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