Saturday, January 05, 2008

March in Morocco: a World of Wonders

Weather report: sunny with flower periods

Did you know that:

• the Rough Guides cite Morocco amoung the world's most hospitable places?
• Morocco was the first nation to recognize American Independence?
• citizens are genuinely protective of tourists and will rush to your defense should you get lost
• an entire Marrakesh police force exist to protect visitors against the things that might pester tourists in any big city any place (such as the occasional pickpocket or an over zealous carpet salesman).

Terracotta treasures

Color at your feet

In Morocco fantasy and reality meet. It's a world so saturated in color and vibrance you almost need sunglasses for the soul. At times I felt a little breathless as if I'd been inhaling pure color like it was oxygen and needed to pace myself. Never in a thousand suns did I expect to walk into a Berber pharmacy and find color sold by the bag. Whole shelves of natural plant and mineral dyes, recipes used by North African tribes for countless centuries (indigo, onion skin...), glowed in bottles lining the shelves. This is where the carpet dyers buy their shades, where the robe-makers purchase the gorgeous hues I'd see in the local clothing. I asked about one vivid blue and the pharmacist told me it was Tuareg blue, named after the 'blue men of the Sahara' who dyed their robes this rich, luminous shade. I bought some to take home, watching the pharmacist measure out the hue on a set of antique scales. North African blue...

Color for sale

And then there's pattern. You know how I love to mix color and texture? Well, here is thousands of years of artful texture patterned into walls, crafted onto wood,  scrolling in filigrees of light and color. Everywhere I looked, a feast for the eyes. My little camera hyperventillated in a struggle to keep up with my visual demands. The Moroccan understand light and color. Their lamps are designed to cast illuminated lacework across the walls, making the evening worlds of this land as close to enchantment as it comes. Every night in our riad (guest house), the candles and fireplaces are lit, soft music flows across the illuminated pools and fountains and a magic hush fills the air. Here is Harry Potter for adults, a place where you can believe magic happens.

Lace light

A pre-supper snack of olives and cheese

Night music at our riad

Anybody questing an taste of the exotic, an experience of light and color far beyond what we sample on home shores, Morocco is your destination. It's vibrant, friendly and safe. Several couples staying at our riad drove themselves all across the country (one from Spain!) and thier worst mishap centered around Air France losing somebody's luggage!

More pictures to come but, in the meantime, check out: http://www.janethornley.com/blog/index.php/site/Morocco/