All Change

Not only is it hotter now than we have known it but Ramadan has finished and Costa del Assilah has taken off big time. !!  What a transformation. Our tranquil empty beach has become a jungle of flesh and families ! It's Summer time and the living is wild ! Holiday makers from Morocco and Spain have appeared in their droves. And to kick it all off, a wind straight from the Sahara is blowing a gale at about 38deg C and that's in the shade. Imagine hair dryer. That's this wind. It's known by various names, Sharky, Echrigui and plain too hot for comfort. So this will be the last blog entry for Morocco 2016.
We've had a most relaxing time together. After our Spring Hep healing,  this has been just what the 'doctor' ordered. We know how fortunate we are in being able to take this trip and are reminded at every street corner how others have lives that ' beggar belief '  ! Poverty has a different meaning here.

People literally fish for their supper.

But there is nothing I can do about world poverty. I can have strong views about it. Tell others what they should do about it but I alone am helpless. The human condition prevails. It always has. It always will. So on with our little endings and our little beginnings. I've said this before as we prepare to leave Morocco. This is the beginning of another adventure. Who knows what will happen.

The van leaves with a new hand made knitted carpet ! Lovely on the bare feet. A joy to look at. With many kilo's of wool on board, there must be more to come.











 We have said our farewells to the growing beach cafes. This one, being number 26, could even be our new home but it will disappear quickly when autumn comes.

We've so enjoyed our beach walks and swimming. Jumping for joy. It's time to move on and let the holiday makers move in

Bikini's or fully covered. Swimming is a love of the traditional and modern woman. It's very strange to see a fully covered woman diving into the sea. And very strange to see a barely covered one as well. ! It takes all sorts.





Krysia has chosen to keep well covered most of the time. This is what you call, half covered !

A peaceful walk in the grounds of the local library, as quiet as the beach in Ramadan ! This is how we will remember our long stay in Assilah. As well as our breaking the fast meals with Abdul Salam and his family.

Referendum Blues in the Sun

Caught on holiday in the sun. Woman of Polish/Canadian descent, apparently living in Great Britain since the age of three. Perhaps she should go back to where she came from ! Is this topical or what. Is my blog to turn into a political platform ? I think not but what a farce the last week has been. We have difficulty believing that so many people think isolation, not intergration, is the way forward. Economics aside, community is what is needed not television/social media generated hypnotism. We are Europeans ie from Europe ! A step further, we are the human race on planet Earth. Trying to live together. And not doing very well. We need to work together, not apart. Apart has been tried, think Germany in the 1930's. Look what happened.

There, that's only a very small rant. I'm sure there are a lot more going on in the UK and Europe. What will happen next. How about the rats leave the sinking ship. Oh, that's already happening. !

So we sit quietly here in Asilah, happy to have made this trip a stationary one. Well almost. But here we stay until we leave ! Ramadan comes to an end next week and we might well stay here to see the changeover. Back to 'normal' ! There is a buzz in the air. We feel it in town and on the beach. In the campsite too. The summer holidays are coming and they start at the end of this month long fast.

Meet Abdul Salam. He's the campsite guardian here at Camping Achrigui. He is a quiet and gentle man who looks after us from a distance. Never intrusive. Always helpful. He works seven days a week for 60 dirhams a day. That's about £4.50. He's been working here for 20 years. Options are limited here in Morocco. No social security. No pension. You work or you don't eat. Or, you are rich, and he's not. He never complains.
We have been to his house twice now, to break fast at sundown. His three grown up children and wife live in a very modest flat. The two sons are fishermen and his daughter Fatima wants to go to university. They are all bemused as to why UK would want to leave the common market. Morocco is on it's own in the Arab world and they say it would be fine to belong to a group of countries all working for the benefit of all. They are not alone in questioning us about Brexit. It's a common question in the streets and souks. We don't have an answer to the question. 'Why.' ?

One evening this past week, we bought the traditional sweety things called Sherbakia and sat watching the sun go down waiting, along with everyone else, for sunset. Time to eat and drink. People gather on the beach as well as in their homes for this daily event. It's a serious business after fasting all day. Not that we have of course. But the effects of Ramadan are widespread. We feel them and eat and drink as little as possible in front of Moroccans, as well as Krysia keeps well covered as best she can on the streets. Many people thank us for our efforts as well as some get angry when we slip up. We are fortunate to have our van. Other tourists we have met are finding it really tough to get food, especially breakfast and lunch.

Abdul Salam smiles as he says ' Morocco, Ramadan " He has a good sense of humour underneath his muslim faith. Not a hint of criticism but a sparkle of amusement.

Asilah is very quiet. Normally bustling with tourists but between Ramadan and the growing fear of terrorism, this place is empty. And the shops are feeling it. They are deperate for custom. They hate the terroists as much as anyone does. Ramadan, they have to endure.

 As they have to with us ! We have become regular faces about town and on the beach !

What you doing here, we are asked. We like it, we reply. You are welcome, they say.
And mostly we do feel welcome. But there are idiots everywhere and occasionally we meet one. And take no notice, as you do.

Meet Narfin. He's the son of the owners who live on site. He's 18. A smile at any time of day and good heart.

Nice hat Narfin !

 

Meet Mike and Shanon. An American couple from Seattle USA. Beautiful people as real as it gets. They are themselves and very happy with that. They are travelling around the world on motorbikes ! Two years in to it now, two years to go. We met them first on the ferry from Spain to Morocco at the customs desk. We chatted and wished each other well on our travels. We next saw them a couple of days ago in the campsite. !! Immediately bonded and spent two fine days together before they left on their journey. It's never the quantity, it's the quality that counts. What lovely people. Tears in our eyes when they left. Never to meet again or ? who knows. They have even both been through treatment for Hep C ! Both cleared first time round. Both living life to the full in an uncertain world. We had so much to talk about, so much to share.
As they said about America, "It's like the EU, So many different states ('countries') trying to work together, where would the USA be if they all parted and went their own way ! Now GB has forced the issue in Europe. Where will we go, now we are heading to independance ?
I'm getting political again. !

What do you think girls ?

' Shout it out Ted '


OK, we don't have to do this !

We make up the rules. !

We can break them !


As the wonderful old blues band, Canned Heat sang out in the 60's,

                                                Let's Work together, C'mon People.

Laid back in GMT

That's Greenwich Mean Time! And It's Ramadan here in Morocco. Both are having an influence on our days. We are settled in Asilah, Camping Echrigui, right next to the sea. Plenty of shade and cool sea breezes makes this a perfect place to be at rest. Added to that, it's Ramadan and for a whole month the locals eat and drink after the sun goes down and stop when it rises. ! It also explains GMT as the clocks went back as Ramadan started. They only went forward a month ago, back 1 hour for Ramadan and forward again when it finishes.


And the effect of all this ? Well, at times it feels like Morocco has shut down. These streets are normally bustling with folk, tourists and locals, going about their lunchtime affairs. Now, at this time of day, hardly a soul to be seen. An occasional bemused tourist looking for somewhere to have lunch ! Most shops are closed except for banks etc, who keep their hours according to the clock.
We joke, " what time is it ? 8 o'clock here, 9 in Britain and 10 in Spain. Which one would we like ! "

Out through the campsite gate, we immediately see empty beaches . Surely this scene would be busy out of the spiritual month.

 We love it ! Deserted golden sands, delightful water temperature. Long walks.


Hotels are empty as is trade for the local camel rides.

If spirituality improves this month, it must be at the expense of earthly wealth. Not a coffee shop open, most cafes closed, odd hours.
Amazing.

We see two extremes in the locals. Beautiful, courteous folk. Welcoming us to their time of  spirituality. And foul tempers flaring up in the streets, no doubt over small things but no smoking is also a part of the daily fast.

Late afternoon is a very different affair in town. Bustling with people, shopping and chatting. There is an excitement in the air. In fact, shopping for food has been going on all day, if you know where to look. There is food to be prepared. A lot of it. For as soon as the sun goes down, a siren goes off and it's time to eat, drink and be merry ! For most of the night it seems ! So food preparation is going on all day. Bread is for sale in the afternoon only, mountains of it. On carts. And as the bewitching hour approaches ( 7.45 here, later in Britain ! ) the streets empty. Honestly. Hardly a soul to be seen, except someone late home, rushing to get to his table. 
Oh yes, and men are not permitted to oggle women before sunset. ! So we'd better get a move on eh Krysia, because when the sun goes down, !!!!!!

Enough, I here you  say. So let's get on with some beautiful trivia ! How about the fanciest 508 you'll ever see. What's a 508 ? Good question. Our van is a Mercedes 608D if you didn't know! And the van in the photos, is a 508D. Same engine and very similar body but as you can see, this has a very special paint job.









 It's a break down truck. Depannage North Africa.

And Otmane is the owner, as well as this stunning looking land rover. The Merc is always parked in the same spot as we can testify from having seen it here over the past 6 years. We always wanted a photo of it but somehow only remembered as we were leaving or arriving at Asilah. So this time, we took a special detour to get a closer look. And Otmane jumped out of the shadows and started them up for us as well as showing us around. We're always glad to see a similar Mercedes to ours as you never know when a spare part might be needed. Especially with our track record !

So here we stay. Asilah. An unusual trip for us. Summertime and in Ramadan. The Strawberry moon coincides with the solstice, while a hot wind blows the temperatures into the 30's. The sun relentless. Every day.

As the sun goes down I ponder such great questions as "What am I doing Here " ?

Well in this shot, I am watching the sun go down ! But the bigger question goes unanswered, apart from such thoughts as:

Being a plonker !

Nothing better to do ?

Recovering from a previously incurable disease and incredibly lucky to be alive. !

Blessed to be a flower of consciousness on this crazy planet.

And on it goes, the thoughts that is. So I won't go on, I'll just put some more photos on this blog and stop boring the daylights out of you. Anyone there ? ? ?

Assilah is a lovely town. It has little bits from lots of towns in Morocco. Not too large but big enough to be interesting. An old part with touristy shops and the newer part where ordinary people shop.

And there are plenty of ordinary folk about. The surrounding countryside is agricultural and the streets as well as the souk, buzz with home grown producers selling their wares. Prices are low.

On the beach, what do we find.




Plastic

Glowing in the sunset.

 Thick along the high tide mark. Is it any different wherever you are in the world. ?

Opposites.

On my right.
Beauty.
On my left
?

But we all like the beauty not the beast !




So we two beauties hold hands in the setting sun, on the strawberry full moon and wish all of you, joyful participation in the sorrows of the world. !

Too Hot to Handle

Well it is for us anyway. As temperatures start to get in the high thirties, we start to melt. ! At the souk last Tuesday, we were being told it was 40 deg C. ! Under the cherry trees, 30. It's a heat wave, not only here but all over Morocco it seems. So we keep our heads down, keep cool and wait.

For what? you might ask. Well for lower temperatures, so we can head out of here and get back to the cooling breezes of the coast. We'll leave heading south for another time. A van is difficult to keep cool in such heat without air conditioning and our solar panels need sun to work ! I don't really function at 30 let alone 40 ! It is June after all!

So what do we get up to while we wait? As the sun gets lower, we head up into the Cedar trees and spend some time with monkeys.

 They are quite happy to get on with their lives, feeding by digging in the ground for something which they seem to like. Being Monkeys.

 We go up onto the high plain as the sun is setting, a vast open area dotted with shepherds and their flocks.

A place of reflection. These folk live up here. Whole families. Nomads doing what they do.

 Krysia has two projects on the go to keep her busy and cool ! Drawing of course and a new knitting project. Remember the wool ? Genuine local fleece from thr Beni M'Guid tribe ? Of course you do.

 Well she bought a bit more at the souk!

To add to her stock from the week before. That's 2 kilo's from last week and 6 kilo's this week. ! let me see, at £3.50 a kilo ( ! ) that makes £21. Bargain !

The project underway is a beauty. Hand knitting a mosaic pattern with the new wool. It's going to be a rug in our van. Double the width and very nice under foot !

Three new drawings also come out from under the cherry shade.

 

The Cherry Pickers                                         The Orchard

                                                                    The Wanderer

So Thursday morning, we bit the bullet and headed for the coast. Still very hot at Azrou but nothing to what was to come. The journey started with a hot engine warning as soon as we left town ! Vanny does this now and again. Usually when I'm most NOT needing it ! which must be why !!
Big hill climb out of town and, suddenly, she is fine ! perfect engine temperature for the rest of today's journey ! And we so needed that because the journey got hotter and hotter. Past Meknes and on into the bowl of death ! Drum roll ! A basin develops around us with air temperatures soaring. How do we know? Well, hand out the window and wow that's hot, then cool, then hot again and then there's the long long hill out of the basin. what a haul. Eyes glued to the temperature gauge which didn't falter. Perfect temp all the way ! Vanny must have been reminding us at the start, of how important she is. You are very important Vanny ! We never forget and you keep reminding us.

The long drive takes us back to Assilah and our Summertime campsite. And the Sea ! with cool cool breezes and swimming to be had. Walking too. For us, a long walk along an open beach is just perfect. Zen walking is our thing. What is it? That's for you to find out because I haven't got a clue. But it's really good. Come walk with us.

                                  And to finish this cooled down blog, a very simple image.