I started this project looking for answers. I wanted to explore what it meant to be a traveler, and to look at the questions of Orientalism, gender, and the individual travel experience to better understand the impact that a traveler has on a place. I have come to realize that while these topics can be explored, there may not be answers to them in the logical and conclusive way that I was searching for. Instead, I am left with more questions and a stronger desire to understand my place in and influence on the experience of travel and cultural exchange. While questions remain, reflecting upon my own experience by analyzing parts of the narrative that I wrote during my trip has enabled me to better understand how my background, beliefs and preconceptions have influenced how I understand and write about events and people.
To understand how my individual travel experienced was shaped by my background, beliefs and preconceptions, I have to analyze the nature and goals of my narrative. I had already planned on returning to Morocco when I decided to include this travel project, so the main goal of my visit initially was not directly focused on intellectual exploration. However, once I decided to include this research project, I developed a plan that included a narrative during my trip and this reflection paper afterwards. Since this is not a personal project, but one for college credit, I wrote my narrative expecting others to read it, so that would have had a dramatic affect on what I decided to include in my narrative. My audience is not only my professors, but also family and friends who I planned to share my narrative with as a way for them to stay connected with me while I was away. Because I knew my narrative would be read, I would have been influenced by what I thought people would think of my narrative, thereby choosing certain information to leave out, and choosing to describe certain events in a specific way. For example, my entry on June 22nd, 2009 about the city of Meknes would not have been included if my narrative had been a personal one. I included the interesting history and facts about the city for the benefit of those who would read my narrative. Even more significant, I also have to wonder if I expressed how I felt about things honestly, or if I felt like I needed to be 'politically correct' and thus conform to how I believed others expected me to write. While I may not be able to determine if this is true, it is clear that I was very conscious of my audience and their expectations when I was writing my narrative, and that would have had a dramatic effect on how it developed.
Language is also an important factor that would influence how I wrote about events. Both my French and especially my Arabic are limited, so I had very little opportunity to talk to Moroccans in their native language. I relied heavily on those whom I traveled and lived with, and was mostly limited to using them as a translator and asking them what was going on. I have to admit that most of the time I was extremely confused about different customs and events, and my knowledge was limited to what I was able to gather from friends and those who spoke English. This would influence my writing because I may be describing what was going on, without actually knowing why it was happening. For example, I describe the elaborate baby shower I went to, where “the mother and her two children, decorated in beautiful outfits and carried in an elaborate litter, were carried out on the shoulders of four men.”1 My descriptions of this event are those of an outsider. I clearly don't understand the cultural significance, if any, of the mother and child being carried on the litter, and I was unable to find out because of my inability to converse with those around me. I even admit in my narrative that “I was clearly the only western person there and could hardly communicate with them.”2 My trip and narrative would have been extremely different, and perhaps more in-depth, if I had been able to ask all of the questions I had, and to communicate with those around me.
The nature of why I traveled to Morocco, where and with whom I stayed, and how I got around are also important to look at when analyzing my narrative. I studied abroad in Morocco during the summer of 2008, and decided to return there for the summer of 2009 because I felt like my initial 6 weeks in Morocco in 2008 were extremely short, and I felt like I was unable to immerse myself in the culture or feel comfortable in the society. I was constantly surrounded by other America students, which allowed us to never fully leave our comfort zone. Unfortunately, I only realized how detrimental this was to my travel experience after I had left the country, so I was determined to go back and not make the same mistake. While I only stayed in Morocco for two months during the time that I wrote my narrative for this project, I was more intellectually and emotionally prepared, which allowed me to delve deeper into the culture and society. Specifically, living with Moroccan friends and their families, traveling with other Moroccans, and participating in cultural traditions such as going to the Hammam allowed me to move from being solely an observer, to learning Moroccan customs, cooking, and cultural norms and values. I was able to move away from the classroom (where I just learned about Moroccan society and culture) to actually participating as much as I could, thereby learning more than I ever did in a classroom.
The narrative In Morocco, by Edith Wharton can be used to analyze my narrative through the lens of gender by looking at the different travel experiences that women have had in Morocco. Wharton was at both an advantage and a disadvantage by being a woman in Morocco in 1919. Wharton is captivated by the romance of Morocco, and she participates in the perpetuation of exoticism by often spending more type focused on portraying the culture with flowery and captivating words rather than portraying it correctly. She describes Fez as resting on a “carpet of rich fruit-gardens like some rare specimen of Arab art on a strip of old Oriental velvet,”3 and describes visiting Morocco like “turning the pages of some illuminated Persian manuscript all embroidered with bright shapes and subtle lines.”4 Logically, she reports most on the women in Moroccan society, since she is unable to participate in other spheres that are dominated by men. This, however, also puts her at an advantage because she is one of the first western women to have access to the world of women in Moroccan society, and has the opportunity to experience a sphere often closed to outsiders. The greatest difference between my narrative and Wharton's is that there is now less of a boundary between men and women in both American and Moroccan society. However, I too give in to my romantic side as I describe the market in Meknes: “Donkeys with heavy burdens, cobble stone beneath your feet, merchants selling spices and olives, textiles and pottery, silver and bronze, shop owners trying to lure you into their store, cats skittering by in the dark, hand carved cedar doors showing a sliver of the beauty that must be in the Riad behind it.”5 I am clearly being biased when I fail to mention the trash and pollution on the streets, or the elderly homeless woman sitting in a dark doorway begging. I am also fixated on the wardrobes of woman, since that I what I can relate to. At weddings, I report on what the women are wearing and describe that a Takshita a “a long dress with long sleeves that has one solid layer, and then another layer on top that can be solid or lace/mesh.”6 I also describe the structure of a Moroccan home, including the typical layout of a house. These examples all elude to my gender and help explain what topics and themes I am interested in.
Prior to my trip I began reading a handful of books about travelers to Morocco and North Africa, including works by Edith Wharton, Brian T. Edwards, and Paul Bowles. However, I soon realized that their impressions and experiences were influencing how I would understand and report on some of the same experiences that I would most likely have during my trip. Many of these travelers went to cities that I had already visited or were planning to visit during this trip, or had participated in events and customs that I knew I would be exposed to. I decided that it would therefore be more beneficial to my understanding to read those books for comparison after my trip, so that I would not be influenced by their interpretations of what they experienced.
This realization about the influence that these books had on my own perceptions was incredibly shocking because I am exposed to others’ perceptions every day though the media, but I have never had such a personal realization of their effects on me. This led me to reflect upon other sources that may have influenced my perception of Morocco, and to look at how those perceptions were illustrated in my writing. Most obvious to me were the affect that movies have had on my perception of Morocco. In my narrative I state that “my dream of being in the Sahara had finally come true.” Reading this over and over, I asked myself 'why did I have that dream?' The reporter Ernie Pyle reported that “what we saw of the Sahara didn't look exactly the way it does in the movies”7 Bryan T. Edwards explains this by saying that “his imagination was framed by American culture more than he knew (or let on).”8 This helped me understand that while I may not realize it, I am deeply influenced by movies such as The Mummy and Lawrence of Arabia, both of which I unconsciously use as comparisons for the Sahara in my narrative. I expected the seas of rippling dunes, the camel rides, the mysterious natives who live in the desert, and I probably would have thought it true if we stumbled upon the lost city of Hamunaptra, complete with mummies and treasure.
Reflecting upon my narrative has also made me realize how deeply I am influenced by the familiar surroundings that I have grown up in. When a person is in a situation or place that is unfamiliar, they use the familiar to make comparisons, and to help them understand it and to feel 'at home' in a strange place. Morocco was unlike anything I had ever experienced, and it was the first non-western country that I had visited on my own without staying in hotels and in touristy areas. At one point in my narrative, I describe the “canyon rocks [in Morocco] that remind me of the Grand Canyon in the United States.” I made this comparison because I had nothing else to explain it with, and I felt lost in a land where I had no familiar hold. However, while this may seem logical and useful, these type of comparisons can often misrepresent a country. Edwards notes this as well when he says that “Pyle and other American writers covering the North African campaign embraced the popular mythology of the American West as a means to translate the strange land and people found [in Morocco].”9 Through this, “American journalists turned Maghrebis [Moroccans] into American Indians.”10 As I read this and remembered that I had compared Morocco to parts of the U.S., I wondered if I had done the same thing. Had using America to help explain Morocco actually ripped Morocco of it's own history? Was I misrepresenting Morocco by trying to make it into something familiar?
Both of these examples of how my perceptions of Morocco were predetermined before I even stepped foot into the country allude to the larger issue of Orientalism. Edward Said explains Orientalism as the imagining of the East by the West, and the tendency of the West to see the East as 'exotic,' thereby misrepresenting and re-imagining the history of the East. Said says that the “Orient was routinely described as feminine, its riches as fertile, its main symbols the sensual woman, the harem, and the despotic -but curiously attractive -ruler.”11 In her narrative In Morocco, Edith Wharton illustrates Orientalism when she says that Morocco was “a land of mists and mysteries; a land of trailing silver veils.”12 I was clearly Orientalizing Morocco with my desire to see the Sahara, a desire that I had because of movies about Morocco that were written and directed by Americans. My perception of Morocco, and the expectation I had of the Sahara were shaped by how Hollywood decided to portray the country.
However, Brian T. Edwards complicates this already complex issue by arguing that there is a difference between Orientalism and American Orientalism. Orientalism was first practiced by Europeans, so their imagining of the foreign is created through their understanding of their history and interactions with the East. Americans, however, have a different history, and a different experience with interactions with the east. When Americans Orientalize Morocco, the “greatest obstacle [is] the constellation of Orientalist images already in place.” Essentially, Americans understands Morocco through the influence that colonization has had on it, because France and other colonial powers have already Orientalized the entire country. Since France and other colonialists have had such a deep influence on Morocco, “When American writers, journalists, filmmakers, anthropologists, and diplomats looked at the Maghreb, they attended to European colonialists as much as they did to Maghrebis; their attitudes about the one were impossible to separate fully from their observations about the other.”13 The American Orientalism argument makes since when looking at the initial arrival of Americans in Morocco in the 1940s since colonialism was still underway. However, while colonialism is still present today, it is less popular in current topics and ideas. It could be argued that it would now be less likely that an American visiting Morocco today would be unable to separate colonialism in Morocco from what Morocco really is. However, one could also argue that the presence of the French language is a constant reminder of colonialism, and that the language has become so ingrained in Moroccan government and culture that it would be hard for an American to distinguish between where colonialism ended and where Moroccan culture began. I can also see this happening if a visiting American was unaware that France had ever colonized Morocco, and thus took the French architecture and French influence to be truly Moroccan.
American Orientalism has hard for me to apply in understanding how Americans would Orientalize in present day. While colonialism no doubt has a continued influence on Morocco, I believe that American Orientalism must be shifted from its initial concept in order to be applied to the modern world. Colonialism shaped American's view of Morocco when they arrived in the 1940s because that was what was currently going on in the country, the Middle East, and the world. In order to understand how Americans Orientalize in the present day, we have to determine what ideologies or events going on currently would be most influential to their imaginations.
It is impossible to deny that the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001 had an extremely influential effect on the American perception of the Middle East, Muslims, and Islam. I was 14 when the towers were attacked and at the time I did not fully understand what was going on, or why it was happening. It was the first time I remember thinking about the Middle East and I was ignorant to the complex historical and political relationships between the Middle East and the U.S. and I knew nothing about Islam or the different sects and groups within the religion. My, and other American's, perceptions of the Middle East are primarily shaped by the same source from which most of us learned of the attacks in the first place: the media. The media is an extremely powerful and potentially dangerous tool that can be used to manipulate perceptions by skewing coverage and it has the power to define and imagine a culture for an entire nation. After 9/11, Americans were overloaded with headlines and terms that began to define American's perceptions of the Middle East: terror, WMD, Osama bin Laden, Al Qaeda. Besides news sources, movies, books and magazines are also forms of media that have influenced how American's would Orientalize today. As I discussed earlier, my perception of the Middle East has been dramatically influenced by movies, which often portray the Middle East as a dangerous, exotic, and foreign place.
This pre-imagining and re-imagining of a place is incredibly destructive to those who actually live there. When thinking about this, I am reminded of the essay “A Small Place” by Jamaica Kincaid, where she reveals the harsh reality that tourism has created in her home country of Antigua, and how tourists who visit there are completely unaware of the damage that tourism has and are only looking to relax on their vacation. Locals are aware of this reality, but they are coerced by the prospects of economic gain into creating a section on their island that is insulated and 'perfect' to provide tourists with the experience that they expect. It is this expectation that destroys and misrepresents cultures. In Morocco, “those who live [there] and have any contact with the tourism industry [or TV or the internet] are well aware of the Western-created fantasies that most international tourists bring with them.”14 A tourist wants to visit Marrakesh, because Marrakesh was popularized by The Beatles and is a distant and mysterious city that they want to tell their friends about. Tourists want to visit markets and buy rugs, dishes, decorative shirts, and funny looking shoes. Tourists want to ride camels in the Sarhara and spend a night in Berber tents. It doesn't matter to them that the night they are receiving is nothing like what it is really like to live in the desert, since they are provided with bathrooms, ample water, clean sheets, and a hot meal. Instead of trying to correct these fantasies, people adapt them to their culture in order to satisfy the tourist's desire and provide an experience that will make them want to return and continue spending their money in the country. By adapting these Western-created fantasies to their culture, they, in essence, self-orientalize their own history and culture, thereby destroying and re-imagining their history and future.
On the other hand, Moroccans also imagine and Orientalize the West. I became increasingly apparent of this as my Moroccan friends made me aware of their own preconceptions and beliefs about my own country, and I was shocked at how misrepresented I felt. I wrote about how my friends believed that “in America 'you can have sex on the street.'”15 My friends were used to watching American television shows and movies that objectify women and portray sex, drugs and the wild lifestyle. While this in no way represents the entire American population, those were the themes that they were exposed to most often. I analyzed this conversation and explained it by saying that “Whether we like it or not, we are consciously and unconsciously effected by what we see about ‘the other’ in the media.”16 These themes are perpetuated by women who come to Morocco on vacation. Many women tourists come to Morocco “and bring a wardrobe appropriate for the Bahamas, completely disrespecting the importance of Islam in Morocco and ignorant to the negative image of their country that they are portraying.”17 Tourists need to be aware that by traveling to a different country they are influencing how that country views their own. By ignoring local norms and by not respecting the culture, a tourist hurts the image of their fellow countrymen.
After making these analyses and realizing the challenges that one faces as a traveler, anyone would feel frustrated. Is there then such a thing as a 'good traveler'? Is it even possible to not Orientalize the other? How does one travel and not negatively affect the country in which they are traveling? The topic of tourism came up in one of my classes this quarter, specifically in the sense of the negative impact of tourism. Some of these same questions were asked by my classmates, as they too felt lost in understanding the same reality that I now face after analyzing my narrative. I want to travel. I want to experience other cultures, try things I've never tried before, and see places that most only dream about. But I also don't want to destroy cultures by Orientalizing them and exploiting them for my own amusement. I don't want to misrepresent people or force them to self-orientalize themselves. I want my travel experience to be positive for both myself and for those I interact with on my trip. I want to help break stereotypes and preconceptions about both my culture and theirs, and to build relationships and understanding with those who's cultures are foreign to me. However, I went to Morocco with all of these thoughts and desires in mind, and as I have illustrated, I still participate in the misrepresentation and Orientalization of the people and culture. It then seems that there is no way that a traveler can avoid making these harmful mistakes.
However, preventing these mistakes may not be the ideal goal either. These realizations and analyses about the impact that travelers can have may be a vital part of the experience of travel and cultural exchange. Perhaps the only way to have a positive impact as a traveler is to be aware of the mistakes that will inevitably take place. A traveler may never be able to fully prevent from having some type of negative impact on the country they are traveling in, but being aware of one's actions and constantly reflecting upon the way and the reasons why you are traveling will help to make those a learning experience. Even more significantly, reflecting upon what travelers have written (including yourself), and thinking critically about the beliefs and preconceptions that influence your understanding of events will change how you understand the same events in the future. Intercultural exchange should be a life-long learning process, not a step-by-step guide, in which reflection allows a traveler to learn more about the complex interactions between their culture and another. I will no doubt repeat some of the same mistakes and transgressions that I have mentioned here, but I have also gained a clearer understanding of how and why those intercultural miscommunications and misrepresentations occur.
Works Cited:
Bate, Alexa. Morocco Narrative (2009)
Said, Edward, Orientalism Reconsidered. University of Minnesota Press, 1985. Retrieved on October 16, 2009 from <http://www.jstor.org/atable/pdfplus/1354282.pdf>
Edwards, Brian T. Morocco Bound: Disorienting America's Maghreb: From Casablanca to the Marrakech Express. London: Duke University Press , 2005.
Wharton, Edith. In Morocco. New York: Tauris Parke Paperbacks, 2008.
Works Consulted:
Bowles, Paul. “Journey Through Morocco.” 1963. Retrieved on September 5, 2009 from <http://www.paulbowles.org/journey.html
Kincaid, Jamaica. A Small Place. New York: Penguin Group, 1988.
1Alexa Bate, Morocco Narrative (2009), 2
2Bate, Morocco Narrative, 2
3Edith Wharton, In Morocco (New York: Tauris Parke Paperbacks , 2008), 36
4Wharton, In Morocco, 16
5Bate, Morocco Narrative, 3
6Bate, Morocco Narrative, 7
7Brian T. Edwards, Morocco Bound: Disorienting America's Maghreb: From Casablanca to the Marrakech Express (London: Duke University Press, 2005), 53
8Edwards, Morocco Bound, 53
9Edwards, Morocco Bound,47
10Edwards, Morocco Bound, 49
11Edward Said, Orientalism Reconsidered, (University of Minnesota Press, 1985), 16
<http://www.jstor.org/atable/pdfplus/1354282.pdf>
12Wharton, In Morocco, 15
13Edwards, Morocco Bound, 97
14Edwards, Morocco Bound, 73
15Bate, Morocco Narrative, 11.
16Bate, Morocco Narrative, 11.
17Bate, Morocco Narrative, 11.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Sunday, August 9, 2009
The Sahara
When: 7/27/09
Where: Meknes, Risanni, Merzouga, the Sahara (Erg Cherbi Dunes)
Last night we returned from the most amazing experience I have ever had. Most of what happened can not be accurately described, since it is beyond imaginable words. However, I will try to paint the best picture I can of what has happened during the last three days. On Friday we left on the bus at 2:15 pm for the 7 hour drive to Merzouga. The journey took us through the nearby Middle Atlas Mountains, which are filled with forests, monkeys, and spectacular hiking. After reaching the far side of the Middle Atlas Mountains, we were met with rolling meadows and streams that reached far into the distance to the towering High Atlas Mountains that separates the desert from the rest of Morocco. We followed the river through the High Atlas Mountains, so naturally we also saw all kinds of life next to the water. Berber nomad tents were scattered throughout the meadows, where they grazed their herds of sheep and donkeys. We passed Berbers selling mountain honey next to the road packaged in old coke bottles (however, we later heard that this 'honey' is also mixed with sugar and water). The first town you pass through once through most of the High Atlas is the city if Rich, where we bough fresh raw cows milk and admired the city which is almost indistinguishable from the browns of the mountains around it. They also had numerous almond trees and our first sign of the date palms that indicate our closeness to the desert. Our next stop was at the Ziz Gorge, which is the most beautiful oasis surrounded by canyon rocks that remind me of the Grand Canyon in the United States. Right before the Gorge there is a huge reservoir that seems like a mirage next to the greenless mountains.
Once we finally arrived in Merzouga it was past 10pm, and we were all tired and hungry. We checked into our hotel, which ended up being an incredibly beautiful family owned Riad named Riad Nezha. We were served a fabulous dinner on the terrace and quickly went to bed. Our rooms were air conditioned, which we were all thankful for in the relentless heat. However, at 2am, the entire village lost power until the next morning, so I woke shortly after and literally thought there was a heater on. Thankfully there was a light breeze, so once I opened the window I could sleep in relative comfort. The next morning's breakfast was filled with laughing conversation about our experiences the previous night with the electricity going out, and also how we all tried to take cold showers to cool down, but then found out that even the 'cold' water is incredibly hot.
Later that morning a group of us took a tour of Merzouga and the surrounding area in 4x4 trucks. Merzouga village is relatively small, and is situation on the edge of an oasis that separates the town from the Erg Cherbi Dunes. We visited the nearby lake that provides most of the water in Merzouga both for consumption and for farming. Next we went to a Gnaoua village and listened to some live Gnaoua music. The Gnaoua music tradition is a religious one whose members are descendants of black slaves brought through the Sahara to Morocco by the Arabs. 80,000 of these slaves were used to build the city of Meknes, and countless numbers of them lost their lives all over the country. The only way I can describe Gnaoua music is to say that it could be called the Moroccan Reggae, since both Reggae and Gnaoua music have a very spiritual and religious tradition that goes along with them. After that we took a 4x4 adventure through some nearby dunes and ran into a small Berber nomad residence about 20 kilometers from the Algerian border, and they invited us to have tea in their tent. It was incredibly mind opening to see how simply the nomads live, and yet how generous they are, especially with something as precious as water. We learned that they had just had a wedding that morning, and that the bride had left to travel 200 kilometers to her new home. I felt sad because I know she will probably not see her family again for a very long time, since they live so far from each other. On our way back to the Riad we saw countless camels grazing, and with each one we passed I felt more excited about our upcoming camel trek.
After a short rest and lunch, we walked through the oasis towards the desert and met our camel guides and their camels. Riding a camel was kind of awkward for me, and I felt like I was going to fall off every time the camel went downhill. However, the good thing is that camels are also very slow when they walk, so the nice rocking motion made it easy to relax and enjoy the amazing trek. We took a half hour ride to one of the huge dunes, where we stopped to climb the dune and watch the sun set. Once the sun set we headed off again and trekked another half hour to the Berber camp. Once at the camp we found our beds, had dinner, and then spent the night drumming, watching stars, and talking with friends. We all woke up early and watched the sun rise on the desert, which was a breathtaking experience. We have all seen movies like The Mummy and Laurence of Arabia, but nothing prepares you for actually being in a place where the rolling dunes stretch on to the horizon and the only sounds are the wind and your camel. The feeling of insignificance is overwhelming as you realize the power that this pitiless place has over you, and you realize that you have never appreciated water more than this moment. I felt sad as we trekked away from our camp and out of the desert, because my dream of being in the Sahara had finally come true, and I felt like I was leaving a piece of myself there.
Once back in Merzouga we returned to the Riad to take showers and pack up. From Merzouga we traveled a short distance north to Risanni. Risanni used to be a central location where nomads would meet to barter and exchange their goods. While the town is now much more that a meeting place, the market that developed because of the nomads is still there and we went to explore it. The market is very similar to the Medina in any other city, but had much more food than other items. After visiting a few more sites in Risanni and stopping to eat the famous Berber Pidza, we began our long journey back to Meknes.
I have had my share of amazing experiences, from riding elephants in Thailand, to taking a roadtrip to Croatia, but nothing has compared to my experiences in the desert of Morocco.
Where: Meknes, Risanni, Merzouga, the Sahara (Erg Cherbi Dunes)
Last night we returned from the most amazing experience I have ever had. Most of what happened can not be accurately described, since it is beyond imaginable words. However, I will try to paint the best picture I can of what has happened during the last three days. On Friday we left on the bus at 2:15 pm for the 7 hour drive to Merzouga. The journey took us through the nearby Middle Atlas Mountains, which are filled with forests, monkeys, and spectacular hiking. After reaching the far side of the Middle Atlas Mountains, we were met with rolling meadows and streams that reached far into the distance to the towering High Atlas Mountains that separates the desert from the rest of Morocco. We followed the river through the High Atlas Mountains, so naturally we also saw all kinds of life next to the water. Berber nomad tents were scattered throughout the meadows, where they grazed their herds of sheep and donkeys. We passed Berbers selling mountain honey next to the road packaged in old coke bottles (however, we later heard that this 'honey' is also mixed with sugar and water). The first town you pass through once through most of the High Atlas is the city if Rich, where we bough fresh raw cows milk and admired the city which is almost indistinguishable from the browns of the mountains around it. They also had numerous almond trees and our first sign of the date palms that indicate our closeness to the desert. Our next stop was at the Ziz Gorge, which is the most beautiful oasis surrounded by canyon rocks that remind me of the Grand Canyon in the United States. Right before the Gorge there is a huge reservoir that seems like a mirage next to the greenless mountains.
Once we finally arrived in Merzouga it was past 10pm, and we were all tired and hungry. We checked into our hotel, which ended up being an incredibly beautiful family owned Riad named Riad Nezha. We were served a fabulous dinner on the terrace and quickly went to bed. Our rooms were air conditioned, which we were all thankful for in the relentless heat. However, at 2am, the entire village lost power until the next morning, so I woke shortly after and literally thought there was a heater on. Thankfully there was a light breeze, so once I opened the window I could sleep in relative comfort. The next morning's breakfast was filled with laughing conversation about our experiences the previous night with the electricity going out, and also how we all tried to take cold showers to cool down, but then found out that even the 'cold' water is incredibly hot.
Later that morning a group of us took a tour of Merzouga and the surrounding area in 4x4 trucks. Merzouga village is relatively small, and is situation on the edge of an oasis that separates the town from the Erg Cherbi Dunes. We visited the nearby lake that provides most of the water in Merzouga both for consumption and for farming. Next we went to a Gnaoua village and listened to some live Gnaoua music. The Gnaoua music tradition is a religious one whose members are descendants of black slaves brought through the Sahara to Morocco by the Arabs. 80,000 of these slaves were used to build the city of Meknes, and countless numbers of them lost their lives all over the country. The only way I can describe Gnaoua music is to say that it could be called the Moroccan Reggae, since both Reggae and Gnaoua music have a very spiritual and religious tradition that goes along with them. After that we took a 4x4 adventure through some nearby dunes and ran into a small Berber nomad residence about 20 kilometers from the Algerian border, and they invited us to have tea in their tent. It was incredibly mind opening to see how simply the nomads live, and yet how generous they are, especially with something as precious as water. We learned that they had just had a wedding that morning, and that the bride had left to travel 200 kilometers to her new home. I felt sad because I know she will probably not see her family again for a very long time, since they live so far from each other. On our way back to the Riad we saw countless camels grazing, and with each one we passed I felt more excited about our upcoming camel trek.
After a short rest and lunch, we walked through the oasis towards the desert and met our camel guides and their camels. Riding a camel was kind of awkward for me, and I felt like I was going to fall off every time the camel went downhill. However, the good thing is that camels are also very slow when they walk, so the nice rocking motion made it easy to relax and enjoy the amazing trek. We took a half hour ride to one of the huge dunes, where we stopped to climb the dune and watch the sun set. Once the sun set we headed off again and trekked another half hour to the Berber camp. Once at the camp we found our beds, had dinner, and then spent the night drumming, watching stars, and talking with friends. We all woke up early and watched the sun rise on the desert, which was a breathtaking experience. We have all seen movies like The Mummy and Laurence of Arabia, but nothing prepares you for actually being in a place where the rolling dunes stretch on to the horizon and the only sounds are the wind and your camel. The feeling of insignificance is overwhelming as you realize the power that this pitiless place has over you, and you realize that you have never appreciated water more than this moment. I felt sad as we trekked away from our camp and out of the desert, because my dream of being in the Sahara had finally come true, and I felt like I was leaving a piece of myself there.
Once back in Merzouga we returned to the Riad to take showers and pack up. From Merzouga we traveled a short distance north to Risanni. Risanni used to be a central location where nomads would meet to barter and exchange their goods. While the town is now much more that a meeting place, the market that developed because of the nomads is still there and we went to explore it. The market is very similar to the Medina in any other city, but had much more food than other items. After visiting a few more sites in Risanni and stopping to eat the famous Berber Pidza, we began our long journey back to Meknes.
I have had my share of amazing experiences, from riding elephants in Thailand, to taking a roadtrip to Croatia, but nothing has compared to my experiences in the desert of Morocco.
Parents Visit, Meknes and the Farm
When: 7/19/09
Where: Meknes
On Friday my parents arrived for a two week visit. For the past few days I have been showing them around Meknes and taking them on adventures around the city. It's interesting to see how comfortable with the city I have become, and how I am able to act like a guide, giving history tid bits and information about the places we visit. While I am just a visitor as well, I definitely feel more at home here than I did last year. My mom commented on how well I know the city, and how I can do basically everything. I am still not comfortable with going out alone, but I know that will change as I learn more of the language.
My parents are having a wonderful time so far, and it is amazing being with them as they experience things that I now see as normal. The busy Medina, with it's maze-like passageways, is a constant fascination to them, and they love exploring it's markets and streets. My mother mentioned to me how everything is completely different than she expected, and she is surprised at how little formalities there are. With Morocco being a Muslim country, she had expected to find many weird customs and rules, especially between genders. However, she has been happily surprised at how relaxed it is, and how genders are able to, for the most part, mingle together.
It's also interesting to see how small the world actually is. Even in a small city in Morocco, I constantly see Moroccans wearing shirts and caps that say “Pacific North West” or “I Love NY” and even “Seattle Seahawks.” The one McDonalds in the city is a constant reminder of globalization, and the American music that plays on the radio stations makes it easy to forget that you are actually thousands of miles away from home.
When: 7/21/09
Where: The Farm
We are back on the farm and my mom is having the time of her life. She would probably never leave if she could. We had an amazing lunch and then took a walk to see the camels, horses and beautiful gardens.
The weather these past few days have been extremely weird. On Monday it was 115 degrees and almost unbearable. It was the same unbearable heat on Tuesday, and then on Wednesday there was a huge wind and rain storm that trapped us in an internet cafe. This afternoon at the farm has been constant black rain storms around us as we sit outside in the courtyards.
Tomorrow morning we are going to go harvest pears. Hopefully we will finish before the heat gets too extreme!
When 7/23/09
Where: The Farm, Meknes
I will never look at a pear in the same way. We finally made it out to the field at 9:30am and started working. Picking pears is relatively easy; put all the big pears in a box, and get a new box when yours is full. You have to remember to pull gently upwards when picking pears, to keep the stem on, and to never drop any, since then they will bruise. It is also important to start picking from the bottom of the tree, and work your way up. We worked in twos alongside about 20 other farm workers. At 12pm we took a break for lunch, and then returned to the field a 1:30pm and continued working until 5:30pm.
The experience reminded me of my experience two years ago with working in the fields at a vineyard in France, and I was glad for the opportunity to work alongside Moroccans. The other workers, especially the women, were incredibly curious and loved getting their pictures taken and glancing at us with shy smiles. All of them were helpful when we got confused, and I think they were surprised and confused as to why American women would want to come work in the 100 degree heat all day on their vacation.
Today we did not go back out to the fields, and I have to admit that I was relieved. The actual work is not hard (just somewhat repetitive), but the heat makes it almost unbearable at times. Even with hats and sunscreen and water, I got overheated a couple times and had to sit down. I really don't know how the other workers do it, since most of women look like they are wearing winter clothes, with wool socks, thick leggings, a skirt over that, a couple shirts or a sweater, and sometimes even snow gloves.
We are now back in Meknes (where it is has been over 100 degrees this whole week) and are preparing for our 7 hours drive tomorrow to Merzouga. A group of 9 of us, including my parents and I, will join a group of 10 other American students on their bus and travel with them for the weekend. After the 7 hour drive, we will spend the night in Merzouga village. The next day we will explore Merzouga and then later in the afternoon we will take a camel caravan into the Sahara to spend the night in Berber tents under the stars. We will return to Merzouga by camel the next morning and take a bus to Risanni, where they supposedly have a huge market on Sunday. After Risanni, we will start the 7 hour drive back to Meknes, where we will arrive late Sunday night.
Where: Meknes
On Friday my parents arrived for a two week visit. For the past few days I have been showing them around Meknes and taking them on adventures around the city. It's interesting to see how comfortable with the city I have become, and how I am able to act like a guide, giving history tid bits and information about the places we visit. While I am just a visitor as well, I definitely feel more at home here than I did last year. My mom commented on how well I know the city, and how I can do basically everything. I am still not comfortable with going out alone, but I know that will change as I learn more of the language.
My parents are having a wonderful time so far, and it is amazing being with them as they experience things that I now see as normal. The busy Medina, with it's maze-like passageways, is a constant fascination to them, and they love exploring it's markets and streets. My mother mentioned to me how everything is completely different than she expected, and she is surprised at how little formalities there are. With Morocco being a Muslim country, she had expected to find many weird customs and rules, especially between genders. However, she has been happily surprised at how relaxed it is, and how genders are able to, for the most part, mingle together.
It's also interesting to see how small the world actually is. Even in a small city in Morocco, I constantly see Moroccans wearing shirts and caps that say “Pacific North West” or “I Love NY” and even “Seattle Seahawks.” The one McDonalds in the city is a constant reminder of globalization, and the American music that plays on the radio stations makes it easy to forget that you are actually thousands of miles away from home.
When: 7/21/09
Where: The Farm
We are back on the farm and my mom is having the time of her life. She would probably never leave if she could. We had an amazing lunch and then took a walk to see the camels, horses and beautiful gardens.
The weather these past few days have been extremely weird. On Monday it was 115 degrees and almost unbearable. It was the same unbearable heat on Tuesday, and then on Wednesday there was a huge wind and rain storm that trapped us in an internet cafe. This afternoon at the farm has been constant black rain storms around us as we sit outside in the courtyards.
Tomorrow morning we are going to go harvest pears. Hopefully we will finish before the heat gets too extreme!
When 7/23/09
Where: The Farm, Meknes
I will never look at a pear in the same way. We finally made it out to the field at 9:30am and started working. Picking pears is relatively easy; put all the big pears in a box, and get a new box when yours is full. You have to remember to pull gently upwards when picking pears, to keep the stem on, and to never drop any, since then they will bruise. It is also important to start picking from the bottom of the tree, and work your way up. We worked in twos alongside about 20 other farm workers. At 12pm we took a break for lunch, and then returned to the field a 1:30pm and continued working until 5:30pm.
The experience reminded me of my experience two years ago with working in the fields at a vineyard in France, and I was glad for the opportunity to work alongside Moroccans. The other workers, especially the women, were incredibly curious and loved getting their pictures taken and glancing at us with shy smiles. All of them were helpful when we got confused, and I think they were surprised and confused as to why American women would want to come work in the 100 degree heat all day on their vacation.
Today we did not go back out to the fields, and I have to admit that I was relieved. The actual work is not hard (just somewhat repetitive), but the heat makes it almost unbearable at times. Even with hats and sunscreen and water, I got overheated a couple times and had to sit down. I really don't know how the other workers do it, since most of women look like they are wearing winter clothes, with wool socks, thick leggings, a skirt over that, a couple shirts or a sweater, and sometimes even snow gloves.
We are now back in Meknes (where it is has been over 100 degrees this whole week) and are preparing for our 7 hours drive tomorrow to Merzouga. A group of 9 of us, including my parents and I, will join a group of 10 other American students on their bus and travel with them for the weekend. After the 7 hour drive, we will spend the night in Merzouga village. The next day we will explore Merzouga and then later in the afternoon we will take a camel caravan into the Sahara to spend the night in Berber tents under the stars. We will return to Merzouga by camel the next morning and take a bus to Risanni, where they supposedly have a huge market on Sunday. After Risanni, we will start the 7 hour drive back to Meknes, where we will arrive late Sunday night.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Couscous, Hammam, and a Wedding!
On Friday Kat and I went over to Mouhsin's family's house at around 12 looking to help make couscous, but found out when we got there that it was almost done and that they usually start making it at around 9am. I was really disappointed because couscous is my favorite Moroccan meal, and I would have loved to know how to make it. At around 2pm, Mouhsin's father, brother and brother in law got back from praying at the mosque and we all ate couscous together. With the couscous we had a type of kefer drink that you can buy in the supermarket, but that is apparently quite popular as a side to couscous. Mouhsin's father even put some of the couscous in his cup, mixed it up, and drank it. Half of the people eating with us ate the couscous the traditional way, but using your right hand to make small balls of couscous. The others, myself included, just used a spoon.
On Saturday, we went back to his house at around 10am and his older sister Nadia, took us to the Hammam. I was so excited for my first Hammam since getting back to Morocco, since I haven't had one for 11 months and desperately needed one. The Hammam is another amazing Moroccan experience that can not be fully experienced or understood without the help of a local Moroccan.
When you first walk in, you come to a room where there are benches around the perimeter of the room with lockers above them. In one corner there are usually around three women sleeping and relazing. These women, although you wouldn't be able to tell, work at the hammam and scrub you if you pay extra. When you go to the hammam, you take all your usual bathroom things with you, along with a small bucket, a mat to sit on, this amazing olive oil soap, henna soap, and a rough scrubbing glove. You strip down to your underwear and take all your bath stuff along with a large bucket that they have there into the hammam rooms. The hammam rooms are similar to a sauna because they are hot and steamy. Usually there are two or three rooms connected by open doors, and each room gets expedientially hotter, so you can find one that is perfect for you. Each square room is tiled and had two pipes running around the edges of it with faucets every couple of feet. One pipe is freezing cold water and the other is burning hot water. Once you find your spot, you put your mat down in front of two faucets and sit down facing the wall in front of the large bucket. Once you fill your bucket with the temperature of water that you want, you use the small bucket to get yourself completely wet. Once wet, you cover yourself with the olive oil soap and rub it in for about five minutes. After you wash that off, your use the rough scrubbing glove to scrub yourself. You can also get one of the women to do this for you, which I prefer because they are extremely good at it and you feel so silky soft afterwards. After the scrub, you do everything you would normally do when you take a shower, and relax or do whatever you want... I've even seen people sleeping. The whole process can take anywhere from 1 to 3 hours.
Later that night at around midnight we went to a wedding. The wedding started at 9pm, but since it goes until 6am the next day, we went late. I also got to wear an amazing traditional takshita, which is the Moroccan formal wear. Mouhsin's sister Touria let me borrow one from her, and only later did I find out that it was a takshita that she wore at her wedding. I was incorrect is saying that they were caftans in my first entry. A caftan has only one layer, while a takshita has one solid layer, and then another layer on top that can be solid or lace/mesh. The one I wore was pink with beautiful embroidery and beads. The wedding itself was amazing and included lots of dancing, beautiful outfits, and an amazing meal at 2am. We stayed at the wedding until 4:30am, and then went home and went to bed. Moroccans definitely know how to put on a party.
On Saturday, we went back to his house at around 10am and his older sister Nadia, took us to the Hammam. I was so excited for my first Hammam since getting back to Morocco, since I haven't had one for 11 months and desperately needed one. The Hammam is another amazing Moroccan experience that can not be fully experienced or understood without the help of a local Moroccan.
When you first walk in, you come to a room where there are benches around the perimeter of the room with lockers above them. In one corner there are usually around three women sleeping and relazing. These women, although you wouldn't be able to tell, work at the hammam and scrub you if you pay extra. When you go to the hammam, you take all your usual bathroom things with you, along with a small bucket, a mat to sit on, this amazing olive oil soap, henna soap, and a rough scrubbing glove. You strip down to your underwear and take all your bath stuff along with a large bucket that they have there into the hammam rooms. The hammam rooms are similar to a sauna because they are hot and steamy. Usually there are two or three rooms connected by open doors, and each room gets expedientially hotter, so you can find one that is perfect for you. Each square room is tiled and had two pipes running around the edges of it with faucets every couple of feet. One pipe is freezing cold water and the other is burning hot water. Once you find your spot, you put your mat down in front of two faucets and sit down facing the wall in front of the large bucket. Once you fill your bucket with the temperature of water that you want, you use the small bucket to get yourself completely wet. Once wet, you cover yourself with the olive oil soap and rub it in for about five minutes. After you wash that off, your use the rough scrubbing glove to scrub yourself. You can also get one of the women to do this for you, which I prefer because they are extremely good at it and you feel so silky soft afterwards. After the scrub, you do everything you would normally do when you take a shower, and relax or do whatever you want... I've even seen people sleeping. The whole process can take anywhere from 1 to 3 hours.
Later that night at around midnight we went to a wedding. The wedding started at 9pm, but since it goes until 6am the next day, we went late. I also got to wear an amazing traditional takshita, which is the Moroccan formal wear. Mouhsin's sister Touria let me borrow one from her, and only later did I find out that it was a takshita that she wore at her wedding. I was incorrect is saying that they were caftans in my first entry. A caftan has only one layer, while a takshita has one solid layer, and then another layer on top that can be solid or lace/mesh. The one I wore was pink with beautiful embroidery and beads. The wedding itself was amazing and included lots of dancing, beautiful outfits, and an amazing meal at 2am. We stayed at the wedding until 4:30am, and then went home and went to bed. Moroccans definitely know how to put on a party.
Back to Meknes and ISA Projects
When: 7/5/09
Where: Meknes
On the drive back to Meknes yesterday, I realized how disconnected from the United States I have become. Having limited TV and internet access, I have no idea what is currently happening in the news, and I even forgot that yesterday was our Independence Day.
Update: I found the CNN station!
When: 7/12/09
Where: Meknes
This past week we have stayed just in Meknes, and Kat and I are having a wonderful time doing things while Mouhsin and Aly are at work. We had a couple of meetings with the directors of the International Studies Abroad program here in Meknes, where we discussed the possibility of getting involved with them in starting a new project. We are all interested in starting a multicultural cafe that is directed towards student, women, children, and everyone else in the community. The cafe would be a front for a partnership with another association that we would develop that would deal with providing information on volunteer and community service opportunities in the city. The cafe would provide a space where American and Moroccan students (and people of any other ethnicity) would be able to mingle and learn about each other, and the association would allow students (especially American students) to get involved in the community while they are studying in Meknes. The association would partner with existing organizations like the American Language Center, and local orphanages, to inform American students about opportunities for service. The cafe would also serve as a space where students, women, and children would be able to express themselves while learning about other cultures. The cafe would put on events like student musicians, and showcase art from local struggling artists. This type of project would be perfect in the city of Meknes, where there is a large student community, and a strong desire from Moroccan and American students to be able to interact with each other in a common space.
I feel slightly torn, since I want so much to get deeply involved with this project, but I still have commitments back in Seattle for next year. I would love to put my school and work on hold and stay here to work on the cafe and the association, but I feel like I have already put so much into my schooling and work, and that I would regret not finishing right now. While I may not be able to be directly involved throughout the next year, I plan on helping with the project proposal and budget while I am here, and in researching possible grants and other venues for funding.
Besides having meetings with the directors of the Meknes ISA program, we also met some of the American students who are studying here at the moment. They are deep in their studies, but we all got together for a party at their apartment, and it was a great opportunity to meet and mingle with them. We are planing on taking a trip with some of the student to the Sahara later this month, which I am extremely excited about.
Where: Meknes
On the drive back to Meknes yesterday, I realized how disconnected from the United States I have become. Having limited TV and internet access, I have no idea what is currently happening in the news, and I even forgot that yesterday was our Independence Day.
Update: I found the CNN station!
When: 7/12/09
Where: Meknes
This past week we have stayed just in Meknes, and Kat and I are having a wonderful time doing things while Mouhsin and Aly are at work. We had a couple of meetings with the directors of the International Studies Abroad program here in Meknes, where we discussed the possibility of getting involved with them in starting a new project. We are all interested in starting a multicultural cafe that is directed towards student, women, children, and everyone else in the community. The cafe would be a front for a partnership with another association that we would develop that would deal with providing information on volunteer and community service opportunities in the city. The cafe would provide a space where American and Moroccan students (and people of any other ethnicity) would be able to mingle and learn about each other, and the association would allow students (especially American students) to get involved in the community while they are studying in Meknes. The association would partner with existing organizations like the American Language Center, and local orphanages, to inform American students about opportunities for service. The cafe would also serve as a space where students, women, and children would be able to express themselves while learning about other cultures. The cafe would put on events like student musicians, and showcase art from local struggling artists. This type of project would be perfect in the city of Meknes, where there is a large student community, and a strong desire from Moroccan and American students to be able to interact with each other in a common space.
I feel slightly torn, since I want so much to get deeply involved with this project, but I still have commitments back in Seattle for next year. I would love to put my school and work on hold and stay here to work on the cafe and the association, but I feel like I have already put so much into my schooling and work, and that I would regret not finishing right now. While I may not be able to be directly involved throughout the next year, I plan on helping with the project proposal and budget while I am here, and in researching possible grants and other venues for funding.
Besides having meetings with the directors of the Meknes ISA program, we also met some of the American students who are studying here at the moment. They are deep in their studies, but we all got together for a party at their apartment, and it was a great opportunity to meet and mingle with them. We are planing on taking a trip with some of the student to the Sahara later this month, which I am extremely excited about.
Friday, July 3, 2009
Casa and the Beach House
It has been a while since I've updated. Sorry!
We stayed at The Farm for five days, and although it was totally amazing, I was happy to go back to Meknes. I love people watching and seeing the busy city, so I was definitely missing the constant entertainment of Meknes.
Once we got back to Meknes, I unfortunately got a little sick and stayed inside for most of the day on Wednesday. Wednesday night at around 10 pm we drove to Casablanca so we could be there the next morning to pick up Kat at the airport. We got to Casa at around 1 am and met up with Aly's cousin, Amine, who cooked us a yummy dinner of chicken tajine, and we ended up staying at his place because we got so tired. The next morning we picked up Kat at the airport at around 10, and we were all so hapy to see her! Kat is also a former ISA participant, and is also from Seattle. She has just graduated from college, and has decided to move over here and live for a while. We actually had lunch in Seattle a few months ago because the boys wanted us to meet, so seeing her again was great! I also have to admit that it's nice having another girl around... I've been living with boys for 10 days and I am starting to miss females. haha.
After picking her up we went to a beach house that Aly's cousin has about 20 or 30 minutes north of Casa, between Casa and Mohammedia. The house is small and looks pretty shabby since it hasn't been updated since it was built, but it has hot water, a flushing toilet, and is literally right on the beach. The deck in the front provides ample people/beach watching, and you can hear the waves break all night. We made dinner together and ate it as the sun set. After, we walked on the beach (I collected lots of cool shells!), smoked hookah, and just hung out.
This morning we went swimming and I got to tan a bit, which made me happy. Then we went into Casa and had lunch, and met up with some other friends who came back to the beach house with us. We cooked an amazing dinner for everyone, and I definitely learned a lot about moroccan cooking... the problem is that we don't have some of the stuff that they use, and visa versa.
We'll be heading back to Meknes in the morning, and I really wish we could stay longer.
We stayed at The Farm for five days, and although it was totally amazing, I was happy to go back to Meknes. I love people watching and seeing the busy city, so I was definitely missing the constant entertainment of Meknes.
Once we got back to Meknes, I unfortunately got a little sick and stayed inside for most of the day on Wednesday. Wednesday night at around 10 pm we drove to Casablanca so we could be there the next morning to pick up Kat at the airport. We got to Casa at around 1 am and met up with Aly's cousin, Amine, who cooked us a yummy dinner of chicken tajine, and we ended up staying at his place because we got so tired. The next morning we picked up Kat at the airport at around 10, and we were all so hapy to see her! Kat is also a former ISA participant, and is also from Seattle. She has just graduated from college, and has decided to move over here and live for a while. We actually had lunch in Seattle a few months ago because the boys wanted us to meet, so seeing her again was great! I also have to admit that it's nice having another girl around... I've been living with boys for 10 days and I am starting to miss females. haha.
After picking her up we went to a beach house that Aly's cousin has about 20 or 30 minutes north of Casa, between Casa and Mohammedia. The house is small and looks pretty shabby since it hasn't been updated since it was built, but it has hot water, a flushing toilet, and is literally right on the beach. The deck in the front provides ample people/beach watching, and you can hear the waves break all night. We made dinner together and ate it as the sun set. After, we walked on the beach (I collected lots of cool shells!), smoked hookah, and just hung out.
This morning we went swimming and I got to tan a bit, which made me happy. Then we went into Casa and had lunch, and met up with some other friends who came back to the beach house with us. We cooked an amazing dinner for everyone, and I definitely learned a lot about moroccan cooking... the problem is that we don't have some of the stuff that they use, and visa versa.
We'll be heading back to Meknes in the morning, and I really wish we could stay longer.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Meknes Adventures and The Farm
The past few days have been filled with Meknes adventures and good food. Mouhsin and I spend the afternoons, when it is cooler, wandering through the Medina, Hamriya, and Zitune. I love the Medina because you can find everything and everyone there. The Old City is an amazing mix of miles of walls and palaces, with thousands of people selling and buying everything you could possibly want. On the other side of the walls, is Hamriya, the New City... where you find bars, clubs, hotels, gas stations, and all the westers amenities (flushing toilets, how I love thee).
I've spent two afternoons with Mouhsin's family. The first at his parents house, where I finally met his father, and got to hang out with Mouhsin and his brothers. The second was at his sister Touria's house, where I got to play with her amazing little girl, Nada.
The Moroccan house is an amazing thing, and I would love mine to be just like it. All of the Moroccan homes that I have seen have two living rooms... one is for guests, and the other is for family. The first time you enter a home, you are taken to the guest room, where you are served mint tea, or hot milk with a splash of sweet coffee, along with amazing treats like almond cookies. While this room is beautiful, I've come to love the family room, because there everyone relaxes and you no longer feel like a guest, and more like family. It is a guarantee that you will be fed constantly in a Moroccan house. Even if you have already eaten, they will insist that you eat more, and after you have eaten more, again, they will keep insisting. I'm sure the only reason why everyone isn't completely fat, is because the food is so healthy.
Yesterday we loaded up the car (that includes 6 people) and drove a bit outside of Meknes to Ali's family's farm. The farm is huge, and includes everything from rabbits and camels, to almonds and olives. The main house is huge and reminds me of paradise. There are beautiful terraces covered with grape vines, fruit trees, roses, and it is amazingly quiet. We drove all around the farm until sunset, which we watched parked in a wheat field that totally reminded me of that Gladiator scene, because the hills of wheat went on for ever and ever. After sunset we went back to the house and cooked up a bunch of stuff for dinner. All six of us passed out finally around 3;30 am after having a great evening.
This morning we woke up to the smell of fresh bread, and were served a breakfast of olive oil, homemade jellies, honey from the farm, olives, butter, and fresh baked bread, still warm from the outdoor oven it was cooked in. Along with that came hot milk with a splash of sweet coffee, and then mint tea (both my favorites). After breakfast we lounged in the beautiful courtyards for a bit, and then went out to see the animals on the farm (my mission was camels!). We found a group of 6 camels, which were so cute and I had the best time petting them. I think Star Wars got some of their weird animal sounds from camels... they sound very much like some Star Wars creatures when they're unhappy. After that Ali took me to one edge of the farm, which runs along a beautiful valley. Back at the house, we relaxed and hung out, and then at around 5pm we were served the most delicious dinner ever. The women here should be praised... they are amazing cooks. First we had plates of tomatoes onion salad with olive oil and peper, along with lots of little plates of different kinds of olives. Then came a huge tajine of lamb with olives and potatoes. Then came sausages, and kebabs, which had all kinds of weird organs hidden between actual meat, so I didn't eat those much, haha.
It's now a bit after that feast, and I'm lounging on an amazing couch next to a courtyard as it gets cooler and the sun starts to fade. We'll probably spend another night here, so I'm looking forward to another amazing day tomorrow.
I've spent two afternoons with Mouhsin's family. The first at his parents house, where I finally met his father, and got to hang out with Mouhsin and his brothers. The second was at his sister Touria's house, where I got to play with her amazing little girl, Nada.
The Moroccan house is an amazing thing, and I would love mine to be just like it. All of the Moroccan homes that I have seen have two living rooms... one is for guests, and the other is for family. The first time you enter a home, you are taken to the guest room, where you are served mint tea, or hot milk with a splash of sweet coffee, along with amazing treats like almond cookies. While this room is beautiful, I've come to love the family room, because there everyone relaxes and you no longer feel like a guest, and more like family. It is a guarantee that you will be fed constantly in a Moroccan house. Even if you have already eaten, they will insist that you eat more, and after you have eaten more, again, they will keep insisting. I'm sure the only reason why everyone isn't completely fat, is because the food is so healthy.
Yesterday we loaded up the car (that includes 6 people) and drove a bit outside of Meknes to Ali's family's farm. The farm is huge, and includes everything from rabbits and camels, to almonds and olives. The main house is huge and reminds me of paradise. There are beautiful terraces covered with grape vines, fruit trees, roses, and it is amazingly quiet. We drove all around the farm until sunset, which we watched parked in a wheat field that totally reminded me of that Gladiator scene, because the hills of wheat went on for ever and ever. After sunset we went back to the house and cooked up a bunch of stuff for dinner. All six of us passed out finally around 3;30 am after having a great evening.
This morning we woke up to the smell of fresh bread, and were served a breakfast of olive oil, homemade jellies, honey from the farm, olives, butter, and fresh baked bread, still warm from the outdoor oven it was cooked in. Along with that came hot milk with a splash of sweet coffee, and then mint tea (both my favorites). After breakfast we lounged in the beautiful courtyards for a bit, and then went out to see the animals on the farm (my mission was camels!). We found a group of 6 camels, which were so cute and I had the best time petting them. I think Star Wars got some of their weird animal sounds from camels... they sound very much like some Star Wars creatures when they're unhappy. After that Ali took me to one edge of the farm, which runs along a beautiful valley. Back at the house, we relaxed and hung out, and then at around 5pm we were served the most delicious dinner ever. The women here should be praised... they are amazing cooks. First we had plates of tomatoes onion salad with olive oil and peper, along with lots of little plates of different kinds of olives. Then came a huge tajine of lamb with olives and potatoes. Then came sausages, and kebabs, which had all kinds of weird organs hidden between actual meat, so I didn't eat those much, haha.
It's now a bit after that feast, and I'm lounging on an amazing couch next to a courtyard as it gets cooler and the sun starts to fade. We'll probably spend another night here, so I'm looking forward to another amazing day tomorrow.
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