Thursday, February 16. A unique feature of Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT) tours is their Day in the Life experience. We visited a family home in the ancient town of Aït Benhaddou. More accurately, we visited the new town next to the old town. Our local guide, Mohammad, was both fantastic and fascinating. With no formal schooling he spoke French, Spanish, Arab, Berber and (thankfully) English. He was very deliberate in his speaking, always trying to use not only the right words but also the correct context. An amazing young (34) man. He’d been an extra (as had almost everyone in town) in several American movies, such as The Gladiator.
We first toured a traditional home, complete with earthen oven and stable. Very nice guest room. Surprisingly well equipped kitchen. The tour took a long time because everyone had many questions and Mohammad had well thought out answers. Next we went down to the farmland and learned how to cut alfalfa, all the while peppering Mohammad with more questions. Saw an artist painting, using sugar-based paint. He’d heat the underside to burn the sugar. Amazing results.
Ben was a little anxious at the length of time we spent, but was pleased that we were so involved. After tea (of course) we visited the Imik Smik Women’s Association. This new group is intended to energize the town’s women and give them a feeling of self worth. It was very clear that traditional cultural habits in the small towns are very much in force, so their effort to have their own business is a large step forward. They bake/sell cookies and bread. They’re also beginning to make carpets. We have lunch at one of their homes and afterward they dressed up one couple as bride and groom. Then they applied temporary tattoos to the ladies, something of a tradition in Morocco. It looked creepy to me. This group is funded in part by OAT. I made a donation to another OAT funded project in Mongolia, and I did the same here, though I’m a little concerned that the website is three years out of date.
I made balloons for the women. They seemed to enjoy them.
After a return to our hotel we found a liquor store for liquid supplies, then had dinner at a French restaurant. A good day, but I missed the desert. Exercised.
Ouarzazate is a popular location for films. This is a statue in a traffic circle.
A movie set.
A movie studio with several sets.
Mohammad.
The home’s oven for bread. It’s right next to the [stable] room.
Their donkey. It’s physically in the home, along with goats, and hens.
Their guest room.
While other tourists take photos of old buildings . . .
. . . We learn how to cut alfalfa from a local farmer. Her husband does construction work.
The yellow includes a component of sugar, which when burned, turns dark.
The completed work.
The Q&A with the head of the Women’s group. The town’s men are now 50/50 on the propriety of a women’s cooperative. Progress.
One of their products. Yum.
Hanna temporary tattoos. The paste dries and rubs off after a few hours, leaving a pinkish impression for a few days.
Our “newlyweds!”