MOROCCAN REPLAY

At the beginning of our trip, we took a walking tour with a local guide. He told us Morocco was a country of contradictions. And as we explored for a few weeks....I realized this was so true.  The king  is very interested in climate change and is taking huge steps to position Morocco in a good place with solar power, banning plastic, and not wasting water.  Women have had the right to vote forever, but have just recently been granted the right to divorce their husband..traditionally, in Islam, it was the man who decided. Now, in Morocco, the woman can

get alimony and child support and the right to keep her children with her until they are 18. Food is good in Morocco...healthy, plant based...but some meat. No one is overweight. There are no Costco’s or premade food places. People generally just cook what they grow or can buy daily at the markets. Dessert is usually fruit. Muslims don’t drink, but there was alcohol for the tourists. I found Morocco a VERY tolerant nation. If there were any other religions...I never saw any. People were kind and friendly, and hard working. Health care is free, as is school AND college...but the problem arises that highly educated people leave because they cannot find work with well paying jobs in Morocco. So the brain drain is a big problem. Guns are illegal, except for hunting...and then there is extensive background checks for the whole family. Crime is low, except petty crimes of pickpocket, etc.I felt completely safe everywhere.
My favorite part was the southern area, although it was very hot...it was peaceful and beautiful and had more black Moroccans than the North, which is heavily influenced by the French control. The Berbers of the Mts are proud and tribal, and even that is changing, as they usually don’t have a chief any longer and kids are becoming more educated and wanting to leave their villages and not farm or herd like their parents.
I would go back in a heartbeat..maybe do some hiking in the Atlas Mts. And more camel riding! Haha

LAST DAY

In Casablanca, we continued to see some sights before checking into our hotel. We went to see the only Mosque in Morocco which let’s non Muslims inside...HASSAN II mosque which is also the largest in Morocco and has the largest minaret in the world.Interestly, this “rule” about non Muslims not being allowed in Mosques was put down by the French, not the Moroccans.The French felt it would keep the peace not to mix up the religious groups, but King Hassan the 2nd, was
very full of himself and showing off all his work, so he declared HIS mosque would be viewed by anyone! They give tours 4 times a day in between the  call to prayers. It was the generic tour, and we already knew most of the information, but the mosque was spectacular and can hold 100,000 worshipers easily. One had to be modestly dressed with shoulders covered and no shorts.
 Finally, we got to our hotel, but not before ONE MORE excursion. Someone wanted to go to Rick’s Cafe...made famous in the movie Casablanca, with Ingrid Bergman, and Humphrey Bogart. It was 3 and didn’t open until 4:30....but away we went in search of this famous icon.it wasn’t much to look at from the outside. Kind of grungy, in fact. Mohamed got out and went in and tried to get us a look inside or even a drink at the bar, but the manager was not having any of it, and actually kicked Mohamed out! We were watching from the street, and it was kind of funny.
So back to our fancy hotel in the middle of town for a drink, a bite to eat, and a quick rest before getting up at 3:30 AM for the airport. And home!

CASABLANCA

I finally joined the world of the living this morning, and nibbled at a bit of breakfast. No appetite and leery of food right now.  We walked down the Médina the last time to catch our ride to Casablanca. It seemed so deserted and quiet and just a few stalls starting to open. We had a 5 hour ride but stopped along the way as the terrain changed back to a more coastal clime. The freeway was clear and we saw orchards of olives, and pomegranate. Two big crops of exports. Tourism is the is the #2 money maker after agriculture in Morocco. This trip had been filled with many unexpected and interesting experiences, and today we had another. We visited a social service as soon as we reached Casablanca. This is in a country with many benefits, but not too many social services. Morocco is progressing in so many things, but being a Muslim country brings with it old ways and taboos. One is their “moral law” on premarital sex. If a woman (not a man, of course) becomes pregnant before marriage......it is a huge stigma and she is usually ostracized by friends and family, has NO financial support, will even seek abortion in a country where that is taboo. A Moroccan and Muslim nurse saw this need years ago...a need to support women who have had children and need a support systems... she started a safety net called “Association of Feminine Solidarity to support unmarried woman and their children. As one may imagine she was met with strong opposition for years and years, but finally has made in ways to this problem in Morocco , and at this time they have over 500 applicants a year and fully support 24 women AND their child for 3 full years. This means a small apt.

nearby and day care for the child, and 3 years of school and trade training, with the solution being a woman can make a living and take care of her child and not be separated. We toured the facilities, which were right in the middle of town. We saw the children having lunch, and then we were served a delicious lunch by the students who are learning cooking. We also had SO MANY questions. We were joined by one of the staff to answer our questions, but she only spoke French. Mohammed to the rescue, with his excellent French and did the interpretation...but, still it is a long tedious process. We were all so impressed with this program...especially in a very conservative country...that is still very much dominated by men...........but hope...things ARE changing, and when the KING of Morocco gave his support to this program....it became acceptable.  

MIA IN MARRAKESH

We have a lot of free time in MARRAKESH to explore on our own and do what we want. After breakfast to had a private guide to take us around the confusing labyrinths that make up the Médina. It was hot..because MARRAKESH is about 20 degrees hotter than normal....so every day has been in the 100s while we are here. We stopped for tea and sodas in a small cafe and then continued our exploring. One can buy absolutely anything in this area. The merchants put a small bit of pressure on us, but are good natured and don’t push too hard.we ended up in a rug factory to see hand made Arab and Berber rugs, which were quite beautiful...and a few people bought them.  Finally Steve and I  role off with another couple to go find lunch and had some nice Panini sandwiches and a 0lace that was recommended by Mohammed. It was so how that we finally just went back to our room which had A/C and vegged.   In the early evening as it was starting to cool down to the 90’s ....we took a horse carriage ride into the modern part of town. Night and day. Wide streets lined with trees, modern architecture, gardens, traffic lights and quite beautiful. The horse that pull the carriages are well taken care and are regularly checked by veterinarians to make sure they are healthy and being treated well. They have a green band on this ankles so the riders will know this. We caught a breeze, and enjoyed this..but all the way...my stomach was rumbling and I was not feeling well. As soon as the ride was over we made a fast beat to get back to our Riad....and good thing... because I came down with an awful case of food poisoning....and all hell broke loose. It’s been 24 hrs and I still feel like crap (no pun intended) and have been MIA all day for the rest of the activities. Tonight was our going away dinner And I  always look forward to that.....but no way. Hopefully I will be better tomorrow because we head to Casablanca and the ending of a great trip.

MARRAKESH OVERLOAD

We arrived in MARRAKESH about 1 pm and went into culture shock. After the quiet and peace of the southern area and desert....we were dropped into a wild, crowded, and completely different atmosphere. We had to navigate a VERY crowded Médina with the usual tiny alleys and mass humanity.  But add the fact that there are ever present motor scooters, bikes, and motorcycles shooting thru these alleys....was nerve wracking. We learned quickly to hug the side of the stalls and walls, walk single file.....and those scooters and cycles have the right away....which seems pretty odd. And it was over 102 degrees! After winding around the alley maze...we arrived at our very ancient(and restored) Riad. The alley was cool, the Riad had A/C, and a beautiful lunch was ready. Heaven.  Then we were shown to our teeny tiny room. While very lovely in all respects, it was so small. By myself, it would have been a barely doable.....but add a 6’2”, non organized, person.....and we are challenged.still......the staff is so friendly and the area is great for all the walking and sightseeing...but so small. The bed is wall to wall. Double..haha. The bath room is incredible...only to wonder how they actually made it work.....
Around 6 we took a walking tour to figure out how to navigate and find our way around and BACK. We still

got lost later that night...but that’s another story.
Steve and I ended up on a roof top soda pop bar to watch the sunset, and were invaded by 1, 2, and 3, and then 12 Chinese tourists complete with large lenses, tripods, and much jabber. One even used Steve’s shoulder to balance his camera...it was completely crazy, and rude too... but oh so funny.  I finally turned around and took some pics of them...and their invasion.
As I say..after the quiet of the desert...Marrakesh a mass of humanity...loud, smelly, sweaty, and so so touristy! But full of locals too, especially on a Sat evening!

ON THE ROAD TO MARRAKESH

Left the desert totally this am, and hit the high road to MARRAKESH. We traveled over some high, steep and windy roads over the high Atlas Mountains. We were at the highest point in our trip today at about 7,200 ft. Not high compared to our mountains but very rough terrain. The government is trying to fix this road as it is well traveled and dangerous because it is so narrow and steep. We saw a lot of road work and machinery along the way....and had to go slow in some places. The Whole way was dotted with small Berber villages and small farms...orchard fruits and sheep.  It took us over 5 hours to reach MARRAKESH and Culture shock!  Masses of people and hawkers and sellers of everything. We wandered a bit to find our Riad and have lunch. Our Riad is down about 3 twisty turny alleys that are packed with people on scooters and everything else...but once we turned the 3rd corner, it was like we were in a peaceful oasis. The Riad is very small and old,  but delightful. Steve and I are kind of taking up every bit of space in our room, and we have to actually duck to get into bathroom! But we have a mini bar for our wine and all the amenities...just on a tiny scale. The lunch was delicious.

In an hour we are meeting Mohamed for a walking tour of the big square and Medina’s...and hoping to find a nice place for dinner.I will say that Morocco is inexpensive by American standards...and not too much tipping.

MINGLE WITH THE LOCALS

A lot of tourists just get to tourist spots, take a few pics....post and leave.... but we are with a group of people who want to see, talk, and get to KNOW the real Morocco. So today we did that...all day. We went to a quiet village about. 1/2 hr away and were greeted by a typical Moroccan family who make a living on the land....uneducated, but full of knowledge and kindness, and welcomed us with open arms.  First we met the various family members and saw their humble home.   Then we took a long walk into the fields where they make adobe bricks, farm, tend their animals, and haul manure. We each grabbed a small stools d went to sit under an olive tree, where we were served.....ta-da..... mint tea, fresh bread and olive oil. This was called the “2nd. Breakfast, and is quite common for farmers. We had so many questions, and all were answered and then they wanted to know “what we did”. The concept of retirement,,USA style...is odd to them and NOT working, and even traveling is even stranger. Most Moroccans do not travel at all . A man came by on a donkey hauling manure from the animal pens, which are next to the house. After a while we went to see the guy making bricks. He sells them for 10 cents each and makes about 150in a day. That’s it. 15$
We went back into the house and were ushered into the room that is only used for guests. Then some of the neighbors who help this family came into the room with all the makings of traditional couscous and they showed us how it was done.   All this time we and they are comparing notes and learning about each other’s Lives. Finally... we sat at tables and Learned how to eat “Moroccan style.”  Only with ones right hand. Never with the left hand even if one is left handed. We were also asked to “stay in our lane” when serving ourselves and do not reach or go into the your neighbors food space. More questions and answers then the little kids came into to meet us and sing a couple songs they had been practicing! Cute!

RIDE TO QUARZAZATE

Out last night on the desert ended with the the cooks and tent staff bringing out their drums after dinner and entertaining us withN African music.  This was a such a simple stay compared to cities and gave us a glimpse of the serene and quiet life style that appeals to the Nomads and Berber tribes. They don’t use much, and they don’t do much but sustain a simple life by farming, herding, cooking each and everyday.  Cell phones have made inroads, but they really only seem to use them for communication with family.
We boarded our transport early and took off for long long ride to a desert Oasis town called QUARZAZATE It was an important meeting and trading stop for tribes and camel trains, and it is beautiful, and so clean....and has a small airport for the people who just want to fly in and stay a short time, and fly out. There is a lot of building going on and government assistance to help people start date farms and other businesses.  We stopped along the way to tour an Enclosed  Berber city. And we also went to a small Berber museum and also had lunch on the grounds. We finally had couscous! All the meals are slightly similar....starter salad, which is usually a group of cooked vegetables, and a small dish of lentils or rice, or such...and always olives, olive oils and fresh Moroccan bread.Then a main course,which is usually chicken or a Tangene  or sometimes mixed grill, or vegetarian dish. Desserts are almost always fruit..just a platter of whole fruits and a knife to cut it yourself.  Moroccan people are not overweight and their diet is mostly veggies, fruit, lots of bread, no alcohol and little sugar.
After a total of 8 hrs we drove up to our Oasis hotel for 2 nights. I loved the desert, but it sure was nice to have A/C, WiFi, laundry, and all the comforts. Haha. We went to dinner with people we have met and something funny happened. I ordered a Moroccan wine (alcohol is a available for tourists in the commercial hotels. )When the waiter brought it, it was a VERY dinky pour.....But things got worse...the lady next to ME decided to order the same wine, and her glass was GIGANTIC. I guess my face said it all and and the manager saw it! He came over to our table and without a word...just a smile....had the waiter take my glass away (I-had already taken a sip or two). And the waiter returned quickly with a HUGE glass for me.! It was pretty funny...and even the wait staff and manager were laughing with us. The Look did it!
Ok...tomorrow a “day” in the life of a typical Moroccan family, where we will shadow them in their daily routine....sounds interesting!

EXPLORING SAHARA

We got up early this am and drove to the dunes where we got on camels. I love camels and I loved plodding across the sand on my camel. The Moroccans have lots of camels, but usually just ride the males. We rode for over an hour with those soft hooves printing on the dunes. I dressed in long sleeves and a turban wrapped in the “Berber” style. The driver of our rig wrapped it for me and it was snug! But It kept the sun  off and the flies from biting, so all was good.
We got off the camels and boarded the 4x4s and took off road to go see some desert Nomads.  They knew we were coming, so when we got to their tent, they offered tea...after they let us look at their set up.It was clean but extremely primitive.A family of 7 and they slept on the ground and cooked outside in a mud oven. The tea was served piping hot with sugar that is carved off a big block. The woman had made bread dough, and while we talked she baked it and brought it to us fresh from the mud oven. It was SO SO good.
Our last evening in the tent brought a pre dinner demo of how to make a “Moroccan Pizza.”  Then the Berber woman cooked it and we ate it for dinner! The evening was warm and the wind was blowing sand all over and it was hard to sleep. Desert life is beautiful and quiet, but it’s not an easy life.

SAHARA

WE are  in a tented camp in the Sahara desert..... the scenery is gorgeous...but so hot!oh did I say it was hot? Haha. After lunch today, we watched a local woman make a traditional Moroccan Tangine, which we ate in the evening. Then we got in the 4x4 and went to a desert farm, which I erroneously thought would be boring! Far from it! The farmer, who was about 62 yrs old had taught himself English just by meeting tourists! And we understood him Very well.  His story of how he found water and started the date trees with only 4 small trees (all he could afford) was so interesting, as was his methods of irrigation and growing all his family’s needs.
Then we went to Muslim burying area and learned the practices of death in this religion.  Such practicality mixed with tenets of their faith.
The sun was going to set and hopefully cool off.....so we climbed a big dune and watched the sun set over the Sahara Dunes.  Coming back to the tent areas and having the chicken Tangine, we used the wet towel/fan method that night to try and get some sleep.  It was 112F today, but finally cooled down to 78F early in the am. Despite the heat, I am really enjoying the desert and so much diversity and kindness of the Moroccan people.

MERZOUGA

Did I say it was hot? This am we boarded some nice SUVs and took off with our personal driver, Abdul......for Merzouga, our desert camp. But first we did some stops.....fossils and the local market.This is all on the edge of the great Sahara, and the people look different and speak different. Some even speak Spanish, and I was able to converse better with that than English!  Our ride into the camp was fast and I think the drivers enjoy going crazy on that hard packed sand. Pretty soon, the dunes came into view and we were at our camp in time to wash up for lunch. It’s well over 100 right now and we are miserable...dry heat or not! Our tents have screens on the two windows.....because of the huge problem with flies! But the air is not moving and we are just sitting waiting for the air temp to cool down. We are going to walk on the sand at sun set.......but right now...that sounds horrible. 
Did I saw it was hot?🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵

ERFOUD

We had a looooong drive today up and thru the Middle Atlas and HighAtlas Mts to the desert town of Erfoud. Along the way we dozed, we ate, we stopped and saw some sights, and Mohamed spent many hours discussing so many subjects and teaching us the way of life in the Moroccan Sahara. Our driver was NOT a slow poke, and some of the  Mt roads led to excitement on their own. It happens to be date season in the desert, so everywhere are dates, and sellers, and haulers, and anything to make money from this crop. We saw an old Shepard tending to his sheep herd ( 160) by the side of the road, and we stopped to talk. He only spoke Berber, but Mohamed, who is of a different tribe was able to interpret. He was so delightful and friendly and when he found out Steve was the same age...he broke into a huge grin. Whenever we saw something interesting, we stopped...which was much fun, but made an even longer day.   After 10 hours...we finally arrived in Erfoud, which is on the edge of the Sahara. There was a large pool and AC...did I say it is hot? Steve and I jumped in the pool Before dinner just to cool off.   Then we separated out clothes, etc....because we would NOT need much for the tented accommodations.

VOLUBILIS AND MEKNES

We had a “free day” today but decided to grab a bus and travel to the edge of the RIF (small mountains) and explore a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is a very old Roman Ruins called VOLUBILIS.   I have seen many Roman ruins, but this was exceptional and only about 30% excavated.we got a local guide on site and he took us thru historical and local areas and gave us so much info. It was great. Then we went to Mekenes passing miles and miles of olive groves and agricultural land. We learned why Muslims don’t like dogs, but can tolerate cats. We had a very traditional lunch in an old restaurant before we started another walking tour of the Moroccan Sultanate. Long ride in the bus, but worth it to learn all this history. After a short rest we went into the  cooler and retrieved our wine and had a happy hour. We were joined by a most impressive woman professor at a Moroccan university. We asked her to speak of the role

of women in Morocco and how things are changing. She was most articulate and impressive...and I was in my element. Even Steve joined in for questions.  I just felt I could spend so much more time with her...ms Fatima......with sociological discussions and observations.  I didn’t want it to end....but dinner called! Our last night at this cozy Riad before we head to the Sahara for our desert excursions. We were served a very traditional dish called chicken pastille....and once again we were stuffed but happy. Mohamed entertained us with his story of his Berber wedding in his home town, and it was quite the tale. Tomorrow...we head out..early...a 9 hour trip thru the Middle Atlas Mountains to Erfoud....the date capital of Morocco...and the edge of our desert trip.  I cannot wait!

A DAY IN THE MEDINA

Today we took off to explore the many many narrow alleyways of the Fes Médina. Someone said there may be over 9000 small pathways or alleys around and in the walled section of “old Fes”.while modernization is here and Fes has malls and upscale stores......for many locals...a daily or twice weekly trip to the  Edina is still the norm. One can buy anything. Begging was nil, but without a local guide.....who knows if we would ever find out way out of this maze...and yet, here are people in and out all day. We saw everything edible, and spices and clothes, and you name it. We even had lunch at a restaurant right in the middle of all the twisty turny area.  A young Muslim woman took us through the maze of alleys and shops, and she was very forthcoming about women in a Muslim society.   It was a long day of walking and on our feet, but we came back to our Riad and rested and got ready to go have dinner with a local family.
Our group of 5 was invited to visit a local family and see how a normal life with a family in Morocco is like. We were able to walk to their home and enjoyed a very warm welcome. The wife cooked a very traditional lamb tanging with vegetables, and we tried eating the whole meal with out fingers! Alcohol is never served....but we had a bit of a pre party at our Riad! Lol. Fruit is a common dessert in Morocco, and we enjoyed it after a wonderful meal. The daughter spoke excellent English, so she was doing much translation....but she was a spitfire and could handle it.  They always want to know if people (like U.S.  people) know about Morocco and what their impressions are. While we were there, the call to prayer was sounded twice, and the father got up both times and went to the mosque to pray.
It is so interesting for me to be in such a county that is 99% Sunni Muslim, but there is much tolerance and people here are exceptionally friendly and welcoming.

THE HAMMAN

Not even sure how to write about this experience.....because it was unusual and in a whole category of it’s own! So a Hamman is very traditional in Morroco.It is basically a communal bath with a hard scrub and a social place where Moroccans go to relax and clean themselves. We were told to leave “everything” at the Riad, except a towel and the black soap and loofah mits we were issued. We walked a few minutes to the local Hamman, and the men went in one door and we went in another. We were met by three Muslim ladies who were basically naked except for their head scarves. No English. Big problem. We ladies thought maybe we would be allowed to wear our underwear...but thru much motioning.....we figured out it was to take off!  All off.Then we were led into a very hot steam room and sat on small pads on the marble floor. There were big buckets of water in front of each one of us, and since I was at the end of the naked ladies line...I was first to get scrubbed with a rough mit...and the black soap. And NO place was left unscrubbed . I was on my back, on my stomach, in the scrubbers lap, positioned here and there and for 15 minutes or so....was scrubbed clean, rinsed...scrubbed again and again. Then they washed our hair...all the time fetching hot or cooler water depending on the need. Other “women”....mostly young, came into the huge steam room while we were there...Everyone was naked.  Finally we were thru with the process and went to find our clothes. We met the guys outside and compared notes....with much laughing on descriptive renditions. I can say I Did feel very clean and my skin felt silky.......and I would do it again! It grows on you. The whole time we were there was a social time and naked bonding...and lots of laughing after the shock wore off. There was NO place for modesty....that’s for sure!

FES’

We left Rabat and the coast today and turned inland for a 3 1/2 hr ride to the ancient city of Fes. We stopped at a local market on the way to take buy and take fruit to our Riad we would be staying in for 3 days. I had been practicing my Arabic and with the help of Mohamed, I  made the purchase of bananas and grapes....and paid...all in Arabic. Feeling proud for about I minute! Then we went and had noose noose...which was basically excellent coffee with half milk.

We traveled thru miles and miles of olive,cork trees, and vineyards and the edge of the middle Atlas Mts. until we reached Fes. There is “new” Fes, which is wide streets and modern and totally French influence. And there is Middle Ages Fes, with its narrow winding streets and beautiful Riads, which are basically old Arab houses. We are staying at Riad Mariana, which is an UNESCO site and was restored to strict standards to keep the old traditional way. We met the family who own it and are being treated as their friends, not tourists. We had a wonderful lunch and settled in, before headed to our big bathing excursion at a tradition Moroccan Hamman,  Before dinner , we walked around to get oriented in our local area, and when we returned we enjoyed our wine up on the roof of the Riad,, while the sun was setting and the call to prayer was sounding.