_____The next day I got up and had a hot shower. It was very nice. Absence definitely makes the heart grow fonder. After a quick breakfast Josh, Mary-Liz, Becky and I headed down to the grand taxi stand to catch a ride to Kelaa M'Gouna. The plan was to go and visit Josh and Mary-Liz up in the High Atlas Mountains. The ride from Ouarzazate to Kelaa M'Gouna was about an hour or so. You can see in this picture the snow-capped peaks. This is where we were going. Kelaa M'Gouna is a little hole-in-the-wall town, so it was no problem finding the tumubil for our village. From Kelaa M'Gouna we would ride up into the bled on the village tumubil. Josh, who was stationed a few kilometers down the valley from Mary-Liz would ride up on his villages' tumubil. A tumubil is just a big Mercedes van. They are also called transport(s). Typically each village has its own tumubil that is responsible for taking people and goods back and forth from the village to Kelaa M'Gouna. We dropped off our stuff with our driver Mohammed, who happens to be a member of the extended family with who we would be staying. Mary-Liz lives in two spare rooms that the family has in their compound. The family compound houses a group of three brothers, their wives, and their seemingly innumerable children. While we were there a fourth brother was visiting from the city as well as a distant uncle of sorts who was a Haj. After dropping off our stuff we went and grabbed a quick tagine at a café so we wouldn't get hungry on the three-hour ride. We then went to souk to buy some fruit as a housewarming gift. M'luda said that oranges were a big treat for the kids because they can not get them up in the mountains. So we bought a huge bag of oranges. Suddenly it was time to load up and head for the hills. Mom, Mary-Liz and I climbed in the tumubil and made ourselves comfortable. After much loading, reshuffling, and extraneous stops we finally made it out of town and headed for the mountains on this little dirt road. I did a quick count of 20 people in the van and three on the roof, no sheep or chickens. The ride was a little bumpy but not too bad. After an hour of driving along the desert floor we began to climb and it wasn't long before we were on top of this huge ridge that overlooked the vast desert on one side and the green fertile river valley on the other. The view was fantastic. It was about this time that I looked down from my window seat and was alarmed that I could not the road. I was looking straight down into the gorge below! We were so close to the edge that you could not see it. Ahhh! Then I began to think of what it would be like if we went over the edge. I quickly realized that not only was it a good five or six-hundred foot drop, but we were also an hour and a half from a phone and three hours from a "hospital." I decided that my time and energy would be better spent enjoying the view. And what a view it was. The valley was populated with lush greenery and clusters of mud structures that reminded me of the Anasazi ruins in the southwest. We descended into the valley through a series of white-knuckle switch-backs and began following the river towards its source. Every kilometer or so there would be a collection of mud buildings and a bunch of kids running around. Between which there were irrigated fields and almond trees. Outside of the irrigated areas nothing was growing. Nothing at all. Our tumubil would stop every so often and let people out. The government has strung high voltage power lines that ran the length of the valley and scarred the landscape. The power lines were put up two years ago but had not yet been turned on. It is part of a giant modernization project. They were told that as soon as the road was paved and the power was turned on that everything would be just as it is in America, Insh 'allah.

Finally, we reached Tourza. The sun was beginning to dip below the mountains and Mohammed let us out at the family's compound while he continued on his route. The perimeter was surrounded by a ten-foot mud wall. We walked through the gate into the courtyard. In the center of the compound was a three-story mud building that served as the family's storehouse. They also rented out space to neighbors. Facing the courtyard were two smaller structures. One that was made of mud that served as the sleeping quarters for most of the family. The other building was made of stone and seemed to be of more recent construction. It served as the entertaining/guest house. Outside of the main courtyard were two L-shaped buildings each with their own mini-courtyard connected to the main one. One contained the kitchen and the loom. The other was an animal pen. There the family kept two milk cows imported from Holland, several sheep and some goats. Chickens roamed over the whole compound. Upon entering the compound we were swarmed by various members of the family all of whom introduced themselves and wanted to talk. Most of the adults knew enough Dereeja to understand my feeble greeting, but the children just giggled when I talked.

It doesn't feel good to have children laugh at you. I was a bit embarrassed that I did not speak any Tashelhait. M'luda explained that Mohammed, our driver, lives here with his two brothers. The eldest brother Si-Lahcen and his wife, Arkia, are considered the lord and lady of the manor. Between them they have six children. Mohammed has a few children, and the third brother's wife is currently expecting their second. My untrained eye noticed that at least two of the children had a trachoma infection. As we were given this grand tour Mom stopped to linger at the loom room. At the loom sat one of the wives weaving a rug. The rugs are hand knotted and are very sturdy. The family typically makes two or three rugs a winter. Mom and M'luda sit down and a lesson in rug making begins. Before long they are all sitting together working on the rug together. It was amazing because there were no discussions about what color went where or any plans that they followed. All of the women knew the patterns by heart and would tell Mom or M'luda to put a red one here, or a black one there. It was pretty amazing.

After introductions to the rest of the family and several glasses of mint tea we retired to our quarters for the evening. M'luda has two rooms behind the storehouse with her own little courtyard. Adjacent to the courtyard was her squat. A squat is basically a hole in the ground that is covered with this porcelain thing that you squat over. Use you imagination. At any rate this is the only squat in the place and they put it in specifically for M'luda when she moved in. The rest of the family goes outside. Mom, M'luda, and I were sitting around discussing our plans for the next day when Arkia comes knocking on the door. She insists that we come over for dinner. "Cous-cous-Su," and motions throwing a ball of cous-cous into her mouth. We were under the impression that they were going to have a big dinner the next night, but when in Rome... Arkia escorts us over to the guest-house. We enter the dining room and take off our shoes. It is lined from wall to wall with rugs, carpets, and pillows and illuminated by a single buta-gaz. Arkia leads us in and then departs. Mohammed and Si-Lahcen are seated on the floor against the wall. There is an elderly man in a white head scarf seated in the corner. Greetings are exchanged all around. Si-Lahcen and Mohammed's younger brother (I think) enters with a silver tray containing a teakettle and several glasses. We proceed to have more mint tea. M'barka and M'luda engage in vibrant conversation with everyone while I nod and laugh whenever I think it is appropriate. M'luda explains that the elderly man in the corner is an uncle of sorts and is a Haj. While we drink the tea several wide eyed children sneak in and intersperse themselves along the wall. Mom breaks out the oranges that we brought for the family and gives them to Si-Lahcen and tells him how much we appreciate their hospitality. He then begins to pass out oranges to all of the kids who are there. They are very excited to have an orange. I don't ever remember being that excited about an orange. M'luda tells us that it is very unusual to have all of the kids around for a meal. She goes on that it is even more unusual for the men to eat with women present. Then I notice that besides Mom and M'luda all of the other grown women are nowhere to be found. Typically the women eat in a second shift after the men and in another room. Apparently Mom and Mary-Liz are special guests and are exempt from this custom.

Just when I think that I can not drink another glass of sweet mint tea dinner arrives. A giant plate of cous-cous topped with un-pasteurized goat cheese. What a treat! A collection of spoons is also brought out for the inept guests. Normally cous-cous is eaten with your hands by balling it up into little balls and popping them in your mouth. This is hard to do, so I am grateful for the spoon. Mom told me that it is called 'making-the-tennis.' It makes sense, but I am not sure that I believe her.

For dessert a giant plate of fruit is brought out after which we lounge around like beached whales unable to move. After dinner we walk back to M'luda's place and I notice the stars for the first time! They are like nothing that I have ever seen- much better than the Arizona desert or Colorado. Incredible! They are bright and twinkle like mad. I have never seen this before. It is truly amazing! M'luda tells me it is a combination of the altitude and the absolute lack of humidity that makes it so awesome. Wow!

Copyright Seth Toomay 2000

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