This gallery contains 10 photos.
I touched down in Marrakech last Friday after a trek down the coast from Fes to Casablanca. When I walked into the main terminal through Customs, there were at least 100 men with signs for Riad’s and Hotels. Chaos is … Continue reading
Today (December 26) I hit the road to the Atlas Mountains about an hour outside of Marrakech. On the way there we drove through the suburbs and there is construction everywhere; everything from hotels to shanty towns. Much of it stopped midway because funding dried up and demand dropped as economies around the world fell apart. Climbing into the hills, small villages pop up.
The High Atlas is home to the Berber People. Farmers and craftsmen, they are amazingly gracious hosts. I got to share Mint Tea in the home of a Berber Family. It was a remarkable experience to say the least…
The Donkey's Bedroom! All the animals have a space in the lower level of the home.
The Hammam
Summer Living Room
In the Berber Kitchen
The Toilet
The Berber Home as viewed from the living room looking out to the outdoor living space.
The typical Berber house can best be described as “spartan” and there is little in the United States that can compare to this level of poverty. The people here are poor but their homes show pride, importance of family and a total respect for order. This is more than I can say for many middle class American homes, much less those of our poor people in the United States.
Homes are usually passed down through families and it is not unusual to find multiple generations living under one roof. The structures are simple and lack modern conveniences like plumbing, heating and weather protection. Seasonal rains can bring misery to the families living in these homes. They must climb the roof during the rains to patch the holes
Moving further up the mountain I visited a women’s coop where they process the Argon nut to make various Moroccan-Exclusive products. The women working here are divorced, widowed or without financial support. Moroccan culture does not lend many rights to women and many of them are left with no means of support after marriages fail or spouses die unexpectedly.
Processing the Argon Nut is cold and difficult work. The women sit for hours in a cold damp room shelling and grinding the seed of the nut to produce the precious oil and paste. Arthritis is a common ailment here. Co-ops such as the one seen to the left give women shelter, income and value. The proceeds of products sold go to the cost of operation and the wages for the women working there. Compared to our standards in the US; this is a very hard life. But keeping things in perspective; these co-ops present a path for women to achieve independence and security. There was little pressure to buy the products produced here but you would need to be devoid of compassion to not to want to support this very important community. As a business person, it was hard not to think of ways to increase sales and productivity. Resources are very limited here. There are no phone lines to run credit card machines that would allow for higher sales volume. The cost of wood and fuel is very high.
No matter where you turn in Morocco you will find people selling local (and sometimes not so local) wares to tourists. With 1 in 3 people unemployed; it is hard not to appreciate the survival instincts of these people. the Berber people farm, herd sheep and raise some cattle. They also make rugs that range in price from $10 to thousands of dollars based on the process used for making them.
Berber rugs
In the hot summer months, people from Marrakech flock to the Atlas Mountains, seeking relief from temperatures as high as 120 degrees. There are outdoor cafe’s lining the banks of the mountain river along the road. I could easily pictures hundreds of families enjoying the cool water, shade and a delicious tagine.
Riverside Restaurant
20-30 degrees cooler in the summer
Berber Village
Another Village nestled against the mountains
Snow Capped Peaks of the High Atlas
I hope that I can make it back to the Atlas Mountains on a future trip to Morocco. I would like do some trekking through this region and experience the culture in a more personal way. There is a big difference between staying in the luxury Riad’s of Marrakech and staying in some of the modest hotels lining the Atlas Mountains. One thing I am however certain of, is that hospitality level of the hosts will be equal, regardless of the place I stay there. The Moroccan people are the most gracious hosts imaginable and they want visitors to feel welcome and safe. My deepest respect goes to the people here.
My journey continues but part of my heart remains…
Posted in Atlas Mountains, Berber, High Atlas, Life in general..., Morocco, Travel, World Culture
Tagged #Berber, #HighAtlas
Badĕa
The best part of travel for me, is to get to know the locals and listen to what they have to say about their city. The folks at Riad Laaroussa are probably some of the nicest people I have ever encountered in my travels. I was treated like family and the education I received was priceless. Badĕa (left) has worked at Riad Laaroussa for two years in both the kitchen and the Hammam! She is a single mother of one adorable little girl and she is one of the most genuine people I have ever met. She patiently taught me how to prepare the great Moroccan meal that I
Eggplant with Garlic & Tomato
later enjoyed eating with her and Yahya (pictured further below) in the fabulous Riad kitchen. Helping to prepare and eating this meal was a highlight of my visit to Fes. The best part about travel is learning from and about the local people.
From the minute I walked through the door of Riad Laaroussa, I knew FZ would become my friend. FZ is an abbreviation for her real name, Fatima(h) Zahra. It is common in the Muslim faith to name the first-born girl Fatimah after the daughter of the Islamic prophet, Muhammad which the first boy is usually named after. It must be really confusing at family gatherings!
The Amazing FZ
Riad Laaroussa is paying for FZ to go to English school so she was very excited to be able to practice with me. In turn, she patiently helped me with my feeble attempts at Arabic. Listening to her talk about her life while married to a man selected for her was so interesting and very difficult for this independent, western woman to understand. She is now divorced and finding her way in a more modern Muslim society and her aspirations are remarkable. I have a very funny photo of FZ holding a bottle of wine and a glass (which she was pouring for me) but I will not publish her to protect her from people not realizing it is a joke. Drinking alcohol is not allowed for Muslims.
FZ, & Sabah (right) with her daughter Rim
Sabah takes care of the office at Riad Laaroussa Guest House and does an amazing job of seeing to the needs of the guests there. She is the single mother of 5 children and I am inspired by her hard work and dedication. She loves her job and she takes it very seriously. I see her as the glue that holds the team together. There is such a strong feeling of family among the staff there and I think she is a great reason for this spirit. Riad Laaroussa is very lucky to have her there.
Yahya
I also spent some great quality time talking with Yahya while there. He speaks verygood English and has a BA in English studies. Like so many places in the World, times are tough in Morocco and professional jobs are not easy to come by. Yahva aspires to a career translating for a corporation doing business in Morocco and he will be darn good at it. He is well versed on the culture and traditions. He will have to complete another course to receive the proper certification to work in this field. We had some very deep philosophical conversation about religion, tolerance and human nature. I learned a lot about Islam from him and I pleased to have a better understanding of the meaning in some of the practices that were confusing to me before. He is devout and makes an excellent spokesperson for the Muslim faith. He is a very proud Moroccan and wish for him, a life of happiness.
Larbi!
Riad Laaroussa is a quite a distance from where a car can access so when visiting here, you will be dropped off by one of the gates into the Medina. I was met by the gracious Larbi who schlepped my suitcase and through the maze of tiny streets in the Medina to the front door of Riad Laaroussa. Three flights of very narrow and steep stairs later, the bags were safe and sound in my lovely room. Larbi also escorts guests at the Riad to and from various dinner reservation so they don’t get lost!
Last but not least are the blessed animals of Riad Laaroussa. Le chat du palais, Mimi and the adorable Labrador’s; Lou & Ben! Staying in a Riad with animals in residence made me very happy!
Next stop and post will be from the bustling city of Marrakech!
Joyeux Noël!
TheArtofBeer
Posted in Fes, Fes Medina, Morocco, Riad Laaroussa, Travel
Check out the Satellite Dishes
This is a strange observation and I goodness knows I am famous for noticing strange things! Morocco has more satellite dishes than any place I have ever traveled to. I saw what amounted to wood and grass huts on the way from Fes to Casablanca that had more satellite dishes per square foot of roof than it seemed possible. There is no way these homes had plumbing and it is unimaginable how electricity was being accessed. The photo above is not one of the extremely poor housing areas. I tried my hardest to snap a photo but the one below is the only one I could capture. This is still not representative of the shanty towns I witnessed.
Somewhere on the road between Rabat and Casablanca
My cultural paradigm had me thinking about how they could choose television over a better home or possibly even food. My Moroccan driver painted an entirely different picture when he heard my dismay. He said that the poor people in Morocco sit glued to the television because it is the only way they will ever see a better life. I had a huge lump in my throat and my eyes teared up. I had never thought of it that way.
Lesson learned…
Until tomorrow — TheArtofBeer
The entrance to a large Mosque in the Fes Medina
This post is opinion from my perspective so please take it as such. I am not certain my interpretations are correct. They are solely based on my perception.
One of the most fascinating learning experiences of my trip to Morocco is the Islamic Call to Prayer ( Adhan ) which occurs 5 times per day beginning with the predawn or Fajr. A person is to choose a Mosque that is not the closest to their home. This shows commitment to the importance of prayer. It would be considered laziness to choose a Mosque for convenience. I have to think that those living in the countryside have less Mosques to choose from. From what I saw driving back to Casablanca yesterday, it would be difficult enough for a farmer to walk to the one nearest them anyway.
Check here to for descriptions of the 5 daily prayers: http://islam.about.com/cs/prayer/a/prayer_times.htm
No matter where you are in the Medina, you will hear the melodic chanting because they use loudspeakers attached to the Mosques to amplify the calling. I will note that in Fes, there is a Mosque on practically every corner; like Starbucks in the United States. I can only assume this is true in all the Medina’s in Moroccan cities. I believe it is only the larger Mosques that have the speakers but I am not certain.
The call begins at predetermined time based on sunrise calculations throughout the world and the Mosques in the Eastern part of the larger cities, begin the call. A mosque usually has a minaret tower, from which a muezzin (caller) chants a call to prayer five times a day. All Muslims pray facing east toward Mecca, and a small niche (mihrab) is always set into the mosque wall nearest Mecca. There are actually websites used to find the times of prayer by place since the times change with the position of the sun throughout the year. In some parts of the world, it can be as early as 3 am — Yikes! I had no idea how complex this could be until I began reading about it.
There are separate entrances and places for men and women to pray. Women definitely hold a secondary place in Islam and this is a bit of a rub for me. I suppose the only people who have any right to complain about this are the women of Islam so I will shut my trap on this one. I am curious to know if the female population is beginning to take issue with this. I meet several divorced women from arranged marriage situations and all seem eager to experience some things not allowed when married but there is no question they are devout Muslim’s. Non-Muslim people are not allowed inside the Mosques. I talked to a few Moroccan’s that said they thought this prevented helping people to understand their faith. I tend to agree.
From my brief research, the Adhan is controversial in multicultural communities throughout the World and is often cited as a noise nuisance; especially the Fajr, the predawn calling. I am very disturbed by some of the hate-filled postings I read about this subject in the United States; especially a posting from a source in NYC. It strikes me as odd given the constant noise of life in any city anyway, but since I do not live near a Mosque, I will reserve judgement of the nuisance aspect. I will however state firmly that it shames me as an American to read hateful posts. It is fine to have an issue with the noise. There is no excuse for attacking people or their religion.
The Tower at a Prominent Mosque in the Fes Medina Obviously these are not locals in the photo!
The world populated by people with many different beliefs. I have no idea where I fit into this picture but I do know that it is my goal to judge less. It is just not my place. Admittedly, I am lacking in faith but I do respect greatly those that do. We are all human beings and no group deserves the right to judge another. Someone or something caused the creation of man. Be it Atheism, Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism or Islam; all have had and will continue to have followers “capable” of hate and violence. I refer to extremists. But the greater population of each religion is made up of good people. It would be a better world if people choose tolerance and accept those who have different beliefs. Reserve ill feelings for bad people. There is no shortage of them.
Thank you for reading this post. There is a clip below of the first part of the Fajr ( Pre-Dawn) Call to Prayer. I was up on the roof at Riad Laaroussa at 5:00 waiting for this experience to start at 5:30 am and it was well worth it to me. I hope you will listen and can appreciate this part of the Muslim culture, despite religious difference. I wish I could post the longer clip but WordPress limits size.
I learned something new and this is my journey…
Sincerely,
TheArtofBeer
On my first morning in Fes, I climbed the steep stairs up to check out the Rooftop Terrace at Riad Laaroussa and to find out what all the ruckus was. These little birds make a lot of noise every morning as they prepare to leave for the day. No one seems to actually know where they go but they return every evening with the same exuberance!
Working at a Tannery in Fes, Morocco is one of the most difficult jobs imaginable for this Southern California girl. It is back-breaking, dirty and smelly, but one of the best paying, working-class jobs in Fes. The men working here, do so to better provide for their family. For this, I have the utmost respect. Their pay is about 300 Dirham per day which equates to approximately $35 U.S. Dollars.
Large stacks of raw skin arrive on the backs of the amazing little donkeys I described in my last post. I won’t go into great detail about the process other than to note that a solution made with “pigeon excrement” ( a natural form of ammonia) and some other natural ingredients are what you see in the white vats above and my understanding is this solution acts as cleaning mechanism for the raw hides. The other vats you see are the colors used for dyeing the skins. I hope to come back and add the origin of each color once I have a better internet connection. All of the pigments and processing ingredients come from natural sources. They “DO NOT” use dangerous chemicals.
“Ignorance is Bliss” for me when it come to things like this but I force myself outside of my comfort range to make sure that my sense of reality remains in check. It is often a source of conflict for me. I admit I am a omnivore and this will likely not change for me, but as a person that also loves animals, it is important that I make choices to support ethical treatment. It is not difficult for me to understand why people choose to be vegetarians and I can appreciate the grounds for their decision.
No animal is killed in Morocco for its hide. The skin is a by-product with nothing wasted in this practical society. I will also note that I am told there are no native Moroccans that are vegetarians. My Medina guide, Hassan, told me that eating meat is a fundamental part of Moroccan culture. I have no means to confirm this statement but based on my experience so far; I tend to believe it; shy of it being absolute of course. There are however, many people living in Morocco that have immigrated here from various parts of Europe; the largest numbers being French. It is conceivable that there vegetarians among them but it would make for few choices eating out.
I left the Tannery a little nauseated and a bit more knowledgeable about the process used to make leather. I am glad I forced my boundaries to experience this. With each day I spend here, my appreciation for the Moroccan people grows. Six days in to this journey, I can say with confidence that this is one of the best trips of my life.
I end this post listening to the afternoon Call to Prayer. It is a sound I do not tire of hearing. It is not an inconvenience; as has been expressed in tourist blogs. It is the way of the people here — accept it and appreciate it as part of your learning experience when traveling. I do not have the share the same beliefs nor do I agree with many of them, but I respect the ritual and what it means for them. It speaks to the dedication of the peaceful Muslim people.
Stayed tuned for a future post on this subject…
Go in peace…
Posted in Fes, Fes Medina, Life in general..., Morocco, Travel
Balek! Balek!
The Fes Medina is a densely populated urban area with extremely narrow streets; impassable to cars and trucks. The donkey (H’mar in Arabic) play a vital role in this society. They are the taxi and delivery truck in the Medina. When things need to be moved, the donkey’s (and some mules) do the work. They pick up the trash in the morning, transport building materials to job sites, deliver to goods to businesses and even serve as the ambulance. The loads they carry are unbelievably big in comparison to the size of this smallish creature. You really need to see it to believe it. They work all day with no complaints other than a look I would describe as weary.
During the day, the doors directly off the streets into the homes of the Medina are required to be open so that people walking have an escape hatch when a donkey approaches. Walking in the Medina reminds me of a car race. People jockey for position, pass on the inside and yes, they yield right of way to the donkey! If you hear someone yelling “Balek! Balek!” it translates to “get out-of-the-way or be tackled” and I recommend that you pay heed. There are even designated areas in wider sections of the street for “parking” your donkey.
I give life and meaning to inanimate objects and at times I care more for animals than I do some people. The donkey’s have kind, soulful eyes and despite the saddle sores and dust, are creatures that I wanted to hug. Thankfully, I was too exhausted to attempt this and likely saved myself significant embarassment but those serene eyes will stay in my memory as long as I live…
Posted in Fes, Fes Medina, Morocco, Travel
Many homes in the Medina of Fes, Morroco do not have running water and few have heated water. Those that do and that can afford it, use propane-type heating and Solar Thermal rooftop (drain-back) systems which were introduced a few years ago. The supply is “very” limited and recovery time can take hours. Waste is not an option here.
For the common person, bathing happens about once per week at the Hamman which are public baths in Morocco. Some are very simple with the purpose of “bathing only” but there are also more luxurious Hamman’s. The women may go more often, similar to the Spa days for women in our society.
There is access to free “city” water at places like this throughout the Medina. Even those fortunate enough to have running water in their homes will go there because it is an important social gathering place within the Medina.
As a side note…There are no trash cans in these very narrow streets. People buy their food fresh daily and only what they need. What little trash they generate is left on the street at night or in the early morning when it collected and transported by Donkey’s.
I have learned a serious lesson from this…
Posted in Consume Less, Craft Beer, Fes, Morocco, Recycle, Sustainabilty, Travel
Tagged Morocco
Riad Laaroussa Guest House in Fez (Fes), Morocco Continue reading
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