Sacramento Tourist Stranded In Morocco Criticizes US Response
MARRAKECH, MOROCCO (CBS13) - A Sacramento woman stranded when Morocco closed its borders is outraged at the lack of help she and her fellow travelers are receiving from the U.S. embassy there.
"We are desperately trying to get a flight out any way we can," Tessa Matsis told CBS13 in a FaceTime video call. "We just keep hearing that borders are closing and we may be stuck here for three months. That's what the embassy is telling us. They're recommending that we get an apartment here in Morocco for three months."
Matsis, a hairdresser who splits her time between Sacramento and Portland, is traveling with a group of nine other women from Washington and Oregon. She turned 38 on March 8, the day the group arrived in Morocco. They had planned the trip for a year, but within days after leaving Portland it became apparent they might have trouble getting back home.
"At times I've struggled and I think, was it a good decision to come here?" she said. "But things have changed so quickly. It's chaos."
Other American travelers stuck in Morocco told the New York Times that while the UK ambassador has been actively tweeting information – the American ambassador, who just assumed the post in January, has been silent.
READ: Coronavirus In Solano County: Health Officials Issue Shelter At Home Order Wednesday
Friends organized an online petition drive to try to pressure the U.S. government into helping the stranded travelers.
"That has been a cruel thing for us to witness – that there are several European countries that have sent empty planes to Morocco specifically to pick up their citizens," Matsis said. "And we're wondering, where's the U.S. for us?"
Matsis made the FaceTime call on the last night of the group's stay in Marrakech at the Es Saadi Resort. She said the resort employs 700 people and stayed open Wednesday just to accommodate the 10 American guests. She said they were leaving early Thursday morning and headed in private vans to Casablanca, where they originally expected to catch their flight home on Saturday.
"If we do get an apartment, how will we eat? You go outside in Marrakech and everything is closed," Matsis said. "We are helpless and without resources."
All 10 women have jobs and loved ones back home. All are healthy and want to be with their families during this stressful time.
"I have a grandmother in Sacramento with lung and heart disease and I'm worried I might not ever see her again," Matsis said. "It's really challenging at this moment to stay positive."
