Thursday, February 25, 2016

A Toast–of mint tea–to Morocco.

Mint tea
After four days of travel, when we arrived back in Marrakech, we were ready to get out and explore. Shortly after we checked into the Riad Dar Attika, our hotel, Jamal, the owner offered to accompany us to an apothecary shop nearby where we were educated about the many products available. This was a feast for the senses. We tasted some more mint tea–often called moroccan whiskey–smelled local spice mixtures, and applied healing creams to our skins.
The spice shop
Drummers in the square
As day turned into night, we headed to Marrakech's great square, Jemaa El-Fna, where again our senses were highly engaged. We had been advised that a visit there after dark was a requirement for anyone in Marrakech. We were drawn by the sounds of music and drums, joining the crowds gathered to shop, eat and see the sights. What an exciting atmosphere to be part of!

Sue bought some apricots from this vendor.
The colours and lights of Jemaa El-Fna.
The following morning, we were back on the road again, having opted to travel to the city of Essouira for a day. For this trip, we had a new chauffeur, Miloud, who was very good at his job. Like Salah, he was open to our many questions, and a very good driver. 
Goats in trees
Our journey lasted three hours each way. We made a stop in argan oil country, where we were given our third presentation on the benefits of this uniquely Moroccan product. Nearby, we pulled over to the side of the road to witness, arguably, the oddest attraction in the country: goats in trees. The production of argan oil once involved goats eating the fruit of the argan tree and then passing it through their digestive systems. Apparently, sorting through goat excrement is no longer the way to produce argan oil. Still, local farmers entice their animals to climb these trees because tourists want to see this sight. The farmers also throw goats at unsuspecting tourists the moment they alight from their vehicles. Regan, Ruth, Sue and I each took a turn with the same placid kid in our arms.
Sue and the kid.
We found our destination, Essouira, to be a bustling place which functions both as a seaside resort and a fishing centre. Unlike the towns we had visited on our trip through the Atlas Mountains on the way to the Sahara, this place was very lively.
Local people shopping for the catch of the day.
Miloud walked us to a cart brimming with fresh fish where he recommended we meet him at lunchtime. Then, he left us on our own to explore. We did not need a local guide for this town.
I love the blue boats.

In one direction was the harbour full of fishing boats, lockers, and sea gulls. We could have been in Nova Scotia, the look and smells were so similar. 

The Genoese built citadel dominates the harbour.

The blue of the lockers added to the beauty of the place.
In the other direction was the town with its narrow streets and arty boutiques. It was delightful to stroll through this place. Eventually, we climbed up on the fortifications and looked out to sea. Nearby, a line of cannons stood as reminders of the city's former strategic importance.
Pottery for sale in Essouira.
Typical street in Essouira.

The city wall.
Regan, Sue and Ruth are buffeted by the wind on the town walls.
Our walk helped us work up an appetite for lunch. At the fish cart, we pointed to a couple of lobsters, some scampi, some calamari and a flatfish–and off they went to the barbecue. A little while later, Miloud joined us for a banquet. The freshness of the fish made this a special meal indeed. 
We chose our lunch from this  cart.
After lunch, we headed for the beach. I was determined to put my feet into the Atlantic, even though the weather was not very warm. Ruth beat me to it but I was proud of both of us.
Ruth and I stand in Atlantic waters.
The main square in Essouira.


Afterwards, there was time for a stop at a cafe in the town's main square for a glass of mint tea before we met Miloud again and headed back to Marrakech for dinner.
We enter the souk at night.
Like the evening before, we had our meal at our riad, and then headed out to Jamaa El-Fna, this time to shop in the souk next to it.  Believe me, there were many temptations in this massive market.
Regan follows Amin through the narrow streets of the medina.
Our final day together was spent in the city of Marrakech itself. Our local guide, Amin, met us at our riad and led us through the warren of narrow passageways in the medina. We discovered that there was a reason for this confusing city plan: it was a way to protect the heart of the city from invasion.
The paintings on the ceiling were meant to match the carpets on the floor.

Another ceiling painting
We spent a lot of time in the Dar Si Said Museum, which was once a great palace. The key to our appreciation was to look up. The ceilings were spectacular, intricately painted masterpieces. In my view, they outshone the artifacts on display behind glass.
Carved and painted plaster walls
Amin and Sue in Dar Si Said
There were beautiful rooms to see too, with islamic designs reminiscent of the Alhambra in Grenada. Amin was able to answer all our questions as we explored this wonderful place and sometimes he quizzed us, too. He was an enthusiastic teacher to four teachers.
The minaret of the Koutoubia Mosque.
Our walk through the medina eventually took us to the Koutoubia Mosque, with its beautiful minaret erected in the 12th century. It is a major symbol of the city standing in a large open space in stark contrast to the crowded souk nearby.

Light fixtures for sale.
Next, Amin led us into the souk area, a man on a mission. He seemed to know every merchant there, and was keen to have us support his friends, but by that Friday, we had already bought carpets, jewelry and argan oil products. Was there anything else for us?
Natural dyes used for fabrics
Of course there was! We found beautiful scarves and intricate woodwork to take home. As we shopped, we learned that the souk was organized into areas of retail: jewellers were housed next to other jewellers; leather workers with leather workers; metalworkers with metalworkers, and so on. The souk was a fascinating place.
Jamaa El-Fna in the daytime
Our time with Amin came to an an end when he led us to a restaurant where he recommended we have lunch. We tried a new dish there, lamb tangia, a specialty of Marrakech. Afterwards, as we strolled through the Jamaa El-Fna. Sue's wish to see a snake charmer came true, although we were careful not to get too close.
Snakes in the square

Relaxing beds in the hamman
Mid-afternoon found Sue, Regan and me at the Mille et une Nuits Hammam for some pampering, Moroccan style. This included being bathed, steamed, exfoliated and massaged with oils. It was a revitalizing experience!
This guy kept his tassel moving at all times.

Regan danced with this woman who kept candles balanced on her head the entire time!
For our last dinner together, we chose a large restaurant recommended by Jamal, Dar Essalam. There we enjoyed a light meal, and some entertainment, including two belly dancers. Regan was selected to get up and join one of them, and, I must say, she did us proud.
A beautiful belly dancer. 
At 5:00 a.m. the next morning, my friends left me to spend a long day getting back to Toronto. With my flight scheduled much later, I had a half day to see a bit more of the city.
Inside the Bahia Palace

Ceiling in the Bahia Palace
I headed to the Bahia Palace close by. Like the museum we had visited the day before, this was once a royal residence. Its ceilings stood out as its most impressive features, but there were also remarkable walls with carvings in the plaster.
Lacy walls
Inside Bahia Palace, on my lonesome.
Before I left the site, I asked a fellow visitor to take my picture. My friends were gone and I missed them. It was weird being in the city by myself. Undaunted, I walked around the medina, spending my last few dirhams on gifts, before eventually returning to the riad to await Miloud who would drive me to the airport.
My fellow travellers in Marrakech. They made this adventure so much better by joining me for it.
A few hours later, it was my turn to say goodbye to Morocco and a week of wonderful experiences. We certainly made many memories there. Thanks for joining me, Regan, Sue and Ruth!!















Friday, February 19, 2016

From East to West

After our adventure in the Moroccan desert, we left our camels behind and returned to more modern transport–Salah's van. It would be a challenge for him to entertain us after the sights of the Sahara, but he did his best. Over two long days of driving, we were treated to many unique sights, and some delicious food, too.
The donkey parking lot in Rissani.
Our first stop was the town of Rissani, which was bustling with life on this, a market day. Livestock of all kinds was up for sale. As I mentioned in an earlier post, the Berbers have traditionally been farmers, so this sort of trade was to be expected. 
Posing with sheep and goats. We are not for sale.
As we walked through the town, we first came upon a large area full of donkeys tethered to the ground, many of them braying at each other. Most of these were not for sale, however, but rather had been ridden to market. We saw these animals everywhere in Morocco. This made Sue very happy since she is a great lover of this humble beast of burden.
Salah–wearing a jellaba–and Regan study the dates on display
The food market in Rissani was fascinating. There was lots of choice, from freshly slaughtered chickens, to root vegetables, to nuts and fruit. When I saw them, I wanted to purchase dates, one of my favourite foods. Then we were enticed to try some–absolutely delicious–so very fresh and juicy! Salah did the bartering for us to get the best quality and price and thus we left the town with a bag of sweet treats to enjoy on our journey.
Ammonite fossil
Our route east followed the N12 through the Anti-Atlas mountains, black hills full of fossils. This was often a stark landscape, like so many others in this arid country.
Typical view from the road.
We stopped for lunch in a small town. Our restaurant's rooftop patio looked over a large expanse of palm trees. On the waiter's recommendation, we chose tagine again, this time served in individual pots. This stew was especially flavourful, in my opinion, due to the prunes and curry flavouring added to the chicken. Tagines are everywhere in Morocco, but this one was my favourite of the week.
On the rooftop patio overlooking the palms

Delicious tagine
Our route followed the Drâa Valley for much of the afternoon. We were frequently climbing in the mountains, looking down as we travelled along winding roads with hair-pin turns. 
A Berber village between the palm oasis and the mountains.
At one point, we stopped next to a massive canyon. Here was a magnificent sight! My photos do not do justice to its scale.
The canyon 
Finally, after some six hours of travel, we arrived at our destination for the night: a riad outside Ait Ben Haddou, a UNESCO world heritage sight. Again, we had our hotel and its dining room to ourselves. That evening, it was chicken tagine with lemon. That made three tagine meals in a row (excluding breakfast, of course).
Crossing the river behind Hassan

We pose in front of Ait Ben Haddou
In the morning, our local guide, Hassan, led us across the Ounila River to show us the original fortified city that has remained almost unchanged for centuries.
Here is a good view of a gate built for the movie.
I say, "almost" since the fortress has been used as a movie set many times. One of the first occasions was in 1962 when two gates were built just outside the city for the filming of Lawrence of Arabia. These have remained there to this day.
Hassan inside the fortress
Our guide, Hassan, was a resident of the city. He introduced us to his mom, and showed us several rooms of his family's home. Apparently he and his brother have worked as extras in some of the movies filmed there recently, including Young Indiana Jones, Gladiator, Babel and Game of Thrones.  Like all our other guides, Hassan spoke very good English and was very informative.

Looking over the fortress from the top. The square building on the right is a kasbah.
The view toward the mountians
Walking through this compound was very interesting and good exercise as well. We climbed to the pinnacle of the site where there were good views over the buildings below, and looking in the other direction, towards the High Atlas mountains in the distance.
Typical street with clay brick architecture in Ait Ben Haddou.
One last picture of Ait Ben Haddou
The tour finished, Hassan lead us back to the other side of the river where Regan and I were waylaid for a time by a very persuasive man selling Berber jewelry, but eventually, we were on our way.
Regan and I could not resist this salesman's smile
Climbing again.
The flowering trees were almonds
Salah headed for the hills again, this time along the old salt road in the High Atlas Mountains. This route passed by a large abandoned Kasbah, the Giaoul, now a ruin. We chose not to go inside, although as I write this, I think we should have done so. I suppose we were eager to get back to Marrakesh and that impacted on our decision.
Giaoul Kasbah
Beautiful views under unusual cloud formations.
Near the Tichka pass, we stopped for a late lunch, at the same spot we had visited a few days before to shop for Argan Oil products. From there, we were in familiar territory, and we made our way back to Marrakech by late afternoon.
A final photo in the mountains
Our long journey was over–but not our Moroccan adventure. There were still two days left. I will discuss these in my next post.