_____The next morning we get up and get dressed in the same clothes that we wore the day before. I decide that I am going to turn my underwear inside out- to maintain that fresh feeling. After a breakfast of coffee and toasted bread we set out for Josh's village, which is a few kilometers down the valley. We follow the river for most of the way through the valley. I am taken aback by how beautiful it is. Every so often small herds of kids would run up and ask us for a stilo (pen) or a Dirham. Then Mom would start talking in Arabic and they wouldn't know what to make of her. They would follow for about forty yards before returning to their games. The hike to Josh's took about an hour but it was crisp out because the sun was not that high in the sky. Josh took a few minutes to gather his gear and we were off on an official hike. Josh is a hiking fanatic and makes room in his schedule to go hiking when ever he can. He had promised to take us on one of his favorite hikes. This entailed walking a few hundred meters out of town and then following a trail straight up the nearest mountain. No switchbacks, just straight up. 30 minutes into the hike Josh identifies the place where his friend from the states had to turn around because he was out of shape. This gave Mom and I our second wind. It was hard because we did not have enough time to adjust to the altitude (Some Acetazolamide would have been nice). After being fooled by three faux summits and twice as many rest stops we decided to stop for lunch.

I knew that there would be no summit attempt after lunch. We could see most of the valley as well as several nomad winter homes dug into the side of the mountains. In the distance were the snow-speckled peaks of the Irhil Ouaouizat, which are the highest of the High Atlas. After an hour of conversation, snacks, and enjoying the view we began our descent to the valley floor. On our way back to Josh's hut we ran into young boy that Josh knew. This kid said hello and then ran off and hid. This was very unusual. Then Josh explained: Because Josh lives alone he has to go and get his own water from the well. This is traditionally a woman's job. So the kids in the village used to tease Josh about having to go and get his own water. So one day Josh is getting his water from the well and this kid comes up and addresses Josh (Jamil) as Jamila (Feminine form of Jamil). Josh got pissed and chased the kid down and dragged him to see his father. Josh explained what happened and the father let the boy have it. Josh said that this kid wouldn't speak to him for three months afterwards. We all had a good laugh at that. Josh doesn't get teased any more. We return to Josh's domicile and he made us some tea. Exhausted we collapse and begin a team effort on some old NY Time crossword puzzles. This went on until we noticed that the sun was getting low in the sky and it was time to return home. So we thanked Josh and made the hour long trek home. The blisters on my feet made the walk seem long.

The plan was to take the tumubil back to Kalaa M'Gouna the next morning at 5 am. So, when we returned to Tourza we thanked Arkia, Si-Lahcen, and the rest of the family for their hospitality and generosity. That night the government turned the power on in the valley for the first time. The black valley was dotted with little clusters of street lights. Each village had no more than two or three lights, but the effect was pronounced. This was the first time ever that the inhabitants of the valley were able to see by anything other than fire or moon. For all of the advantages that electricity could bring to the valley (light, running water, refrigeration, and electric ranges) it was sad to know that the first appliance to take advantage of the new power lines would be satellite television (a.k.a. Parabolas). So it goes.

Friday 3/3/2000: Back to the World

So we get up at 4:30 am and are in the tumubil by five. I do the math and it is 10 pm central time. As we go back up through the mountain pass we are treated to a visual treat as the stars begin to fade and crescent moon sets between two peaks right above Venus. As the sun came up our driver stopped at a roadside mosque to pray, as is the custom. He was gone for about ten minutes and when he returned he smelled strongly of smoke. M'luda said that it was common for the men to smoke tobacco and other substances before they pray. Of course my first thought is that I am going over the infamous high mountain pass with a chemically impaired driver who has just communicated with a higher power. I was thinking too much again. A constant problem for me. I just sat back and enjoyed the view. Amazing. In Kalaa M'Gouna we had breakfast and then caught a grand taxi back to Ouarzazate. I slept the whole way. We hiked around Ouarzazate that afternoon and I bought a Berber carpet at the local Artisanale. That night we cooked another big dinner. There was a rumor going around that the King was in town on a tour of the local military facilities. We had a great time making jokes about the King coming to dinner with us. Right before we ate people began to gather on the street. It turned out that the King was in town and he was staying at the hotel right down the street! We all watched from the roof as his motorcade drove by. The streets were packed. It was pretty cool!

Copyright Seth Toomay 2000

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