This was the week of spring break
ad it was extremely eventful. I could honestly admit that this was one of my
favorite places to visit because of how unique, and culturally different it was
from everything else. I flew out from Paris on the previous Saturday (March 11th)
straight to Fez. Fez was incredible! It is the location of the oldest medina,
or walled city, in the world. The city is known for the craftsmanship of the
locals with regards to ceramics, brass, leather, wood, and carpets. When I
arrived on Saturday, we first went to see how tajines and mosaics were made.
Tajines are the uniquely shaped pots that Moroccans cook their meals inside. It
was incredible watching these people work and how intricate the items they made
are. The mosaics were even more incredible. It was like they were making a
puzzle upside down with pieces smaller than a fingernail. It also dealt with
mathematics because they had to calculate which piece goes where and where to
place that piece. The only time they would know something is wrong is once they
finish and lift the entire mosaic up.
The next day we went to the largest
and most famous tanerie (where leather is made) within the medina, Tanerie
Choura. It was interesting to see all the processes it took to make leather.
Once we finally went through the processes, they showed us the finished items
and I bought a belt for myself. The guide we had did show us the quality of the
goat leather and how soft it is once it is finished. The quality of leather was
amazing and just to further prove that, he took a lighter to the leather and
showed how it would not burn because not chemicals were used to get it that
soft. All that was used is pigeon poop, and natural dyes. We then went on to
see some carpets in a store where the manager gave us a brief history and
explanation of how long it would take for a Berber woman to finish a carpet.
Berbers are the tribal people that live predominantly in Morocco and when a
woman and man get married, the man gives a type of dowry to the woman’s family,
and the woman presents him with a hand-woven carpet to show her love for him.
The carpets we were shown would take anywhere from five to ten years just to
make one carpet. And there were different varieties and methods for this to be
done. We then made a few stops to see the metal work and wood work done, both
as intricate and impressive as the ceramic work down to the very last detail.
The next day we got up early and
went on a long road trip through the smaller Atlas Mountains (the range in
Morocco) to get to the edge of the Sahara Desert. The plan was for us to reach
the desert by sunset, and take a camel ride into the desert where we would
spend a night in it. Along the way, we passed a place called the Palm Tree
Oasis, where there was a massive gorge that was filled with palm trees for
miles upon miles. By the time we arrived we had just about gotten out of the
car when it was time to watch the sun begin to set. After it set we got on our
camels and rode into the desert until we were surrounded by dunes and a few
stars began to be seen. When we got off, the wind almost immediately picked up
and made it nearly impossible to see. We crossed over one more dune on foot and
could see our camp in the distance. Once we reached it, we were greeted by
Mubarack. He showed us our tents, which were very nicely made with a bathroom
and shower inside, and told us that snacks and dinner will be soon. After we
dropped our backpacks off, we went to eat a delicious meal of the traditional
Moroccan soup, and beef tajine, which was tender and delicious. To finish it
up, we had the traditional Moroccan dessert of fruit, and relaxed in a sitting
area while Mubarack and two other people who work there played music for us on
Moroccan drums. The whole experience was amazing. The next morning, we got up
early to watch the sunrise, making it the cherry on top of the sundae that
visit had become. After that we had breakfast and then we got a board so we
spent the rest of the morning sandboarding. We then got back on the camels and
left the desert.
The rest of the day was a long road
trip towards Marrakech via the high Atlas Mountains. The views along the way
were breath taking. The country was filled with beauty in every location. We
did see one gorge that was just big enough for two cars to fit, and it is
famous for that reason. That night, we stayed in a nice hotel within the
village of the mountains and got to get all the sand out of our ears and the
roots of our hair. I did, however, have a few grains still behind my eyelids at
the time. We had a decent dinner at the hotel and went to bed because the next
day was going to be the rest of the road trip to get to Marrakech. This day
went by mostly in the car with a few stops along the way to see a famous Kasbah
(palace house) and the MOLLYWOOD (Moroccan Hollywood). It was honestly an
incredible and beautiful place to visit with the kindest people in the world.
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