Reflections of Morocco
Reflections of Morocco
We are just at the end of a tour of Morocco. It has been fantastic and escalates the country to one of our favorites.
We liked the way the government tries to help farmers and the poorer people by no taxes for them and affordable housing.
Compared to the Middle Eastern Arabic countries we have visited, Morocco is far more relaxed about tourist’s clothing when going into Mosques. As long as people are wearing short sleeved t shirts and longer length shorts, it is fine.
It was incredible how many unfinished homes and apartments there were, all over the country. Many people run out of money and just stop, who knows whether they will ever be completed.
This was a great month for us to visit, Spring, and because there had been rain in March, all the wild flowers are in bloom, red, orange, yellow, white, purple. The apple and almond trees were in bloom in the low areas and in the High Atlas Mountains there were blooming apple trees and white flowered cherry trees. Orange trees are full of fruit everywhere and tiny dates are forming on the date palms.
Marrakech is so different from the rest of the country. It was fascinating to see the differences between all the cities and the small villages in the Atlas Mountains including the Berber villages. We even stopped in a ski town that looked like a French ski resort…that one was certainly a surprise.
Our favorite seaside town was ESSAOUIRA, This had a long long promenade and a fishing port and ancient Medina and souk which was much more manageable in size.
We stopped off for lunch in Agadir, another seaside town geared mainly to German and other European tourists. Apparently lots of flights to there.
We love any Roman ruins, so VOLUBILIS was wonderful.
We stayed overnight in a charming boutique hotel in OUARZAZATE and visited the nearby village that has many movie sets from past American movies like this year’s Gladiator ll.
We hiked down into the Todra gorge, thankfully the bus was waiting at the bottom to take us back out.
We had a serious hike high in the Atlas Mountains and reached exactly 6000 feet before it got too rocky. We had great views of the snow capped mountain. Also nearby was a gorgeous Richard Branson owned hotel, it sure would be nice to overnight there. Our tour director has seen Richard hiking several times, I’m jealous!
Our favorite tagine were the beef and prune one and the chicken one which had a citrus sauce with preserved lemons. Ok, the lamb one was good too. We will be trying these out at home. The Moroccan noodles are short and have sprinkled cinnamon on them. The oranges are so sweet and the slices also sprinkled with cinnamon.
The medinas are just incredible and the souks a great place to get lost forever more.
What to buy? It’s best to shop at local cooperatives for quality. Rugs were lovely but not for us. We visited a pottery in Fez that used a really good white clay which is far more robust than the red terracotta clay used for the pots you see in the souks. I say this with some authority because I’ve taken pottery classes in the past and when we went to this one in Fez, I had a go on the wheel and made a pot. It was a bit tricky because the foot driven wheel was set up for a right handed person and I’m left handed…I’ll have to take pottery lessons again. I bought a quite big platter which hopefully will make it home in one piece.
Look out for Berber made silver jewelry. I found an antler horn cuff bracket with silver inlay. We went to another silver coop and most of the ladies bought things. We went to an Argan cooperative and bought things there. We drove through the Rose Valley and had coffee in of course a rose cooperative where you could buy rose water and cosmetic potions.
My husband and I experienced a hammam where we were in a stone steam room together, flimsy paper patties, a man and woman threw warm water over us, soaped and scrubbed us down with very very rough ‘gloves’ which felt like course sandpaper, enough to actually burst a vein in my hand and created a large hematoma. We then had to stand up while a bucket of cold water was tipped over our heads. All Moroccans go through this experience about once a week. It was a bit strange having a young man around to see my nakedness and then another when we got the post hammam massage.
Many ATM’s around. We felt very safe.
Will be glad to answer any questions.
Comments
British are you referring to the Tauck tour? A couple of places you mention do not sound familiar from our time there in 2018, but of course a lot could have changed.
That's not the situation. I asked about those "unfinished" houses and got two answers:
1. They don't have to pay tax until the house is "finished". That doesn't make sense because the government is not that dumb. Here in the US, if you don't make "progress" on your house, the permit is cancelled, and you can't get a certificate of occupancy. I'm sure the Moroccan government would have some similar law to prevent people from cheating.
2. People build the structure so that they can add on to it later. It's common for children to marry and move in with their parents. Most of the "unfinished" houses you see have rebar sticking up so that walls can be added for a second floor. You also see people living in the first floor.
It is not true about the taxation in Morocco, I asked that question. Another reason is simply people run out of money, I asked that too.
I recall seeing unfinished homes with rebar sticking up in Central and S. America, too. I believe it was in Peru where the tax thing came up.
Mike - Permits? You're not in KS any more... We don't need no stinkin' permits! Two movie quotes in one post!
I was referring to the US when I mentioned permits. At least where I live, you really need a permit to build a house. You'll get shut down really quick if you don't have a permit.
Technically, a permit is required for a lot of things, such as any modification to your electrical system - even putting in a new electrical outlet - but people ignore those. But to build a house, that doesn't get ignored.
Permits are a good thing. It triggers inspections and requires that building be done at least up to code. As I have reminded contractors, code is the MINIMUM that is acceptable. My requirements are often higher.
The inspector is your friend. If you have a disagreement with a contractor, leave a message for the inspector. Most of the time the inspector will side with the homeowner, not the contractor.
[There are places where you want to stay with code. For example, the size of the pipe from your hot water heater should not be bigger than necessary because you'll have to waste too much water to get hot water.]
Returning to Morocco...
I enjoyed your narrative, British. Thank you. Regarding shopping, were there textiles/fabrics for sale? How would you characterize the quality?
Yes, especially carpets. It’s really best to go with a trusted guide to look at carpets. Apart from quality, they know what the prices ought to be. Also, so many are hung up outside in the dust and sunshine where they will easily fade in quite a short time. Something to consider is that most carpets appeared to look as if they were prone to be a trip hazard. Certainly true in the hotels which had carpets. They lack backings.
Wan - FYI - not a Tauck tour.
Thanks, but I was referring to material for apparel. My error for not being specific.
kfnknfzk -- When I was on a Tauck tour to Morocco, we were taken to a tailor shop in Marrakech, where I fell in love with a jacket. The sleeves had to be shortened, so it was delivered to our hotel that evening. It was not until I got home to the US that I realized that there was a pulled thread that ran across the front of the jacket. I was not pleased! The jacket cost much more than I would have paid for something at home. (I had a brain cramp on the exchange rate!) I did not see any fabric for sale by the yard (or meter). I also had a bad experience with a leather briefcase that I had bought for my son at a tannery in Fez (again, a stop on the Tauck tour). Like the jacket, it was delivered to our hotel. When I got it home, I realized that one of the zippers did not work. It cost me over $100 in the States to have it repaired. So, I do not recommend purchasing items in Morocco, though I have enjoyed the Berber jewelry that I bought in Essouaria.
You're much better off to purchase a carpet in Turkey or India. India is less expensive.
Thanks, MCD. I remember your two experiences from a different thread. I’m always on the lookout for vibrant patterns so I can sew short-waisted jackets to pair with slacks.
Shame on me for not buying more of the beautiful material I found in Seville, Spain.
I do see lots of fabric for sale in the souks as I passed by. Most souks are so huge with so many directions that if I wanted to go on my own, I would have to get a guide to go with me. We could ellect to go like this but did not, apart from the one in Essouaria which is smaller. Essouaria is an option on the current Tauck itinerary and I recommend it. It is a good two hour bus ride from Marrakech.
thank you for the information... we are going in October. I think we should pack our hiking poles for the gorge?
How difficult was the hike? Is there another option?
Sorry for the confusion, I tried to make generic comments about my observations, I did not go with Tauck, that tour does not go into the mountains. I did visit all the places Tauck goes to . All the cities are quite unique. So different from the Muslim countries the small ship cruise of the Arab states that Tauck did a coup of years ago before the recent war.
I didn't see a hike on our Tauck tour. Thanks for clarifying... now we won't need hiking sticks.
Essouaria is enchanting! I spent three nights there on a post Moroccan tour with another company. You can ride a horse or camel on the beach if you are so inclined!
Yes, it was quite amazing to see people riding horses and camels on the beach, it was a beautiful beach.