Up early again at 6.00am to pack up camp and be on the road by 8.00. Drove the four hour journey to the small town of Meknes. By now, everyone has their 'preferred' possie on the truck. The Princesses (five girls from Oz, nice enough on their own but scary as a pack) down the back, others in the middle all hoping they don't pick the side with the extra person on it as then it's a pretty tight fit, and me, right at the front next to the wall, in control of the beer eski and the cassettes. The Princesses issue me orders for which music they want, which I don't mind as I seem to be the only one on the truck who can figure out how to work the casette deck.
At this point, it must be noted that two distinct factions have formed. The Princesses; Kirsty and Sam (beautiful, boarding-school prefects, worked together as swimwear designers in Sydney , Angela (gorgeous, witty, always wears tight keen-length skirts), Lauren 1 (laughs a lot and very sweet), Gina (tall with chicken-legs, very opinionated but nice girl), Lauren 2 (strangly a very nice girl but with the worst taste in best friends) and Nicole (best friend of Lauren 2, screws up her nose at everything, picks arguments, foul-mouthed and basically a complete bitch)/ These girls are never seen apart... not sure if they were afraid they'd be ostricised if they dared to do something different or what. We all found them a very interesting study in the nature of group dynamics. Individually they were lovely girls, but en masse they were just a wee bit scary.... with some back-stabbing going on behind each other's backs.
The second faction was what I call the Normal People, comprised of the rest of the group. Apparantly no-one but myself and a couple of others had bothered to learn everyone's names, so I had a lot of people coming up to me whispering 'what's her name again? I'm in her group and we have to cook tomorrow'.
When we got to Meknes, we only had an hour to look around the small medina. It reminded me of the Indonesian markets throughout Java.. a lot of beef and chicken (no pork as most are muslims), all hanging from their heads or tails, tougues lolling and in various stages of death. Men carving up huge hunks of liver and intestines dangling. Piles of fruit and vegetables - peeled lemons and olives which they slick with oil to make them look more apetizing.
Took a great close up picture of the inner workings of a cow's neck, almost making myself sick. I had to move on to the sweet section. Here the french influence becomes very apparant with dozens of different types of tiny pastries and patissaries piled triangular-high on beautiful ceremic plates. Bought a small box of several for my lunch, along with some figs, but really I had no apetite after the meat market.
There were also men selling baby turtles and lizards, various other animals, musk pieces, expensive saffron and all the spices. All were attempting to do the hard sell on us. But what, for heaven's sake, do they imagine a backpacker would do with a baby chamaleon and some cumin seeds?
I emerged from the indoor market and with about 10 minutes to spare before the truck pulled away and made my way over to the tablecloths in the outdoor market (actually the parking lot) that I had spotted earlier. It was then that I inadvertantly began an enourmous catfight between two women. I had the idea that I wanted an oval-shaped table cloth for Mum's table. But all the women only appeared to have square, rectangular or round shapes. When I ask how much for a large one, I think they took me for a stupid rich tourist. This guy eyes me up, sees my camera around my neck (big mistake Jane) and writes '300' on a scrap of paper. Then he squints at me, pen hovering, sees no reaction, whispers to his cohorts, then slowly adds another zero!! That's about 300 Euro!! I knew they were worth maybe 10-20 Euro so I just waved my hand like 'don't be ridiculous!' and walked away - he didn't even try to stop me - he knew he had gone too far.
Thing is, I really wanted one. So when he became side-tracked, I went back to another lady and indicated that I wanted an oval-shaped one which she assured me she had and that she would need to run get it. I said ok, even though I was really running out of time. In the meantime, inadvertantly got locked into bargaining with another woman. When the Tablecloth Woman Number 1 hadn't returned in 5 minutes, I then decided to buy one and was locked into bargaining with Tablecloth Woman Number 2 when TWN1 finally returned. But it was too late.... I was toast. TWN2 wanted 150 Dirhum (about 15 Euro, a much fairer price, and she would throw in not eigh, but TEN matching serviettes for FREE. Whohoo!!). Immediately, I turned to TWN1 to buy the oval shaped cloth, but she had come back empty-handed. Seeing that I was about to buy from TWN2, she screamed at her in arabic. A man then appeared who spoke English and we stood there in the car park between these two crazy women shouting at each other over who gets my money.... it was really embarrassing. So I said to the man, please ask them to stop arguing as I would simply buy one from each of them but they were so busy yelling they didn't hear his translation. I was now completely out of time so I just threw the money at TWN2, she shoved it in a bag and I couldn't get away fast enough, leaving them almost clawing each other's eyes out in my wake. Must have been a very slow day for them. Ahhhhh - the joyous shopping experience of a market town.
After Meknes, we drove through the afternoon to Asilah where we set up camp and endured Nicole telling us all to move our tents away from hers. Everyone ignored her and got on with it. Getting pretty sick of camping by this stage. Hate tenting. Definately contracted the bug going around and several toilet stops a day now necessary for the majority of the group. Had a hot shower in the dark as couldn't find the light switch. Was stark naked when I realised I'd forgot to bring my shampoo. Note to me - baby-soap and rose-cream almond lotion does not for clean hair make.
Wednesday, September 24, 2003
Wednesday 20th August - Incredible Fes Medina
We picked up our guide, Kalam who took us first to a pottery warehouse and then for a guided tour through the impossibly complicated Fes Medina. This is everything you imagined Morocco to be, and more. It was straight out of an Indiana Jones movie. Kalam began with a strong speach on staying together, as he explained there were over 9000 tiny narrow streets and about 2000 donkeys used as transportation of items and that we would need to be very careful not to get lost.
As soon as we entered through the gates, the medina (original walled city found in every town), was immediately like stepping onto another planet. Not that I've ever stepped on another planet, but you know what I mean. People scurrying and moving in every direction. Dozens of mini-markets all leading into each other. Squaking chickens getting plucked and then their heads chopped off, skinny cats, mangy dogs, warm eggs, mountains of spices, jewellery shops and junk shops. Metal workers hammering and banging with mallots and chisels. Needleworkers sewing tablecloths at break-neck speed and children feeding them the yarn at their feet with complex-looking home-made spinners. Vegetable markets piled high with figs, grapes and prickly pears. Shoe-shiners and beggers. Bakerys everywhere and small girls carrying loaves of bread above their heads. Mosques and people washing before prayers.
It was hard to take it all in and we had to move as one large group the whole time... I was petrified of getting lost and this was nothing at all like the calm and clean white and blue chefchauon medina - this was the Chaos Theory in action! We wound our way slowly around the streets in a totally ilogical manner and I wondered how anyone could remember their way home at all. We had no chance of being found if we got lost. The first stop was the tannery. We turned left down a small dark narrow alleyway, entered into a courtyard, right into a street, second on the left, and then turned suddenly at a door with no sign, up a set of narrow stairs, past a group of men in a room having mint tea, down a corridor and into an expansive shop. The shop looked out over the enormous tannery below where three stories below us several men navigated or were submerged in huge circular vats filled with stinking brown liquid. They worked all day under the beating hot sun, dying the leather for bags and shoes and wallets and chairs. The heat and stench was too much for me and I had to go back outside after a while. Not really into leather anyway but the rest of the group dutifully bought out half the shop.
The next stop was a cavernous and mercifully cool marbled blanket shop where we were given Moroccan-style chip buddies for lunch with loads of coke. We sat through the carpet speil but I resisted buying any more. They were all very beautiful though.
After the blanket shop lunch, we were taken to various other specialty shops..... jewellery shops and a natural remedy shop with bottles of pastel coloured powders and perfumed oils lining the walls. We were given the speil in almost every place, but there was never any pressure to buy anything. I bought some clay masque 'shampoo' (which doesn't work and feels like you attempted to wash your hair with a, well, clay masque), as well as some rose and almond cream. They also had a sinus remedy which was a kind of spicy powder you sniff, and powder eyeliners that you apply by dipping a tiny brush into a tiny bottle and then kind of 'blink' it on.
Finally late in the afternoon, we were taken back to camp for a brief wash before a convoy of taxis came to take us to the one dinner out for the week. It was an entertainment type place for the foreigners with belly dancers (one was totally useless just rolling her flab around) but one great woman who was very experienced and had a real talent. She had all the girls up in the middle of the restaurant doing the moves with her. Also a magician, a dance troop and musicians provided hours of entertainment. The food was pretty good too.... among other dishes, chicken stew with prunes was memorable.... there were more prunes than chicken! It was tasty, but unfortunately prunes were the last thing any of us should have been eating as most of us had become sick by this stage.
As soon as we entered through the gates, the medina (original walled city found in every town), was immediately like stepping onto another planet. Not that I've ever stepped on another planet, but you know what I mean. People scurrying and moving in every direction. Dozens of mini-markets all leading into each other. Squaking chickens getting plucked and then their heads chopped off, skinny cats, mangy dogs, warm eggs, mountains of spices, jewellery shops and junk shops. Metal workers hammering and banging with mallots and chisels. Needleworkers sewing tablecloths at break-neck speed and children feeding them the yarn at their feet with complex-looking home-made spinners. Vegetable markets piled high with figs, grapes and prickly pears. Shoe-shiners and beggers. Bakerys everywhere and small girls carrying loaves of bread above their heads. Mosques and people washing before prayers.
It was hard to take it all in and we had to move as one large group the whole time... I was petrified of getting lost and this was nothing at all like the calm and clean white and blue chefchauon medina - this was the Chaos Theory in action! We wound our way slowly around the streets in a totally ilogical manner and I wondered how anyone could remember their way home at all. We had no chance of being found if we got lost. The first stop was the tannery. We turned left down a small dark narrow alleyway, entered into a courtyard, right into a street, second on the left, and then turned suddenly at a door with no sign, up a set of narrow stairs, past a group of men in a room having mint tea, down a corridor and into an expansive shop. The shop looked out over the enormous tannery below where three stories below us several men navigated or were submerged in huge circular vats filled with stinking brown liquid. They worked all day under the beating hot sun, dying the leather for bags and shoes and wallets and chairs. The heat and stench was too much for me and I had to go back outside after a while. Not really into leather anyway but the rest of the group dutifully bought out half the shop.
The next stop was a cavernous and mercifully cool marbled blanket shop where we were given Moroccan-style chip buddies for lunch with loads of coke. We sat through the carpet speil but I resisted buying any more. They were all very beautiful though.
After the blanket shop lunch, we were taken to various other specialty shops..... jewellery shops and a natural remedy shop with bottles of pastel coloured powders and perfumed oils lining the walls. We were given the speil in almost every place, but there was never any pressure to buy anything. I bought some clay masque 'shampoo' (which doesn't work and feels like you attempted to wash your hair with a, well, clay masque), as well as some rose and almond cream. They also had a sinus remedy which was a kind of spicy powder you sniff, and powder eyeliners that you apply by dipping a tiny brush into a tiny bottle and then kind of 'blink' it on.
Finally late in the afternoon, we were taken back to camp for a brief wash before a convoy of taxis came to take us to the one dinner out for the week. It was an entertainment type place for the foreigners with belly dancers (one was totally useless just rolling her flab around) but one great woman who was very experienced and had a real talent. She had all the girls up in the middle of the restaurant doing the moves with her. Also a magician, a dance troop and musicians provided hours of entertainment. The food was pretty good too.... among other dishes, chicken stew with prunes was memorable.... there were more prunes than chicken! It was tasty, but unfortunately prunes were the last thing any of us should have been eating as most of us had become sick by this stage.
Tuesday 19th August - Volubolis Ancient Roman Ruins and Homemade Hamburgers
My group up early as we were the cook group for today. We did scrambled eggs but for some reason they came out green. And baked beans. Nothing too difficult. Rachael took our tent on her own as I had to cook. Then we all loaded into the truck for the four hour ride to Volubolis, the site of the ancient roman ruins. Had lunch at the truck again (more spam and bread), and then a guided tour of the ruins. Some people couldn't make it as they had already become sick - possibly from the lack of hygiene available to us. Was extremely hot walking around the site which had almost no shade, I estimated about 35 - 39C. Angela got heat stroke and others with vomiting. My camera stopped working I think due to the heat.
Volubolis was estimated at a population of 30-40,000 people at it's height. The Arch de Triumph still stands in almost perfect condition. Many beautiful in-laid tilings on the floors of houses which were still in their original condition. Enormous courtyards acted as light and ventilation with evidence of fountains and fish-ponds in the centre of the larger houses. We saw a brothel, complete with giant penis statue in the centre. The public loos boasted a vomitorium, where you could go to throw up during a feast so you could fit more in. A line of oval-shaped loos were used by the men so they could sit together and chat (in lieu of a good newspaper)? All the run-off carefully circumnavigated the enormous olive presses below. A truly fascinating insight into ancient roman life. Just like Discovery channel, only in 3D!!
Back on the truck and into Fes, where we set up camp for the evening. One the way, we stopped to get ingredients for dinner. It was an enormous 'cash and carry' supermarket, with everything in bulk. Only our group was allowed in to do the shopping so we felt very lucky as we all got a chance to stock up on things like toothpaste and soap that we were running out of. We bought ingredients for hamburgers, guacamole and coleslaw.
Back at camp, Julie and I made the hamburgers - I put tomato sauce, worchestire sauce, eggs, salt, pepper and spices and then coated in cornflour and fried in oil on the gas hobbs. Took ages to make enough for 20 hungry people. Dion made an excellent coleslaw and Gina made a huge batch of Guacamole - everyone loved it and there were no leftovers. The hamburgers were a first for me and I can't believe how good they turned out.
Volubolis was estimated at a population of 30-40,000 people at it's height. The Arch de Triumph still stands in almost perfect condition. Many beautiful in-laid tilings on the floors of houses which were still in their original condition. Enormous courtyards acted as light and ventilation with evidence of fountains and fish-ponds in the centre of the larger houses. We saw a brothel, complete with giant penis statue in the centre. The public loos boasted a vomitorium, where you could go to throw up during a feast so you could fit more in. A line of oval-shaped loos were used by the men so they could sit together and chat (in lieu of a good newspaper)? All the run-off carefully circumnavigated the enormous olive presses below. A truly fascinating insight into ancient roman life. Just like Discovery channel, only in 3D!!
Back on the truck and into Fes, where we set up camp for the evening. One the way, we stopped to get ingredients for dinner. It was an enormous 'cash and carry' supermarket, with everything in bulk. Only our group was allowed in to do the shopping so we felt very lucky as we all got a chance to stock up on things like toothpaste and soap that we were running out of. We bought ingredients for hamburgers, guacamole and coleslaw.
Back at camp, Julie and I made the hamburgers - I put tomato sauce, worchestire sauce, eggs, salt, pepper and spices and then coated in cornflour and fried in oil on the gas hobbs. Took ages to make enough for 20 hungry people. Dion made an excellent coleslaw and Gina made a huge batch of Guacamole - everyone loved it and there were no leftovers. The hamburgers were a first for me and I can't believe how good they turned out.
Monday 18th August - Trekking through Kif in the Rif Mountains
Early breakfast at 6.30am and then away in the truck, headed up to the Rif Mountains for an hour or so. Stopped at a tiny village and our guide, Mohammad, led us into the Marujuana filled mountains, an area of Morocco where they grow, sell and use a lot of pot, legally. Smoking pot starts young and is a way of life here. We pass acres and acres of it growing. Also olive groves, plum trees, and fig trees which Mohammad clambers up like a monkey and choosing only the purplyist and ripest of figs, selects one for each of us to try. So yummy!!
After three hours walking, we arrived at the most glorious river - so clear you could see right to the bottom. It was an emerald green colour and surrounded on either bank with pink rhodedendrun blossoms... it was such an amazing sight I just wished I could bottle and take it home, but I had to be content with just photos. Some of the girls (including me) stopped for a long swim and sunbathe on the rocks while the rest carried on up to the waterfall where it was a lot colder for swimming.
Starving after our swim, we hiked back for a truck camp lunch of bread, spam, tomatoes and cucumbers. Back at camp we all dragged our stretchers into the opening in the middle of the tents and catught up on our diaries for the afternoon. I did some much needed hand-washing, only losing one sock down the drain in the process. Had a faily decent shower, though cold.
Pack seems to get in complete disarray every day, despite my best efforts to keep it sorted out. My new favourite pass-time is now re-organising it. This then confuses me as to where I have put everything and creates the perfect challange for the morning when I play the 'in which bag is my clean underwear?' game. This has been the replacement for Discovery Channel every evening. Instead, I now 'discover' all the things in my pack that I should not have brought with me, the stupidist items being one pair of stilletto heels, with the Giant Mosquito Net following as a close second. Have yet to see a single mossie in Europe and obviously that story the guy in the camping shop in Covent Garden spun me about there being swarms of mossies coming up from Africa and migrating to Europe was a load of shit!
After three hours walking, we arrived at the most glorious river - so clear you could see right to the bottom. It was an emerald green colour and surrounded on either bank with pink rhodedendrun blossoms... it was such an amazing sight I just wished I could bottle and take it home, but I had to be content with just photos. Some of the girls (including me) stopped for a long swim and sunbathe on the rocks while the rest carried on up to the waterfall where it was a lot colder for swimming.
Starving after our swim, we hiked back for a truck camp lunch of bread, spam, tomatoes and cucumbers. Back at camp we all dragged our stretchers into the opening in the middle of the tents and catught up on our diaries for the afternoon. I did some much needed hand-washing, only losing one sock down the drain in the process. Had a faily decent shower, though cold.
Pack seems to get in complete disarray every day, despite my best efforts to keep it sorted out. My new favourite pass-time is now re-organising it. This then confuses me as to where I have put everything and creates the perfect challange for the morning when I play the 'in which bag is my clean underwear?' game. This has been the replacement for Discovery Channel every evening. Instead, I now 'discover' all the things in my pack that I should not have brought with me, the stupidist items being one pair of stilletto heels, with the Giant Mosquito Net following as a close second. Have yet to see a single mossie in Europe and obviously that story the guy in the camping shop in Covent Garden spun me about there being swarms of mossies coming up from Africa and migrating to Europe was a load of shit!