Im in Mo-Rockin Africa!!

When I had arrived in Marrakesh, Morocco, I did not know what to expect. My friends and I decided that we should spend a few days in Morocco during our time off. I had known little about Morocco except that it was in Africa, and less than an hour flight from Spain. Knowing that I could check Africa off my bucket list, I said yes with a smile.
After our bumpy and early flight from Madrid, we landed in Morocco. It was cloudy, so all we saw while landing was a quick view of the landscape; red was the dominant color. After filling out forms and gliding through customs, our tour guide awaited us. The group was called “Authentic Morocco” and they helped us create a great weekend. Our tour included meals, lodging, and transportation and guided tours. The cost was about 200 dollars. With our flight and many souvenirs, the cost came to around 350 dollars. Their site is called www.authentic-morocco.com.
Once we piled into the van labeled in French as “Transport Tourisme,” we started to see what Morocco was all about. We constantly dodged traffic on motorbike, bicycle, car and truck. Few of the roads contained dividing lines, and if they had them, they were ignored completely. The buildings looked like red mud and the streets were filled with markets trying to sell food, clothes or objects. Billions of flies were surrounding the food, destroying our already hungry appetites. After the short ride, the driver told us to get out so we could go to our hotel. I was scared for my life. Muslims dressed in their outfits were surrounding our van talking in Arabic, the official language of Morocco.
The streets destroyed my recently bought shoes, and we kept getting dirty looks from locals as we dragged our suitcases down the muddy path. Before we even had reached the hotel, the girls were getting glares and smiles from locals, and the men were being hassled to buy faux designer bags and shirts. Once we reached our hotel, which was unique but also very nice, we breathed a sign of relief. Because of the historic French connections, they also speak French, and are on all the signs in the city and country. The French occupied the nation for over 40 years until 1956 when Morocco became independent.
The marketplace is indescribable. Thousands of vendors were trying to sell millions of objects that are identical to the neighboring markets. Bartering is everywhere, which is rarely found anywhere in the United States. The smells have an odor that is not unpleasant, but different than anything I have ever smelled before. The theme between Morocco and the western world is that although close in geographical terms, Europe and Africa could not be farther apart. I realized all of this before even leaving the first trip in the van from the airport. Territory is everything. Although separated by the narrow Straight of Gibraltar, which is less than 9 miles at the narrow point, each nation speaks totally different languages, religions and culture.
Once I returned from Morocco, I became more interested in studying about the region. In one of the pictures attached, Matt Dobson is standing under a painting of a person we saw everywhere in Morocco. The person is King Mohammed IV, and he has been king since 1999 when his father died, who ruled for over 30 years. King Mohammed IV has been named the “king of the poor,” yet his wealth exceeds 2 billion, and about 1 million is spent on the palace budget alone each day. His father also helped find peace in the Middle East, but Morocco has a large Jewish population, and he was known to suppress domestic disagreement. I was surprised to learn of the large Jewish population here, but little more than 12 thousand still reside here. Over 200 thousand lived here while under French control before the formation of Israel.

The pictures of Morocco on wikipedia and other sites are not the images I see from my experience in this nation. I will always picture a marketplace so large and diverse that pictures, stories or textbooks will never be able to capture. The vendors knew English, or at least, numbers, so they could get tourists to buy their products. One vendor who tried to sell fake ray bans chased me down. He started the bidding at over 200 dirhams, but I got them for 40. These glasses broke the next day. Every 10 dirham’s is equal to about 9 dollars of 11 Euros. The bartering was fun for me and I bought a lot of really cool memorabilia from Africa, but for the sometimes rude and vicious vendors, it is their life. I recommend every MUDEC student spend time in Morocco. It is so different than Europe, and especially our bubbled lives in Oxford. Morocco is truly a place you have to see and experience before judging, appreciating or studying.

Sources:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/country_profiles/791867.stm
http://www.forbes.com/2007/08/30/worlds-richest-royals-biz-royals07-cx_lk_0830royalintro_slide_8.html?thisSpeed=30000

Mo'Rockin' the Weekend

My first hour in Marrakech was one of the most exciting/frightening experiences of my life. We arrived in Jemaa el Fna, the city’s central square, to a scene that none of us could have possibly expected. The first thing I noticed was a very distinct odor…but what was it? The jars of olives sitting at the entrance of the market? The smell of exhaust from cars and motor bikes that somehow seamlessly weaved in and out of traffic? Dung from the horses, donkeys and mules pulling carts amongst all of this chaos? Quite frankly I really didn’t want to know. While my nose was being overloaded with this distinct aroma, my eyes were taking in the sights of the old city. The buildings were built with a distinct Islamic architecture dating b

ack to the 12^th century: arches, beautiful tile work, towering minarets, all in a reddish-brown clay color, making Marrakech the ‘Red City’. Being a third-world country, most of the buildings were run down, which added to the mystique of the town.

As the tour guide led us around, I remember looking around the city in complete amazement. There were snake charmers playing their flutes; coaxing cobras out of a basket, men with monkeys attempting to put them on your shoulder, store owners

pleading for you to take a look inside their store, beggars asking for money; it was complete sensory overload. Women walking around in traditional ultra-conservative clothing to respect the Islamic faith. Hearing the call to prayer blast over a loud speaker from the minaret high above reminding you that this is not Christian Europe. Oh, and while you took this in you had to avoid the endless amount of motorbikes whizzing around not only the major streets, but the side alleys as well.

While wandering the market streets of Marrakech, you knew you were in a city with a long history. No U.S. grid pattern here, Marrakech was a labyrinth of twisting and turning side streets that had everyone (aside from the guide) completely bamboozled. When we turned onto a different alley, it was common to see someone in our group doing a head count, just to make sure no one would be lost. The Marrakech Souk Market contained thousands of tiny corner shops selling a limitless amount of items; food being bombarded by swarms of hungry flies, sacks of aromatic spices linking the city to the influential spice trade, souvenirs ranging from hookahs to knock-off Louis Vuitton purses to the colorful traditional Berber rugs. Our guide explained to us that the bargaining nature of Moroccans was somewhat of a tradition; consumers and vendors enjoyed the social aspect of it. It was somewhat similar to the social aspect of the markets in Spain, only far more intense. Men would grab your arm trying to sell you anything, and when you resisted they only tried harder. Marrakech was filled with different sights and sounds that would give clues to the city’s cultural history. The most obvious (in my opinion) was the balance of Arabic and French signs throughout the city. Morocco had been a French protectorate from 1911-1956; the language as well as some architectural aspects of French culture are still prevalent within the city. Although there were many signs in the touristy Old town of Marrakech, Arabic signs became more and more numerous the farther you went to the outskirts.

We as students have traveled to many places during this trip so far, but there has been no place where I have felt more singled out than Morocco. While Marrakech was one of the more touristy cities in the country, this was probably the first time I truly felt completely different than everyone. While there are many cultural differences between Europe and the US, I have never quite felt culture shock like I did that first day in Morocco. As exasperating as it was for parts of that day, I came back to Luxembourg very happy that I was able to have experienced it, and hopefully being able to travel to more “Off the Beaten Path” destinations in the future.

Moroccan Roll

Establishing a new Moroccan identity through tourism, music and cultural diversity.




A semester in Luxembourg gives you a chance to go almost anywhere in Europe that you want to. An opportunity often overlooked by students is the chance to go out of Europe and visit an entire other continent by visiting the nation of Morocco in Northern Africa. This country is completely unlike anything you would find in Europe or even anywhere in the world. Morocco is not only an African nation, but it is a Mediterranean nation trying to re-develop its identity in the world. To do so Morocco is investing heavily in tourism, which makes it a fascinating place to visit as a tourist because they are trying to learn how to impress you. Morocco has a unique and fascinating culture which makes it interesting to watch the people of Morocco try to convey it to you. They may show you the local gardens or take you around the poverty ridden and crowded streets of the Medina (the old town) then contrast them with the new 5 star hotels the country has been investing in. Regardless of what you see as a tourist you have an opportunity to watch a people try to find a niche to market itself upon.

The culture of Morocco itself is adjusting. A nation which has an indigenous Islamic African population Morocco has also undergone French occupation and a massive globalization movement. An interesting read about nationalism in Morocco is The Integrity of Moroccan Nationalism by Said Hajji, http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fsaid.hajji.name%2Ffr%2Fbook-integnat.html&langpair=fr|en&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&prev=%2Flanguage_tools , although this passage is from the mid 20th century it is still relevant today. The confluence of these different cultures is where Morocco is today. As you walk through the main bartering squares of Morocco you will likely hear the French language spoken by people selling hand carved African tribal masks and responding to the publicly broadcast Islamic call to prayer. Traveling through the world it is very easy to experience well grounded cultures or successful assimilation of cultures, but in Morocco you are exposed to an active melting pot of cultures. As in any historical example this means that there is inherent conflict in Morocco, but to the student this is an opportunity to see history in the making.

For the music connoisseur, there is no better place to visit than Morocco. In a stroll through the Menara Gardens http://authentic-morocco.com/attractions/menara-gardens/ you may happen upon any number of group of Moroccan citizens singing, dancing and drumming in small circles situated in the olive trees. Or if you stop by and have dinner at the tourist attraction Chez Ali, http://www.ilove-marrakesh.com/chezali/, you will be hard pressed to have a dinner conversation because one after another bands of African drummers will come serenade you. It seems anywhere you go in Morocco the sound of music pulsates and reverberates through the red stucco walls. This is yet another example of how Moroccan nationalism is at work re-inventing itself. Each group playing music is playing something it identifies with specifically, but different groups do not sing the same songs or about the same things. It is likely you will be exposed to pure Arabic music, pure African music, pure Westernized rock and any combination of the three you could imagine. So as you walk through the cities of Morocco it is enjoyable to get lost in listening to the different types of music and contemplate how each thing you hear presents a different image of Morocco and the nationalism of the performer.

Somewhere in the mixture of all this cultural, musical and economic transition there lies a center at which Morocco will find itself. Now is the perfect time to go to Morocco precisely because it has not yet found that equilibrium point. It is easy to go from country to country in Europe and see how they have grown and matured as societies, but it is rare to see one still forming itself. This is exactly what you are exposed to in Morocco and what makes it such a unique place to visit. In Morocco you will find beautiful Mediterranean beaches, like that at Essaouria (pictured below), contrasting medieval land locked cities such as Marrakesh.


It is certainly a lot more work to get to Africa than it might be to travel somewhere in Europe because of flight arrangements, customs complications, tour organization and an immediate culture shock, but a trip to Morocco will give you insights into culture that you could find nowhere else. A good starting point for organizing your trip to Africa is to browse the Authentic Morocco web-site at http://www.authentic-morocco.com/.

The Beauty of a Marrakech Olive

After our flight and stepping off the ground in Marrakech I could immediately tell that it was going to be a very different experience then my travels in Europe. When walking off the plane people were stopping and trying to take a picture of the airport and they were stopped and told that they were not allowed to take pictures. This right away made me think “what have I gotten myself into”. Our tour guide picked us up and took us into the old city where the Jemaa el-Fna was located. There were snake charmers, guys with monkeys, henna artists and the beginnings of a huge market place. Right away I knew we were no longer in Europe. Marrakech, the Red City, did not have many types of architecture like Renaissance, Gothic, Byzantine, etc. Every building looked very similar and they all were the same burnt orange/red color. The difference in appearance between Europe and Africa was very apparent and the differences between the two kept growing as our 48 hour travels continued, however after being in Marrakech I have found a similarity that allowed me to relate with the people of Marrakech and appreciate their culture.

After we dropped our bags off at the hotel our guide took us back to the Jemaa el-Fna and we walked through the market. The acts that were performed reminded me of Las Ramblas in Barcelona where all of the people were dressed up in costumes and put on performances to try to get money. The difference though was that in Marrakech if you even looked at the performer you were expected to give them money, and they would come up and beg you to give it to them. After about ten minutes we realized that the best thing to do was to not even make eye contact for more than five seconds, otherwise we would have to deal with them putting their money basket in our faces and following us around.

The first stop once we got in to where all the vendors were located was in front of the olive stand. Our guide kept telling us how “beautiful” the olive display was. I did not realize exactly what he meant at this point in the trip. I did not really see the beauty in the ten different types of olives for sale, but I figured he could not find the right word in English to describe them so I did not think much of it.

Once we left the market we stopped at the oldest gardens in Marrakech, the Menara Gardens, which were built in the 12th century. This garden was much different then any that I had ever been to. It pretty much was a path leading to a man made pond, where olive trees were growing everywhere. We first fed the carp that were in the pond bread and watched them literally jump out of the water and fight each other in order to eat it. While at first I thought this is why we were brought to the garden, he again started talking to us about the olives in Marrakech. He told us that Marrakech was the third largest producer of olives and how it was what drove their economy. He explained how the pond had irrigation channels that led to the field of olive trees and was the main source of water so that they would grow and produce fruit. Again the olives at the Menara Gardens were described as “beautiful”. Usually I would definitely call a garden beautiful; however this one had trash everywhere, and just seemed so dirty and red. The only thing that was green was the olive trees, which seemed very unlike an alive garden. www.marrakech-cityguide.com/en/sightseeing/gardens/index.shtml

On day two of our travels we took a 3 hour ride to a city on the ocean. On our way there I noticed first of all how dry and red the dirt looked, as well as all of the olive trees growing everywhere. We stopped at a place where our guide told us that “this place will show you how the women do their work.” Not having a clue what this meant we walked inside and saw about five women sitting on the ground grinding something with a rock. Two of the ladies were grinding different kinds of olives and the others were grinding up the core of the olive. They first would roast it and then grind it into a thick paste that looked like a thick peanut butter substance. The women that were grinding the olives would grind it on this huge clay plate with a rock, and then have it over another large clay bowl so the olive oil would drip down into it. We were told that it took eighteen hours of work in order to make 1 liter of olive oil. This is the point in the trip where I realized the beauty in the olives. Not only were they growing everywhere, they were the main source of wealth in Marrakech, and people spent so much time and were given jobs because of the production of olives.

While the differences between Europe and Africa was definitely apparent; like the architecture, cleanliness, language, and currency. There was still a similarity among them that allowed me to understand their culture more; they were proud in what their society produced. Just like in Luxembourg where the iron ore production is huge or in Valencia where they were very proud of their orange production, Marrakech shows pride in their olive production. On our two day trip to Morocco I feel like I understand their culture and can see the beauty in the olives grown in Marrakech.

Here are a few sites that give more information about Morocco:

www.andalucia.com/morocco/destinations/marrakech.htm

http://looklex.com/e.o/marrakech.htm

A Bizarre Bazaar

Catching my first glimpse of the Moroccan Bazaar in Marrakesh, Morocco, I was caught between mixed emotions of enthrallment and fear. Naturally, I was thrilled to have the chance to experience Africa but as we got closer to the entrance of the bizarre, I began to feel apprehensive about my eminent experience that was moments away. With every step I took, I found myself pondering a new and interesting observation that caught my eye.

The first thing I noticed led to a reversal of my somewhat calmed nerves. Looking around, I noticed the dressing habits of all the local people. The women were covered head to toe in what I would call ‘Authentic Moroccan Garb’ and similarly, the men also were dressed in ‘Authentic Moroccan Garb’ but in a less conservative fashion.

Before embarking on my journey to Morocco, I researched the city, which helped clue me into the dressing habits of the female population. Since Morocco is an almost exclusively Islamic society, it was clear that the women covered the majority of the body with clothing due to religious reasons. Knowing the geographical location of Morocco, the fabric of the clothing, linen, made perfect sense. Being a hot and humid environment, flowing linen clothes would provide more comfort and coolness than other types of fabric. Putting these facts together helped in understanding the culture of Moroccan dress and proved that hard work before a trip really pays off!

Passing my woes on wardrobe choices by affirming myself that other tourists have visited (and survived!) Morocco, I began to weave further and further into the bazaar. Exploring the inner depths of the tangled web of woven streets, I stumbled upon what seemed to be small food market. As I looked around at the locals bartering over the price of olives, I noticed a common theme in the foods. There were four major products: olives, fish, chickens (awaiting beheading), and spices.

These four foods seemed to be at every stand and being carried in and out by merchants and consumers. Again, thinking of the geographical location and climate of Marrakesh, these products made perfect

sense.The olives, which grow best in warm, moist climates seem to be a perfect fit for Marrakesh which lies approximately 100 miles from Atlantic ocean. Following, fish are also easily transported from the Atlantic to Marrakesh, which explains the abundance of various fishes. Being immediately surrounded by dessert like conditions, chickens can be easily raised and sold for profit. If you are interested in more information on the geographical landscape and various aspects of Morocco, click here! Again, I was amazed at how knowing the geography of the region could help me better understand the local cuisine.

After working (mainly shoving) my way through the food market, I felt like I would never reach the end of the bazaar and would be forever lost in the cramped quarters of the narrow streets. This feeling was quickly lost to ones of terror and grim as a motorized bike flying furiously through the middle of the street nearly mowed me down. As if there wasn’t already a lack of

space in the streets, it seemed common for drivers of motorized bikes to expect occupants of the streets to practically dive out of the way of zipping bikes. In one instance, I saw a young boy get hit by a bike as it ran over his leg and knocked him down. As the tour guide later explainedit, the young boy was at fault for ‘ignoring the horn.’ This brought to light the cultural differences that exist not only between Morocco and the United States but also between countries across the world. I was astounded that a pedestrian would be at ‘fault’ in any type of motor accident. This served as a perfect example of varying cultures across the globe.

As I continued my search for the exit, I caught sight of the bright light of the outdoors that gave promise to fresh air and freedom from the cramped, dingy market. As I exited the bazaar, my happiness was immediately replaced by sheer amazement. I was staring at snow-covered peaks of a mountain in the distance. I was completely shocked that there would be snow in Africa, yet alone so close to the hot and humid city! When I finally found a computer, I couldn’t wait to see what mountain range I had laid eyes upon. As it turns out, I was gazing at the Jebel Toubkal, the highest mountain peak in North Africa. Part of the Atlas Mountains, Jebel Toubkal has a peak at 4167 meters. This link contains great information on the Atlas Mountains. I couldn’t think of a better way to bring a close to my stressful, informative day at the Moroccan Bazaar than to take in the unexpected scenery of Marrakech, Morocco.