A Bit Like Christmas

[16 Years Old]

26/10/12

*Note: Do not take my youthful observations of Islam and Moroccan culture as fact. 

Morocco – 26/10

We arrived after a four hour flight from Gatwick to Marrakesh. We were transferred to our 4 star hotel quickly along the outskirt road of the main city. We saw the business of the city as soon as we arrived with hectic traffic and busy street shops. There were sheep on mopeds and trucks which seemed bizzare (?!). Although we found out today that it’s Eid festival which is the muslim version of 'New Year' where every family that can afford it sacrifices a sheep and eat it for the next 2 days. It is a big Muslim celebration where shops are shut and busses don’t run; a bit like Christmas.

 

 

 

Morocco – 29/10

Our trip today was to visit the Eureka falls. We started early and got a mini bus Atlas Mountains with a Moroccan/Swedish lady and a Muslim American/Swedish lady, all a bit weird! They were really interesting as they knew all about Morocco and Muslim tradition. They were explaining how not a lot of women here practice the Qur’an although they wear the hijab and how when a man asks a woman in marriage, he exchanges a camel to the family for her! In 1999 when the King’s son reigned, his queen changed the law to allow women to divorce a man, woman have more power. On our trip we first stopped at a Berber family’s home, had some home-made bread, butter and mint tea. The house was spacious considering there were three cows in the house!. There were different floors for different generations of family. Next we went to a place were they made argan oil that is used for cooking and cosmetics, it can onyl be made in Morocco, mainly in Rabat. We saw camels on the way befroe we finally reached the vilagge were the fall was. We hiked up the steep slippery rocks with another guide seeing smaller falls on the way. when we got to the top we took photos, had a chat with mint tea. We trecked down seeing the small shops selling fake amethist and tagine pots. After we sat down by the river and had our own tagine. It was our first tagine and it was very nice (althought I threw it up later!). Then on the way back we saw people, mainly young men, dressed in scary looking costumes like sheep skin and black faces celebrating the muslims version of christmas?! It looked more like halloween though!! 

 

 

 

Morocco – 2/11

We went into town at 11am again. It was really hot today, probably the hottest its been since we’ve been here. We went to the Kasbah of Marrakesh on a horse and cart as soon as we got there. There were motorbikes, busses, cars all around the horses, they were very brave. We finished in Jemma El Fna Square and started to walk somewhere for a drink. We sat high up in a terrace where we could see an amazing view of the square and the Atlas Mountains which looked like clouds on the skyline.  After we walked to the photograph museum where there were old photos of Morocco and the people from 1800–1950. It was interesting to see how tourism and religion has changed the culture of Morocco. At the very top of the museum, there was a terrace with a panoramic view of the tops of the mountains and roofs of people’s houses/resturaunts. You can see miles and miles of satellite dishes! We also saw a sheep being slaughtered by someone which wasn't as nice... Oh yes, and I forgot to add on the other terrace we saw the prays take place and all the men facing Meka. We left the museum, brought a print and got back to the hotel.