Leaving vibrant Marrakesh behind, we headed up into the Atlas Mountains, home to the Berbers… the indigenous people of Morocco. This was the most fascinating and educational day we have yet to experience on our trip. As we drove upward toward a small village, the roads were narrow with lots of hairpin turns. The fences were made of ancient giant cactus. There were donkeys and camels everywhere on the roads as most of the Berbers do not have cars … therefore, they use their animals for transporting their goods. We even saw a “camel parking lot” where all the owners had gone in to eat lunch… and left their camels in a vacant lot next to the restaurant. Once we reached the village of about 65 homes, housing approximately 400 people, we spent most of the day with our new friends Hassen & Rabiaa learning their way of life and culture. Hassen’s great-grandfather built the sleeping quarters of their home over a 100 years ago, and then 30 years ago Hassen and his father added the entertainment salon and kitchen. Our first chore of the day was to learn to bake their type of bread. Rabiaa was a great teacher…although neither her, nor Hussein, spoke any English, but our guide Ali spoke excellent English AND Berber, so communication was easy. Then the women sat at a small table and cut fresh vegtables from the garden to prepare a tajine…North African stew of spiced meat and vegetables prepared by slow cooking over charcoal in a shallow earthenware dish with the cone shaped lid.

While our meal was cooking, Hassen walked us down to his workshop where he makes tajine dishes and other cookware and then sells it at a local market. This is the first time I was actually glad I had just had a knee replacement, because Cissy was the one that had to climb down in the hole and practice making the pot.

Ali gave us a lesson on how to prepare and pour the famous “mint tea”. Tea time is a very important part of a Berber’s daily routine. In fact, the Clintons had tea with these Hassen & Rabiaa a couple years back.

When it was time to eat our meal, the women ate separately from the men, as is the customs in lots of Muslim and Hindi countries.

When we left the village, we drove further up into the mountains to a small boutique hotel. It was a beautiful old villa that had been refurbished over the past few years and was full of history and impressive detail. The gardens were actually already starting to bloom and the views of the countryside including the olive vineyard were memorable. The fireplace in the room was a cozy touch and provided sufficient heat in the evening.

Cissy and I faced our greatest challenge day 2 by climbing up to the cafe/hostel on the mountain, which the mountain climbers use as a base for their trek to the top of the highest mountain in Morocco… over 13,000 feet. The good news is we conquered our fears and physical stress to arrive safely and enjoy a wonderful lunch and spectacular view. As we ate, prayers from the mosque encompassed in the “camp” vibrated thru the mountain tops when it was the obligatory prayer time. Coming back down the mountain was treacherous and slow, but we accomplished our feat. Time to pat ourselves and the back and head for the hotel to enjoy a bottle of wine.

It’s time to head back to Spain… but some things to remember about Morocco….

The most famous of Moroccan dish is couscous, other popular dishes include pastilla, tajine, and harira (soup). Chicken is the most widely eaten meat.

Top things from Morocco: Berber Rugs (of course Cissy and I felt the need to buy a rug) Leather goods, Tagine pot, spices, & argon oil.

The currency in Morocco is called the Dirham.