After the desert we headed off into the mountains and spent the night at Todra Gorge with a rushing river and huge rock faces that draw climbers from all over the world. After dinner we walked down the canyon and took in the blazing stars.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Todra Gorge
After the desert we headed off into the mountains and spent the night at Todra Gorge with a rushing river and huge rock faces that draw climbers from all over the world. After dinner we walked down the canyon and took in the blazing stars.
I ride a camel
Riding camels (actually dromedaries in that they have only one hump) is primarily a tourist activity. Nonetheless it was super picturesque. We set off around 5 in the evening and rode for a couple of hours and then stayed at a Berber-like camp amongst the Sahara Desert Dunes. We were fed tangine (traditional Moroccan stew) and fell asleep watching the stars. It was an absolutely beautiful night!
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Morocco's Gender/Dress Divide
My tour guide Hussein wearing traditional Berber Dress, other days he wears jeans and t-shirts.
When I first arrived my eyes kept landing on the veiled women. And I kept wondering what makes a woman decide to veil herself. Does she gain safety? Respect? Does the covering of her skin add to her allure? Do veiled women feel restricted?
Moroccan culture is actually very varied: There are Arabs, Jews (though most have left for Israel), Berbers (with many distinct tribes) and tourists and business people from all over. There is complete tolerance of self-expression through dress. Some days a man might wrap scarves around his head and wear a full caftan while other days he might wear jeans and a t-shirt.
Shopping in Morocco
Shopping Carts at Marjane, Morocco's Costco-like Mega Market
At Marjane one can buy everything from dried fruits and nuts to western clothing and furniture and alcohol (which is not widely sold due to Muslim prohibitions).
Nonetheless, the local markets serve the masses, here are how goods are displayed:
What's for Sale...
While I've been hit on to buy carpets, silk and leather goods, here's what's being sold in local markets...
Moroccan Cats Big and Little
On the edge of the Atlas Mountains there are some winter ski chalets where the big cats are featured in a garden. And now is the season for a zillion feral kitties...
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Joining a Tour
I'd been travelling solo for 11 days when I arrived in Casablanca and joined a group tour which visits the highlights of Morocco. There was a part of me that was very tired of sorting everything out on my own and largely eating meals alone. I'd found myself nearly counting the days until I'd have a built in family. Initially I was very happy. Suddenly I had 15 new dinner mates and no longer had to sort out hotels, activities or meals! My honeymoon lasted about a day and a half and then I started wanting to be free to wander. I found myself feeling uncomfortably different and counting the days until it would end. The worst was finding my very independent self fed through the Moroccan tourist culture with a multiple course traditional dinner, live music and belly dancers. The following day we were taken on an arts tour where we were taken to a series of shops where our guide would receive a commission on our purchases. The shops had overpriced goods--it made me so uncomfortable to see so many of my travel mates blowing wads of diram on things they might have purchased in a local market for a third of the price. And then I felt like a stingy-scrooge for barely buying a thing.
Monday, June 22, 2009
The train to Casablanca
After being shuttled through Moroccan customs, the next order of the day was to get myself to Casablanca where my tour group would be meeting. While several worldly Moroccans had advised that I take a first class bus somehow the Crosby Stills and Nash song about taking the Marrakesh Express kept ringing through my ears and I grabbed a petit taxi to the train station. Within minutes of my arrival I found myself on the 11 am train that would eventually connect to a Marrakesh bound one. I bought a second class ticket with hopes of mixing more with the locals.. In one moment I was part of a lively conversation with a soccer referee, a college student and a businessman. I hadn't spoken French in years and somehow it rolled off my tongue. The air conditioning was out and veiled women gazed shyly in my direction. At one moment I became captivated by a sleepy woman sitting across from me. Her veil kept slipping off and her long pink caftan looked hot and itchy. Her husband would periodically fan her her face and rearrange her garb. In an idle moment I snapped a photo. Her husband caught me in the act and demanded that I erase it. I complied. Then he grabbed my camera and inspected the remaining photos to be sure I would not be able to take his wife's likeness with me. The train took a circuitous route through Rabat rather than following the coastal bus route and I arrived in Casablanca six hours later sweaty and pretty culture shocked.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
The Ferry from Algeciras to Tangiers
I woke up early and made my way down to the ferry terminal which was just a short walk from the hotel, bought a ticket and followed a maze of entry ways which ultimately put me on one of the many ferries that make this crossing. Within minutes culture shock hit. I had never seen so many women in headscarves in my life. I was captivated. I watched as each of their unique personalities seeped through all the layers of fabric. Here are some of my photos from the boat:
Malaga
I caught a bus from Granada down to the gorgeous coastal city of Malaga. Having run the numbers, I faced that I would have just enough time to look over the Picasso Museum, catch something to eat and find my way back to the bus station. It worked. I found a most delicious vegetarian restaurant, serving eggplant grilled with tomatoe sauce and cheese and pasta with wild mushrooms. The Picasso Museum had every little scrap of paper he had ever scribbled on...at one point I noted, this man was really into women...the way he looked at them--how they impacted him--he must have been an amazing lover. Then I wandered into a world press photo exhibition on water and violence. Very powerful photography. Every moment in Malaga had to be treasured in that I had so little time.
I then caught a bus to Algeciras, chatting the whole time with a clinical psychologist from Granada who is a practicing Buddhist and lives a life at least as unconventional as mine. After the busride along the gorgeous Southern coast we landed in Algeciras. It was too late to catch a ferry and so I found a little hotel and crashed for the night
I then caught a bus to Algeciras, chatting the whole time with a clinical psychologist from Granada who is a practicing Buddhist and lives a life at least as unconventional as mine. After the busride along the gorgeous Southern coast we landed in Algeciras. It was too late to catch a ferry and so I found a little hotel and crashed for the night
Friday, June 19, 2009
The Alhambra
Lacy Moorish Architecture
Reflecting Pool
Tile Ceiling
Star-studded ceiling
Garden walls...
Yesterday I flew to Granada and wore myself out exploring the Alhambra. It´s absolutely exquisite...and a bit reminiscent of the Taj Mahal. Prior to being taken over by Isabel and Fernando (who sponsored Christopher Columbus´ trips to America) it was a Moor stronghold. And much of the lacy architecture is quite reminiscent of the Moorish influence in India. I took a zillion photos...looking for special angles and views of the buildings and the gardens.
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