Tea in Sahara - Erg Chebbi, Morocco

Morning tea served in the middle of the desert with goats' dung around the table :)

It was such a memorable place to have tea - the desert! In the middle of the desert, we were served the herbal Berber tea.  Ali invited us to have a sip of this magical drink and he told us the flavor of the tea can be altered by pouring it at different heights. We looked at one another and I sensed that it must be the way the tea was presented - on a little table lined with scruffy table cloth with goats' dung all over the place. I spoke in my language to the girls, "Let's have a drink and don't offend our sincere host." I picked few strands of grass or maybe herbs from my tea and quickly gulp it down my throat and not to think of anything.  

The water for our tea comes from this well in the middle of the desert

Last night when we arrived at the camp, we were served the same tea under a canvas of stars in the sky and the dim light of the candles, and no one complained but today in the broad day light, they started to see the tea differently. 

Ali invited us to the well of fortune which has provided him and his guests the supply of water. The small well is well covered with a kilim to keep it safe from the sand. Anyway, the sweet Berber herbal tea will boost our energy before we start riding our camels through the desert.   

Beber tea

A Visit to Fossil Factory - Rissani, Morocco

The rocks are wet with water to make the fossilized critters visible

The fossils in the rock become visible when splash with water

Rissani is a remote desert town in eastern Morocco, near Erfoud and according to the 2004 population census, it had about 20,000 people then. It is not far from Erg Chebbi, the magnificient desert.  After traveling a few miles in the region of Er-Rachidia, we made a brief stop at one of the fossil factory to see some interesting fossil crafts which will actually make very nice souvenirs to carry home.  They make all sorts of goods from small figurines, ash trays, plates, mugs and  to huge items such as tables, sinks, bathrooms  and home decorative items.  

The guide explained that the desert area of Morocco was once a sea more than 400 million years ago.  When the sea receded, the critters died and later became fossilized.  Today the fossilized rocks are mined and it becomes a growing popular industry in this part of Morocco. Some of us bought pendents, rings and very small items as souvenirs - anything bigger than that can be quite heavy to take home.  You also need to be careful with the authenticity of the fossilized products as there have been instances where fake fossilized items made from cement and shaped in moulds are mistaken for real. 

Trilobite Fossil

Several artifacts made from fossil stones

Fossilized Squids

They call it - Desert Rose

Moroccan Amonite

The guide showed us some fossil stone blocks

Beautiful plate from fossil rock

The Artisans of Fez - Fez, Morocco

Carving on a gold plate

The man patiently working on his piece

Rambling in Fez medina would be more meaningful if we understand the history as well as the culture of the locals.  Fez is more than just a religious city, trade and artisans flourish from medieval until today.  It is a paradise of artisans and traditional authentic crafts is all over the Medina.  If you have a lot of time, it would be wonderful to explore the Medina and get yourself lost among the 9,000 little shops but if time is your biggest constraint then hiring a trusted guide is the best option. We tried both, getting ourselves lost in this medieval walled city as well as hiring a professional guide.

We were lucky to have an excellent guide, Khalid, who introduced to us several crafts and artwork available in the city. We stopped to have a glimpse of some artisans working on silver, gold and camel bone.   The artisans are very skillful as they have inherited the trade from one generation to another for hundred of years. The medina though congested, is divided into various sections

Lovely intricate design on the plate

Unlike our earlier experience of getting lost in the crowded Medina, this time with Khalid, we moved from one section of the souk to another with great ease but sharing the narrow streets with the donkeys can be hard. When we heard men shouting "Belek, Belek!" surely behind us will be the heavy laden donkeys trying to make their way.  

Very effective time management - in just half a day, we were able to get to most part of the Medina. We went to the metal section, the tannery for the leathers, the food section, textiles section, copper and wood section. Several names of the sections in Arabic were mentioned by Khalid, like Attarine,  Daraqqin, Saffarin and I lost count of them.

We bought this beautiful piece as a wedding gift for a friend

Copper, silver and gold plated plate for the wall decoration

Beautifully decorated pieces

The chest box is made of camel bone and wood

Mirror decorated with camel bones

Hand-crafted tombstone 

The man working on the tombstone

Beautiful jar made from pieces of camel bones

Hand-made cooking pots

The Impressive Madrasa Bou Inania - Fez, Morocco

The interior of Madrasa Bou Inania

As a center of learning, Madrasa is an important institution in the medieval Islamic world and even today the institutions continue their challenging roles in a modern world. The fundamental role played by the Madrasa had resulted in the existence of highly literate society during the period. The name, Madrasa Bou Inania in Fez came from the founder, Abu Inan Faris (1351-1356). This Madrasa functions as a mosque and a learning center which is very much the same as Al Qarawiyin which is at another end of the Medina. They were having Asar congregational prayers when we arrived, and our guide joined the jemaah while we went to the ladies prayer room.  Certain parts of the Madrasa is under conservation work and if you look closely, the building is in need of maintenance. Khalid explained to us that the mosque had gone through a major renovation in the 18th century and was again reconstructed in the 20th century.  Madrasa Bou Inania is an example of the Marinid architecture.  The zellij tiles on the wall of the madrasa is predominantly green, the color associated with the city of Fez. We visited Molay Idris, Qarawiyin and Madrasa Bou Inania completed our mission in Fez. 

All along since the city was founded in 789 by Moulay Idris, Fez has never ceased to be a center of learning. There are other Madrasa in Fez that are worth visiting but due to time constraint, we are not able to do so. Other old Madrasa are the Madrasa of Saffarin, Madrasa of Attarin and the elegant Madrasa of Sharratin. Not far from Madrasa Bou Inania is the house of the famous Tunisian historian, Ibnu Khaldun who used to live in Fez and worked for Abu Inan. Kalid our guide showed us the door of once Ibnu Khaldun's house. Automatically, Al-Muqadimah, the seminal work of Ibnu Khaldun came to mind. It is amazing to be in Fez. It feels like you are walking on the footsteps of great scholars and thinkers of the past.

Every corners of the Madrasa is equally impressive

The door of  once the house of Ibnu Khaldun

The wood engravings are deteriorating

A combination of zellij mosaics and stucco work

Closer view of the wood design

Carving on the wooden Mashrabiya

Pillar of the Madrasa with intricate carvings

The male prayer hall

Zellij work adorns the walls of the Madrasa

This Madrasa gives accessibility to non-Muslims visitors

Entrance to the lady hall

Lunch at Maison Berber - Telouet, High Atlas, Morocco

Fruits and Chicken Couscous for lunch

I love Moroccan food especially their unique technique of slow cooking in the tagine - conical shaped pot. After the visit to Pasha El Galoui in Telouet, we were very hungry. Our guide had arranged for lunch at Maison Beber - a village restaurant in the High Atlas region. Maison Berber is actually the home of a Berber family who is the friend of Ahmed and Mustafa, our guide. The restaurants is in the middle of remote land with few houses around it and a small village which was visible from a distance. I think it caters only for tourists who happened to pass this area and they are usually taken here by their guides. The great relief was that we were also given the space for prayers before we continued our journey further.

We were seated comfortably in the living hall of the house and there were a few other tourist having lunch. The restaurant is on the upper level of a house and the ground floor is a carpet shop. The food was delicious and the ambiance of the restaurant was very cozy. It really felt like we were having lunch in the comfort of a home. After the delicious lunch, we were ushered to the carpet shop on the ground floor but there was no pressure that we had to buy anything there. In fact we did not buy anything from the store.

The lunch was much more fun than the carpets. Morocco is famous for its couscous and the fruits and chicken couscous served was full of flavor. After almost a week in Morocco, that was our first Cous-Cous meal...simple but yet delicious!

Delicious fresh salad - sprinkled with a dash of cumin powder

We were hungry!

The hand written bill for 4 people was 280 Dirham (25 Euro)

Mud houses near Maison Berber

A village near the restaurant

Jardin Majorelle - Marakech, Morocco

Used to be the studio of the artist but now a museum in Jardin Majorelle

When I was in Marrakesh, everybody said we should not miss Jardin Majorelle. From Riad Mur Akush, it was about 15 minutes walk from Bab Doukala and the direction was pretty easy to follow. We spent about two hours strolling around this petite garden. How much time you want to spend here is relative. It is really not that big but what's so special about this garden is the people associated with it and the strong colors and contrasts that attract our eyes. 

This garden is like an oasis in the middle of Marrakesh. Created by a French artist, Jacque Majorelle in the 1920s, the garden was first opened to the general public in 1947. However, it was neglected after his death in 1962. And in 1980, the garden was bought by Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé , where they successfully managed to restore its glory. When Yves Saint Laurent died in 2008, his ashes were scattered in the garden honoring his affection for the place.

There were bourganvilleas, palms, bamboos, cacti, olive trees and many small plants in distinctive cobalt blue, yellow and orange pots. This little garden is full of vibrant colors but the distinguishable shades of blue dominate the garden and giving it a unique character. It is just so different from any garden I have seen in my life. It is cool to be in this garden on a hot day in Marrakesh but the place can be crowded with tourists who flock here to escape the hectic Marrakesh city. Try to come early and you would have a quieter moments in this tranquil garden.

The garden is open daily at 8:00 to 17:30 (in Winter) and the entrance fee is 25 Dirham. There is an artist studio in the garden which is currently converted into a Islamic Art museum. But unfortunately the  museum was closed when we were there.

The potted plants

The striking cobalt blue building among the trees

Lovely group of cacti in the garden

Fresh delicious dates on the tree

A giant cactus

Yves Saint Laurent in Memory

Giant cacti decorate the surrounding of the house

Small blue fountain