2 pictures for you

Dr. Mohammad ("Simo") and Khadija Bentouhami, professors of Arabic at VMI, have been traveling back and forth to spend their summers in Morocco for the past 16 years.  I became acquainted with Khadija when she first began coming to my yoga classes several years ago.  I was used to her leaving in the summer, and this year, when she  was getting ready to leave for the summer months, I told her, "Someday I'm going to come and visit you in Morocco!"  She immediately replied, "Yes, come, this summer!"  I just smiled, but she had certainly planted the seed for thought.  It germinated quickly, because a few days later, I thought to myself, "Why not?" and invited the couple to my home for dinner to talk about the possibility.  I had seen Mohammad occasionally at the YMCA, but had never really met him, and sharing a meal with them was a lovely experience in getting to know each other on a more personal level.  We all felt comfortable together immediately and plans were made for me to join them in about a month.  

All the while I was in their home in Fes, I was made to feel at home as a part of the family.  When they went to break their fast in the evenings with other family groups - Khadija's sisters and their families - I was included and treated both as honored guest and new member of the family.  This is a very warm and welcoming culture.  Everyone in Morocco speaks at least two languages - Arabic and French.  Many speak three, adding English, and those of Berber descent (Simo, for example) a 4th, Tamazight.  In this ancient and sophisticated culture, I felt at times very under-educated!  

I feel very blest to have had this experience, and I look forward to one day returning to Morocco to continue exploring this amazing country!  Thank you, Khadija and Simo for making this summer such a special one for me!

My Moroccan guides

I was blessed with having great guides.  Following a 5-star review on Trip Advisor, I chose Morocco Countryside Tours and corresponded with them by email prior to leaving the US.  Said, the owner always replied promptly, answering every question I had - and I had many!  I hired the guides first for a one-day trip to Chefchaouen, (the blue city in northern Morocco), thinking I'd get to know them and decide if I could feel comfortable with them on a 3-day trip through the countryside and into the desert.  I did, so a couple of days later, we left on our road trip.  They picked me up at the residence of my friends in Fes and off we went.  Often stopping for photos, we also made a lunch stop each day.  Since Youssef (the driver) and Hmad (the guide) were Muslim and observing Ramadan, they were fasting - so while I had lunch, they disappeared for an hour or so and had a nap.  The first night, they dropped me off at the edge of the desert where I joined a camel caravan, and they went to break their fast at the home of a relative who lived nearby.  I spent an amazing night at Bivouac Azawad, a luxury camp in the desert.  The following day we continued on our tour through the countryside, climbing the Atlas Mountains, and staying overnight at the lovely Hotel Xaluca Dades near the Dades Gorge.  The third day we continued toward Marrakech, where they dropped me off at my small intimate hotel, the Riad Idra.  The cost of the two night's (1st class/luxury) accomodations, breakfasts, and dinners along the 3-day trip were included in the very reasonable tour price, which also, of course, included the costs of the vehicle and the 2 guides.  My only expenses were my lunch and any other personals I wished to buy.  Here's a photo of one of the roadside markets and my guides….I give this company 5-stars and recommend them to family and friends….check out their website; they offer many different kinds of tours.

The story of Argan Oil

After coming out of the mountains, we stopped at an Argan Oil Cooperative, which is the business of women.  The argan trees are only found in Morocco - short, spiny knotted trees in which it's not uncommon to see goats - yes, in the trees!  😊  The goats eat the outer fleshy part of the argan fruit, the inner hard kernel passing through their digestive system.  The women gather the droppings and crack the kernels open to expose the nuts which is then crushed to extract the expensive oil.  The extraction of the oil is done with an ancient-looking mortar and pestle apparatus.  The left-over paste is used as an amazing moisturizing soap in the hammams.  Argan Oil is sweet and rich, used in many local dishes, salads, and for dunking bread.  It's expensive, because it takes the nuts from 30 trees to make just one liter of oil!  Often the oil is adulterated with other oils and sold as Argan Oil, so one is warned to buy from a reputable source.  

A lovely young Moroccan woman supervised the co-op and described the process of extracting the oil.  Pictures follow:

Notice that they're using stones to crack 

the kernels against a large rock.

Into the High Atlas

2260 meters = 7415 feet

Photo of Ait Benhaddou

Ait Benhaddou & into the High Atlas

Ait Benhaddou has been in the Moroccan landscape since at least the 11th century. The city was important because it was on the trans-Saharan trade route from Marrakech to the east, offering a fortified tribal village as a place of refuge for the camel caravan. The new French road built over Tichka Pass in the 1900s led to many families leaving the town for more prosperous areas. Now only a few families live in the kasbah and earn a living from the valley's agriculture (date palms) and tourists. Entry is through a gateway and one can follow a network of lanes uphill, eventually arriving at the granary on top, which offers a great view over the surrounding desert. The buildings are of the mud clay from the riverbank. Typical of Berber towns, many walls are beautifully decorated with bold geometric designs. When we were there, the stream was almost dry and could easily be crossed; however, in winter, snow-melt increases it to knee-depth.

"To love another person is to see the face of God" - Victor Hugo

Todra Gorge

Photos of the big sandbox

                    

A bit about Moroccan culture

It's been fascinating to be here during Ramadan and be able to experience it with a Moslem family.  The fast lasts for a month, and the month changes each year. June, having more hours from sunrise to sunset,has been a particularly difficult time.  Fast, by law, is from 3:30 am until sunset,and since the sun sets here about 7:30 pm, that makes the fast from all food and water last 16 hours.  Virtually everyone here fasts.  The only ones excused are children under 7, pregnant women, the sick and the elderly.  

So here's the way it works.  Businesses change their working hours to accommodate customers and personnel by opening in the late afternoon or early evening and closing around midnight.  Everyone stays awake until around 3:30 am, then they go to bed and try to sleep for the better part of the day, in effect, turning night and day around.  The beginning and ending of the fast is announced from the top of all the mosques in town, so it's not guesswork.  As the end of the fast approaches, everyone hurries home to get a drink of water in them as soon as possible.  The fast is traditionally broken with milk and dates, followed by other light foods - sort of like our breakfast.  Then, the main meal is at around 11:30 pm, and it's a big one!  The food is served around a big round table, with the main dish set in the middle, surrounded by many small dishes of marinated veggies, and lots of different kinds of breads.  There are no place settings, although there are napkins.  Everyone uses their right hands to dip into the main dish and eats from their hands, using the bread to scoop up stuff.  The last dish served is a big platter of all kinds of melons.  Then there's a ritual hand washing and a special bowl & pitcher to do it with! Usually silver and very ornate.  It's taken from one person to the next, with water poured over the hands into the bowl, and small towels are offered.  The last meal of the fast if a light "supper" taken about 3 am.  Then it's off to bed for the rest of the night and half of the next day.  Needless to say, my days and nights got turned around a bit.  The breaking of the fast is a family affair - we were invited to several of Khadifa's sisters homes to enjoy it with them, so I was able to meet the extended family while I was there.

I maybe should have described the Moroccan home before the meal.  Besides a typical kitchen, bedrooms and bathrooms, the houses have two large open rooms, the formal living room and the dining room.  Both are furnished with a bank of single bed width benches all around the walls.  These are extremely comfortable, with mattresses and ample pillows for lounging around.  This is part of the hospitality culture of the desert countries - guests are always welcome to stay overnight and they just sleep on these.  The only piece of furniture in both rooms is a round table on wheels which serves as a dining table and is just rolled over to one of the corners of the benches.  Folding stools are brought out to be used on the open area of the table.  Mealtimes are very social occasions.

Off to Fes

Leaving Marrakech this morning, I enjoyed my last breakfast on the roof garden.  A glorious morning, I have no doubt the temperature will be in the 40's C again today.  I always keep in mind that 37 degrees C = 98.6 F, so it'll be over 100.  A good day for first class train travel.  I'm looking forward to the trip and passing through country I haven't seen yet.  The train will take me east to the Atlantic coast and Casablanca, then turn northwest to Fes.  It's a direct train and the journey takes 7 hours.  I'll keep my camera ready, but I also want to read, because I've been too busy to read this entire trip.  

Today in Marrakech

Breakfast is included at this bnb known as a Riad" and it made me regret not bring my camera to the table...oh, well, tomorrow!  The open air rooftop was elegantly set with scattered tables, but only two were prepared...as there were currently only 2 guests in the Riad.  As soon as I sat, Omar came and asked what beverage I wanted, then brought coffee, half and half with warmed cream (!), along with orange juice, a bowl of diced fresh fruit, a basket of different pastries, small cups of cream cheese, different jams and honey, yogurt, and a bowl of fava bean soup with cilantro and olive oil swirled around on top. This could be a full dinner for me!  After breakfast I went to the courtyard to meet my private guide, Nour, a native of Marrakesh and certified guide of the city I found on the Internet.  He was great.  He escorted me through the souls of the medina, the individual market places of the different artisans, the leather workers, the metal workers, the woodworkers, etc.  Each one has a different location down the warren of alleyways.. And, surprisingly, everything is clean as a whistle, every shopkeeper being responsible for the space in front of his shop.  I had a small baggie of Saraha sand in my pocket and told Nour I'd like to find a small glass bottle in which to carry it home, and we did.  He told me to "haggle", beginning with half the asking price, so I was able to get my little decorative bottle for 50 dirhams, or $5.  A treasure!  

After the souks, we went to the Bahia Palace, which is unbelievable beautiful, the historic home of one of their kings and his favorite wife, Bahia, meaning "Shining", and his 24 Concubines.  We visited the Medrasa, and more about that later, but in the meantime, check out the Bahia Palace online!

The Riad Idra and Marrakech

Kareen was the supreme hostess.  She asked a few questions to get to know me, then gave me a card which had common Arabic phrases with their translation on it, a map of the area, and a list and location of nearby restaurants.  She took me on a tour of her incredibly lovely Riad...it was like a miniature Alhambra, with arched doorways, carved plaster crown molding, meter-thick walls to keep it cool in summer and warm in winter.  A little palace of 7 bedrooms!  Everything was pure luxury.  My room, if you check out the website, is the blue room, and I love it!  The riad's dining room is open air on the rooftop, surrounded with bougainvillea of different colors.  I hope to get some iPad photos to post tomorrow..

The Riad Idra

A bit more about Ramadan...my last post was cut off before I had the chance to tell you how impressive this is.  The month of Ramadan changes every year, and because it fell in June this year, the summer solstice, our days are the longest right now, and Muslims must fast from 3:30 am until sunset of the following day - about 16 hours - nothing by mouth.  Nothing!  Only the sick, elderly,  pregnant and children under 7 are exempt.  Children are usually gradually initiated by having them fast for several hours or a half day at a time, and the first time they achieve the full fast is a celebration like we Catholics might have for First Communion.  Okay, on to the Riad Idra...

Hmad called the riad to get directions and some landmarks because it's located in the medina, the old town, which is a warren of alleyways that no car can enter (not enough room) so he drove to the closest point outside and one of the staff was there to meet me. Mixed feelings about leaving these two men who had looked out for me for the past 3 days.  I gave them a hug and promised them my family would be in touch when they came to Morocco, and they asked me to be sure to say that on my review. 😊

I followed the man from the Riad into the medina, hurrying along behind so I wouldn't lose track of him, until we came to one more elaborate old doorway, but this one with a polished brass plaque, RIAD IDRA.  upon entering, I was met by Omar, a slim older Arab who led me into the interior courtyard, a beautiful space of openness, palm trees, hibiscus, all kinds of flowering plants, around a tiled fountain.  Kareen, the owner/manager, a French woman who has lived here for about 12 years, seated me in the courtyard and I was brought a cold wet towel for refreshing, then some mint tea and almond cookies.....more coming....

On the road again

Leaving the desert - my story is that the camel ate my iPhone and I'm sticking with it - we began traveling northwest toward our final destination of Marrakech.  The first couple of hours was through the area which resembles west Texas, then into the foothills and spotty trees appeared as we climbed higher until cedar trees were abundant.  Now we were entering the High Atlas Mountains, up to 2400 meters (and that's a LOT of feet).  Winding brought the mountains is also the Dades River, along which are what's called "palmeries", great bunches of date palms crowded together.  Berber villages are spotted here and there along the river, and the people gather and sell the dates to make a living.  This paved road was once a caravan route and is still referred to as the Road of 1000 Kasbahs, because travelers carrying their goods on camels would stop in these villages to sleep in raids, ancient hotels built in a square with rooms around the exterior surrounding an interior courtyard for the animals.  We turned off the highway to follow the river into an incredible gorge with steep sheer cliff sides about 500 ft high.  No wonder it's a popular place for serious rock climbers; there are over 150 routes bolted into the canyon walls.  I took photos with my camera, alas not available until I get home, but you can see this natural beauty on the Internet - Todra Gorges.

Leaving the gorge, we approached our hotel, the Xaluca Dades, a charming place in a rustic area, high on the hill overlooking the valley below.  A great place to stay, one in which I'd be happy to revisit.  And I had my first glass of wine since leaving home!  There's no alcohol in my Muslim host's home...and little anywhere during Ramadan.  Great room, spotless, really a luxury hotel.

The following morning we continued toward Marrakesh.  My guys were great, Yousef, the driver who is also brother to the owner of the company (Morrocan Countryside Tours), who spoke little to no English, and Hmad, the guide, whose English is heavily accented and took me at least one day to become acclimated to it.  But sweet, attentive and considerate of me all the while.  Now we really got into the High Atlas and the curvy roads could be scary!  I silently questioned the need for seat belts because the cliffs were so steep with no guard rails that if you went over, there'd be nothing by scrap metal at the bottom!  Snap gets deep here in the winter and it's a popular ski destination.  Imagine, skiing in the morning and sleeping in the desert at night! Descending on the western side of the mountains, we came into the city of Marrakesh around 6 pm.  Happy Hour was approaching for the Muslims, as they could break their fast from food and water at sundown, which would be about 7:30.  We can't imagine voluntarily fasting from both food and drink (yes, even water) for so .  I 

The Sahara

And this is really why I came.....after many miles of riding through an area that reminded me of west Texas around the Big Bend, we approached the high dunes we could see from a distance. I thought at first they were mountains because in the late afternoon, they were casting shadows on themselves. The camel driver was there to meet us with a string of 5 camels, called dromedaries here. There were 2 couples from Madrid going to the Bivouac Aswad. We mounted up and started out into the desert, slowly circling and climbing up and down dune after dune. About an hour out, the sun was setting behind us, so we dismounted to take photos. The Spaniards didn't speak English so I was able to practice my Spanish and we enjoyed each other's company.. It took about 1.5 hours to reach the camp and it was exactly as pictured on their website. We were taken to our individual tents and they were amazing, large enough for a queen bed, a sitting area with a sofa and table, and, behind a tied back curtain, a full bath with a shower. Camping in the desert on the luxury level but middle class budget. Check out their rates! We were greeted by the staff and the traditional cup of mint tea, then relaxed and showered. Everything was solar powered, of course, and the outside temp was 98 degrees, so the shower was really refreshing. Next came dinner, out in the open (even though we had the option of eating in the large tented dining room), and the table was set as beautifully as a 5-star restaurant, but with water in the wine glasses. Such is Ramadan in a Muslim country! Dinner began with a gorgeous salad of mixed veggies, arranged separately on the plate and we all helped ourselves from the large central platter, Arab style, although we used silverware. Next was the entre - a big platter of grilled beef and chicken, on a bed of freshly-made French fries. Deserts were a huge platter of sliced watermelon and other kinds of melons. After dinner, the table was cleared and removed, and the fun began. The 5 men who staffed the camp brought out their drums, all different. Shane could tell you what they were, but I can't. The musicians were excellent and we enjoyed their drumming and chanting as we sat on big cushions around a fire pit. One by one, they began to include us in the drumming circle. When my turn came, I was given the djembe! (Funny coincidence because that was my HS graduation gift to Shane a couple of weeks ago!). Then dancing began and we had a night of fun. After awhile I needed some quiet time, left the camp and walked deeper into the desert, easily done because there was a full moon. After meditation, I practiced some Yin Yoga on the warm sand. The silence was incredible - all one could hear was the wind, all one could see were the dunes stretching out into infinity, all one could feel was the warmth of the sand beneath the body and the coolness of the night desert wind. I loved it. I didn't get to see the stars into infinity but the full moon casting shadows on the dunes was a sight to remember. Perhaps I'll come back when there is no moon for a different kind of experience.

In the morning, we all awakened early to see the sunrise over the dunes, then enjoyed a full breakfast with scrambled eggs shaped like tortillas, different cheeses and meats, hard-boiled eggs, freshly squeezed OJ, & several different kinds of breads and a platter of mixed fruits. We didn't depart on our camels hungry! The guides were there to greet us to continue our journey throughout Morocco. More about that tomorrow!



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The Sahara

And this is really why I came.....after many miles of riding through an area that reminded me of west Texas around the Big Bend, we approached the high dunes we could see from a distance. I thought at first they were mountains because in the late afternoon, they were casting shadows on themselves. The camel driver was there to meet us with a string of 5 camels, called dromedaries here. There were 2 couples from Madrid going to the Bivouac Aswad. Our guides wrapped our heads with a scarf to protect us from the sun and it really helped. We mounted up and started out into the desert, slowly circling around dune after dune. The ride wasn't uncomfortable yet not something you'd want to do for hours. I guess that's why the natives are are often pictured walking beside them. About an hour out, the sun was setting behind us, so we dismounted to take photos.. The Spaniards didn't speak English but I was able to practice my Spanish and we enjoyed each other's company.. It took about 1.5 hours to reach the camp and it was exactly as pictured on their website. We were taken to our individual tents and they were spacious, large enough for a queen bed, a sitting area with a sofa and table, and, behind a tied back curtain, a full bath with a shower. We were greeted by the staff with mint tea to refresh us, temperature was 98 degrees but dropping with the setting sun. The sand was very fine, tiny golden grains. I'm going to try to bring home a little to add to my basket of Remembrances.

After a cooling shower, dinner was served on a table set out in the open in a manner in which one would find in any nice restaurant. We started with a mixed vegetable salad followed by grilled chicken and beef, French fries (!), and finally a plate of fresh melons. After dinner, the traditionally clothed staff all brought out their different kinds of drums and the music began with singing chants accompanied by their beat. They were really good! The guests were gradually brought into the drumming as one by one we took the place of one of the drummers. I was given the djembe to play! 🎶 ☺️. Dancing began and everyone was involved. It was a delightful evening under the full moon in the desert,lots of fun. As beautiful as it was with a full moon, I would like to come back for a black night of stars. The party continued and I wanted to experience the silence of the desert, so I asked which direction to walk. When I was alone with the quiet, I was able to practice a bit of Yin Yoga on the warm sand. When I returned to camp, all was quiet and everyone had gone to bed. It was around 12:30 am. We all arose early to catch the sunrise before a breakfast of yogurt, fresh fruits,scrambled eggs and their own bread. It was soon time to leave, time to mount the camels and start our trek back to civilization, where we were met by our guides to continue our journey through Morocco.

Today we visited a gorge in the High Atlas Mountains which is also an oasis filled with date palms. The sides of the gorge are so high it makes one dizzy to look up at them, like looking up an elevator shaft. A crystal clear shallow river runs through the gorge and many people were sitting and/or swimming in the deeper pools. We've stopped for the night in Dades at the Xaluca Hotel - and I'm able to enjoy my first glass of wine since leaving home! Such is. Life in a Moslem country.

I've been very pleased with my driver and guide, Youssef and Ahmed. They're very attentive and want to do whatever they can to make the trip comfortable and enjoyable as possible- even offering to lend me money if needed because of the lost debit card. I assured them I have enough cash on hand to make it home again. Tomorrow on to Marrakesh....


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The HAMMAM experience!

Today was amazing. Khadija & Soraya took me to the Hammam.. I can't recall the name, but begins with a K & it's the highest rated one on Trip Advisor, if you want to look it up. We went at 11 am, and I requested the Traditional Hammam ($12) and Relaxing Massage (1 hr. for ($35). Now let me set the scene - this place looks like what you'd imagine a Roman or Greek bath. The floors and walls are all marble, tables are marble, sinks and stools are marble and everything is beautifully designed & spotless. The Hammam actually took 2 hours & went like this: we first picked up a towel, were told to go into an adjoining room & remove everything but underpants. Then we took our clothes back to the counter, she put them in a locker and gave us the key and a packet of special thick pasty soap. Next we entered the sauna, used a spray nozzle to wet ourselves down, then began to smear the soap all over our bodies, sat/lay down, and steamed for awhile. This soap was supposed to release toxins through pores and soften dead skin cells. Then we sprayed the soap off and were taken to the scrub room. By now everyone was used to seeing a roomful of women naked from waist up. I was told to lay down on a table that had small holes in it for water to run through, and the attendant began scrubbing me literally from head to toe with a rough mitt, first front side, then back. The process took the greater part of an hour and you'd not believe the amount of heavy crumbly stuff that came off my body! (81 years of accumulation!) I was SHOCKED! I was hosed down and taken to the next room, seated on a small stool in front of a deep sink. She filled the sink with warm water, gave me a deep scoop to dip, and explained I was to rinse myself thoroughly then shampoo my hair. Finally, clean as a newborn from head to toe, we were given luxurious robes and taken to the massage room and given a packaged sterile thong, asked to remove the wet panties. First time for lots of things! Bliss! An hour later, I emerged truly relaxed, rested and had a cup of mint tea with K & S, then walked out the door, grabbed a cab to get us home again...............

And left my cell phone, with debit card and drivers license in the taxi!
We cancelled the card and reported the loss, but don't expect to get the phone back again. However, it IS Ramadan and everyone's on their best behavior so I'm hopeful. I have enough cash to see me home, even though K & M told me they'd provide me with however much funds I needed. Fewer photos on the iPad, but I have my camera for as many as I want to take. Just can't send them immediately.

DERN! When I get to Marrakech, I guess I'll just have to repeat the Hammam experience to reach that same level of relaxation again! 😊

We're enroute to the desert now, stopped at a hotel for lunch and hoping to use their internet.


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Sent from my iPad

Visiting Chefchauouen

There were two of us on the day tour; I shared my ride with a young attorney from San Francisco who teaches at UC-Hastings, I believe she said, This little blue city, about a 3 hour drive from Fes, was founded by the Jewish Moors who fled Spain in the late 1400s when the Catholic royalty decreed they must convert or leave the country. They settled here in the Riff Mountains.

On our drive north, we left arid Fes, and began a slow climb that took us through beautiful rolling hills of arable land on which grains, sunflowers, and corn are grown. The hills reminded me of Tuscany! There were few trees, but these began to appear as we gained altitude and the soil became rocky. Now sheep and goats were the occupiers. Every herd had its own shepherd, each of which had their little pup-like tent to provide a bit of shade. No fences anywhere. The higher we climbed, the mountains grew rockier, finally becoming sheer granite cliffs. We rounded a curve and Chefchauouen was there hanging onto the cliffside.

The original "old town" is here, with narrow lanes, alleys, and walkways, all paved with ancient stone. No room for cars, as most lanes are only 3 to 5 feet wide. And all the houses and shops are painted blue. The newer town has been built up around the old town. Apparently this is also a region known for growing hashish even though it's illegal, and it's said to be easy to obtain from any shopkeeper ....no, I didn't....

I've been really fortunate to have come to Morocco during Ramadan because there are few tourists here now. Many places are closed from sunrise to sunset, but they stay open until 3:30 in the morning, so towns get busy at sunset when everyone rushes home or to a restaurant to break their fast. We've been able to find restaurants open, but they ask us not to eat at outdoor tables "because of Ramadan". It's nice to be a tourist and not have to fight the crowds. You'll notice there are few people in my photos.

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Chefchauouen photos

A country home

Into the country

Mohammad wanted to show me the Berber village in which he grew up, Azrud.
He has an inspiring story. There in Azrud was a Benedictine Monastery - Tioumliline - est.by a group of French monks primarily as a retreat center for other ,inks, but they began doing social work in the area with no intention of conversion. Indeed, they honored the Moslem Faith of the locals. (And now I really understand why). So the undertook to visit local schools and choose young boys who were the brightest of the crop, offering a classical education to them at the monastery. Mohammad was one of the boys, and he studied at the monastery with them from age 10 to 18. He told me there are only 4 of the former students left now in Morocco. The monastery is in a cedar forest, quite beautiful although now abandoned, as the government forced the monks out in the 1990's. A film was made about the monks, "Of Men and Gods" which was a winner at Cannes Film Festival. Mohammed is very grateful for the education he received there and feels blest by them.

We visited the very lovely spacious home M & K have built for their retirement just outside Azrud. There are 4 or 5 bedrooms, 4 baths. She said they may rent out some as an Air bnb. It's a perfect location, in the forested mountains yet only about an hour from the city of Fes. Pictures follow.
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Hand painted pottery

Finished product, all hand painted

Mosaic work

Drawing & painting

Beginning stages

Visiting ALIF & field trip

Thursday morning and we went to the school where the VMI students go during their 6 weeks immersion stay. It reminded me of a tiny Lincoln School (Costa Rica), so I suppose all American schools abroad have similar characteristics. There are many American students, both male & female, all young college age. Professors are mainly American & Moroccan. I was invited to accompany a group from the U of FL (my alma mater) on a field trip and we were taken to a mosaic/pottery factory. All the work there is done by jane. Pottery is hand-thrown, then painted in the design desired, then fired. Mosaic pieces are painstakingly chipped to the desired shape by hand, then assembled upside-down, before being placed on the piece. Because of the amount of labor involved, the factory employs many people. When you see the amount of labor involved, you lose the desire to haggle for a better price. Photos of the factory follow...


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Arabic Language Institute Fes or ALIF

The Fez Medina

Big mistake - I took my camera to the Medina, and should have taken my phone as I have no way to load photos from camera to iPad Mini until I get home. Lesson learned, so words will have to suffice. The Medina is the old-fashioned marketplace, and this one is the largest in Morocco. - mainly because Fes was once the capital, and is still one of the 3 largest cities in the country . The King is here! Silly, it reminds me of the story of the emperor who had no clothes. 😊. He's a popular King and flags are flying.
There's a large presence of policemen and secret service men in black suits around the medina which was cleaner than I expected. My last visit to an old market, a souk, was in India, and there's a huge difference. It was terribly dirty in India and rampant with mangy street dogs, whereas here, it's clean, no dogs, but lots of street cats! Strange the difference! Streets are narrow stone walkways and alleys running every which way and one would easily get lost without a guide - Munia was with me. We had a big language problem because she speaks French and Arabic, neither of which I can do more than say Bon Jour, Merci, and Shank-ra. We did manage to communicate I'd like to buy some lightweight cotton slacks, and we able to find some - made in China!

Tomorrow we're going to the Hammam, a spa that's commonly used in Arabic countries. No photos. All far as I understand, the women all strip to their panties or beyond and are scrubbed with a rough loufa to remove dead skin all over the body. Then rinsed, sent to the sauna to sweat, brought out to plunge in a cold pool followed by a full body massage. Khadija said the female VMI students are always shocked by the communal nudity of the women and she said our culture is much more conservative in their view of the body.

I'm still working on the trip to Chefchoueon trip. Hopefully it'll happen on Friday.

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This & that

Internet is spotty and temperamental here. Sometimes an email goes, sometimes not, and one never knows until you check your Sent box. So photos may be out of place as I may need to resize & resend.

Weather is HOT. Nights are cool, so one sleeps well. I was very warm yesterday in my travel pants (synthetic) and changed to cotton yoga pants I've only warn in Costa Rica (which I brought for the desert trip), and that made a big difference. Cooler weather is forecast, which makes me very happy..

I hope to get to Chefchueouen tomorrow and we plan to go to the Hammam on Friday, hen to their Berber country house Saturday. Sunday I head for the desert.

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La Sacrada colors

Communal dinners

Hello, Fes!

What a busy day! Following a breakfast of fresh figs, homemade breads dipped in olive oil, and mint tea, I marveled at the food. EVERYTHING here is organic and fresh - usually made or brought in from the farm today.. No canned food, no preservatives. For example, we went to the local
Market for chicken and chose our chicken, our LIVE chicken, which was then taken behind a door, killed, feathered, and cut into pieces for us while we chatted with the store owner, a friend of the family.

Khadija had a class here at the house because she wanted to feed the 11 VMI students here to live with local families to study Arabic for 6 weeks. Because it's the Ramadan month, no food is eaten in the houses where they are staying from sunrise to sunset. K doesn't fast because she has diabetes. She invited me to join the class as it was on Moslem History and Culture. Very interesting & enjoyable! I will post photos of the communal dish dinner, couscous served in a huge bowl mixed veggies & chicken.

Friends came over for the evening meal (breaking their fast at sundown) and, again, it was delicious: hardy veggie soup with many kinds of breads. I should say something about the cook, who is K's niece, Munia, who is living with them during the summer to help them, and what luck, because she's an unbelievable cook! The kitchen is spacious but lacks counter space, so when she needs more space, she spreads a large clean cloth on the floor and places her food and utensils there!

I'm trying to arrange a private tour to Chefchauuen, a small mountain town which is called "the blue city" because all the buildings are painted blue. Of course, I need to see that!


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