Wednesday, Oct 2nd, Casablanca, Morocco

Greetings!

Our last long driving day, we returned to Casablanca.  Mohammed took us up a coastal route, and we passed through many small towns surrounded by olive orchards.

Usually, the olives are ripe by now, and pressing their oil is in full swing everywhere.  But, like Argan oil, the dry season has been brutal on olives.  Fortunately for us, one small olive pressing operation was taking a chance with their first press when we showed up in the town.  We got to step right into their processing, observe the machines and workers, and even buy some end product (probably the first of the season).

At one happy place stop (anywhere we can use the restroom for a small coin), we hiked over the sand dunes to the low tide pools and breaking waves.  My surfing/coastal activist soul was only partially nourished, but the ice cream we had at the cafe helped us all with childhood memories.

The next two days are our last on the tour portion of our trip.  On Friday, we fly to Lisbon, Portugal.  We'll pick up a car, and drive to a private home for three days to begin our exploration of that country.

To see all of the photos taken today, click on: Wednesday, Oct 2nd, Casablanca, Morocco.

Tuesday, Oct 1st, Essaouira, Morocco

Greetings!

Today was mostly an optional field trip to the investigate Argan oil production.  And to visit a winery.

But first, we visited a small village made popular by a visit from Jimi Hendrix in 1969.  A cafe at the entrance to the town announces the occurance, and contains photos, paintings, and murals in tribute to him.

Earlier in the trip, I criticized a practice whereby some tourists we're led to trees alongside the road in which goats had been tied to the branches.  There really are goats in trees in the process of making Argan oil.  But you need to find them yourself in the 2 million hectares of Argan trees in southern Morocco, and not be satisfied with photographing goats tied up in trees close by your hotels.

Our drive south of town reminded me of an African safari where the guides keep saying "I'll find you a cheeta, don't worry".  There has been so little rain this year, and thus so few Argan nuts on the trees.  The shepherds and goat herds are so hard to find.

Yes, the goats exist.  In early September (in a normal year), they climb the Argan trees, eat the ripe nuts, and the softer skinless inside ends up in a stomach pouch which is then regurgitated.  The results can then be gathered up by the women of the village, and taken to their co-operative.  The process of the elimination the husk, cracking the nut, crushing the seed, and obtaing the oil is done by hand by the women of the co-operative.  You can contact them through their website at www.arganouz.com

Afterward, we had lunch at Val d' Argan Winery, a really gorgeous little place with a wide selection of wine from local grapes.

To see all of the photos taken today, click on Tuesday, Oct 1st, Essaouira, Morocco. 

Monday, Sept 30th, Essaouira, Morocco

Greetings!

Our city walk today started off

with a veteran port fisherman be (Abdul) explaining the history of the docks, boats, equipment, procedures, and fish.

We then walked with him through the dockside fish market to choose the fish we would have for lunch.  Bonita, sardines, and spaghetti fish were chosen, cleaned, and we were on our way.

Our journey then took us around the inside of the walls of the city to one corner bastion.  A high fortress lookout, we saw where stabled horses dragged Spanish 18th century cannons to strategic positions in the wall.

 In one of the narrow alleys, we found a woodworker specializing in the local thuhe trees.  His shop was a cavern of magnificent pieces of carved and inlayed types of wood, and several of us are bringing home some of his work.

Further on, we visited an old synogue recently expanded to include a great museum.

Finally, it was lunchtime.  In a small public eating area, our fish were cooked (along with some vegetables we bought in a nearby local alley marketplace), and we sat together for a well-selected meal.

To see all of the photos taken today, click on: Monday, Sept 30th, Essaouira, Morocco.

Sunday, Sept 29th, Essaouira, Morocco

Greetings!

We left some of our friends behind in Marrakech today, as the main part of our trip ended.  Zak and they will drive north to Casablanca, and we drive west to the coastal city of Essaouira.  It had a reputation as a hippie town a couple of decades ago, and has become a surf town lately.

Would you believe that a special (and expensive) oil would be made from the nuts chewed by goats that climb trees?  Thousands of tourists do, and they stop by the side of the road to take photos of the goats in trees.  Won't see that here.  Instead, you'll see a family who provided us lunch and insights into rural life, and a farmer who walked is into his squash patch.  Both were valuable sources of survivors of drought, dependence on tourism, and centuries of successive central regime change.

We arrived on the coast to cooler temperatures, beautiful beaches, and windsurfers.  There is a much more laid back vibe here, and most of us are ready for it.

To see all of the photos taken today, click on: Sunday, Sept 29th, Essaouira, Morocco.

Saturday, Sept 28th, Marrakech, Morocco

Greetings!

Morocco is so much more than most have learned about.  The view of a desert country with some famous cities (Casablanca, Marrakech, Tangiers) so ignores the range of living environments created by residents over the past millenniums, and the vast integration of cultures into every one of them.

Like the 16 million tourists who are expected to come here in 2019, Morocco's population consists of explorers.  Whether chasing new dreams or escaping nightmares, those who choose this place have found their garden, planted their seeds, and toiled to bring up their families.

As I sit in our riad listening to the afternoon call to prayer from a mosque next door, I am amazed at how different my current understanding of this place is from a month ago.  It's culture is full of lessons for the rest of the world.  It's contributions to this part of the world cannot probably be easily counted.  And the visual orchestra presents a greater symphony than one can imagine without spending time here.

To see all of the photos (so far) taken today, click on: Saturday, Sept 28th, Marrakech, Morocco.

Friday, Sept 27th, Marrakech, Morocco

Greetings!

Today was the city tour of Marrakesh.  Starting with the Jewish quarter,  we visited a working synogogue, stopped by a community bakery, and went on to the Palace Bahia.  We had lunch at El Jardin, and attended a showing of Moroccan rugs (yes, we bought one).

To see all of the photos taken (so far) today, click on: Friday, Sept 27th, Marrakech, Morocco

Thursday, Sept 26th, Marrakech, Morocco

 

Greetings!

Traveling is a learning experience full of people and places.  Today was a great example of both.

We drove most of the day from Ouarzazate to Marrakech.  The Atlas mountains, resulting from continental collisions between the Eastern coast of America and North Africa around 475 million years ago (and again more recently when Africa collided with Europe), displayed spectacular twists and layering in the rocks as we climbed over mountain passes.

Arriving in Marrakech, we settled into our riad (hotel), and Zak took us for a walk through the nearby city square.

But topping off the day was an evening with Zak's large extended family in his mother's home.  We couldn't have had a more perfect end to the day and welcoming.



To see all of the photos taken today, click on: Thursday, Sept  26th, Marakesch, Morocco