Back in Rabat: Volunteer work, Islam lesson, Medina bargaining, and Visiting the Chellah

This week's placement has been amazing, as was last week. I alternated between the Center and the asthma ward. The Center is a building set up by donors for the kids who have problems other than asthma, and it is filled with toys and games, and a lovely lady named Samnia works there and is very tolerant of my French. The kids in the Center appear more obviously ill--one, for example, had to walk with crutches, another had a heart problem, one was recovering from burns. Yet, none seemed unhappy. They were all eager to put together puzzles, color, and make crafts. We did toilet-paper roll puppets and egg-carton caterpillars this week.

At the Homebase, we have enjoyed the following:

1. An Arabic lesson on Monday, where we learned numbers and colors.
2. A lesson about Islam on Tuesday, where we learned about Islam (duh). It was really good. The media seems to always portray Islam as a violent religion, but that is ridiculous.
3. A visit to the Chellah, which is the Roman ruins in Rabat. That was yesterday. It was so beautiful! The Roman settlement began in the 2nd century BCE, and the ruins are story-book lovely, all crumbling walls, gardens, ancient tombs, cats, storks, and a pond with eels that come out when an old man throws boiled egg whites into the water. Pictures below:

We also went shopping in the medina. One girl, Sapna, was a wonder to watch in terms of bargaining. She got this one merchant down from 950 durhams for 7 scarves to 350 durhams (less than $50). I probably overspent on much of my purchases, but I have not learned the art of bargaining, even though here, it is actually considered the way people build relationships.

Today: cooking class and band with dancing, and henna later. I can't believe tomorrow is the last day!!!!

The Desert (January 1 and January 2)

Excerpt from journal:

January 1
Here we are again in the van. We woke up at 7:00, and I pulled on many layers of clothing and went out of the hotel, across a courtyard slippery with ice, into the cafe for breakfast, which consisted of bread, pastry, hard boiled eggs, and the BEST expresso ever.

The scenery is changing drastically from lush green countryside with rocks and mountains to terra-cotta-colored mountains and flatter fields. We just stopped for a photo opportunity at a mountain view; below, there was a clearing a small pen made of rocks for nomads who bring sheep and goats in the winter. We have also passed men selling honey on the side of the road, and the honey is in coke bottles. There was a nomad's market we stopped at, and it was behind a wall and full of chickens, blankets, clothes, snacks (including baggies of popcorn), fruits, vegetables, and hardware (flashlights, lighters, batteries...). I made the mistake of getting my photograph taken with some boys, and they attacked me for durhams after the photograph. Lunch was at a little cafe with individually prepared tajines for each of us. We passed through the spiritual and marble capital of the country, Ar'Foud, and stopped at a marble factory where they make items from fossils quarried in the desert--these fossils were formed after the sahara became the sahara (i.e., after the ocean dried up).

January 2: Merzouga
We arrived in Merzouga yesterday evening, had tea, and piled on more layers. It was really cold. Here is what I wore:

leggings, jeans, 2 pairs of socks, tank top, 2 thermal shirts, cotton sweater, fleece jacket, wool jacket, hat, gloves, two scarves.

The place we stopped for tea was a hotel beautifully laid out with stone floors covered in brightly colored carpets, and our camels were waiting for us at the edge of the yard (which was sand, not grass). I was the first one on, and it was a jolt when my camel stood up--he sort of unfolded from front to back, all the while making horrible grunting noises. I named him Pip, but he did not like me. Each volunteer mounted their camel, and a few Berber guides led us through the desert. We were supposed to get there at sunset, but it was now dark, but the ride was astonishingly beautiful. The sky was black but so full of stars, and I could not see the landscape except for suggestions of dunes. The camel walked with a swaying rhythm, which was neither comfortable nor uncomfortable.

The camp was about 1.5 hours in, all set up with tents with pallets and blankets, a bathroom with running water, and a dining tent set up with low tables and brightly colored cushions on the floor. Lights were scattered  around the campsite, but not so many that they interfered with that huge sky full of stars. For supper, we had roast nuts, tea, rice, tajine, bread, and tangerines. Five of us are vegetarians, and we sat at our own table, and at first all we got was rice, and we were afraid that the rice was all there was, so we scarfed down the rice like savages, and without even plates (we never even got plates). It was embarrasing because the server came in a few minutes later with our tajine and looked at our table like we were really weird or something, having scarfed down the rice  that should have actuallygone with the tajine. Howeve,r it was a good dinner, even without plates (we used napkins, to very bad effect).

During dinner, I talked a bit with Hamza, our guide, who had some amazing video on his phone of other tourists he's taken out hiking. He is so interesting, and a wonderful guide. He actually went to my tent and brought me my blanket to use during dinner because it was so cold.

After dinner was the entertainment: the Berber guides set up a campfire for us, and they brought out drums and clackers and a tambourine, and they sang and played their instruments for us. We all sang and dance and I had a turn with both the clackers and the drums, and sometimes we danced around the fire. It was the warmest place in the camp, and beautiful, too, with the glow from the fire on everyone's faces and "Salam Wa-aylaykum" being sung.

Sleeping was a little uncomfortable due to the cold, but I snuggled up under all my covers from head to foot (keeping all items of clothing, including shoes, on). It was definitely worth it, as this was the most amazing way to spend the first day of the new year.

This morning, we got to ride the camels at dawn back to the hotel, and as the sun rose over the dunes, it cast dark shadows against the dunes as well as pure, golden light. The ride did not thaw me out, but it was BEAUTIFUL. I highly recommend spending the sunrise in the desert at least once in a lifetime. We broke fast at the hotel--they had a good spread for us. Then, back in the van, paast the fossil souvenir place, through all the towns we'd passed through already, stopping at our hotel in Zaida for lunch (cold rice and salad, bread, omelet, french fries), and stopping also at a monkey preserve. The monkeys were already fed by tourists, so they didn't come out of the trees or pay us any attention, but they were cute (fat).

So, this was a great weekend. "Great" is not the right word. Amazing, surreal, fun, et cetera. I saw beautiful landscapes, ate terrific food, bonded with the NICEST volunteers/friends, rode a camel, danced and sang with Berber nomads in the desert, visited a nomad's market, and et cetera.

Back to volunteer placement on Monday, where I get to play with kids for three hours.

New Year's Eve Celebration: Photographs

New Year's Eve Celebration in Zaida

Here are more excerpts from my journal:


January 1, 2011, early in the morning.
Last night, we arrived at the hotel in Zaida, which is a huge square structure with a paved courtyard set up with iron chairs and tables connecting it to a large cafe, where we had dinner. We went from 65 degrees in Rabat to FREEZING in Zaida, so after I dumped my luggage in the hotel room (shared with Jane and Denise), I bundled up in my new wool caftan-coat and hat/gloves/scarf before heading to dinner. I think people in this area are impervious to cold, because we were all bundled up, but none of the hotel and dining staff were. The rooms were not well heated at all, and the ceilings were really high, and let's just say: it was cold. However, dinner was delightful. They seated us at a long table set for 17 (us plus the driver and the guide), and we had chickpea/vermicelli soup, bread,  vegetable tajine, and hot sweet tea.

After dinner, we began our New Year's celebration, which had to be somewhat surreptitious out of respect for the Muslim culture which forbids alcohol. We set up a mini bar in one of the hotel rooms and had a few toasts until we learned that there was something going on outside in the large common room (all of our hotel rooms opened into this beautiful, large common room, set up with carpets and a couch). The hotel staff had baked a HUGE cake for us that said "New Year 2011." It was so nice! The staff included two women, all beautiful in their headscarves, a little boy, and three men. They helped us cut the cake, then stayed out there with us until midnight. They had a television set turned on in a nearby hotel room set to a music channel, and we all danced together. It was so funny, at first, it was just some of us women dancing, holding hands and dancing in a circle, and then one of the men jumped into the middle of the circle and began  to dance. And at midnight, we all counted down and gave each other hugs and wished each other a happy New Year's, and the volunteers all made individual toasts back by the mini-bar. It was such a great way to bring in the New Year, and I will never ever forget it.

It was so cold in the hotel room. I took a shower in scalding hot water, which I swear froze on my skin the second I turned the shower off, and I rolled into bed with an abundance of blankets and slept with the knowledge that the tomorrow brings the Sahara!

Sahara pics, Day 1

A trip to the Sahara: Day 1 (December 31, 2010)

This weekend, 15 of the volunteers, including myself, went to the Sahara desert after lunch. It was INCREDIBLE. I'm going to share excerpts from my journal in this blog entry.

12/31, on the bus to Zaida:
We are stopping tonight at Zaida before going to Merzouga tomorrow. We are on the trip right now, and Hamza is our guide, and Mohammed is our driver. The following people are on the trip: Denise, Jane, Alyssa, Norell, Guy, Aliza, Sapna, Drew, Caitlin, Melissa, Melissa, Janae, Drishty, and Alice. We are piled into a large van, and the guide gave us scarves as souvenires, all brightly colored. I chose a pink one. Hamza taught us how to put them on our heads as turbans in order to protect ourselves from the desert sand. We have a five hour drive ahead of us, and we are going through the most beautiful countryside. Right now, we are driving past a forest full of cork trees.

We stopped at a gas station for a bathroom break, and at the station was a restaurant called "Cafe Oasis."

Our trip is taking us through the mid-Atlas mountain chain, and written in rocks on the hill is the motto: "God, Country, King." It is beautiful. We have also passed groves of olive trees, men selling pomegranates on the side of the road, and herds of sheep. The trip takes us through Hajeb village, which is all white houses with red roofs and yellow shutters, and men and women in caftans with pointy hoods.

January 1 will be in the next entry.

Moroccan Cooking

We've had the opportunity to learn some Moroccan cooking here at the home base. The food is so delicious! The tajine seems to be the main item in most meals, and it is actually a cooking tool like a clay bowl with a lid that looks like a hat. You fill this up with olive oil and vegetable oil, place it on a gas burner (or barbecue) and toss in whatever it is you want to cook. The lesson we had was for lemon chicken with olives, but it could easily be adapted for vegetarians by using potatoes and turnips instead of chicken. The main ingredients for the tajine include: 2 chopped onions, cumin, ginger, black pepper, salt, 2 cloves of garlic, and a bullion cube of saffron, and 1 preserved (or brined) lemon, 2 tbspns parsley and cilantro. When the oil heats up, you toss in the salt and chicken (or whatever you are substituting for it), then after 10 minutes, toss in everything else, stirring it around really well. You can also add peas and carrots--basically, whatever you want. Cook for 45 minutes, adding the olives 5 minutes before you serve, and voila! Super delicious tajine. The flavors all blend together so well, it reminds me of a yummy roast.

We also learned how to make tea the Moroccan way, and that involves a great deal of boiling and pouring (and three to four very large cubes of sugar!). The secret to good tea is to pour from on high to get good foam. Just aim well and remember to leave a half an inch at the top of your glass so you don't burn your fingers when drinking the tea.

This week, we are going to learn how to make pastries. The food here is so good--healthy and unprocessed, and basically vegetables and lentils or chickpeas. The grains we've had include couscous (mixed with raisins and cinnamon), vermicelli, and rice. And for breakfast, we've had corn bread, which is my favorite--it's kind of sweet, which makes it a little "different"--as well as eggs (scrambled or boiled). I can't really identify the spices in the vegetables, but it seems that parsley, cilantro, and turmeric are used a lot, as well as salt, pepper, and garlic. Oh, and there are a lot of salads here, as well as the BEST OLIVES EVER.

Next post: The Sahara desert and camel riding.