Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Henna Party and Farewell to Morocco!



Our final afternoon in Morocco was spent with Grandma in Marrekech for a ritual girl henna party. Grandma cooked up her own henna and as you can see from our pictures, painted us up real nice with thick paste like designs on our hands and feet. We were unable to do anything for ourselves (except sip tea) for hours as the henna set. Later that night on the airplane to London, the crusty henna began to flake off and reveal what some say later looked from a distance like a rare disease or bad burn- we love our lingering memory of Grandma and Morocco that still lives on our hands and ankles.

Mother-Daughter Barter Team

Morocco is a country of trade and barter, no set prices. We were hesistant to haggle over prices but in our final day in Quarzazate, we felt we needed to try. We found some beads and jewelry that were created by both the Berber and the Toureg (yes VW decided this was a great name for their vehicle). We created a Mother/Daughter good cop/ bad cop barter alliance that won us the deal! (we think we got a deal, Hakim thinks we did too) : )

Our visit to the French school in Quarzazate





Up early in the morning, we headed over, armed with instruments, to the Marcel Proust French school. The day was temperate and sunny and we decided to take the class outside for their music and dance experience. Mary created some impromptu French and Moroccan versions of her songs and the children sang, danced with Jubie and Joy, and played instruments to their hearts delight! We especially enjoyed the lovely French teacher, she was a pleasure to work with.

Hakim’s Parents in Quarzazate





Later that day we arrived in Quarzazate just in time for a lovely Moroccan dinner prepared by Hakim’s mother, Nouzha (who by the way is the famous village pastry chef). We were lucky enough to sample her pastries before dinner. These delicately decorated morsels of handcrafted art are made of crushed almonds/hazelnuts and honey. We found that pastries are not the only pride of Nouzha. She wins the grand title “Best Moroccan Cook” overall, hands down. Her lemon chicken (not the traditional tagine) and flatbread were fantastic, as were her “fish balls”. We did not exchange a lot of conversation, but did manage many mmm’s of satisfaction. Hakim’s father Mohammed spoke a small amount of animated English, and he was able to tell us a little about his work as a set designer in the movie industry of Quartzazate. He has worked along side the likes of David Hasslehoff (don’t hassle the Hoff!), Martin Scorsese, and Omar Shariff.

We loved staying at the home of Nouzha and Mohammed! The house was lovely and we were inspired by the decor. In the back yard they had a virtual farmyard including six hens, three roosters and a sheep or two roaming about. Here are a few photos to give you an idea.

We Become Berbers!!

Check out these Berber costumed dancers- you may see some surprising people!!

Afternoon Tea with the Nomads





It’s not easy to have afternoon tea with the Nomads. We had to hike for over an hour up steep rocky paths (Mary was ready to turn back) when ALAS, we spied a small spiral of smoke rising from a seemingly endless horizon of barren mountains. From a rocky outcropping stood a small solitary Nomad women who welcomed us to tea. As she boiled water over an open fire in her cave like dwelling, we played with the baby goat (unbilical cord still attached). Interesting story about death among the Nomatic tribes: Hakim tells us that when someone in the Nomad caravan dies, they are buried in a shallow grave which is covered with a small structure of rocks. Along the paths and as we drove, we noticed many of these burial sights.

Welcome Wine and International Mother’s Day drumming:




We arrived to the gorge at sunset serendipitously meeting a dear friend of Hakim’s, Syeed and his Scottish girlfriend, Lisa. Rather than the typical welcome tea, the auberge
at the gorge offered welcome wine. The combination of wine and good friends led to an impromptu drum jam in honor of International Mother’s Day. This is the day that Mary was christened “Mother Africa” by her surrogate Moroccan sons.

White Men in Action!

Drum and Dance with the Berber White Men Berbers



The afternoon was spent driving to our next destination…the gorge. Along the way, our wonderful guides, Hakim and Joy, planned a visit for us with the Berber white men tribe in a small village. We were treated yet another unique style of traditional Berber tribal music. This time we were impressed with the soulful vocals sung over a bass guitar like instrument and a combination of quieter drums and the corocasha. The corocasha are metal hand instruments shaped like small flat barbells. They are hinged on the bottom and played by clapping them together (like small cymbals), creating a sound that is supposed to mimic the sounds of the slave chains. The sound is intended to celebrate their release from bondage. We participated in their traditional dance and really enjoyed their energetic sincerity. We felt that their sense of spirit was truly heartfelt and grounded.

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Blue man desert blues



Apres camel ride and breakfast and prior to departure, we shared various cultural musical styles with the blue men. What caught their attention was most surprisingly the blues. Mary and the blue men wailed away on an improvised version of the Blue Man Desert Blues (soon to be released in an oasis near you), while Jubie and her dancing blue man whooped it up barefoot style in the morning sand. A grand time was had by all.

Monday, March 29, 2010

Dunes and camels at sunrise




“Life is not measured by the number of breaths one takes, but by the number of moments that take one’s breath away.” -George Carlin

The day began with the still darkness of pre-dawn. We quietly followed our blue-man guide to the awaiting camels. Under a sky of stars we silently set out on the gentle sway of the slow plodding camels. The stillness of the desert is unlike anything we have experienced or are able to describe completely. We rode into the sepia-toned dunes that gracefully emerged one after the other as far as the eye could see. This was the first moment since arriving in Morocco that we both sensed any form of serenity or tranquility (and no one trying to sell us anything!). When we arrived at our sunrise view point, we dismounted our camels (must say this is a somewhat jarring experience on the way down) and walked to the top of the highest dune. Our guide’s beautiful blue tunic looked stunning against the sienna sand. Truly a breath-taking moment etched in our memory! The sun rose, the cold dunes began to warm, the still air became a gentle breeze and soon it was time to return to the waiting camels. On the way back our playful blue man rode us down the dune on a “magic carpet ride”. He was the perfect ambassador to the dunes!

Our Room at the Sahara Oberge

From Oasis to the Sahara Desert





Travel from the Oasis to the Sahara Desert
Up early the next morning we caravanned by donkey out of the oasis and got back on the road heading toward Marzouga and the Sahara desert. The landscape changed again from dry rocks and low shrubs to a horizon of red sand dunes spreading across the east. We arrived to yet another welcome tea at the “auberge” (in Morocco they have few hotels but have instead the auberge, which is similar to a hostel. We were greeted by the fantastic sight of the brilliantly rich, royal blue robes of the “blue men”. The “blue men” are a Berber tribe of Saharan traders that host travelers from many cultures exploring the dunes of the Sahara. Because of the many cultures that visit these dunes, the blue men have learned, out of necessity, a great number of languages even though few have traveled outside of Morocco (the ones we spoke to had never been outside of Morocco). Our guide spoke Berber, Arabic, English, Italian, Portugese, Japanese, French, and Spanish. This playful group of blue clad men merrily initiated a game of dominos over our welcome tea. There was a lively and friendly dispute over game rules, although all agreed Mary the winner. The stakes were high, as the winner was to be treated to a fine meal of tagine. The evening brought a domed ceiling of stars, nothing like we had ever seen before. We were amazed at how clear we could see the Milky Way! Inside the candle-lit dining lounge, we were treated to a delightful evening of blue men drumming and dancing. We commented how these rhythms were much more refined and complex than the others we had heard. We speculated that the quiet desert environment inspires much more silence, and therefore space and interaction to their musical style.

Map of Our Morocco Travels

Mary Loses her Berber Head Dress


Take a look at Mary's face as she loses her Berber head dress!!

Dancing with the Berbers






After a lazy afternoon in Quarzazate, we settled in and ate dinner (yep, you guessed it TAGINE) and marveled at how many layers of stars you could see in the night skies Oasis. Tonight there was a larger group of Berber tribesmen and women that shared their traditional drumming and dance with us. After their performance all of the female visitors were dressed in traditional Berber garb (head dressed as well) and were invited to join the dancing. If you look closely you will see the Americans amidst the Berbers!

Sunday, March 28, 2010

The Face in the Mountain at the Oasis

Donkeys in the Oasis





We woke to a beautiful morning in the Oasis and headed out on a donkey ride to explore the villages along the oasis waterway. The small, but sturdy, donkeys moved much slower than we would have, had we have walked ourselves. And our legs were rather sore for a day or two after riding on the bumpy terrain. There were no languages that we shared with our guides, so we spent the time singing Berber chants in call and response style and pointing at things along the way so that we could hear the Berber words for them. One of the mountains looked just like a man’s head, so Mary spent some time trying to capture that cool image with her camera. The Berber guides renamed Jubie: Fatima Cous Cous and Mary was renamed Asia Tagine (meaning that in village life our roles would have been the cooks of these foods- we think these are the only two foods cooked in these villages)

Our First Evening at the Flint Oasis




In the evening we drove a short 6 miles to the Flint Oasis, where we would spend the next few days.

First of all, getting to the Flint Oasis is not an easy task. We drove through a river of water (much coming from the melting mountain snow) and then had to park the car about ½ mile from the hotel. The owners brought out a very small donkey to carry our very heavy luggage through the river and then up the steep hill to our lodging. We had to step carefully on a man made rock path across the river (of course the donkeys unwillingly had to walk right through the flowing waters). After our, much appreciated, “Welcome Tea” on the terrace, overlooking the Oasis and the setting sun, we dined upon TAGINE and later Mary played flute and drums with the Berber drummers. Jubie and the rest of the group had a delightful time dancing to the Moroccan rhythms!

Our First Evening at the Flint Oasis

In the evening we drove a short 6 miles to the Flint Oasis, where we would spend the next few days.

First of all, getting to the Flint Oasis is not an easy task. We drove through a river of water (much coming from the melting mountain snow) and then had to park the car about ½ mile from the hotel. The owners brought out a very small donkey to carry our very heavy luggage through the river and then up the steep hill to our lodging. We had to step carefully on a man made rock path across the river (of course the donkeys unwillingly had to walk right through the flowing waters). After our, much appreciated, “Welcome Tea” on the terrace, overlooking the Oasis and the setting sun, we dined upon TAGINE and later Mary played flute and drums with the Berber drummers. Jubie and the rest of the group had a delightful time dancing to the Moroccan rhythms!

Thursday, March 25, 2010

More Village Images



Lunch with Village Chief's Son and Village Tour



After lunch we took a tour of the village and learned that the Moroccan government has a program to support organic and eco-minded village farming programs. This particular village was receiving 100% reimbursement for following the government guidelines as they increased their use of solar energy and water efficient crop irrigation. They grew almonds (we learned how to shell them raw), peaches, olives, figs and many vegetables.
The village chief also owned the gas station down the road, which was a great hangout for travelers and those living close by.

Back on the road to Quarzazate, where Joy and Hakim live. Quarzazate emerges from the dry and barren landscape as a hubbub of activity (more peaceful than Marrakech) but interestingly enough, the center of Hollywood and movie making in Morocco. We discovered that many familiar block buster films have been made here including, Babel, Jesus of Nazereth, Lawrence of Arabia, Spy Game and most recently Sex in the City 2!

Making Music at the Village School