LYNN’S SPAIN/MOROCCO
JOURNAL
Day 10, Saturday, May 18
Travel Day to Ait M’Hamed (Marrakesh to Azilal to Ait M’Hamed)
Woke up early (at 5 or so) in my excitement to see Corinna. Went back to sleep though for a couple of hours, then got up for breakfast. Had breakfast this time inside for it was cooler—and Philip got orange juice for extra money. I then spent some time writing in my journal on our little patio. Before 10, the time Corinna had set to meet her, Philip went down to the lobby to see if she had arrived. He came up with a perplexed look on his face—he had found a couple downstairs that he thought might be Corinna and Brett. So I went down with him—by then Corinna and Brett were coming through the door—the other woman was definitely not Corinna! We cried and hugged—we had come such a long way to see her and through such uncertain times. It was a very emotional experience.
Meeting Corinna and Brett
They came into a room off to the side of the foyer to talk—we had so many logistical questions. We continued our talk upstairs in our room. Brett said goodbye and went off to his site (further south on the edge of the desert).
When Corinna went off to make a phone call, one of the hotel employees approached us and asked if she was the American who spoke Berber. He was quite impressed and had a brief conversation with her when she returned. The people in the Mountain villages speak dialects of Berber (grouped in three main languages). Arabic is the language of the cities and the schools even though the majority of the population is Berber.
We took off for the grand taxi stand, where Corinna deftly negotiated that we would go to Azilal with our stuff for 300 DH. The taxis, mostly old Mercedes, are supposed to hold six passengers—four in back and two in front with the driver. But we paid for four seats so we could have the entire back for the three of us. We talked nonstop for the whole trip, letting the landscape slide by: red earth, old walls, scrubby plains, eventually snow-covered mountains in the background.
In Azilal, we stashed our suitcases in a hotel used by the Peace Corps, sat down and had a drink (banana in milk), and negotiated another taxi ride to Ait M’Hamed. (Later in the day my stomach was a little rumbly—probably from the milk drink.) We again paid for four; so we were comfortable with three of us in the back seat while two more sat cramped in the single passenger seat in front.
Lynn
and Corinna in Azilal
In the market town of Ait M’Hamed, we walked to the tent of Chifoor, her landlord, in the souk. He has a stall there on souk (market) day, Saturday, to sell prepared food like lentil soup. There we also met Zahara (older sister), Fatima (younger sister), and Hasan (younger brother). We walked around the souk for a while to see the other stalls (vegetables, shoes, clothes, scarves, etc.). We also walked around the town a bit to see the clinic where Corinna sometimes works.
Ait M’Hamed Souk
We then started up the hill to the flat road that would lead us to her duar or neighborhood of houses. We went ahead of our two donkeys, into whose pack we had put our green duffel bag of presents (a Green Bay Packers bag from Wisconsin). It was like taking a hike up in the hills—except that I had a heavy pack on my back (enough clothes and toiletries for three days). Other than that, I enjoyed the walk. By late afternoon, the sun was not as hot. Corinna met and greeted many people along the way, some on foot some on donkeys.
Starting to Corinna’s
Greeting Passers by Along the Road
We saw the house long before we got there—I was so happy when she said, there’s my house. What I did not realize is that we had to climb down, then up, to get there. We had stopped once to eat my dried fruit. We stopped again just to rest—just before climbing down and then climbing up to her house, which sits on a hill. The paths and trails were full of loose shale—could have used my hiking boots for surer footing. As it was, I only fell once—on my rump. My chiropractor adjusted my back when I got back.
When we got to the house, Fatima was already there! We met Khadooj (mother) and later Said (older brother) who seems to be a bit slow. We sat and rested when we first arrived: used the squat toilet, took out our presents for Corinna (many) and for the family, looked at her photobook.
Corinna Family’s house compound (on hill toward left) from the trail
Corinna’s apartment on the left
After this session for ourselves, we joined the family for dinner in their main room. They had lots of round bread and two tajine with lots of vegetables, meat, flavorful sauce. We washed our hands both before and after dinner—someone came around with a tea kettle of water, a bar of soap, and a basin. The tajine was wonderful—made by Khadooj, wonderful sauce, plentiful. This dish is named after the dish in which it is made. It has two parts: a flat bottom with a little bit of bowl shape and a conical top. I think her tajine was cooked over an open fire—we also had this dish cooked in restaurants. After dinner, we distributed their presents: duffel for Dad, blue silk scarf for Mom, toiletry bag for Said, fanny pack for Hasan, barrette for Zahara, and bracelet for Fatima (who was fast asleep in the same room). I saw her wearing it the next day. Other goodies included: a bar of soap, a black baseball cap, candy.
Corinna’s Kitchen/Living Room
After dinner, we retired to Corinna’s apartment, which is attached to the main house. We continued talking and also made preparations for bed (which did not include a shower, which I could have used after that long hike—and it was a long day, which started in Marrakech). So went to bed dirty—only washed our faces and brushed our teeth. I found out the next day why—no shower facilities like I had been led to believe. The shower room next to the squat toilet is still not done. Corrinna remarked that she had decided to reenlist for another 8 months since she can’t leave before her shower is built.