The First of the Holiday's

So before we left for the holidays we went to my friends in the countryside for their big holiday Eid Al-Adha, or feast of the sacrifice.  Here we are on a hike down to the water with her family. It was so beautiful.  Stayed tuned in the next couple of weeks for Christmas pics from Paris and Spain.

My friend's 5 year old sister was trying to learn how to use my camera and here is lovely photo she took of me.  The place in the background is where we wash the dishes with the water from the well down the hill.  

Making some cous cous before the holiday.

Here is Cody watching some TV in the afternoon.  Turns out, their electricity is solar power and Cody used all the power watching the news and that night we had to eat dinner by candlelight!  These are their "couches" which are foam mats on the floor.  Personally, I find it quite comfortable!

Get your sheep here!  The evening before the sacrifice the last few sheep left as shoppers make their last minute purchases.  You have to lift the sheep up to make sure they are not just bloated with salt but are the weight they should be.  Some people will try to trick ya! (like selling a used car)

These are knife sharpeners found in the street only in the days before the Eid.  You have to make sure your knife is super sharp as to not cause the sheep to suffer.

Awaiting his fate.  I'll tell you, this dude knew what was coming.    


Cody...DON'T DOOOOO IT!!!

Lucky for you all my camera ran out of batteries at this point, so you don't get to see the skinning of the sheep and taking out the guts and cutting off  the head and limbs.  This was all followed by preparing and eating some delicious heart, liver, and lungs wrapped in stomach fat and grilled over coals.  Thankfully, we had to leave early to catch a flight to Paris so we didn't have to the eat the stomach, it smelled disgusting as it was being cooked!  Today, my taxi driver asked me if I like this delicacy and if I could eat it in America.  I said I am not sure you can buy stomach fat in America but he suggested I take bunch on the plane in a cooler.  That's exactly what I want to use my space for when I come back to America...FAT!  Thank you, sir. 

Oh, one other exciting part I didn't catch on camera was shortly after I took this photo we all got close and the sheep starting kicking out of control, splattering me with blood everywhere!  I was grossed out and they immediately gave me new clothes to wear after we all had good laugh about it ;)