Art adventure in morocco
At
the beginning of May twelve creative women from Western Canada joined Calgary
artist, Karin Richter on an Art Adventure to exotic Morocco, the country that
travels through you! Leaving snowy Calgary for +30C temperatures was a bonus,
but our discovery of colourful Morocco with its gentle, happy people warmed our
hearts to the point where we were reluctant to leave!
During
our 2 week visit our charming French/ Moroccan guide, Zac and our dutiful chauffeur
Adboul were there with water, a helping hand and big smiles as they greeted us
with “Salem Alicoom” and we responded, “Alicoom Salem”!!! They delighted in sharing all the positive
aspects of their country, Morocco.
We
did travel through Morocco – starting with the modern metropolis of Rabat, home
to King Mohamed VI and the capital of
Morocco. The ocean and seafood awaited us for the next few days as we hugged
the coastline south to Essaouria where the ocean waves rocked us to sleep in
the Riad Mimouna www.riad-mimouna.com. This former Portugeuse port with its blue
fishing boats discharging the morning catch is a photographer’s delight! Fresh fish, natural color pigments and argan
oil were on our shopping list! Chris
soon learned that anything could be shipped home.
Reluctantly
we left the ocean for busy Marrakech! ! We
were sad to have Diana leave us in Marrakech just as the group was starting to
gel. She had signed up for a textile
tour – not nearly as fun as ours of
course! First stop – the Place or
FNAA! As a group we wove among the snake
charmers, storytellers, orange juice vendors, henna designers to temporary food
stands that created a cloud of BBQ smoke over the whole FNAA. Zac had us try some of the spicy tea before he
led us into the souk for a taste of what we would see the next day! We almost lost Pat in the souk as she had her
wallet out for every vendor! Then she would consult Zac to see if she made a
good buy!
Marrakech
certainly deserves more than the 4 days we gave it – not enough shopping
time! We did venture out into the Ourika
Valley for a day of sketching in the
berber villages, some of us indulged in a real Hamam, we took a caleche (horse
and buggy ride) to the Majorelle Gardens for more sketching, we visited the
lovely Bahia Palace and yes, got lost in the souk!! How many times did Lucille, Michelle and Karin
circle around the Cafe Arabe??? Our Riad Catalina in the middle of the medina
was a safe haven for our return from the busy alleys lined with donkeys and
scooters! www.riadcatalina.com Nadia and her staff surprised us with a
different tagine every evening! Sharon
was a true Moroccan! She had a tagine everyday!!!
Our trip into the desert was special – everyone in awe of the picturesque countryside, with the berbers carrying on their simple, serene daily life which, for us was like a step back to Biblical times. It was apparent that the Moroccans hold family life in great estime and everyone has a role to play in that family. Along the DRAA valley – a long oasis of date palms- we witnessed everyone’s contribution – young boys tending sheep, women with a load of straw on their back, old men riding donkeys loaded with sticks. Near Ouarzazate the Film city of the desert we visited the Ait Ben Haddou Kasbah which has been the backdrop for many desert films like “ Lawrence of Arabia”. After yet another Moroccan salad lunch Zac herded us into the Kasbah village for a quick peek only to discover that one of his brebis (sheep), Karen la grande was oblivious to his herding and decided to go her own way to capture that perfect photo! Soon we were rounded up in our 17 passenger van with Abdoul for a short drive to Ouarzazate.
The next day we continued our journey to
Zagora the gateway to the desert where we relaxed in the oasis Riad Lamane for
a couple of days to get used to the higher temperatures – now getting up to
+35C. www.riadlamane.com The ceiling decorations in the dining room
and the “tent” accommodations held us spellbound with the brilliant colours and
tassels. More shopping for berber rugs and jewelry! We all bought a turban to
tie on our heads during our dromedary ride and we assumed berber names for our
stay in the desert! Now that was a challenge getting our tongues around some of
them!!! Betty simply called herself “ J’ai oublie” until we reminded her that
she was Naida.
Everyone’s
comfort on the dromedary – or camel was not evident. Our chef Karin Richter was happy that it was only 1.5 hours long! She decided to ride side
saddle to elevate some discomfort but her gate was a little wonky for the next
few days! Liela on the other had was so
comfortable on the camel and so appreciative of the tranquility of the desert
that she could have made the 52 day trek to Timbuctou no problem (macain
mouchekill)! Our arrival at the Bivouac, a tent village amongst the desert
dunes and tamaris trees was a scene out of Arabian Nights! Sala and his team treated us to patisseries
(much to Karin’s delight), a tagine meal (viande with dates) in the eating tent
and musical drumming on the desert floor.
Zac shook up the sand by inviting everyone up to dance! The full moon
kept us all awake – not to mention the chorus of snores resounding from the
tents. Some of us chose to sleep outside under the stars.
Another
dromedary excursion to see the sunrise was enjoyed by all who managed to mount
up again, then some zen time to sketch our magical setting before heading back
to reality. To shake off the desert sand
the Riad Lamane in Zagora welcomed us for a dip in the pool and lunch in an air
conditionned salon. We headed back up
the Draa Valley lined with date trees, then over the volcanic pass to
Ouarzazate to relax and reflect on our desert experience. Repacking was in store for our free day in
Ouarzazate, although we did manage to visit a lovely Kasbah in the center of
town and sneak in another “shopping” trip to a broderie for some handwoven
linens.
Early
to bed for some of us as we had an early flight to Casablanca the next day.
Abdoul had driven the road from Ouarzazate to Casablanca the day before so we
were happy to have him pick us up at the airport to visit the Hassen II Mosque
and escort us to a beach cafe on the Atlantic Ocean for our final meal
together. A special moment was held for Abdoul and Zac as we thanked them for
looking after us so well in Morocco!
At
the airport, it was like nobody wanted to leave!!! Hugs, kisses and proposals
for marriage (hey Linda) were handed out as we reluctantly said goodbye! Until next time Inchallah!
As
Karin Mattiessen (Aicha) puts it, Morocco is a country that intrigues you, awakens the senses and nurtures your soul..... I will return again on day!
