Morocco

• published: 21 Feb 2015
• views: 7

8 days trip in Morocco, february 2015 Colors, music, noise, beauty, misery, exoticism, history, mysticism, desert, camels, ocean, mountains, Berbers, trade, mosaic, details, cats, dates, olives, oranges, mosques, prayers, Arabs, souk, medina, blue, fruits, palm trees, hashish, hullabaloo, donkeys, Africa, Morocco. Where to begin? With the sensation when for the first time you get out of Europe, that in fact we live in a small nest and we’re ignorant, and that the world is enormously, diverse and has completely different values than our vanity fair. It was an 8-day tour around the cities, where you can fully taste the Moroccan life: Marrakech, Essaouira, Ouzoud Falls, Casablanca, Fes, Chefchaouen. This country is hallucinating; if you are a comfortable person, I don’t recommend it to you as a destination; but if you’re that curious guy, eager to discover new cultures, to eat the same food as the locals, prepared by their bare hands, to talk a lot and bargain for everything, regardless of the language you’ll speak (Arabic, Berber, French, Italian, Spanish, English, Romanian or simply the sign language), it is a destination that you should put on your ‘must see’ list. The old cities of Morocco have some kind of a ‘fortress’, called ‘medina’, which is the old town, surrounded by walls. A medina is literally a maze, with tall buildings, narrow streets, souks (those crowded bazaars) and a constant roar from merchants praising their stuff, clients bargaining, workers and craftsmen, people carrying things from one place to another, donkeys, scooters, wheelchairs, dining boutiques with various types of meat, fruits and juices, pastries and traditional foiletaje. Mix smoothies are a must: bananas, strawberries, kiwi, oranges, avocados, milk and sugar; those I drank in Marrakech’s souk were by far the best, 5 dirhams a glass of pure gustatory bliss that made me want to stay all day next to that boutique and drink one glass after another; what stopped me from sticking my tongue and fingers to get every bit left on the on the bottom of the glass was that it’s better not to stand out from the crowd. Regarding this aspect, Morocco is probably the most liberal country in Africa; there are many women who do not cover their heads and faces, for example. That does not mean it’s ok to go there wearing some very short panties or a low-cut blouse. First you have to respect the culture of the country that you decided to visit and secondly you will not feel comfortable, because everyone will stare at you, which is annoying. I wore a sport outfit, with jeans and sneakersand a big shawl that i covered my head with. Morocco is not just shopping, eating and negotiation. I recommend you to wake up one day at 5:30 in the morning; you’ll understand why. The city is full of energy. Songs and prayers are heard everywhere. You will then realize why you’ve seen so many people on the streets lost in contemplation, leaning against some door and looking for minutes along the road, or sitting on a threshold, with their heads down and eyes closed. Spirituality, faith and exaltation for another day which was given to them. The permanent feeling was of an old and mythical world: the smell of incense and spices that surrounds you everywhere, people riding donkeys, their long hooded clothes, olives, oranges, old buildings, leading to the thought that people do not walk on sidewalks because they are used to travel barefoot, with their family and their donkey, on ancient dirt roads. It’s like taking a scene from the Old Testament and, in an access of enthusiasm, you spice it up with cars, motorcycles and Adidas tracksuits. This writing is not about museums and sights; you’ll discover these by yourself, as part of the charm of searching and planning. It’s a about how I felt Morocco. I can’t wait to go back. Until then, i keep in mind the scent of incense, taste of spices, dozens of colors, designs, mosaics, details, prayer songs full of mysticism, beauty and solemnity that gives you goosebumps.