TRAVEL DIARY
BEFORE LEAVING
"First you travel with your imagination": preparing for the trip!
Two months before departure we started searching for material on the country that we liked to visit
: photos, web sites, various texts. We shot various libraries in search of our ideal guide, comparing three different up to buy! Each with different features (one for arts and cultural info, one for the territory, to live ...) Together with the guides we brought home a great road map (large open in the sense that occupies a third of our dining room!)
In our minds, Morocco began to take shape and color. Names of places and cities were becoming increasingly familiar, there a history of the country, its customs and traditions and areas that from our point of view it seems more interesting.
Taking into account that unfortunately we will do the trip in August, our choice was strongly influenced by temperature ... Cross the Sahara for days and days there seemed a good idea, and lost in the alleyways of the Medina of the great imperial cities (40 degrees guaranteed!) So we have a privileged tour that will cross the Middle and High Atlas mountains to the discovery of an untouched nature, wild, and ends on the shores of the Atlantic ventilatissime. However, not disdaining any detour in the pre-Saharan areas, both to admire the beautiful palm trees and red kasbah, or because some of the cooperatives that are just interested in visiting there. Yes, because our attention is not directed only to the wonderful nature of this country, but also to its people, we hope to get to know the lives of Moroccan Berber and its component. To buy gifts for our friends we will be going to different cooperatives that produce and sell products that we are concerned, in order to have important opportunity to meet with producers.
Hoping to meet many Moroccan families (and the kitchen of their home!) We bought a bag of toys that we hope to give to their children.
This is the tour that we decided to do, to pay special attention in the areas circled in red
We finally home!
The hotels do not like, especially those that can afford with our budget ... Having to make a journey where every day you wake up in a different place seemed to be the ideal classical tent camping. Do you realize what it means to assemble and dismantle the tent, opening and closing sleeping bags and mattresses every single day?!Then suddenly here's appearance. We were on a semi-deserted beach in Puglia when behind us appeared a giant off-road vehicle driven by a cowboy with a French family in tow. They stopped and the cowboy (strictly open shirt hairy belly) has begun to dismantle the side after side cart attached to a sort of off-road in a minute he pulled out a house like a rabbit of the hat! Do not believe our eyes, a giant tent (but powerful ones) lay on the roof of the jeep, stood on the front of metal poles to create a lovely veranda under which the French had promptly arranged tables, chairs and fresh slices of melon! His wife, with a beautiful straw hat, having climbed the ladder of elegance with metal leading up to the tent disappeared leaving us a glimpse inside pillows and mattress ...
Before that we had never seen anything like it, but now we could not go back. A tent like this, so easy to assemble, comfortable and durable so it was just what he did for us. But could we afford a Defender accompanied by "double roof"? No way!
we got home we immediately connected to the Internet to try to understand better than what we had seen and that's before we opened the wonderful world of "tent roof". After reading the various manufacturers' sites and forums we had made a clear idea of \u200b\u200bthe various existing models and costs (over a thousand euro!) Thanks to Ebay, we discovered that it was possible to find also used ... costs were around 600 Euro. In addition to the high cost of mounting troubles us the idea that a simple catafalque on our red Fiat Uno ... (All photos on the internet depicting formidable off-road).
For three days, our minds were tormented by doubt: super luxury tent or pop classic? (Perhaps that of Decatlon that mounts in 3 seconds!) 600 against € 50 ... At
We finally settled on the bottom of the coffin ... it was an investment! In addition to the comfortable (in 15 days of continuous movement is not much) will have the freedom to stop anywhere at any time we can take us wanting more, without necessarily being bound by the campsite.
Overcamp Our house is an original with only a year old yesterday that we have already tested the car parks behind the house, among the astonished eyes of old men who brought the dog to pee.
WE ARRIVED IN MOROCCO!
We are in an internet point in Fes. We can not tell you much, unfortunately, there are problems with the keyboards or write in Arabic or Latin letters are reversed, so it being written into the letters by heart ... for now we quickly visited Ceuta, across the border and we slept the first night Martil, city on the Mediterranean is very important for local tourism, a very large beach of golden sand and thousands of people, many women are dressed in the bathroom. Children in spades, we found a colony (for Grace: the teachers had with fischieto paramilitary methods, but very effective ...
and children had fun as hell!) The camp was chock full of Moroccans, know how to fix their blinds anyone in the world! (Other than German) in the morning mint green tea served in beautiful teapots Here elegance never fails!
and Vanessa 'was renamed Fatima, everyone seems to say that the Berber.
TO DESERT
Fes After our trip and 'gone from' detaching from the classic turisteggiare ...
We left in a suitcase elegant dresses and privacy to get together to eat at the family home in the kasbah of the Berber desert oasis. Thanks to the stomach and in the meantime of Fatima 'was renamed again in Watch ', a name which means Berber desert rose, we entered into the kasbah reserved for women. What a thrill, a room with walls of mud and straw, soil covered with rugs, pillows, sleeping women and children. We played with them the traditional drums, drank tea and had it not been so 'Vanessa was later decorated with henna'. The Berber people are very hospitable, and 'hard to find a moment of privacy, but you are fine with them. We are still too stunned and thrilled to clearly describe what we saw and felt.
We went first to the desert oasis where the sky and 'never seen a blue and the temperature is not' so 'intolerable for those who are' accustomed to dealing with the heat of Rome ...
Sitting on the way back to the ground, in a tiny village, we witnessed the Berber dances that enliven the nights of the last day of celebration del matrimonio (qui in tutto la festa dura ben quattro giorni!) Tutti gli invitati erano radunati nella piazzetta del villaggio, i ballerini sistemati su due file opposte di uomini e donne, si muovevano lentamente al suono di una specie di litania che a ogni ritornello si ripeteva sempre più veloce, sotto le stelle, illuminati da un unico faro alogeno che funzionava ad intermittenza. Le danze si protraevano fino allo spuntare del sole, ma noi a una certa abbiamo abbandonato la festa, il villaggio era appoggiato tra i monti e tirava una certa brezza...
Alle luci del mattino, rinfrancati dal riposo e dalla frescura di questi luoghi ci siamo incamminati in direzione dell'ovest. Il primo tratto di strada ci ha sorpresi ancora una volta con gli occhi e la bocca wide with the wonder of architecture that the wind of the gorges carved on these rocks, a lot like the canyons and deserts that we saw in the movies. After a couple of hours of travel we found ourselves dell'Hammada to cross the desert, an expanse of red and orange stones on the slopes of the Anti Atlas. Although there was a strong sun we could not help but get the car to walk on the strange landscape. The soil of Mars, so we imagine, dry, split from the sun, windswept, deserted and lonely, no human being belonging to us, only a few chameleon that from time to time we crossed the street, each time a different color .. . Stay here and listen to the wind is a unique experience and very intense!
After collecting some rocks to bring to friends we went by car to the time of Taliouine in practice even today we drove all day!
We arrived in town just in time for lunch, with some as hungry as usual, the lunch was skipped. On the main road there was a lot of movement and a series of pleasant bar filled with local customers, including many women. The advantage of this city is that it has nothing to tourism, so we can enjoy it for what it is! It 's a pleasure to taste delicious sweets mixed the shade of a porch to the inhabitants of the city, watching the colorful throng of people that always livens up the city at this time of the day, when there's still plenty of light but the sun is less aggressive ... ideal situation for a nice walk together!
We come to the Cooperative of Saffron outside in the parking lot, I make friends with two kids selling necklaces using semi fragrant trees that sway over our heads. The cooperative is divided into two parts: one for the shop and one for the museum. In the store you can learn everything there is to know about saffron, sipping tea as usual here is flavored with saffron, to explain everything there is a nice gentleman, he knows everything about saffron, and also organizes parties in town! Must be an important person in the community ... invites us to the show to be held this evening in the square. We'll ... The museum is run by an artist, a gentleman very thin lenses and elegant manners, is very happy with our interest in the exhibition staged by him with much love. Also with him is a pleasant emotional exchange (verbal here for us is always a problem ...) and addresses!
the evening we have dinner along the way, the way roasted ground beef, served with bread and a salad of tomatoes and cucumbers: the price is ridiculously low and the atmosphere. We get the notes to the ears of music ... must be the party! we venture on foot through the city streets, on dirt roads, in the light of the stars, not having the most pallida idea di dove andiamo, seguendo il suono dei tamburi. Oltre le mura di case basse e modeste ci si apre uno spettacolo incantevole: la piazza è piena di gente, musica e bandierine colorate che si muovono nel vento. L'illuminazione è costituita da classiche lampadine a incandescenza, ma nell'insieme è di grande effetto! Ci sediamo a terra in un angolo, dalle vie continua ad affluire gente, uomini, donne, vecchi e bambini, si portano da casa sedie, sgabellini (spesso artigianali) o addirittura tappeti. Dopo un po' siamo circondati... è un piacevole assedio! Siamo gli unici europei e diamo nell'occhio, ci scambiamo occhiate curiose... è un gioco divertente. Proviamo a scambiare qualche parola con i nostri vicini, come al solito are all very hospitable.
The next morning began the ascent to the north. More and more we go forward we seem to be already left Morocco that we loved behind.
cross Agadir quickly reminds us too large cities, many Western tourists, confusion and traffic. A final step in the Atlas Mountains, an opportunity to see close up of the strange and the last small palm cactus. We get on the road that runs along the ocean, this night we will sleep in Essaouira.
We visit the city with the sun in the morning, although we are at sea is coolness, there is a strong wind and found shelter within the walls of the fortress. The medina of Essaouira is all white, very tidy, relaxing ... and full of western tourists! We begin to feel like home and if not we understand why we welcome and fills us with melancholy already. Vanessa takes advantage of the last day trip to experience a pleasure that had not yet had the opportunity to savor: the pleasures of the hammam! It is a really nice, clean and cared for, maintained by kindest girls. The result is a relaxed and enthusiastic, shame not to have these places where you can chat and play with water on us too.
A look at the beach, very large and full of swimmers and surfers. The wind is very strong ... But how do they stay in costume?!
It 's time for lunch, but for us it's time to get back on the trip, our next and final tappa è Safi, città di vasai.
L'argania appartiene alla famiglia delle sapotacee, ha foglie di tipo coriaceo, fiori piccoli di colore giallo e frutti di un verde tendente al giallo che cominciano a maturare dal mese di giugno.
Questa pianta ha un accrescimento molto lento e oggi è minacciata da un eccessivo deforestation.
On the tops of the trees you can find goats grazing that feed on leaves, fruits and tender branches. The goats then expel the hardest kernels of the fruit through rigurgidi. In the shelters of the animals you can find great quantities of argan kernels. These are used to produce oil. But not all of the argan oil is produced as well! the most classic is to collect the fruits directly beneath the trees.
process of extraction of argan oil artisanal food:
to obtain 1 liter of oil, on average, are the fruits of 5 trees! From the fruits then collect the seeds which are broken by hand and then toasted, (up not as dark) mashed through the milling process that uses a traditional stone mill. This mash is then allowed to dry in a cool dry place for about a week. Once dried the pulp reaches the consistency of soft dough through the rough handling and pressure determines the manual removal of the oil.
The oil produced is light brown, lighter than olive oil, easy to digest and taste great.
The remaining dough is used as feed for livestock.
For the extraction of argan oil cosmetics the same holds true with the exception of toasting it is omitted.
addition to the methods described is beginning to be practiced squeezing mechanical.
Argan oil is rich in antioxidants, It contains omega 3 and 6 fatty acids and vitamin E and A. The cosmetic oil is used to fight the aging of the skin, to nourish the hair, such as healing and for many other uses.
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