrix and he was certainly a character! We road for about 30 minutes before stopping in a dune to take pictures and enjoy the sunset. It was a super windy day with 30+ knots of wind gusting so the sand was going everywhere in my eyes, but it was still amazing! After we rode back to camp to eat dinner and then enjoy an evening by the campfire. The stars were spectacular due to no light pollution and the wind made the desert feel chilly and peaceful!Lue lisää

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    Merzouga to Fes

    12. toukokuuta 2025, Marokko ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    The morning of this day we got to do ATV driving in the desert before leaving the desert. It was a fun experience and I even got to try sand boarding down a dune… I was not great at it as expected and the walk back up the dune was rough to say the least. After we leaded up into cars to get out of the desert and this is where things started to go wrong for the group. The car ride out I was dry heaving out of the window due to the intense driving and air time that we were catching but I survived. We eventually all got to our bus and set off on our 8 hour journey to Fes. We drove about an hour before stopping for coffee and to see a view of the Anti Atlas Mountains. After this we all went down hill and started dropping like flies due to food poisoning, motion sickness, and heat intolerance. One by one we were having to have the driver pull over for us to run outside and relieve ourselves and by the time I started feeling sick I had a window open so I had my fast exit for vomit relief. I painted the bus with my past meal and thankfully did not get any inside or on me. I had to stop 5 times and each time was worse and worse for me and everyone was getting progressively worse. I ended up having to move to the front of the bus with the driver and our guide Medhi who was wiping things off of my face and trying to help us all. We eventually made it to our accommodation after 12 long treacherous hours and all instantly passed out with buckets by our sides. I thankfully got some medicine and rested after drinking some electrolytes and slept away the pain and experience.Lue lisää

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    Fes

    13. toukokuuta 2025, Marokko ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    Today we woke up feeling extremely weak but we were able to set off on a small driving and walking tour. We got to see the kings palace from the outside as it is forbidden to go inside. I got to finally try a sugar cane, ginger, and lemon juice freshly pressed from the streets and it was soooo tasty and refreshing after the previous night we endured. We got to see how traditional mosaics are made by hand and pottery using techniques that are centuries old. We also had the opportunity to see how the leather is dyed in the Tanerys and the reason it smells so bad is because they use Pigeon shit due to its ammonia which aids in softening the leather and to help them better absorb color. To finish off the tour we got to see the Mosque turned University of Al-Qarawiyyin, it is the world’s oldest University and recognized by UNESCO. After we went back to our accommodation where many of us rested, I slept for hours and felt a lot better that evening thankfully. To end the night, we got to spend time on the roof with kittens and new friends.Lue lisää

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    Fes to Rabat

    14. toukokuuta 2025, Marokko ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    Today we checked out of our accommodation and went to a traditional Moroccan cooking class. We learned how to prepare and cook Lemon Chicken Tajin and a dip. The teacher was quite aggressive and frankly I felt the stress that people get from Gordon Ramsey on his shows. It was a fun experience and the food was delicious as well! After we got ice cream from a store while waiting for our driver and guide to finish their lunch and we all chatted. After, we started our 3 hour journey to Rabat and no one was sick thankfully. We arrived and decided to go to the shore and see the sunset before eating dinner and settling in for the night. The view of the Atlantic Ocean splashing on giant rocks and cliffs with the sun setting was truly a stunning experience shared with my amazing group.Lue lisää

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  • Elora ShoafElora goes backpackingMatkaaja

    Rabat-Marrakech (22nd birthday!)

    15. toukokuuta 2025, Marokko ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    Today was my 22nd birthday and It was the last day of our group trip all together. We all woke up and checked out of our accommodation and then set off to see some beautiful sights. We first saw the Hassan Tower built during the 12th century, it was projected to be the biggest mosque in the world but due to the king passing it was never finished. Beside it was the Mausoleum of Mohammed V and it was absolutely spectacular with its architecture and marble touches. After we went to the Kasbah des Oudayas and walked around before going on a traditional boat ride. Once finished we set off for our journey back to Marrakech and of course we had to make a pit stop at McDonalds (the American embassy) to have an experience… it was delicious! We then arrived at back to Marrakech and checked back into our original accommodation to drop our stuff of before setting off for our farewell dinner and to celebrate my birthday. We had some trouble finding a good place so we ended up getting food at the snack shack and then we found some delicious cake and went back in for the evening. We also heard many interesting cat calls from men in the streets that gave us good laughs and I got called Shakira so that was a win. That evening we all enjoyed each other company and wrote in journals notes and said our goodbyes to 3 of the girls who had to leave the following morning.

    I am very thankful to have had the opportunity to spend the last 10 days with these amazing girls and create life long memories and friendships.    Lue lisää

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  • Elora ShoafElora goes backpackingMatkaaja
    2

    Last day in Marrakech

    16. toukokuuta 2025, Marokko ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C

    Today was our last day as a group and we decided to get our daily fresh juice and of course some coffee at a really cute restaurant. After we went back to the hostel to relax before going out for the afternoon to shop and do last minute activities. I so badly wanted a massage and I was interested in the Hammam experience so I ended up venturing to find a spot. I found a great place and asked for only a massage and it was AMAZING!! Best hour of my life and truly interesting. They massage Argon oil made locally all over you… and I mean ALL OVER YOU! After the hour was finished I was brought to a relaxation room to enjoy delicious cookies and Moroccan mint tea before leaving. After I met up with the other 6 girls and we shopped and I found such a beautiful silver ring that has camel bone and I was able to bargain it down with the skills I picked up. We all then went back to our accommodation for the evening to chat and spend our last night together before Jess, Savannah, and I left for our next adventure.Lue lisää

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    Marrakech- Tangier

    17. toukokuuta 2025, Marokko ⋅ 🌙 21 °C

    This morning we checked out of our accommodation and had to visit the “milkshake men” for one last fresh juice! Jess, Savannah, and I then said our farewells to the girls that remained. We then took a bus for 4 Mad to the train station and took 2 trains to Tangier over the course of 5 hours. We eventually arrived and checked into our new home for the next 4 days before setting off on an evening walk to watch the sunset. The area was extremely beautiful and people were very kind… we were not called interesting things for once. We found some delicious food on the streets and ate outside before heading back for the evening to relax. Jess taught me how to play the card game called Shit Head and I showed people how to play the card game War. It was a great evening full of relaxation and lots of laughter.Lue lisää

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    Tangier rest day

    18. toukokuuta 2025, Marokko ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    Today we slept in and did a rest day since we have not had time to relax in over 2 weeks. We booked our flights to egypt and applied for our visas. We then headed to the beach to get some sun and swim a little… the water was cold so I was in and out pretty quick to say the least. After we obviously had to get McDonald’s for some mcflurries before heading back to our accommodation for the evening. It was nice resting and planning the next few days of our travel before going back to being busy and moving!Lue lisää

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    Chefchaouen day trip

    19. toukokuuta 2025, Marokko ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    This morning we took a 2 hour bus at 9am from Tangier to Chefchaouen (the blue city). We arrived and took a taxi to a restaurant with a high view of the city called cafe clock and I finally got to try Camel as a burger. The camel tasted like a mix of cow and deer and it was quite lean, it was good but I wouldn’t go out of my way to find camel meat specifically. After we explored the beautiful town through the markets and medians and eventually we went to the Kasbah of the city which dates back to the 15th century. They had a prison, a mosque, and a garden. After we walked around more and decided to camp out at a restaurant for crepes and juices since our transportation back to Tangier was not until 9pm. We found a beautiful cafe with a terrace across from the Kasbah and I made the most amazing friend for the 3 hours we were there… an Orange cat that I ended up naming Tajin. He came right up to me and hopped on my lap and slept on me while I ate and chatted with my friends. After a few hours passed we got to our bus and went back to Tangier and all knocked out as soon as we laid down!Lue lisää

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    Tangier last day!

    20. toukokuuta 2025, Marokko ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Today we slept in until 11am since checkout was at 12. We decided ti explore the Medina and we found a night coffee shop and had the most delicious frappes ever and played card games. After we kept exploring and found some sick jewelry that are Amazigh pieces so we spent the rest of our cash at the shop and decided to turn around and go back to the hostel since we were broke. We went back and I showered while the girls ate snacks and made a card tower that was mostly successful. We then departed at 11:30pm that evening to “sleep” at the airport for our 5:50am flight… I slept maybe 45 minutes on the floor. But we did save money for accommodation that night soooo travel girl math for the win!Lue lisää

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    Barcelona layover

    21. toukokuuta 2025, Espanja ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    We took a flight from Tangier to Barcelona at 5:50 am and arrived at 9:30am. We had a long layover since our flight to Cairo was at 6pm so we decided to explore on no sleep. We took a 40 minute bus to the city center and got to admire the infamous La Sagrada Familia from the outside and then we went to a tapas bar because I have been craving Croquettes for MONTHS! I got my croquettes and also devoured chicken curry and rice while the girls had sandwiches. After eating we obviously had to go to an erotic museum that Jess had gone to (sorry mom and dad haha). It was quite interesting and I even did a review and got free playing cards of porn stars.

    After we walked through a street market and got cool candy and I convinced Savannah to let me buy her an octopus tentacle to eat since I am picky and she is not. Yes, I paid to watch my friend eat something random and I had so much joy watching haha. She said it was rubbery like crocodile but not the same taste. After we went back to the airport to get our stuff from the lockers and check in for our flight. We eventually hopped on our flight which was 3 hours and I slept on and off the whole time which was nice. And we arrived to Cairo at 11:30pm, that info is on the next days post.    Lue lisää

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    Cairo, Egypy day 1

    22. toukokuuta 2025, Egypti ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

    We landed at 11:30 pm and went through border control and customs. The stress we put into getting our visas back to not even have them look was quite great. Anyways, our transportation man was very very very late to pick us up… he arrived at 1am and we were very sleep deprived and grumpy. We eventually arrived to our hostel around 1:30 am and checked in and then we all passed out for the night. We all slept in until about 11am and the feeling of sleeping in a bed after not being in a bed for 2 days was spectacular. We eventually all got up and went to a cafe next door and had delicious sandwiches and smoothies, we will be going back everyday. We got back to our room around 4 and gave our dirty laundry to the reception to wash… bad idea for only Jess’ clothing as it went from white to splotchy pink.

    Around 630 we got transportation to our booking for the Nile river boat dinner and show. We arrived and went up to the buffet table and got lots of yummy food. We also split a bottle of Egyptian rose and it was fantastic. While eating there was a man singing and dancing, I was the first to break the silence and I joined him and gave the audience a show with my questionable dancing skills. Eventually, more people joined in for the fun and we all had fun! After, the stage transformed into a belly dancers paradise and we got to watch a beautiful woman dance and she WORKED like my girl Shakira! To end the dinner we went to the roof top and got to see the Nile from above the boat and we made new friends as well! Once 10pm hit, we were transported back to our accommodation where we played some card games and went to sleep for the night.

    The idea of getting out of my comfort zone and doing things that scare me has been great! We only live once and we are all living our first lives together on this planet, life is too short to not do new things.    Lue lisää

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    Cairo, Egypt day 2

    23. toukokuuta 2025, Egypti ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    Today we woke up around 9 am and set off to go to the Egyptian museum. On the 15 min walk we met a guy that joked he wasn’t following us and that he works at the museum so I started chatting with him and he gave us a ton of helpful information. The best was him explaining that there is a gift shop that is through the government so prices are already written and they cannot haggle you and it helps give back to the city and country instead of random people. We also found out that the museum didn’t open until 11 for non tours so we decided to check out the shop conveniently across the street.

    This gift shop was AMAZING and the owner Tika was truly a wonderful man and he showed us true Egyptian hospitality and treated us as his own daughters. We went to the second floor of the shop where he showed us beautiful hand made paintings that’s were one of a kind on Papyrus, a special paper and used for Centuries in Egypt as it comes from the Papyrus plant that is found along the Nile river. I of course was drawn to the cat painting that symbolizes good health , protection, and good fortune as ruled by the Goddess Bastet. Tika showed us many beautiful paintings and works of art and his joy and passion for his country and culture was truly inspiring. After we went downstairs to see more souvenirs and I found a beautiful silver ring that depicted the Sphinx and I decided to get a custom engraved necklace with my name in hieroglyphics. In addition, Tika gave me traditional Egyptian tea and I continued browsing for post cards and magnets. He gifted me the post cards (20) and the 3 magnets as a thank you and we left our goodies with him while we went to the museum since I had to go back for my necklace at 5pm.

    We then went to the museum and spent about 3 hours walking around reading everything. I learned a lot of new interesting facts and increased my ancient Egyptian knowledge. After the museum we went to KFC (part of the US embassy trifecta [mcdonalds, kfc, and Burger King]). I had some spicy rice and chicken and it slapped! After we went back to the hostel to rest for a few hours before going back to the shop to get our stuff from Tika. We arrived and I ended up getting my parents and I some Egyptian oil perfumes because why not!

    Jess wasn’t feeling well so we let her sleep and Savannah and I got fruit and chips for our girl dinner. We got soooo much for less than $6 it was amazing! I had like 5 kiwis alone and it was a great moment. After we went and got Cinnabon for dessert before heading back to sleep for the evening since we had a long day the next day.    Lue lisää

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    Alexandria, Egypt (day trip) 3

    24. toukokuuta 2025, Egypti ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    Today we took a day trip to Alexandria and it was a dream come true with absolutely no plans in mind for the day. We went to the bus station for our van at 830am and we drove about 2 hours to the famous city of Alexandria. When we arrived our friend Charlie gave the driver a tip of 20 Egyptian pounds and the driver started asking for more because we didn’t pay the “foreigner price” talking about me and the girls since Charlie and Hazeem are Egyptian and they also speak Arabic. Charlie told the guy to give his money back and we walked away and he followed us across the street and started arguing with the boys and threatening Charlie but he pulled out his German passport since he is lives in Germany and he told the guy “I am German you cannot attack me, I do not speak Arabic” and then he called the cops and they arrived and pulled over the driver who left right away after he called. It was quite funny actually and I am glad we were with the boys for the day because we would have been scammed badly all day in the city unfortunately.

    We then walked to the famous Alexandria library and got to walk around. It was truly a sight to see and a dream of mine! The fact that the original library burned down in 48 BC has always been insane to me. The knowledge and technology that was lost back then was devastating and truly affected civilization due to the lost knowledge. The library was huge and beautiful, I am glad to have experienced it. We wanted to go to the Citadel but it was on the other side of the city and we didn’t have enough time unfortunately. It was beautiful from afar though so we still got to appreciate it.

    After we went to a street market that was only seafood and I felt so lied to when I ate a fried rice thing… it had shrimp and I kind of liked it before I was told there was shrimp. I had another and tasted the shrimp and I was super bummed out since I’m not a fan of seafood. I snacked on rice and watched everyone inhale seafood. We had some leftovers so I boxed up scraps for street cats and Charlie boxed up left over food to give to someone on the street that was hungry.

    After we walked around and got amazing ice cream and taught the boys how to play the card game War and we all chatted. By the time we finished it was 6pm so we took an off brand uber to the bus station. When we got to the station we found an earlier bus that was leaving 5 minutes after we arrived so we sent Hazeem to get tickets and hoped to get on the bus. While we waited we witnessed a guy arguing with the bus driver and other workers and it was a great show to watch. The guy was screaming and pointing at them in English so they called Charlie over to translate and we watched. The guy was upset because you have to pay for your bags to be on the bus (which is normal) and he was mad. While Charlie mediated another worker walked by us and he said “angry Jackie Chan” since the guy was Asian we lost it and started busting out laughing. The guy eventually got on the bus and took his bags complaining and Hazeem returned with our tickets so we boarded and took off back to Cairo.

    The bus drove back was great with the AC and we all had our own seats so we got to stretch out. I learned some bad words in Arabic and said them correctly surprisingly which was fun. We then arrived back to Cairo and went back to the hostel to drop our stuff off before meeting a new friend and going out to get yummy Cinnabons. We taught our friends how to play the card game “Shit head” and devoured our cinnamon rolls. It was around 11:30 before we left and went back in for the evening to shower and sleep for the night.    Lue lisää

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    2

    Cairo, Egypt Day 4

    25. toukokuuta 2025, Egypti ⋅ ☀️ 38 °C

    Today we finally went to see the Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx. Words cannot truly describe the emotions I felt finally seeing the sights in person. I have always admired the ancient Egyptians and their technological achievements and innovations in their time. To finally have the opportunity of seeing the pyramids and Sphinx with my own two eyes was breathtaking. The only complaint I have is that it was about 107 degrees F and the dry heat was rough but we made it!!

    We took a DiDi ride to the pyramids and a worker helped us get discounted student tickets (I was the only one with a student ID). We got entrance tickets and a ticket to go inside the smallest Pyramid being the Pyramid of Mankaure which stands at 65 meters or 213 feet. It was an interesting experience going inside down at a steep incline on a makeshift stair ladder, but it was very nice and cooler than the outside which was a plus!

    When we were at the Sphinx a worker came up and took my phone and started taking pictures of me. I knew he would ask for money after but it’s his fault for snatching my phone and not giving it back during photos so I let him take photos and when he asked for money I walked away and told him no. Twas a great power move and his fault for scamming tourists. After we walked to a pyramid and took photos before hopping on a free bus to the Mankaure pyramid since it is a large area and super hot. Once we finished we went back to the Sphinx before leaving and going back to the hostel to cool off, shower, and take a mini nap.

    After our relaxing time we met with a girl from the hostel named Preet from New York (hehe) and we went to a rooftop restaurant and got a HUGE bowl of sangria to share between the 4 of us and some appetizers. Savannah and I put our work in and had about 5 glasses because we never give up and had to get our monies worth. After we found a sushi place and I got fried rice and MISO SOUP, the girls got sushi. I don’t know why but the workers liked us and put us on their story and gave us some extra free sushi and Mochi as a dessert. After we went back to the hostel and drank and played card games in Preet’s private room until 6am, it was so much fun!    Lue lisää

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    Cairo, Egypt Day 5

    26. toukokuuta 2025, Egypti ⋅ 🌬 29 °C

    Today was our last real day in Egypt before heading to our next destination. We were up until 6am the previous night so we all slept until about 1 pm. Once we woke up we got sandwiches from our daily cafe Strella and packed our stuff up after. We then set off for an evening by the Nile and to watch the sunset. We took a car to a restaurant called Blue View and we had some fantastic waffles and crepe noodles, paired with some milkshakes to really top us off. After we took a stroll along the Nile and really soaked in our final evening in Cairo, Egypt. After a few hours we went back to the hostel to shower and do last minute packing before having an early night in since we had a super early flight the next day.Lue lisää

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