2010 Morocco Tour Group Journal

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Day 08 Gorge Tudra - Oarzazette - 15 November 2010  Monday  Submitted by Carolyn Ashby cwashby1@comcast.net
 

It seems like all the world is singing as
The golden sun rises
Over the Sahara sand dunes
The doves are cooing their morning greetings
 

We sang our morning greetings wishing a good flower- like day. Leaving the sand dunes rocking on the bus are we still riding the camels? The dirt road is bumpy and rough through the desert terrain. We finally reached a paved road and made our way towards  stone desert part of Sahara to the south of the Atlas Mountains.  A man walks across the desert wearing a red shirt. We were told it is very important to wear a bright color to be seen. We passed many oasis's with palm trees and date trees. We learned about the date farming. It seems that they are having the same problems here as in many parts of the US .  The small family farms are being taken over  by out of the country production. Tourism is also eliminating farm land.

We drove through many small villages. Very few women on the streets. Great excitement as people prepare for tomorrow's holiday. The holiday is somewhat like our Christmas in importance. It is a big day with a lot of preparation,  families gather, a lot of food is prepared. The white jelabas are washed and ironed since the whole country, including the king, wear a white jelaba on the first day of the Holiday, Eid Kebir. We were all struck but the fact that each family will slaughter a sheep to commemorate the rescue of Isaac by God.. This is shocking to us but part of their culture.  Every part of the sheep is used and given to the needy people. It is sad to see the sheep tied to the top of the cars . We know where they are headed. We also know where the cows are headed on  highway 5 in California when we drive by the slaughter houses .

         

Irrigation system is interesting. ancient water tunnels collecting water from melting snow of Atlas. Stopped at a water well. We watched the Berber boy go down one well. He crawled through the tiny tunnel connecting to the other well where we were.  We  watched him come up.

 
As we drive through the Anti Atlas,  we notice change in women's clothing. They are wearing lacy wraps. We never see men and women walking together here. 
The purple of the mountains a pastel sky dappled with long feathery clouds.

We drove through  flat rocky terrain in the valley spotted with brick homes, date groves, fig trees and the mint and alfalfa growing. At the  rest stop in Tinejad  we found great buys on silk scarves with camel prints. Passing field of young camels and black goats, we remembered  black goat hair  is used to weave tents of the nomads. The lanolin in the black wool is used to insulate the tent in the heat cold and rain. By noon we passed  by the first Kasbahs, the homes were reddish brown color of the earth.  Many unfinished homes because the men were away in other countries working for money to continue to built their homes. Sometimes they could be away for 5-6 months. By 12:30 we arrived at Gorge Tudra. After another delicious Moroccan lunch, we each took our own walks down the magnificent Gorge Tudra passing a sparkling mountain spring. People were arriving for the holiday, tour busses, hikers, rock climbers and bikers..... and then the quiet sound of the rippling steam!! We were all found along the road and picked up by our bus. Our long bus ride this afternoon  was supported by sharing funny travel stories which evolved in to just funny "laugh at me" stories.05:30 PM  another beautiful sun set as we head west in to the city of Oarzazette for an overnight .  See you in the morning!!