I'm now in Marrakesh after a slightly hellish bus ride here. I waited all day in Er-Rachidia for the bus, and as soon as we left I was surprised to notice that we were heading north rather than west like I expected! I was already annoyed because the ticket price increased by a 10DH commission between the time I inquired about it (alone) and actually bought it (accompanied by bus station "friends"), and now I thought they had put me on a bus to Fes or some awful place just for kicks! The final event that almost made me explode with hatred for the country was when the bus just stopped for no reason in the middle of frigid suburban nowhere for over an hour! Instead of having an unproductive mental breakdown right there and then, I decided to just get back on the bus, put in my earplugs and ignore the situation away. I guess it kind of worked because at 6 this morning (12 hours later!) I woke up at the Marrakesh bus station, cramped from the uncomfortable ride but otherwise alive and sane. I'm staying at Hotel Ali, recommended by Matt and Nat, which is right beside the main Medina square. The first time I saw it in the light of day this morning I was stunned by the number of tourists here. Maybe I'll leave soon and spend the extra day somewhere cool like Gibralter. Here's a little observation about Morocco: There is a strong correlation between the quality of a street aquantance's English and the probability that he will eventually try to hustle you. The only reason to speak English here if you deal with tourists, which means you already see them as walking bags of money. P.S. My H1-B visa application was approved and should be waiting for me in a FedEx envelope at 161 Erb.