From hanging out with the US Navy to hanging out with with US peace corps.  I arrive in Tangiers 3 hours early for my train due to the fact that I had forgotten about the time change.  The main train station in Tangiers looks like something out of the old west.  It is just track and one small building.  There are 3 English blokes already waiting for the train.  They are on their way to help set up for a New Years rave in Morocco.  The rave is going to be on an island in the middle of a lake in the middle of the desert.  Sounds like a cool scene, but I'm still headed for Madrid.  After 3 hours of waiting in the cold the train leaves at 11pm.  It arrived at 5am in Casablanca.  At 8am, after another 3 hours of waiting in the cold I get on the train for Marrakesh.  I meet a group of 6 peace corp members on the train.  They have just finished their 2 year assignment in Zambia.  They are hanging out for a few days together in Morocco before heading back home.  Taking the train give us a good chance to watch the scenery as it changes slowly to desert.  The sights sounds and smells of Marrakesh are just what you would expect of Marrakesh.  From the beautiful, intricately carved ceilings, to the streets filled with cards, scooters and donkey pulled carts to the severed goats heads for sale in the Market.  Ramadan turns out to be a good time to visit.  The entire Muslim country fasts all day but tourists are not expected to do so.  During Ramadan, after sundown, things really liven up.  The Muslims who could not drink all day make up for it by filling the streets until 1am.  The central market at night is quite a scene filled with a thousand of people, smoke billowing from the food stands and of course a few snake charmers and sword swallowers.