A Moroccan Caravan Written and photographed by Kevin Pollard
Sensory overload is the best way to describe it – it’s
a journey of exotic sights, unusual sounds, intriguing smells
and emotional highs. Every day is magic, and it leaves you wanting
more. Yes, you can get a little greedy in Morocco!
We are on a 15 day trip of this timeless land, and everywhere
we go, our guide, Brahim, is the envy of every man we meet –
policemen, rug salesmen, donkey handlers, waiters. “These
are my wives,” Brahim jokes in his thick Moroccan accent.
Amazingly, all 12 people in our group are women and being a female
certainly has its advantages here; a bit of flirting never goes
astray when trying to get the price of a carpet down! And every
time we enter a spice shop, sweet mint tea is served as we take
in the delicious aromas. An hour passes swiftly by smelling spices,
having our temples massaged with orange flower oil, and our wrists
dabbed with sweet smelling oils. Now, we wouldn’t get that
at home!
Casablanca
Ah…Casablanca! This name conjures up many a memory –
Ingrid Bergman, Humphrey Bogart... but Casablanca the city has
much more to offer than just the movie! We start our adventure
at the enormous Grand Mosque Hassan II. Although it is a very
new complex, here we get a first real taste of the beauty of Islamic
architecture and culture. After marveling at this majestic creation,
we take an evening stroll amongst the throngs of trendy Moroccans
promenading along the sea front and watch the sun go down over
the Atlantic Ocean.
Meknes
After an eventful train journey where we spent most of our time
chatting to schoolchildren, we reach the former Imperial city
of Meknes. Meknes is the perfect place to get lost in a traditional
souq where you'll find activity at every turn. From local saw
millers to tentmakers sewing up sacks and colorful canvas; men
selling finely ground salt direct from the source; flea markets
heaving with everything you could ever need; woodworkers carving
elaborate tables; metalworkers creating a din as well as carefully
crafted wrought iron products; coppersmiths constructing huge
urns big enough to cook enormous feasts; the musical instrument
souq, packed full of tam-tams, cymbals and lutes, and carts laden
with pomegranates, prickly pears, apples, peaches, melons and
chickpeas – in fact you name it, you can find it here. Phew!
We even got the chance to sample some fast food - Moroccan style
as we grabbed a camel burger at a local butcher shop before retreating
to our traditional hotel for a well deserved rest.
Fes
Rising early, we visit the ancient Roman city of Volubilis before
moving onto the place that I was looking forward to the most –
Fes. The oldest of the Imperial Cities, and one of the holiest
cities in the Islamic World, Fes is steeped in ancient charm.
For me, the real Morocco is captured in Fes el Bali (Old Fes),
in the labyrinth of 9400 narrow, twisting and turning lanes. Meandering
through the local souqs, it feels like we are taking a step back
into the Middle Ages, as the locals go about their work the same
way they would have done 1200 years ago. The clanging of the copper
smiths, the powerful ‘aroma’ of the tanneries, bundles
of coloruful yarn hanging in the dyers souq, children carrying
trays of bread balanced neatly on their heads and the cries of
‘balak, balak!’ or ‘attention’ which send
you scrambling to hug the walls, well out of the way of heavily
laden mules. At dusk, we listened to the call to prayer from the
many mosques that dot the old town while watching the sunset.
Afterwards, we pay a visit to our new found local friends in a
traditional Riad for a night of tasty Moroccan cuisine, and thanks
to our guide Brahim - plenty of laughs!
Kasbah Myriem and the Ziz Valley Farmstay
Leaving the ancient city of Fes behind, we travel over the Middle
Atlas Mountains, stopping off at Kasbah Myriam, a carpet and embroidery
workshop. This charity is run by Franciscan nuns with the aim
of providing sustainable employment and healthcare to local Berber
women. The wares they produce are beautiful and are of the highest
quality, so it's the perfect place to buy a memorable souvenir.
Of course, I couldn’t resist. I just had to buy one! Moving
on, we reach the Ziz Valley. Tonight we are the guests of Brahim
(yes, another one!) and his family at their farming home. Staying
here certainly gives us a real insight into traditional rural
life.
The Sahara Desert
Aside from meeting the wonderfully generous Moroccans, riding
camels into the Sahara is one of the many highlights. With the
sun setting on the horizon, we saunter on camelback to our desert
camp for the night as the color of the huge dunes change from
orange to rose. The silence and vast nothingness of the desert
clears the mind and is good for the soul. On arrival at our camp
we relax with some ‘Berber Whiskey” (it was really
Mint tea!) Mubarak, our Tuareg guide disappears into a goat-hair
tent, emerging an hour later with a wonderfully tasty vegetable
tagine. He knows the way to a girl’s heart! We all agree
that life doesn’t get much better than this as we nestle
into our blankets for the night, drift peacefully off to sleep
under a starry desert sky.
Todra Gorge
After arriving around lunchtime, we go for a rewarding hike through
the beautiful Todra Gorge – a lush green oasis nestled between
towering red cliffs. Here we sample delicious local fruit, speak
with local women while they were tending to their fields and explore
abandoned mud-brick kasbahs. In the evening we visit a family
house for a cooking demonstration of couscous and tagine. On this
part of the journey, our own cooking skills are put to the test
as we learn the art of making light, fluffy couscous! Leaving
the Todra Gorge, we visit a centre for the handicapped, a major
charity in the area.
Ait Benhaddou
We bid farewell to the gorges and travel through the ‘Valley
of the Roses’ to the film capital of Morocco, Ouarzazate,
and the country's most famous Kasbah, Ait Benhaddou. Famed as
the centre of Morocco’s film industry, there are several
studios in town and if you've seen a Hollywood movie with a desert
scene in it recently, it may well have been shot in Ouarzazate.
Appearing out of the harsh desert landscape, our first glimpse
of Ait Benhaddou is of a spectacular collection of Kasbahs perched
upon a hilltop. It is not hard to realise just why film-makers
were attracted here to film movies such as 'Gladiator', 'Jesus
of Nazareth' and 'Lawrence of Arabia'. We meander through the
village in the late afternoon light and wind our way slowly up
to the agadir (grain storehouse) for a beautiful view of the valley
below.
The High Atlas Mountains
9 days, and several amazing sights later, we take an overnight
trip into the High Atlas Mountains to stay with a Berber family.
Our hike takes us along well-used donkey trails on bare mountainsides,
dotted with goat-herders and their flocks, and random Berber villages.
Lunchtime is again a feast prepared by our guides – Berber
omelets, salad, bread and fruit. The food in Morocco is always
prepared fresh and spiced to perfection - a gastronomer’s
fantasy!
In the late afternoon we arrive in our remote village, a convoy
of curious children in tow. Mint tea is immediately served on
the terrace of the house, whilst neighbors peer curiously at us.
Most of these people have never even been to Marrakesh, just a
two-hour drive away. Life is simple and basic here. The mother
of the family gives us a toothless grin as she sifts hot couscous
through her hands. The couscous is delicious and we all eat from
the same large dish, with our right hand. After dinner we are
tired, but reluctant to go to bed; it’s very special spending
this time with the Berbers.
Essaouira
The name 'Essaouira' means image, appropriate since Essaouira
resembles a perfect photo. Its charm is undeniable: within the
stone ramparts you'll find whitewashed houses with bright blue
shutters, art galleries and wood workshops. This laid-back artist's
town was once a Portuguese trading colony, its foundations laid
out in the 18th century by a French architect held captive. It
was also home to sizeable British and Jewish populations. The
town faces a group of rocky islands - called the Mogador - and
is surrounded by an expanse of sandy beaches and dunes.
Whilst enjoying the cool sea breeze, it is here in Essaouira
that we are discover the fish stalls. The endearing young men
at the fried fish stalls return our curious stares with open and
friendly smiles. Their big smiles widen further still when they
catch me staring at the mounds of sardines and shrimp. What a
lot of seafood! And it is being consumed at an impressive rate.
Everyone is enjoying fresh seafood; -women and men and their families;
even the lone djellaba-wearing grandfather seems to be devouring
a delicious morsel. All the while, the carts of fresh fish from
the docks keep rolling by ready to be turned into a tasty meal.
Deciding I want to become a part of the action, I go right on
up to the stand with a bemused smile on my face and asked for
the best of the best. I want some salad and some fish. I have
no idea how to begin, but the fried fish boys with the endearing
smiles steer me in the right direction immediately. First we got
to the sink, where one of them pours some potent detergent on
my palms- my hands must be clean for the next part, I deduce.
He sits me down at the counter, brings me a Fanta, some butcher's
paper, a plate of homemade tomato sauce, a salad of tomatoes,
parsley, red onion and cucumber, a bit of chili and a loaf of
steaming bread. Then out comes the biggest basket of fried fish
I have ever seen. What now? I figure my hands aren’t going
to stay that clean for long, so I get to work! Bones are peeled
out, heads are popped off, succulent fleshy bits are stuffed between
the bread with salad and spicy tomato sauce. What a blast! From
time to time the ‘fried fish boys’ take a casual glance
at me with big grins while they frantically prepare fish for the
next eager customer.
Finishing up with another hand scrub, I can’t help beaming
with satisfaction. There is no prize for guessing where I’ll
be dining for the rest of my stay. I will never forget the warmth,
gentleness and sincerity of the fried fish boys who have shown
me that food preparation is as much about tradition as it is about
the meal. And my meal was truly delicious!
Marrakesh
Gone is the peace of the mountains and the desert: Marrakesh is
exotic, chaotic, exciting and irresistible. Our first stop after
the hike is a hammam (traditional bath). Leaving any prudishness
at the door, we are told to undress before being lead into a hot,
steamy room. Adjusting to the stifling, clamminess, a semi-clad
attendant pours buckets of water over us and instructs us to rub
our bodies all over with savon noir, an olive-oil soap. One by
one we are taken to a warm marble slab for a scrubbing –
the attendant uses a rough glove to scrub us to within an inch
of our lives! Probably the last time I was this clean was at birth!
This rough treatment is followed by a luxurious argane oil massage.
Relaxed and sleepy we make our way back to the Riad (a beautiful
tiled accommodation) for an early night.
As we sit on the rooftop terrace of the Riad we hear the Berber
drums beating in the big square and enticing wafts of food and
spices drift our way…who can resist? We decide we’ll
sleep after the trip is over. Off we go to the square- belly dancers,
storytellers, acrobats and snake charmers entertain the throngs
of people attracted to this madness. Behind all this action are
rows of brightly lit food stalls, orange juice and dried fruit
stands, spiced tea stalls…
Food hawkers try to lure us to their tables (which we said yes
to!), henna ladies vie for our attention to sell us a henna tattoo,
children selling trinkets follow us around, swarthy men make casual
advances and beggars try to cadge a dirham or two. After a couple
of hours of this we finally give into our tiredness, and, thoroughly
over-stimulated, we make our way back to our hotel for some well-deserved
sleep. What a truly amazing experience!
Moroccan Caravan - 15 days, Casablanca to Marrakesh
Our journey through Morocco takes us from the noise and mayhem
of the Fes medina, with its famous leather tanneries, to the silence
of the great sand dunes on the edge of the Sahara. We visit the
spectacular Todra Gorge and travel along the "Valley of 1000
Kasbahs" to the exotic city of Marrakech. The long history
and rich traditions of this wonderful land await.
Kevin Pollard
has travelled the world as a backpacker, cycled through Europe,
trekked the Himalayas and even did DJ work at the 2006 Football
World Cup. During his professional career, he was an international
tour leader, guide, and manager for Australia's leading adventure
travel company. He has developed Babel Travel trips based
on his own personal experiences, which is something he wants
to share with everyone.
