A lifetime ago: Morocco!

Ah, pals! The only way I'm gonna ever get up to the present moment on this here blag is to chomp on ahead and blitz through the past, so here we go! Yes, things are afoot in Spain, and I'm loving it (and overwhelmed and homesick and all the other things) but we'll talk about that later, first let's race back to almost two years ago, when I was bound for Morocco, a trip I'd booked in 2020 and insisted on re-booking at the end of 2022 to reclaim... something, I guess! After the jump: early days in (mostly Spanish) Morocco!

Travel: it might be pretty!!!

 

My launch into this trip was, er, inauspicious. At our family's glorious return to something like a full gathering after COVID, every single attendee except me tested positive, leading to some doofy masked-and-distanced Christmas day weirdness. Me, I opted for the more idiosyncratic path of the maverick and decided to contract a case of shingles. Fortunately, I caught it early on, saw urgent care on December 23rd, and had antivirals helping to limit the misery and get me non-communicable by the time my flight took off. A weird time! Not a fan!

Two doors stand before you, one marked "Covid" and one marked "Shingles" WHICH WILL YOU PICK

 

My head wasn't in a great space for the trip given that curveball - my usual "learn the local language" was knocked off-axis by both being sick and by the usual chaos of end-of-semester, leaving me with my polite-traveler clumsy-French toolkit, and I was a little disoriented/tired/uncomfortable. Still, the early days were among my favorite of the entire trip. Among the highlights:

IS ASILAH GOOD? Opinions do not differ, dissent on this precise question is not to be tolerated.

 

Asilah, a remarkably gorgeous and friendly town, with significantly less of the you-are-a-walking-wallet commercial onslaught you tend to get in Marrakesh (and to a lesser degree in Fes). The whitewashed buildings are painted with murals every summer, and while New Year's is high season for Morocco in general given its proximity to Europe, Asilah is comparatively sleepy and extremely friendly and mellow. I had one of my favorite meals here (my first tagine!) and some lovely conversations in between idyllic wandering. Did a random man on the street apparently offer to sell me his wife's breast milk? It seems so, but I didn't realize this until after the fact (I politely declined and then my brain caught up to me) so we are willing to stamp Asilah: VERY PLEASANT.

Also sometimes you make a Very Good Friend in Asilah!

 

From here, I zipped over to Fes, which originally (prior to a rescheduling snafu thanks to some college admin goofs) was to have been my last stop. It was still grand, though I wish I'd had more time to settle in and get confident in navigating. This was where I had my one semi-shakedown of the trip (a young guy chatting with me who masterfully slid into "showing you around" mode before I realized it - for which of course he wanted compensation) but otherwise the city was remarkable. I had an affordable B&B stay with access to a rooftop - the perfect place to hear the call to prayer - and a breakfast spread that originated my now-lifelong passion for Moroccan breads and spreads.

[With a thoughtful, contemplative appreciation for other cultures] awoogah!!!

 

Fes was also where I got three of my favorite memories of the trip, beyond the aimless wandering that always serves as the base layer of joy for me. First, at Cafe Clock (a cafe/cultural hub/tourist workshop type establishment with locations here and in Marrakesh) I had a grand couple of hours of conversation that served as a cultural orientation to Morocco, going deep on regional history, contemporary political and social tensions and developments, food, and a smattering of language. Secondly, a visit to Anou, a craft shop of artisan goods that makes a point of keeping the connection between consumer and artisan nice and short - the folk staffing the shop (themselves working on hand embroidery and weaving) were tremendously kind, welcoming, and communicative. And lastly, a full-day tour of Sefrou with a fella named Ali, focused on meeting artisans still engaged in handmade crafts. It was a great window into a world (and an appreciation of aesthetics and skill) that I don't know! Hooray for learning, more or less!

Hooray also for TEA, even when alarmingly sweet!

 

One thing that struck me in Fes and Sefrou: almost every Moroccan I got into a serious conversation with about their history and culture went out of their way to emphasize that their country had centuries of peaceful cohabitation between Muslims, Christians, and Jewish residents - not whitewashing the tensions that exist now (or even in 2022) but clearly voicing a narrative that cuts against the clash-of-cultures that has been used by powerful thugs for ages. I'm remembering this now, as way too many people in America are doing backflips to try to whip up hate between those who live here, and as one party in particular spreads vicious racist lies in an attempt to gain electoral victory on the backs of pogroms. Be pretty neat if we all opted for the former path of peaceful coexistence instead!

Worth noting: cats, while not pictured here, were omnipresent. Street cats CUTE imo!

 OK!! Next up: Marrakesh, the Sahara, and too-much-too-fast travel! Ya gotta make this mistake every few years to remind yourself to go slow! YA GOTTA!