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Originally Posted by ibobi
(Post 16749343)
I have heard that the men who work in the tanneries don't live much into their 30s due to the toxicity of the chemicals that they are constantly immersed in and breathing.
An article on the process at the Fes tannery: The gruelling labour which created your handbags and shoes: Workers stretch hides and dye leather in 95F heat at a Moroccan tannery | Daily Mail Online |
We continued our exploration of the edges of the desert, and stopped by a nomadic encampment. The nomads travel in search of food and water for their flocks of animals, typically sheep or goats. And here, these nomads have an opportunity for tourists to see their lifestyle "up close".
Nomads in the desert https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...abc719e913.jpg The encampment https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...1de21081f9.jpg Baking bread https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...fe8d45fc14.jpg You can actually see the bread here https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...1b12572c39.jpg Pouring tea When we visited, there were other tourists in the tent who were also being served tea, so our interactions with the nomads were limited, and our very own Salem did the honors here. It was an interesting exposure to this life but not hugely memorable. Les Pigeons du Sable But I LOVED our next stop: a visit to Khamlia to see and hear the Gnawa musicians. These are people originally from "black Africa", thought to be from West and Central Africa, and have a very unique musical tradition. The music is very rhythmic, percussive, and has a beautiful hypnotic sound. These musicians perform daily for tourists - there's no fee to enter, although there are CDs for sale and it's expected that people would leave something after listening . I found it really amazing to be there, very powerful music. Even if it's become routine for the musicians, it's still a remarkable opportunity to hear a special kind of music. https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...13e762d479.jpg The Gnawa performing https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...d72c41ccbd.jpg https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...bd18c390f8.jpg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...3c82729172.jpg Who can sit still? And unfortunately, I can't upload any of our videos as they are not an "acceptable" format. I found a brief video from Khamlia, but you'll have to believe me that it was special as I can't even post the link to a youtube video! Just look for "Les Pigeons du Sable" to find out what the Gnawa music is like. |
Those photos are remarkably vivid, progol, as is your writing.
Shame about the videos not uploading but i will certainly listen on You Tube later. |
Catching up on your TR -- Pictures continue to be amazing. I loved the desert--it was the highlight of our trip. We visited a friend of our driver in the desert. Her life as a woman alone as a nomad was fascinating. However, I have never felt comfortable with these types of visits. Also when we visited Khamlia to hear the Gnawa musicians it was just us for most of the performance. Funny how the same trip brings such different experiences.
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Originally Posted by progol
(Post 16749578)
And unfortunately, I can't upload any of our videos as they are not an "acceptable" format. |
Thanks, ibobi, I hope this works. I’m trying out Vimeo for the first time, so I hope this link works:
This is a video that Salem took during our visit to the Gnawa |
annhig, thanks again for following and commenting! I so appreciate knowing that there really are people out there looking at this TR!! And again, thanks for the lovely words -- fortunately, the pictures do a good job of speaking for me even when I can't find words to describe something!
yestravel, we really enjoyed the desert, too, though we did have a huge sandstorm when we arrived and overnight which limited our ability to fully appreciate it. But we still loved being there. Anyone have any luck with the Vimeo video? It looks like it works. |
I could watch the video. Even your performance was very different from ours! or at least the portion your video showed.
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Originally Posted by yestravel
(Post 16750435)
I could watch the video. Even your performance was very different from ours! or at least the portion your video showed.
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Fixed video embedding, so all you have to do is paste in the link and the player appears in the post itself.
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"I imagine that the performance is greatly affected by who is present."
And if they are like most musicians, what they play is determined by their mood;) Toward the end of their performance a family came in who got raucous with them, also dancing and clapping along. I particularly liked the instrument, qraqeb, that sounded like horses clomping along. The guys had used it alot in the tents in the desert playing music. |
Hi, yestravel, I liked the qrageb, too. I'm sorry I didn't buy any since I thought they were really cool-sounding. Though I don't know where I'd play them! :lol:
Moroccan Qraqeb $10 OFF, Musical Instruments from Morocco at Moroccan Caravan |
Finally, time for us to make our way to the desert camp, Sahara Star Luxury camp, somewhere in the Erg Chebbi sand dunes. We chose not to go by camel --we had taken a 2-hour trip by camel several years ago in India, and let's just say that the "memories" of that ride stayed with us for over 2 weeks, so we opted to go by car. Driving with Salem through the desert, though, was amazing! Though there are parts that are definitely worn into dirt roads, we are definitely not on paved ones!
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Sand beetle
Finally, we arrive at the camp, and we're greeted by Hassan (Berber Space Morocco), who is the agent I worked with and who also now runs the camp. When we speak about camps in the desert, it's a far cry from roughing it, however! There are large tents set up for dining and for sleeping that aim for a more posh look -- you may be in the desert, but no need to sacrifice amenities! Camping in the Desert https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...d4aa9120d6.jpg Our bedroom in the desert https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f254befbe1.jpg And our bathroom - shower to the left, toilet to the right! We arrived before the camel trekkers so watched the staff set up the camp, spreading the rugs and covering the area between the tents: https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...11dae4fe31.jpg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...b3d9d31800.jpg https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...73661c3c47.jpg Wind and Sand, and all that! We are here, at last! In the Sahara! We are in the Erg Chebbi sand dunes, which (according to Wikipedia) is part of the Sahara, and one of the 2 Moroccan ergs; an erg is a large sand dune formed by wind-blown sand. There are those folks who say Erg Chebbi is not part of the Sahara, but call it what you will, it's remarkable to be here! Unfortunately for us, there was a pretty steady sandstorm that had been blowing around when we arrived and lasted most of the night. We took a few pictures, but we both realized that sand gets in EVERYWHERE, and I realized that meant the camera, too. So the idea of sitting outside and having dinner and watching the stars was nixed. We stayed inside for dinner and after, as the staff sang and drummed. Despite the sandstorm, we had a wonderful time here, though it would've been fun to see the stars. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...e5e6f9ee52.jpg Made it! https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...fc96796bb4.jpg Which way? https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...6d7401962e.jpg Wind waves! https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...09ae2031d1.jpg Sand beetle https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...88626b6dc1.jpg Desert Shadow https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...2b063c6b1b.jpg And a very dramatic ending! |
The Desert, the morning after
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...a9c1773f5c.jpg Sand everywhere Michael went off exploring... https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...16dd667b78.jpg The camels didn't seem to have a problem with the sand storm https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...984d5f8e73.jpg Michael of Morocco - best selfie ever! And the 4 of us: Salem and Hassan with Michael and Paule (yes, we make quite a picture, don't we?!) https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...dbbb1bede3.jpg |
They got the red carpet out for you, progol! It all looks very luxurious.
More super photos and you were certainly going fast across that desert. [and thanks for fixing the video feature, ibobbi] What was the food like? any different from what you were normally eating? |
Hi, annhig, do you mean the food we ate generally? Or more specifically, the food in the camp? To be honest, I don't remember the food we had in the camp. It wasn't bad, it just wasn't memorable. I just asked Michael, and he has no memory of it either. There was beer and wine available but truly, I just don't remember the food. There were a few other couples staying but we sat separately and we didn't really interact with each other. We met Hassan for the first time so a good part of the evening was spent in his company.
By the way, my previous post is not meant to lead off with the words, "sand beetle". Somehow in my editing, I missed it and now it's too late to remove it. Oh, well! |
I was just wondering if the food in the desert was any different from the normal fare you received. Given you can't remember it, probably not! Bill always used to say that I could remember not only what I'd eaten but what he'd had too, years later, but I think that was a "slight" exaggeration.
I hadn't even noticed the second sand beetle, till you mentioned it. |
Officially the Sahara or not, you definitely were in the desert! It's one of the images I have in mind when I think of Morocco. Did you feel you were in the "middle of nowhere" or were you close to civilization?
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Hi annhig, the camp is definitely trying to make people feel like they are having a “dining” experience as the tables were set nicely, each couple (a total of 4) sat at their own table. But I really can’t recall the food! I wish I had your so-called memory for eating! It wasn’t unique fare, whatever it was.
<<Did you feel you were in the "middle of nowhere" or were you close to civilizationl?>> tripplanner , it’s funny you ask that - it’s a little of both. We really aren’t that far, and driving certainly didn’t take that long (Half hour at most), but looking toward the large dunes, it did feel like we are far, far away. There really is that feels timeless & very “other” about being in the desert, with its |
Shop till you drop....
We had a mission to buy a rug and after several stops, we succeeded. Mission accomplished! Exhausting but we did it. We did have it mailed to us and were told that "if it didn't come within 3 months, let us know". Fortunately, it came within 10 days of our return, so we didn't have to chase it down. But if it didn't arrive, I'm not sure what would we would've done, since much of it was paid in cash. We bought a smaller one to send as a gift as well. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...3a3849f69b.jpg Success! (we know who is happier, don't we?!) To Market, To Market There are few activities I like more than a traditional market; here is where you can blend into the background and experience local culture, with all its sights, sounds, smells rolled into one place. And Rissani had one of the best traditional markets we've ever visited. And an extra treat - we visited Salem's parents, where we were served a Berber pizza! Yes, you read that right! It's a stuffed bread filled with ground meat: https://backpackersguidemorocco.word...er-flat-bread/ Sadly, we were too busy eating to actually take a photo :blush:, but it was another one of those lovely moments that Salem shared with us. And then we were off to the market! https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...e072646248.jpg Arriving in Rissani https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...db9f5af8ab.jpg Around the market https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...52b72135c2.jpg Market - interior https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...1621e76365.jpg Market - interior https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...d3fdacfa33.jpg https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...8c4c7a8d68.jpg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...c8b50bfedd.jpg https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...60dce1aa79.jpg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...ddf1ed4193.jpg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...fbb3a04114.jpg Sheep market Local Parking lot https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...2724d30489.jpg Make sure you park your donkey! https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...e3fbd484df.jpg Looking for the correct donkey! And other transportation: https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...6f3d1362f5.jpg |
Love the market pics, progol - not quite what you find at home, I'll bet. And how lovely to have a meal with Salem's parents.
Can we have a picture of the carpet? |
Hi, annhig, The carpet that the vendor is standing on is the one we bought and the one Michael is standing on is the one we sent to his daughter. Of course, I realized later that the one we bought was too small for the rug we wanted to replace, but it ended up working perfectly in another spot and blends nicely with the kilim that we have from Turkey and another small rug we bought in India. I'm hoping to find another rug when we go on our travels to India and Sri Lanka next year!
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lol, progol, I should have been able to work that one out. [about the carpets I mean]. i love looking at the things we brought home from our travels - though we never actually bought a carpet, having resisted the attempts of assorted small boys etc.
I don't remember seeing any carpets in Sri Lanka but we weren't really in the market for them. There are nice silks of course and Bill bought some lovely cotton shirts from a market in Kandy. |
More wonderful photos! The rugs I hope compensated a bit for the necklace shopping experience.
Those desert "tents"--wow! tThat's what you call Glamping Plus! |
annhig, no worries! There's no reason to assume that those were the carpets! I'm still a bit annoyed at myself for not having the dimensions with us at the time -- I did measure our rug but was so worried that we'd get something too big for the space, that we ended up with one too small. But it actually works well in another space, so I'm happier with it than I thought I'd be.
CaliNurse, yes, those desert tents - that's MY kind of camping! And don't remind me about the necklace experience! Though I am starting to wear the earrings that were part of the package! ;) |
Back to Morocco!
After our wonderful visit to the Rissani market, we were back on the road. And just in case we had any doubts where we were, the sign was a good reminder: https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...4f468d1003.jpg On the road again... Leaving the desert behind, and driving to the Dades Valley, stopping briefly at the Todra Gorges, a series of limestone river canyons, or wadi, in the eastern part of the High Atlas Mountains. The views along the way are classic Morocco - oases in the middle of dry, dusty mountain valleys. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...5a2651a749.jpg https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...069b676086.jpg We made a quick stop at Todra Gorge, a popular tourist destination, that was busy with families sitting by the little bit of a stream flowing, hikers and other folks looking to take advantage of the outdoors activities. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...ffdc0e7408.jpg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...5e8f5c3225.jpg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...5771b167fa.jpg We aren't hikers, so this wasn't really an option for us, but if we had another day, I would've liked to have stayed somewhere in the mountains and get a feel for the mountain villages. And as we continue to our next destination, we pass more brick villages sitting amongst the oases, some very much lived in and others, in ruin. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...7ac113769c.jpg We pass through a series of rock formations known as "monkey toes" https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...7428d50922.jpg And our final stop for the night, Dar Blues, in the Dades gorge, or Boumaine Dades, at the foot of the Atlas: Dar Blues - Maison d?hôtes dans les gorges du Dadès https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...2b60ff2dc7.jpg It's a beautifully built place, run by a family, and is impressive to see. Truthfully, we were not there very long, and found the long drive (very much off the main road) to be far too long for a short visit. It looks like a good place to stop for a few days; there was a family who was also staying there, but they seemed to be much more settled in and using the place as a base for a few days. The meals took waay too long to come out, though, and were not nearly as well prepared as we had expected, given the presentation of a stylish inn. I would give the place a second chance,though, as it was a beautiful place and we were given a warm welcome. |
The gorge is stunning! It's exactly the type of place we would love to spend a few days. I cannot believe the variety of landscapes you saw on this trip.
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Once again, beautiful shots! The valley was indeed striking.
TP--the gorge was one of the many scenic highlights of our trip. And yes, the diversity of landscapes is one of the attractions of Morocco I think. In a very short period of time you can visit the sea, the mountains, the desert and everything in between. There are lots of opportunities for hiking and other outdoor adventures. |
Thanks to both of you!
tripplanner, as yestravel says, the highlight of Morocco is truly the diversity of landscapes that can be experienced in such a short period of time. This, in addition to the remarkable architecture, makes it a truly stunning visual journey! Staring out the window, looking at the changing landscape, was wonderful. If we had more time, I would've liked to have stopped in this region to explore the smaller towns and see a mountain village. |
Oh my, the scenery, such stunning photos, thank you for sharing :)
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Thanks, sartoric! More to come!
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Leaving Dar Blues, we made a quick stop at an overlook of the Gorges du Dades:
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...b3d5d6b76b.jpg https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f1ed5278b5.jpg Then ran into a bit of a traffic stopper: https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...ba4f53cd22.jpg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...bafa9b0643.jpg https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...be258f86b1.jpg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...074586a79d.jpg And wildlife has a way of adapting to its surroundings: https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...1b73c3e791.jpg There are stork nests everywhere - this is just one of many that we saw. And I mean everywhere - cities, countryside, you'll see the stork nests built onto any and every kind of structure. Just look up! According to one website, earthstar.blog: "Apparently, there is an old Berber myth that storks are actually humans who have been transformed into birds. In the Muslim religion, storks are considered sacred, which may be because they appear to prostrate themselves in prayer when resting. However, there is also a tale told in Marrakesh, of a local man, dressed in the traditional white djellaba and black robe, who got drunk on wine and climbed a local minaret, all the while blaspheming. His punishment was transformation into a stork. " |
Simply stunning! Your smorgasbord of scenery and experiences definitely has me thinking about Morocco again, perhaps with more time outside of the cities to minimize some of the stresses. Did you observe more tourist infrastructure between Todra and Dades Gorges? Are they significantly different?
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tp, I think the plan to get out of the larger cities is a good one, though I must admit I’m glad I spent time in both Fes and Marrakech. Especially Fes, though it is exhausting!
We really didn’t get to spend enough time in the Todra or Dades gorges area, but my sense is that there are a lot of places geared toward tourists around the Dades gorges area for those who are walking or hiking. I know there were one or two places mentioned on the travel boards that I had wanted to stay in, but Berber Space didn’t have a working relationship with them, so I didn’t push it (I did book several places on my own). More to come... hopefully I will finish this soon! |
Thanks for the feedback, Paule. Interesting to know that you preferred Fez to Marrakech. Looking forward to reading about your visit to Marrakech to compare it to Fez.
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oh, what lovely photos to come home to.
If there were anything that could get me to Morocco it would be your photography - I love it. |
Thanks again for following and posting! I’m so glad you’re enjoying the photos -it’s been a lot of fun to review them and post them here, as I get to “see” these places and remember them all over again.
tp, when we arrived in Fes, our first reaction was, “This is Morocco” - It was everything we expected, with the intensity of walking through the large Medina, donkeys, burros, vendors, tourists, locals, ustking through the tiny streets that branched out in a million different directions... it was overwhelming and intense, irritating and exciting at the same time. This is a very subjective impression but Fes feels very local while Marrakech feels more international and cosmopolitan. Even that is too simplistic - Marrakech has a pretty intense Medina, too, but nothing compared to Fes. And it’s got a very local feel, too. Again, just impressions. |
Hearing you describe it, I could understand how you had the impressions you had. But travel is about impressions and experiences, isn't it? I've definitely had instances in which the order I visited places shaped how I looked at them.
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