Wednesday, April 28, 2010

le weekend.


these past few days


the colors everywhere seem to be hyper-saturated


like they couldn't be real
those colza flowers couldn't be that yellow
the trees couldn't be that green
the sky seems an unreal shade of blue
clouds completely absent

or does everything just seem more saturated
more real
more intense
right at the end 


since i missed my 'le weekend' post this week
i'll fill you in
on my weekend dans la campagne

this is the church
where la petite apolline
(the daughter of a friend)
got baptized 


the church was cool and humid
opened special for the occasion
family gathered around
children sat quietly (or not so quietly) 
in the pews, 
watching their new cousin



the priest urged the little ones to get involved in the service
apolline's mother played guitar
her brother sang
and her friend played the flute


her father held her
as the priest poured water over her head
and she gazed up at him
ever some calmly


after the service
the maire of the village
apolline's grandfather
untied the rope from the side of the altar
and rang the bell in the village
to celebrate
(even though nearly every single person that lives there was in the church)


afterwards, we walked next door 
to apolline's grandparents house
and had the most lovely desserts
a rhubarb cake
with a strawberry puree sauce


a homemade chocolate sheet cake
a macaroon christmas tree extravangaza (pictured)


and of course
champagne to wash it all down

after the delicious dessert
we walked through their backyard
next to the highlighter yellow colza
enjoying the exceptional weather

it was such a treat
to be included in the family event
and the weather
it's just so easy to fall in love
with the french countryside

Has spring hit you yet?






Monday, April 26, 2010

marrakech.


Marrakech is chaos embodied
that's really the best way i can find to describe it.

we arrived at night, 
exausted from a long day on the train.
as was standard for each city we visited,
the most stressful part
was finding the best deal for a taxi
and walking through a maze of streets and insistent men
to find our hotel

i was convinced our taxi driver had dropped us off at the wrong place,
since the square we directed him to 
was nowhere in sight 

we walked determinedly forward
asking women and other tourists for directions
instead of locals
(how silly that should seem)

we found our casa del sol
with a little luck
dropped our things off
and ventured into the unknown
the adventure had given us quite the appetite



it is nothing short of impossible 
to choose a restaurant in 
jema el fna
the square in marrakech.
you must mentally prepare yourself
before walking down an aisle of food vendors.
you think you know what you're looking for
(or at least not looking for)
but you'll be easily confused
easily stressed
by the menus jutted in your face
the men spotting you from 50 meters away

'best price, best price'
'chicken, fish, meat, best menu'
'hungry? time for dinner, best price'

at the end, our choices were rarely made depending on the cuisine
but more because we were tired of being hassled



i guess the odds could have been worse
one night we chose really well
and one night we chose really poorly
the kind of poorly that comes back to you at 3 in the morning
when you wonder, clutching your stomach,
why fate brought you to that particular food stand,
and not the one next door.

alright, i'm being a little overdramatic.
that uneasy stomach,
that's just part of the adventure sometimes



the most thrilling part of marrakech
by far
were the souks
a network of shops 
so thick, so intense
you lose all sense of time
daylight
hunger and thirst are afterthoughts

a complete sense overload
shops upon shops upon shops
everything offers something different

scarves
wooden objects
bracelets
necklaces
teapots and glasses
rugs
more rugs
dresses, shirts
pillowcases
rings
sandals, slippers
spices, perfumes
more rugs

i found the shopkeepers to be
much nicer than 
the food stall workers

yes, we heard our fair share of
'pretty lady's
'fish and chips'
but most of it was on a much
more innocent level
no insults were exchanged

haggling was one of the most exciting things
we did on the trip
our hotel owner tipped us off
with some great advice.
never pay more than half of the price
the shopkeepers give you.

i walked around most of the morning, scouting out 
what i knew i wanted to buy
souvenirs, gifts.
a little
preliminary research
if you will.

when i was ready, i jumped in.
bargaining is 
push and pull
it takes a strong will
but flexibility as well

knowing what you want, and for what price
but the ability to give a bit
a little drama thrown in for spice
and for goodness sake
a good sense of humor.

once you've started the bargaining, 
it's not easy to walk away
so you have to be sure you want what you're negotiating for
before you enter into the dance

to give you an idea of the intensity
i spotted a leather bag that 
i knew would be just right
i eyed it,
opened it
made sure it was what i wanted
and then went for it.

'how much?' i asked
'how much good price for you?' the man rebounded
'no, no, i asked you, what is your price?'

a pause
sizing me up

'for you, madame, 800 dirhams' he said to me out of the corner of his eye
80 euros

i of course knew this was WAY too high
but also knew that i had to play along

'800 dirhams?!! oh no, nevermind. that is way too expensive' 
i scoffed.
''that good price, good price.' he added, to see my reaction
after he gives you a price, you have to rebound with your own price.

'i've seen this same purse in other stores (not quite the truth) 
for 250 dirhams!'
25 euros.
when he proposed me 80

then comes the drama from his side
he laughs at me
'madame, that's impossible. this good purse.
good quality. real leather
i tell you what, i give it to you for 750 dirhams'
75 euros

'no i don't think so, thank you.
i can find it somewhere else'
i look towards the street

'okokok madame, last price'

'mmmm my last price would be 300 dirhams'
30 euros
a fair bit below what he said of course
but it's to be expected.
these guys live for the tourists
who come in, ask a price, and pay the first thing they say.

'i make no profit. no profit for 300 dirhams! last price.'

you dance around for awhile longer
the price hopping between you two
'700!'
'310!?'
'500 student price!'
'320 student price!!'
can't go any lower! 
i'm a student!
it's a beautiful purse
but i can find it somewhere else
even if you're sure that's the only one there is in morocco.

and here's the clencher.
after you've gone as low as you can go.
you walk away.
say thank you, it's beautiful
smile at them, and say goodbye.

and that's where the test is.
if you've done a good job.
you won't be 10 steps away when they call you back.

they'll try to enter into the dance again.
'last price 450 dirhams. 450 dirhams madame'

you hold strong
'no, my last price was 320 dirhams
thanks!'

and with a little luck
and a big smile
you'll walk away with a leather bag



Ever had a bargaining experience?
Tell me one of your travel stories!

a+

alli

Friday, April 23, 2010

assilah.

the first stop on our Moroccan journey
a charming beach town 
named assilah

looking back,
we realize we did it just right.
fresh off the plane we jumped into a taxi
(after bartering for the price of course)
and headed down the coast

windows cracked open
taxi weaving in between lanes
a dirty dusty landscape rolling by outside
the blue of the sea peeking in now and again



assilah was quiet 
in a way the rest of morocco was not
the lilt of spanish echoed across the streets
arabic thrown in for exclamations



assilah eased us in to morocco
just the right amount of overwhelming

i've never been to greece
but i'd like to think it looks something similar
painted doors
white walls
colorful flowerpots and murals



we heard our first call to prayer
within the city walls
the medina
a mystifying melody
at once romantic and eerie



we tasted our first mint tea
'berber whiskey' 
as it became known later on
perhaps since alcohol is frowned upon
they add sugar and hope for a similar effect

tea so minty you feel like you brushed your teeth
and then counteracted it by drinking a syrup so sweet
you can almost crunch the sugar crystals



assilah was also unique because of one specific thing
an unexpected magnifying glass view into the culture

a select few of you
have heard the story of my indian massage
a few summers ago
the awkward sort of experience
you can only laugh at afterwards
the one you'll tell over and over
around a summer campfire
laughing until your belly hurts

well, two of my girlfriends and i 
decided to jump in to a similar experience
a moroccan 'hammam' 
a spa, or bath

level of surprise to find myself among not-very-dressed moroccan women = high
level of unease to find myself among not-very-dressed moroccan women = even higher
willingness to embrace the experience = just high enough
pain factor having 2 layers of my skin scrubbed off = too high
having skin as soft as the day i was born afterwards = pretty worth it
experiencing moroccan tradition and daily life in a way i never imagined = certainly worth it

i think
the fact that the massage and body scrub
didn't involve red gooey ayurvedic massage oil
and a linoleum table
may have helped my experience
though don't get me wrong 
there are still awkward moments to be had when being
washed, massaged, and scrubbed 
by a sizable moroccan woman

but somewhere in the middle
i just decided to go with it
at the very least
i could add it to my collection of foreign country massage stories
another campfire tale
to be told





Thursday, April 22, 2010

fairy tale fes.


adventure certainly had something in store for us
as we continued our journey south to fes.
tipped by some fellow travelers
we decided it wise to splurge the extra 30 dirhams (3 euros)
on first class train tickets
we would be comfortable, cool, have some privacy.

in the end, it was a great choice
we met two french girls 
who spoke english like they were americans.
our trip ended up intertwining with theirs quite a bit
and we stayed with one of their friends in tangier-
a lovely surprise

in the end, it was also a horrible choice
well, i over-exaggerate.
i'll just say, it could have been a lot worse

there could have been worse things
than admiring the beautiful sweeping countryside
and being jolted by a BANG
glass shattering
dust flying
people screaming
because that is really what you want to hear on a train

lo and behold
there exists a game in morocco for pesky teens
something like,
'throw rocks at passing trains and see how many windows you can knock out'
i for one, am not too fond of that game

the window diagonal from our 
first class, calm and cool cabin
was shattered in seconds, 
glass tumbling into our cabin by our shoes
it was a little more than unnerving.

the moroccan man in our cabin assured us
it wasn't the sort of thing that happened often
but i know he saw the pock marked train windows
as we pulled in and out of stations along the journey
surely added some spice to the trip



our arrival in fes was enough to help us completely forget.
charming and enchanting
a bit more upbeat than assilah
and certainly easier to get lost in.
we wandered around hundreds of the more than 9,500 
roads in fes
mice in a maze



we were pulled every which way
by smells
wonderful and not so much


sights
the very beautiful placed next to 
extremely ordinary
colorful tiles fit together like a story



we had a guide for the day
a santa-like man named ali (easy for me to remember his name)
who showed us things we never would have found
wandering by ourselves.
this was at a medersa, an old student dormitory
morocco has some of the oldest schools in history



one of my favorite stops of the trip:
(not for the weak stomached)
the tanneries.

where they bring animal hides
before they're sheered, cured, and dyed
and made into 
bags, wallets, luggage, cases, jackets, and seat cushions.
the process is intense.
to cure the hides, they're submerged in a dangerous and foul liquid
lye, pigeon guano, and urine.
think about that the next time you pick up you leather purse

after they're smooth and clean, they're put into vats of color
all natural
left for days to soak
and then formed and sewn into what we buy at the stores.

something certainly not to be missed,
but take their advice and accept the mint sprig they offer you
at the beginning of the tour.
it helps when all you want to not breathe in
is pigeon guano and leather smell



our accommodation was one of the best things about fes
riad sara (riad means apartment)
our mouths dropped the moment we stepped in
and remained there until we left.
we were met by unparalleled hospitality



and spoiled by the beautiful walls, floors, windows, doors
almost made me not want to leave in the morning.

people will tell you not to miss fes
when you visit morocco

listen to them

walking through the evening market the first night we arrived
i felt very much as if
all the locals were putting on a show
going above and beyond what they normally would have been doing
epcot morocco if you will.
men sewing and tailoring
mending shoes
beating intricate patterns into brass plates
women standing next to their crops
turnips, zucchini, strawberries, bananas, piles of mint

but something tells me
fes just IS
like that
it was where i was the most enchanted
watching swallows dance after each other in the sunset
high above the medina walls
zipping under city gates 
past tiled walls 
above stoves simmering 
mixing sweet and savory 
showing off, but in a modest way
beckoning for the curious to come see


morocco: a story in many parts


hey folks!

sorry for the LONG absence!
as per the french educational system
i just enjoyed two weeks of vacation
which took me to a new continent!!

AFRICA

I wandered around morocco with 
an american
a brit
and an aussie
trying to avoid tummy bugs
and
stones thrown at train windows
admiring tiled and colored everything
and laughing (best remedy) at 
the overabundance of moroccan men
yelling
'spice girls'
'fish and chips'
and 
'best price, best price'
after us.

we kept a mental tally
and were flattered to be offered
5,000 camels 
to be married to a moroccan 
not too shabby for a week i'd say

in reality, 
i think i would describe the trip in a couple words
gritty
intense
sweet and salty

two summers ago
i spent 5 weeks in india
and at times felt more overwhelmed in morocco than 
i did in india, so far away and so different

i'm off again this weekend to 
witness my first french baptism!
but i'll schedule some posts
to show some pictures 
and tell some stories

see you soon!

alli

food for thought.

Related Posts with Thumbnails