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Whew! Lots of stuff going on to write about.
First, John did come to Meknes last Saturday and we went to Ifrane and Azrou, located in the foothills of the Middle Atlas Mountains, in a quest for snow. We found some, but not enough to remind me of a Montana winter.
However, it was a gorgeous day, making for a memorable drive through the foothills of the Middle Atlas range. We drove through Ifrane, a Swiss-style village near the Mischliffen ski area, about 60 kilometers south-east of Meknes. Then it was on to Le Cedre Gouraud, a forest of ancient cedar trees, quite beautiful, inhabited by a pack of Barbary Apes. Different from Thai monkeys, they were very amiable and non-aggressive, but I was surprised that they lived this far north in Africa. Of course, Gibraltar, not all that far away, is overrun with the critters.
This is pastoral country, calming and soothing, and shepherding is still a prominent way of life, as it is in much of Morocco. So, while hiking one of the dirt roads, we weren’t surprised to wander into one of the ubiquitous flocks. Thankfully, the protecting dogs weren’t too concerned with us.
Just outside of Ifrane is the Moroccan national sports training center. John is quite a runner and is very knowledgeable about the subject. So, when we drove past a few guys jogging down the road, he pointed out their style, that this or that runner used his arms too much, etc. But then he was surprised at the sight of one of the runners, who, he thought, looked exactly like Hicham El Guerrouj (aka El G.), a double gold-medal winner in the 2004 Summer Olympics and a Moroccan national hero. The fellow, lank and wiry, was zooming along at a fair pace and hardly breaking a sweat, making me envious of his abilities. My maximum jogging pace would appear as walking in comparison to his graceful strides.
We then drove to Azrou, a very picturesque Berber village of about 50,000, nestled in the forested hills, about 20 kms from Ifrane. We stopped and bought a few beautiful, handcrafted wood products at the local municipal-run bazaar, some excellent deals for bowls, dishes, jewelry boxes and chess boards. The wonderful thing about this place, for me, is that all the prices are fixed, which means NO HAGGLING. I hate haggling because 1) I’m bad at it and because 2) I don’t speak good French (or Arabic or Berber).
The view from just outside Azrou:
On the way back we stopped at Boufekrane, about 12 kms from Meknes, a village reknowned throughout Morocco for the quality of its meat, a Guy’s Lolo Creek Steakhouse of North Africa, more or less. We ate at one of the small restaurants and, as advertised, the beef and lamb were great. We had brochettes (bbq beef chunks), lamb chops, and superb spiced ground beef. All in all, it was an excellent outing.
Since Monday, though, I’ve been hassling with getting my Moroccan national identity card. Mohammed and I have been running around in circles gathering all the relevant documents and signatures. This was supposed to have been taken care of by someone, whose name I won’t mention, at the U.S. Consulate in Rabat. Just a day before my visa was to expire, he phoned me and said that I was to take care of it. Not good. There was some concern about the possibility that I might be told to leave the country. However, after much footwork and driving around, it seems the situation has turned out ok. I’m to go to the authorities tomorrow and give them the required documents (5 altogether, in duplicate, notarized, with 9 passport-sized photos) and the identity card will be taken care of. Despite the hassle, the local Moroccan authorities have been most accomodating.
Because of all the time required in my quest to avoid prison time (just joking), I had to reschedule some classes. One I lectured at today from 4 to 5:30 p.m. So, I rode my bicycle home at night. It’s very exhilirating to ride a bike at night in Meknes; it gets ones blood flowing. You just have to make sure that it doesn’t flow in the cold, hard streets. It’s almost as much fun as riding on the back of Bangkok motor bikes. But riding a bike here, you’re in control of your own fate, so to speak. You need 5 eyes to keep a look out for all that is going on around you. Not only is the motor traffic bad, but worse are the pedestrians, who walk willy-nilly everywhere and are just as likely to pop out in front of you as is a taxi.
In Bangkok I was most surprised to see elephants wandering around on the main thoroughfares. In Morocco different obstacles present themselves. So tonight I’m riding home and I’m almost at my apartment building. My attention wanders a bit. All of a sudden I look up and looming before me in the shadows is a camel! A large one, too, with its handlers. Luckily, I saw it in time enough to avoid it, otherwise I would have rear-ended it. Wow! Elephants in Bangkok and camels in Meknes, on or near the main drag, right in front of you, reach out and touch them but don’t get run over by the traffic. What do you have to compare, Montana? Yes, bison and griz, sure, but meandering down the main streets of Great Falls or Glendive, majestic traffic hazards just waiting to snap up the unwary pedestrian or bicyclist? (I do, of course, exclude the deer herds of residential Missoula.)
What a wonderful world. Check it out. More later.
My journey to Marrakech was all too short. The city itself is very beautiful, its copper- and salmon-colored walls and buildings, especially in the light of the setting sun, providing a beautiful contrast to the green trees and vibrant gardens that abound on the broad avenues. Though I didn’t see much of the city, I have fallen in love with it. Meknes is a tightly condensed city, much like a clenched fist, whereas Marrakech is much more open, more soothing to the senses.
The legendary Mamounia Hotel, inside the walls of the medinah.
As the train gains distance from Casablanca, the countryside becomes much more sere and barren as you approach Marrakech. The red, rocky soil is broken here and there by gleaming white mosques rising from the occasional village. The land doesn’t appear to be able to sustain crops, but flocks of sheep, their tan coloring matching the fields, roam in the treeless fields outside the villages.
The conference itself kept me fairly busy, so I didn’t really have that many opportunities to roam around outside the main tourist area–the fabled square of Djemaa-el-Fna, where acrobats, snake charmers, story tellers and musicians compete with the aromas of dozens of open-air food vendors, sizzling kebabs beckoning the hungry masses. I was there only during the day, which was unfortunate because I was told that nighttime is when the place really starts to dazzle.
Nearby is the Koutoubia Mosque, one of the most famous of Islam.
Surrounding the square are the labyrinthine alleyways of the medinah and the souqs, or shopping stalls. Nabila and I spent a few hours in the square the first night there, and Hakim, she and I went shopping in the souqs the next day. On Monday, John, Kathy Nyikos (an English Language Specialist and the main speaker at the conference) and I tried to lose ourselves in the medinah. Luckily, because I had to catch the train, we didn’t.
Mouth-Watering Spices For Sale in the Souq
Sunday evening, the ALC folks, who put on a marvelous conference, invited the presenters and other involved people, out to dinner at one of the local restaurants in the medinah. I don’t remember its name, but we reached its rather discreet front door after walking for about 20 minutes through the winding alleyways. You wouldn’t think that anything special lay beyond that door, but when we walked inside, we were transported into a magical world, a throwback to “1001 Nights.” What a beautiful setting to dine. Unfortunately, I didn’t bring my camera, so I have no photos of this charming restaurant. There are many like this scattered throughout the medinah, apparently most of them bought and refurbished by foreigners. We were treated to a six-course feast that included numerous appetizers, a lamb-and-quinze dish, chicken baked in a crepe-like covering and a scrumptious, flaky, sweet dessert. During the meal we were serenaded by a Moroccan trio of musicians, which included an oud, a doumbec (Moroccan drum), and a young lady with a beautiful singing voice. All in all, a once-in-a-lifetime treat for a Montana steak-and-potatoes guy.
I stayed on for an extra day because Mohammed, Hakim and a few other Moroccans told me about the horrors of taking the train on the last day of Eid, when EVERYONE is trying to make their way back home. I went to the station and was able to change my ticket to Monday. The ride back was uneventful; I read, dozed off, read some more and wandered around the train car talking to Mohammed and some new teacher friends. It was a memorable trip. I plan to return to Marrakech on my own in the spring when I can take more time to explore this beautiful location.
New photos posted to the gallery. Check ‘em out. More later.
I’m off to Marrakech tomorrow morning, catching the 7:55 train. It’s also the first day of Eid in Morocco. Since believers are supposed to go to early morning prayers at the beginning of the festival, I’m hoping the noise will settle down early tonight so I can catch some sleep before getting up at 6 a.m. I’ll probably be out of touch with the blog for the next three days, but I should have a lot to report about the trip and Marrakech, hopefully with some photos to put in the gallery.
It looks like Friday and Saturday will be devoted to sightseeing and whatnot, with a welcome dinner to the conference on Saturday evening. Nabila and I give our workshop at 9 a.m. on Sunday, then I’m supposed to catch a 2 p.m. train that afternoon. I might, though, see if I can change my ticket, maybe coming back on Monday instead. More later.
Here’s another mosque photo.
John sent me email yesterday informing about our stay in Marrakech next week. We’ve been booked rooms at the 5-star Royal Mirage Hotel, the former Sheraton of Marrakech. Very posh hangout. Since Marrakech is Hakim’s hometown, he’s promised to show us around. I believe we’re going up on Friday and coming back Sunday. Nabila and I give our workshop on Sunday morning. Should be a fun trip.
Finally, I started jogging again. I went out this evening at 6 when no one is on the streets and did about 20 minutes.
White Sox up 2 games to 0. I’d like to say bye-bye Houston, but I remember, try as I might to forget, what happened between the Yankees and Red Sox last year.
And yet another sunset photo. Ok, maybe a couple.
First off, I noticed just a moment ago that my home page was reflecting only entries through the month of September. Hmmmmm. So, I had to change, temporarily, back to the old page. I’ll try to set it up later so that the blog works ok as the “front door.”
Last Sunday, John, Evelyn and I went to Volubilis, site of the ancient Roman provincial capital. The ruins are located somewhat above a fertile valley, offering sweeping views of the surrounding farmland. It was an overcast day, lending a colorless sameness to the ruins and the surrounding area, especially now during the dry season. In spring, when everything around here greens up, the site is supposed to be very beautiful. I can imagine that during Roman times, with a few more trees than there are now, the city must have been lovely. There is actually a lot to see–the remains of bakeries and wine and olive presses, the baths, the capitol building, the marketplace, the sacrificial altar in front of the basilica and many houses with their tiled, mosaic floors still relatively intact. Some of the houses have been given quaint or evocative names, like The House of the Labors of Hercules, House of the Athlete, House of the Dog, House of the Golden Coins, House of the Bathing Nymphs, House of the Columns and House of Dionysus and the Four Seasons. All in all, it’s an interesting site.
There weren’t a multitude of other tourists here, though there were a couple of tour buses that left shortly after we arrived. Volubilis is only about 30 km (18 miles) from Meknes and could be a nice day trip by bicycle. Except that it is 1/2 downhill and 1/2 very much uphill! Maybe in the spring I will give it a try.
For larger photos, just click on the image.
In the mountains to the south clings the small town of Moulay Idriss, one of Morocco’s holiest sites. John tells me that it was only recently that it was opened to non-Muslims. According to one of my guide books, Idriss I fled the caliph in Baghdad in the 8th Century and came here. He founded the first Arab-Muslim dynasty in Baghdad and is buried in the town that took his name.
Last Friday, the 14th, John, Nabila Moussamin (the other Fellow in Morocco, based in Tangiers) and I went to the Peace Corps training site at Imouzzer, an hour and a half drive south-east of Meknes. There we trained the volunteers in the use of “Books in a Box,” literally boxes that come with 32 English Language-Teaching books packed inside them. It was great fun working with the PCVs, since I’m a former volunteer myself. They were very enthusiastic about having the books and the workshop was very well received. Imouzzer, over 4,000 feet up in the Middle Atlas mountains, is a smaller version of the nearby resort town of Ifrane. We started the workshop around 12:30 p.m., and as the afternoon progressed, it started to get a bit chilly. Being from Montana, I wore only a short-sleeved shirt, but it wasn’t too bad. I also met a fellow Montanan there, a volunteer named Brian (sorry, Brian, I forgot your last name) from Denton. He also attended the U of M, so we had a lot in common to talk about. It wasn’t all that surprising to meet another Montanan, since the U of M always ranks high nationally in the number of PCVs it recruits.
Let’s see. What else is happening . . .?
Continue reading Volubilis, Peace Corps Training
Today is the first day of Ramadan, the Muslim month of fasting and prayer. The small street running along my apartment was much more subdued this morning, quieter and less bustle. Many of the shops stayed shut for most of the day, opening a little later than usual. Most of them are shut down now, but only, seemingly, so that the employees can go break their fast (it is now after sunset). The patisserie is closed, but they haven’t pulled down their security shutters on the shop windows, so I assume they will open later on this evening. The normally packed streets are unusually empty, almost strangely so, though there is the usual assortment of vehicular traffic. Mohammed told me that most people stay at home in the evening, eating and drinking (non-alcoholic, of course) with their families. A few days ago, all of the restaurants that serve alcohol shut down, as well as liquor stores and the areas in grocery stores that sell alcohol. So, if you’re an expat looking for something stronger than mint tea, you’re out of luck until November.
I finally broke down and bought a bicycle the other day, a Bacini mountain bike (made in Taiwan) for about $110. I took it for a long ride in the country, which you can get to with just a short trek outside of Meknes. The surrounding farm land reminds me a lot of Montana, as I’ve stated before, with rolling hills leading into the mountains and strip-farmed land checkerboarding the landscape. It was a pleasant ride, though I have to do some adjusting to the gear shifters and derailleurs, which are a bit cranky, so to speak. Needless to say, after my 20-km (estimated) ride, my rear end was sore the next day. Here’s a look at Meknes from the southern edge of town.
Of course, I’ll put this image and most of the others that you see on the blog into the photo gallery in a larger size, so check there for these photos, and others, in the new section “Morocco.”
Monday I was tempted to get up early and watch the eclipse, but I decided not to bother since I had no way of observing it without going blind. By all accounts, it was fantastic. There is another one in this area on March 29th, 2006. Unfortunately, Morocco will be just outside the zone of totality.
Hah, Yanks win first game 4-2. I didn’t stay up to listen to it last night, even though it was an “early” game. With a 7pm Eastern time start, that meant it didn’t come on until 11pm our time. Tonight it’s even worse, starting at 2am (10pm ET). Of course, if the people upstairs are still up making noise because of the late Ramadan hours and keeping me awake, maybe I’ll try to watch or listen to it. More later.
So here’s the view of the medinah from a good vantage point in one of the quiet neighborhoods away from the downtown area. I attempted to “stitch” together a series of photos into one panoramic shot–not the best of results, but you might get some idea of what the medinah looks like. It’s a pretty small image, but click on it to get a larger version. I posted a much larger image on the photo gallery.
Tomorrow I might go shopping for a bicycle; I saw one for sale for about $80–nothing fancy, but it will suit my purpose.
The Meknes Medinah
I keep making the 15-minutes walk to Label Vie (La Bell Vee) supermarket to stock up on stuff, and I can’t help but notice how low the price is for veggies, with carrots, onions and potatoes ranging between 10 to 20 cents a pound and they are fresh. Apples check in at around 50 cents/lb. Meknes is situated in a fertile valley and agriculture is probably the chief concern. Friday is the Muslim sabbath, and couscous is the traditional dish eaten on that day. Right now I’m at the dinner table eating couscous, carrots, potatoes, peas and onions, all mixed together. Delicious! But, not nearly as good as that which Mohammed’s wife prepared last Friday.
Below is my first Meknes photo, a setting sun near one of the many beautiful mosques that spike the skyline of the medinah (old city). More later
Well, it’s kind of boring, so far, except for spending lots of money buying groceries and odds and ends for the apartment. It’s fun, though, to walk around at night and see all the shops lit up that I don’t notice during the day. I think I’ve found a health club–I hope so, because I haven’t found any areas suitable for jogging, though there are some very nice, broad, tree-lined side avenues just outside the town center. I haven’t seen any bookstores that offer books in English, though I did find an English/French dictionary that I’ll have to buy in order to gear up my rusty, novice-level French skills.
The weather has been nice, not too hot or humid, clear skies and a breeze most of the time. Perfect for sitting in one of the ubiquitous outdoor cafes. These are everywhere and I think there must be enough of them to accommodate the entire male population of Meknes if everyone decided to use them at one time. In them, the male part of the population sit with their friends and chat and ogle passersby while sipping on juice, coffee or mint tea. Women, I’ve read, are the mistresses of the house, in charge of its daily operation, cooking, washing, watching the kids, etc. The men seek “refuge” in the cafes. There are numerous bars, also, though alcohol is technically illegal in Morocco. I guess it’s ok to drink, as long as it’s done in the privacy of the home or behind the shuttered doors of the bars.
Here’s a view of the sitting area of my apartment. The kitchen is behind this view and the two bedrooms are off to the left. Quite nice, actually, if a little large. Heating in the winter (Yes, it gets chilly, I’m told) will be difficult. Notice the TV with the rabbit ears–worthless, as there are no local stations I can pick up. I’m supposed to get a satellite dish, cheap, soon. More later.
Today, Nabila, the other English Language Fellow, and I were given a security briefing by the U.S. Security Officer from the Embassy, and we met various other people who work in the Public Affairs Office. All of them were very outgoing and helpful, so I think the support I’ll have here will be second to none. It sounds like Morocco is very safe, except for the usual assortment of pickpockets and thieves. Not much to worry about as far as terrorists and their ilk are concerned–just be aware of what’s going on.
We also bought cell phones at the Marjane supermart, sort of the Wal-Mart of Morocco. We paid 449 dirham ($1 = 8.9 dirham) for the phone and another 100 (Nabila) and 200 (me) for a SIM card. There’s a special going on now by the local telecom giant, Maroc Telecom, whereby you get double the time for the card you buy; thus, a 200 MAD card is actually worth 400 MAD (MAD = Moroccan dirham, real mad money!!) My new cellphone number is 212-77-002404. Go ahead, call me. Since I’ve never, ever had or used a cell phone before, I may not answer, because I’m not sure I know how to use the darn thing! I have instructions, but they’re in French. Remember, though, that I am 6 hours ahead of Mountain Time.
By the way, I’ve had lots of opportunities to use my unpracticed, poor knowledge of French today. Nabila and I took a walk to Grill 23, a local eatery at which Hakim and I ate last night. Of course we got lost, so I asked strangers and shopkeepers directions going to and coming from the cafe. I didn’t fare too bad and I think, with a lot of practice and a good French lesson book, I should be able to pick it up ok.
I also found out how much the hotel charges for rooms today. A standard, like mine, runs $289 a night!!!! No kidding. They give a 25% reduction for foreigners, but that still makes it very expensive. We do get reimbursed for hotel stays while we’re waiting to go to our posts, so I assume the program will pick up the tab, since they selected the place. It’s a gorgeous hotel, though, reeking with Moroccan ambience. I’ve taken a few photos, so I’ll post some when I get the chance.
La Tour Hassan
After my diatribe about the airlines yesterday, I found out that Nabila’s most important piece of luggage was lost by . . . Air France. She’s quite distraught that they haven’t found it yet, but hopefully she’ll have it returned to her soon.
Tomorrow morning we go to our cities, Nabila to Tangiers, I to Meknes. Everyone here tells me how fabulous Meknes is, so I’m really looking forward to living and working there. I’ll have to choose an apartment on Saturday, hopefully. One of them under consideration, Hakim tells me, has two bedrooms, a large salon, a nice balcony, and is completely furnished, a nice change from the small studio apartment I had in Korea (though it was paid for by the university).
Rabat is quite a lovely city and I’m very impressed with the country so far. The people are very friendly and everyone was quite willing to put up with my broken French. Oh, yeah, Mom, they have a BEAUTIFUL golf course, as does Meknes, I’m told.
We ate lunch today at Pizza Hut. Go figure. More later.
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