New Year, Christmas, Ashura and then New Year again

Happy New Year everyone, we are now in 1431AH. Yes, the Islamic New year happened on 18^th December by the western or Gregorian calendar.

The farewell to the old year and welcoming of the New Year is an ancient pagan celebration that has been overlaid by various religious festivities.

This week saw Ashura, the tenth day of Muharram (first month of the year). This is said to be the date on which Moses and his followers successfully escaped from the Pharaoh, and was originally a day of fasting. It is also said to be the day on which Adam and Eve were created, the anniversary of the day that Noah landed, the day that Abraham was delivered from the fire and the reuniting of Jacob and Joseph..... so quite a lot to be commemorating. However it was on Ashura, that Huseyn ibn Ali, the grandson of Mohamed and his followers were martyred and so this is an important day for Shia Muslims the world over.

In Morocco, Ashura is mostly seen as a children’s festival, the souks filling up with small drums and just about every toy that was ever exported from Hong Kong. You will find groups of young people sitting round fires all night playing drums and on the day of the tenth (Ashura) children are given freedom to throw water over any adults they come across. Instead of fasting there is a lot (even for Morocco) of sweet things consumed and of course couscous made with the dried tail of the Eid el Kbir ram.

Although Muslims recognise Christ as one of the genuine prophets, they don’t hold with most of Christian ideology concerning his birth and death and certainly do not celebrate Christmas. Although some hotels and shops will sport a bit of tinsel (any excuse) and some fairy lights you will not see a lot in the way of Christmas decorations and so Christmas could pass unnoticed in Morocco.

This Christmas we decided to visit one of the Christian churches in Marrakesh and found a full church choir offering a range of seasonal music. They were great, had very good voices and were full of the joy of singing. They sang many "standard" church songs, old favourite Christmas Carols and works by JS Bach and Cesar Franck. There were also some violin and piano works followed by Congolese choral music that was extremely lively.

Now we are looking forward to our second set of New Year celebrations.

Eid el Kbir (continued)

In the days following the Eid, all over the city you will see skins hanging over the balcony. In most localities an enterprising local will gather them, have them treated and then sell them back to you for a reasonable fee.

In some areas on the second and third day of the Eid they have another use for the skins. These days are marked by the appearance of the Boujeloud – the goat men. This tradition has a lot of different stories behind it, but all involve men dressed up in goat skins. I expect that the tradition can be traced back to before the time when Islam came to Morocco, possibly to the ancient god Pan.

The traditions vary. The Boujeloud I met expect to be given money in return for hitting you with the goat’s feet. Being hit by the Boujeloud is great good luck, unless you don’t have any money on you. If you don’t pay up - you have bad luck for a year. As well as four Boujeloud, the entourage included other local lads dressed up as policemen and a “woman”. The whole gang tour round the village, the Boujeloud and the “woman” dancing together whenever they stop outside a house and the “policeman” deciding when it is time to move on. On the evening of the third day all the money collected is spent on a big party.

Some stories tell that if a man gets hit by the Boujeloud his fertility is assured, similarly any woman hit by the Boujeloud is guaranteed to get pregnant in the following year. I have also read that in some villages the Boujeloud has to mark other boys in the village – these days by throwing flour at them. If hit they have to take their turn at being the Boujeloud next year, but if the Boujeloud is not successful he has to appear again the next year.

Another story I have heard is that the Boujeloud was a man who while dressed in goat skin chased a young, pregnant woman into a mosque. She was so frightened that she miscarried her baby and the young man was doomed to wander Morocco stuck in the goat skins for the rest of eternity as a sort of hairy Flying Dutchman (… until redeemed by the love of a good woman I want to add). But then it doesn’t ring true as he must have had a reason to be dressed as the Boujeloud in the first place. I think that this is possibly an attempt to attach a proper Islamic moral to a pagan custom.

Probably the most celebrated Boujeloud is the Jejouka Boujeloud made famous by the likes of Brian Jones (Rolling Stones) and William Burroughs. In this version of the story the Boujeloud is “married” to one of the local women and in return gives the gift of music to the local villagers. In return for granting authentic psychedelic experiences to visitors, Jejouka has been made famous on the world music scene. Thirty years on the Jejouka musicians still carry on their traditions and produce their music and musical tourists are still beating a track to sit at the feet of the Jejouka master musicians (and yes if there are any Stones fans out there - Pipes of Pan was from Jejouka).

Eid el Kbir

This year I spent the Eid with a family in the province of Taroudant in the south of Morocco.

On the morning of the Eid everyone is up early and wherever possible attending the local mosque for prayers. This is another of the occasions when the mosque conducts the Morning Prayer in the open air as there are usually too many people to be accommodated inside.

Then it is back home for a quick breakfast of bread or cake and tea and then on with the business of the day. The goat or sheep is led out and killed, sometimes by the man of the house and sometimes by itinerant butchers who turn up by appointment or on request to cut the throat and then skin and butcher the animal. As I said in my last post, all the family are there to witness the killing as this is an important part of the religious significance of the day.

A fug of smoke that must be visible from space soon covers Morocco. If you didn’t know it was the Eid you would soon tell, by the smell of barbecued lamb and singed wool, that something was going on.

While the sheep was being disembowelled, the women have been busy getting the charcoal grills ready and almost as soon as the heart, liver and lungs and the protective layer of fat are removed from the still warm body, they are cut up, mixed with coriander, garlic, salt and paprika and grilled. Strangely it always reminds me of “Braveheart” - apart from the paprika and garlic!












Meanwhile granny is burning the wool off the sheep’s head, nibbling at the ears and generally getting it ready for sheep’s head stew later in the week.

All morning, people are nipping in and out of their neighbours wishing them Eid Mubarak and helping out with the preparations for the feasting.

In some families only the offal is eaten on the first day of the Eid, but the family I spent the Eid with had a huge lamb tagine for lunch. After lunch we set off to visit the rest of the family that lives locally, and at each home we were offered kebabs and tagine as well as the usual mint tea and sweet pastries.

For the next few days (the number of days will vary depending on the size of the family and the size or number of sheep) everyone has grilled lamb kebabs for breakfast, and tagine or grilled meat for lunch and dinner. Another delicacy (sorry but I found it disgusting) is made from the stomach and intestines spiced, rolled and dried and then eaten with couscous later in the year.

One sign of my increasing moroccanisation: the first rented flat I stayed in had a large hook in the patio and also drain in the floor – both of which I found a bit strange. Now I find myself thinking as I look around a new house – “now, where will we hang the sheep on the Eid?”

It's the Big One!

Yes the Eid el Kbir is almost here and every family is getting ready for the big day.

The Eid el Kbir is in celebration of the Old Testament story when God asked Abraham (Ibrahim) to prove his faith by sacrificing his son. At the last minute Ismail gets a reprieve and God allows a sheep (or goat) to take his place. Later it is Abraham and Ismail who erect the Kaaba at Mecca where people could gather and worship and then later still Mohamed made the first pilgrimage there in 628. The Eid is celebrated about 70 days after the end of Ramadan, when the Muslims making the annual pilgrimage come back into Mecca after climbing Mount Arafat.

The nearer we get to the Eid the more frantic the weekly souks become as everybody tries to make sure that they get the best, fattest sheep for the smallest price. If you have the space you buy your sheep ahead of time, take it home and feed it all your vegetable peelings and maybe some hay bought specially for the purpose. If not, you have to do battle in the days before the Eid, hoping that you will get a worthy beast.

In the weeks leading up to the Eid, as you walk down normally quiet suburban streets you could be forgiven for thinking you have been transported into the countryside as the patter of hooves and faint bleating is heard from every rooftop and patio. The unsuspecting sheep (always male) becomes part of the family for a week or two before he gets to play his part in the great nationwide re-enactment of the sacrifice of Ibrahim. He soon settles in to the family routine and (unless he is particularly bad tempered) is played with by the children.

On the morning of the Eid, when the sheep’s throat is cut, all the family are there to witness this act. I do find this a little difficult and I suspect I am not the only one, though most Moroccans are quite blasé about the killing. However Ido I eat meat - and enjoy eating it.

In the west we are too often without thought of the animals that we eat. It is very easy not to associate the meat with the animal - meat arrives in the house cut into slabs and wrapped in plastic - and this means that there is often no consideration given to the life and death of the animal. This is not the case in Morocco where meat is bought from butchers where the carcasses of sheep and cows are hung ready for inspection by the customers and chickens bought while they are still squawking. I cope with this (despite my western squeamishness) because I believe that it is important to treat animals with respect and care and then eat them with enjoyment.

Fortunately I am quite a good judge of sheep, knowing where to prod and poke to check that there is meat under all the wool – which is jolly useful at this time of year.

On the Beach

This week I have been visiting Agadir with some friends. Agadir has long been famous as a beach resort with almost guaranteed sunshine all year round, but it has been quietly undergoing a renaissance into a chic tourist resort for adults seeking luxury and indulgence.

Agadir has ancient roots, existing as a fishing port until occupied and fortified by the Portuguese at the beginning of the 16^th century (the name Agadir is Berber for Walled Town). It is still a major fishing port – the largest sardine port in the world – and the fish market and restaurants around it are an important part of the tourist experience.

Agadir was the site of a catastrophe when, on 29^th February 1960, a 15 second earthquake destroyed almost all of the existing town , killed around 15,000 people and left 50,000 homeless. Until recent years you could still see the evidence of this in the self built shacks that became almost permanent homes to many survivors. The other evidence is the almost total lack of old, traditional style building and the presence of modern (well 60’s) architecture. Streets are wide and built with the car (and the tourist) in mind, and there are hotels galore.

Despite the inauspicious start and the initial feeling that you are not in fact in Morocco but in the south of Spain, Agadir can grow on you. It is still Morocco and the Moroccan people are as welcoming here as they are anywhere. The Tourist Police – patrolling the beach on lovely Berber Arab stallions or the promenade on Segways – make sure that there is not too much in the way of hassle and there are even men employed to pick up litter!

The beach is tremendous, over 10 km of golden sand, but add to this an elegant promenade planted with palm trees and edged in marble, daily sunshine and a good range of restaurants and you will start to understand the attraction. Once the newly upgraded road from Marrakech is complete I can see myself making trips south to the beach on a regular basis.

It is hard to imagine two cities in the same country as different from each other as Agadir and Marrakech are - but as the French say “Vive la difference!”

A Woman’s Work……..

Most Moroccans find it almost impossible to understand the UK situation of elderly parents living alone (even though it is usually their choice). In Morocco, caring for your older relatives is as natural as caring for your young children and conversely living alone is seen as very unnatural. It is assumed by parents that their children (especially sons) will stay in the family home and support them as they get older and bring a wife in to the household to help with housework etc. Empty nest syndrome is not something that the average Moroccan mum has to worry about.

Although the role of women in society is slowly changing there are still very strong chauvinistic tendencies among Moroccans. There is an obvious stereotypical split of the male and female roles. In a large household there are usually plenty of women to share the housework - and without the trappings of western life there is surprisingly little housework to do! But many times I have muttered “and what did your last slave die of” under my breath as the men sit around expecting their mothers, wives or daughters to fetch and carry for them - even when they have done nothing themselves all day. How all this works in a modern Moroccan household where more and more women are going out to work I don’t know.... but I can imagine. There must be a whole generation of Moroccan women out there, struggling to become Superwomen.

To be fair I have seen fathers and husbands helping with the cooking and with the clearing away after meals – but usually only when there are no other women in the household to help. Equally it has to be said that the role of women in creating and maintaining the home environment is valued very highly in this society and the mother is a hugely important figure in the household. You can always correct a man’s behaviour (young or old) by asking him if his mother knows what he is up to!

Traditionally families live together in the family home around a patio, adding rooms as the family grows. There is always an aunt with a comfy lap and time for the baby, always a sister with a spare djellaba* to swap, mother or grandmother is always there for company if you are sitting shelling peas and there is always a niece or nephew to send out to the local shop for more milk or sugar. Domestic duties are shared, with everyone (all the females that is!) taking their turn preparing and serving meals, cleaning up afterwards or sitting and entertaining guests.

Time will bring about change in Morocco. Parliament is changing the law to give greater rights to women and society will catch up with that. More young girls will benefit from the improved education system and slowly there will be increased acceptance of women’s equal role in life –political, economic and domestic. I just hope that the good things about Moroccan family life, the incredible support network, the unconditional acceptance of family ties and the overwhelming welcome into the heart of a family is not lost along the way.

*a sort of all purpose outer garment with hood

Shoppers Anonymous

Napoleon allegedly called the British a “Nation of Shopkeepers”. I can’t help thinking that he hadn’t been to Morocco when he said that.

While tourists in Morocco are struck by the exotic spice stalls and the Aladdin’s Caves of shops selling jewel coloured tea glasses and silver teapots, richly decorated bowls and metal and glass lanterns, for most Moroccans shopping is a more mundane but none the less serious business.

It also seems to be the dream of many Moroccans to own just a little shop where they can while away the day chatting with customers and selling the occasional sachet of shampoo or sugar loaf. Walk along any street and you are sure to find at least two of these grocer shops, with a small counter at the front propping up the shopkeeper who sits surrounded by shelves lined with tins of sardines, apricot jam, tea and small packets of Tide washing powder - and a sprinkling of little toffees and chewing gum given as reward to the children who are sent out to the shop for those last minute essentials such as bread or milk.

Every neighbourhood has its quota of little grocers, chicken shops, greengrocers and butchers and every town has its souk and vegetable market. Large supermarkets are few and far between as most Moroccans live off small incomes and only buy what they need for one meal or one day – apart of course from the mountain of fresh vegetables that they buy at the weekly vegetable market. Since many Moroccan women do not work they can spend the time preparing fresh ingredients, using whatever their husbands arrive home with to conjure up a delicious and hearty tagine. The idea of serving up a Marks and Spencer’s ready meal is as alien to a Moroccan as buying your chicken while it is still squawking is to most British people.

The average souk will sell a range of fruit and vegetables, herbs and spices, terracotta tagines, pots and pans, teapots and tea glasses, pyjamas and djelabas. In larger towns you can also find souks selling second hand goods – everything from doors and windows, old televisions and kettles, prams and bicycles to bric-a-brac and odd shoes. Larger defunct objects are broken down to their component parts and sold off – finally just for the scrap metal. In the larger of the second hand souks you will come across little cafes serving tea and lentil stews, explaining the unique aroma of rust and cumin that permeates the air. You walk through these souks and feel as if you have entered an alternate dimension and finally found the last resting place of the world’s lost biros and teaspoons.

So if you have need of a replacement knob for your ancient but beloved hi-fi system, then come to Morocco. One day you will walk through a souk and find just what you need.

Morrocan Lentils

This is an everyday but delicious dish that you might not find in your average Moroccan cookery book.

These amounts should serve 2 people as a meal or more people as a starter. Serve with fresh crusty bread and you could make crispy chips and Moroccan Salad....

• · 500ml brown lentils
• · 1 small onion
• · 2 tomatoes
• · 4 cloves garlic
• · 1tsp tomato puree
• · 1 fresh hot red or green chilli
• · Piece of preserved or fresh lemon (optional)
• · Handful of green olives (optional)
• · Small piece of meat – lamb or chicken (optional)
• · Tablespoon oil
• · Handful fresh coriander
• · 2 tsp ground ginger
• · 1stp ground cumin
• · 1 tsp paprika
• · Plenty black pepper
• · Salt to taste
• · About a litre of water

1 large pan, 1 sharp knife, grater, chopping board, sieve, wooden spoon

First thing to do is wash the lentils and then add them to a large pan, cover by an inch with water and heat till they have been boiling for about 15 minutes.

In the meantime grate the onion and then removing a piece of the tomato skin grate the tomato flesh – you can do this so that you are just left holding the skin (saves you grating your finger tips and is a grate (!?) way to peel and finely chop tomatoes!)... unless of course you have a blender in which case you can just whizz them up - or in the absence of fresh tomatoes you could finely chop two or three tinned tomatoes.

Change the water in the lentils (this is what the sieve is for) and then add more water and boil again for 15 minutes.

Finely chop the coriander and peel and chop the garlic.

After the lentils have been boiled again you can sieve them and put them to one side.

Add the oil to the pan and then add the spices (except the salt), the garlic and, if you are using it, the meat. Fry it for a while and then add the tomatoes and onions and the coriander, tomato puree and lentils and the water along with the olives and the piece of lemon and the chilli. Bring to a simmer and cook until it is ready.... how long will depend on whether or not you are using meat.

If it seems too watery just boil the excess water off until it is nice and thick.

Now you can taste it and add the salt. If you add the salt too early while cooking lentils or beans (any pulses) it tends to take ages to get them to cook properly and you end up with hard lentils!

You can serve it the Moroccan way – in one big shallow communal bowl/plate or individually and eat it with bread or spoons.... You can either fish the chilli out or leave it in and those who like it hot can take the chilli to one side and open it up then dab their bread in it before collecting lentils......

If you are using lamb I like to add ground cinnamon to the spices, if chicken you could add some turmeric... in fact you can play around with the spices as much as you like!

Shopping 101

If you love to shop you will love Morocco. The shopping opportunities are almost endless.... from souks packed with glittering treasures to wayside stalls selling hand-picked fruit. Sometimes it may seem as if it is the intent of every Moroccan to empty your pockets of money.

Many tourists find the whole process of haggling over a price unnerving and disagreeable... feeling cheated if they find out that someone paid half their price for the same goods. If that is how you feel - then stick to fixed price stores.

Shopping in the Souk requires a whole new set of skills – first in checking out all the different choices available and getting a feel for the current price (and remembering where exactly you saw that fantastic leather handbag), then settling down and agreeing (or not)on the price of what you want to buy. There are two things to remember.

1. You do not need to buy anything if you are not happy with the price the shopkeeper is asking.
2. The shopkeeper does not need to sell you anything if he is not happy with the price you are offering.

Well actually there are a lot of things to remember...remembering to keep a sense of humour and perspective is probably as important as anything.

A Moroccan worker will get paid somewhere between 70 and 100 dirham a day – for the days that he works. There is usually no such thing as holiday or sick pay. Yes, there are some wealthy Moroccans, but the majority of the population live from hand to mouth. The idea of getting on an airplane and going to spend two weeks in a hotel is as much a dream as walking on the moon. While you may not feel it, compared to most Moroccans you are as wealthy as they would dream to be.

So when you are getting het up over the fact that the shopkeeper won’t come down that last 30 dirhams... think about the relative value of that 30 dirham to you and to him.

If you really can’t afford to or don’t intend to buy then be clear about that. If you do this in a polite and friendly way then you will be treated with courtesy and respect. If the shopkeeper does come down to your price then you are committed to buying the object. Having offered a price that he has met you cannot then restart the negotiations.

The shopkeeper will be weighing up a lot of things in deciding what price he can accept – apart of course from what it cost him to buy the goods. Where you are from is important – how wealthy you look, and how much of an idea do you have of the cost of things. This is why they often ask where you are from, and if it is your first trip to Morocco. How good has business been this week – is he struggling to pay the rent? Is there a bus load of tourists arriving in 10 minutes? Does he just desperately need some money to go and buy vegetables tonight? Are you the first customer of the day or the last – sometimes you will get a bargain by being either of these.

Haggling over a price; bantering with the shopkeeper; scooping an incredible bargain for a beautiful object: these are the moments that you will remember the next time you are standing at the checkout in Tescos.

Eid al Fitr

At last we have reached the end of Ramadan... well almost. We are still waiting to find out exactly when the fasting can stop (ie when the new moon is officially sighted) but it has to be sometime this weekend.

Wednesday night was the “Night of Power” when people go to the mosque and spend the night in prayer, reciting the Koran. This is believed to be the night when the first sections of the Koran were revealed to Mohamed and so is the holiest night of the year. As Mohamed did not actually give the date of his revelations no one can be 100% sure about when the “Night of Power” actually occurs though it is known be one of the odd numbered days in the last 10 days of Ramadan. In Morocco most authorities have settled on the 27^th night of Ramadan. Special grace is bestowed on those who make the prayers... and, I am sure, to the ladies who send their best plates of couscous to the mosque to help sustain those staying up all night.

In a way the end of Ramadan is a bit like the end of the year (even though it is the 9^th month of the calendar). People emerge from Ramadan feeling renewed physically and spiritually, with their sins washed away and also having reflected on their behaviour and life - that is, of course, assuming that they have behaved during Ramadan as they should have!

Already everyone is excited about the Eid. Souks and shops have been extra busy as people have stocked up (again) with special food for the feasting that follows Ramadan. It is customary to have new clothes to wear for the Eid and to give gifts to children. So the clothes and toy shops are doing a roaring trade. Homes are also given a major clean and this is the time for redecoration and maybe new furniture.

The Eid celebrations start with community prayer. These are usually held outside the local mosques (as too many people arrive for everyone to fit inside). The services are usually kept quite short and then everyone rushes home to eat – in daylight! After this neighbours and family visit and eat and visit and eat, culminating in a big family meal in the evening.

The Eid al F’tir is also the time when Moroccans share their good fortune by giving food or money to people in need. Everyone who is able is expected to give around 2kg of flour or dates – or the financial equivalent - and this gift must be given before the end of the Eid prayer. The money and food collected is distributed by the mosque.

I have been told that the weather is always good on the Eid as our reward for fasting. Good weather in Moroccan terms is cool and overcast... and possibly even rainy! This would indeed be a blessing on this hot and dry country. Though this year I doubt residents in Rabat and Casa, who suffered huge disruption to their lives when torrential rain caused flooding this week, would agree.

Ramadan Nights

Visitors to Morocco might be concerned that World War III has broken out when the wail of the air raid siren rends the evening air. But not to worry, it is just signalling the end of fasting. Any Moroccans not already safe indoors will be seen rushing off home for breakfast.

During Ramadan all Muslims have to refrain from eating and drinking (among other things) between sunrise and sunset. So you can imagine there is a fair amount of clockwatching goes on towards the end of the afternoon, and great relief when the call comes from the mosque that it is time for breakfast.

Traditionally harira (soup thickened with chickpeas, lentils and pasta) with dates and chebekia (pastries cooked with honey and spices) is served to break the fast along with other tasty morsels, followed quickly by a small snack - often bread and fish - and then later in the evening by dinner. Sometimes dinner is delayed till round midnight and in some families the women stay up and cook couscous or tagines for the family to eat in the early morning, before fasting begins.

In the big cities you will find that the bustle that was missing during the day makes an appearance during the evenings. After breakfast many families come out for an evening stroll in the streets, shopping and enjoying the sights and of course eating (and eating and eating).

Generally though, Ramadan is a time for staying home with family, sharing meals and sitting watching the special TV shows that most of the Arabic stations put on. The best part of the family gatherings is the sitting round and telling stories. Moroccans love stories of magic, witches and demons, comic stories of people pulling a fast one on their less agile neighbours but above all they are fond of riddles. Everyone from the youngest to the oldest will chip in with their favourite and watch while everyone scratches their head trying to solve it. But no matter how late they stay up telling stories, they always somehow manage to get up in time to eat and drink before break of day – ready for another day of fasting.

Ramadan Days

If you arrive in Marrakesh during Ramadan you will find that publicly life goes on pretty much as normal. In tourist areas the restaurants, cafes and shops will still be open serving food and drink as normal – but spare a thought for your poor waiter who has been working all day without food or drink.

People are generally quieter – especially as Ramadan is entering its final week now and everyone is feeling tired. You might find tempers fray at little more easily towards the end of the day especially for the smokers who have to bear the nicotine craving at least till sunset and f’tar (breakfast).

There are some differences though. Some shops may close in the afternoon, opening again in the evening once breakfast is over. Restaurants catering purely for Moroccans usually close completely during Ramadan, as no one eats during the day and families eat together at night. You might also find that many public offices will be closed for most of Friday afternoon for prayers.

Public transport is also affected – both before and during Ramadan. Moroccans tend not to travel far during Ramadan. Although you are exempt from fasting if are travelling, most people will try to keep to the fast. They will arrange trips to relatives so that they arrive before Ramadan starts or after the end. This means that just before Ramadan buses and trains will be exceptionally busy and even more chaotic than usual – and probably best avoided.

During Ramadan don’t expect to travel at sunset; everyone else is just fixated on eating. There will also be a big rush on taxis and buses just before sunset as every tries to get home in time in time for breakfast.

I think, for a tourist, the strangest part of Ramadan is what happens at sunset. As soon as the call is heard announcing the end of the fast the streets quickly empty as everyone races home to be ready for breakfast. Away from the buzz of tourist areas you will find yourself walking through empty and silent streets where the only passers-by are more tourists puzzling about what happened to everyone.

This Month we are mostly eating – nothing?

Ramadan has just started in Morocco and this year everyone is dreading the longer, hotter days of a summer Ramadan.

Ramadan is the 9th of 12 months from the traditional Islamic calendar. Each month begins with sighting of the new moon and lasts until the next new moon is sighted – or a maximum of 30 days if you are experiencing lots of cloudy weather. As the start of the month depends on when you see the new moon it also naturally varies as you move west. Each country runs with a slightly different timing of events, and each year the festivals marked in the Muslim calendar creep forward against the Gregorian calendar by around 11 days. The calendar officially began when the prophet Mohamed arrived in Medina (in 622AD) and is known as the Hijri Calendar. We are now in the year 1430AH, even though that was only around 1387 years ago according to the western calendar. I am not sure if this makes me older or younger when in Morocco?

This is the holiest of months in the Islamic calendar, and the aim of the fasting is to help people get in touch with the spiritual side of life rather than their usual concern with the material, to learn self discipline and to impart some understanding of the lives of poor people who regularly cannot eat as well as they need to. As well as giving up eating and drinking and sex during daylight hours, all healthy adults are meant to give up all other vices including smoking and gossiping.

This last week the frenzied activity in preparation stuttered to a close as it was finally announced that Ramadan has started in Morocco. As in the weeks (months!) before Christmas in the west, the shops have been full of special Ramadan treats and of course prices have gone up. In the homes, women have been busy baking and dusting off the soup tureen.

There is a strange incongruity that the month of the “Parched Thirst” is characterised by the consumption of so many special little treats and luxuries. In fact, during Ramadan most Moroccans gain weight.

There will be more posted about Ramadan as the month progresses .....

An introduction to Moroccan Cooking

If Moroccan cuisine is an art, the colours on the palette are the spices: cumin, turmeric, paprika, black pepper, ginger and cinnamon – all freshly ground - and lots of fresh coriander. If you are going to attempt to cook Moroccan food you will also need to keep a good stock of fresh tomatoes, onions, green and black olives, lemons and olive oil.

Moroccans use fresh lemons when they are available and preserved in salt or oil when they are not. In the countryside all Moroccan housewives preserve their own lemons and olives but they are also available in the souks all year round. Fresh fruit and vegetables are also plentiful in the souks, but are very seasonal, one month you will find mountains of fresh peas, the next it will be cabbage and so the simple tajine comes in an almost infinite variety of combinations of meat, veg and spice.

The traditional Moroccan kitchen is fairly basic – you will not find acres of clear worktop with drawers and cupboards full of equipment and tools. Moroccan cooking has, I suppose, evolved from a nomadic lifestyle – mostly prepared by hand with one knife, cooked in one pot and then, if possible, eaten from the same pot.

Because Moroccan is not a written language, the typical Moroccan housewife does not follow recipe books, but cooks from memory what she has learnt from her mother and aunts ... and mother-in-law. She adds a handful of this, a drop of that – nothing carefully measured. Everyone has their own variation on the classic dishes and makes the best of whatever is in season.

So here is a quick recipe that combines the flavours and colours of Morocco quite beautifully and simply.

Moroccan Salad

3 firm ripe tomatoes – peeled, seeded and chopped into half cm dice (though you can leave the peel on and seeds in if you want)

1 small onion – finely chopped

1 fresh green pepper – seeded and chopped (or you could use cucumber)

A handful of fresh coriander – finely chopped

Good teaspoon of freshly ground cumin

1 tablespoon of cider vinegar or lemon juice

Salt and pepper

Mix all the ingredients and leave to settle in the fridge.

You can serve as a starter (on some crisp lettuce leaves with a few black olives for garnish) or as a side salad - it goes really nicely with grilled meat and fresh bread.

Getting from a to b – Part 1

In Marrakesh, as in the rest of Morocco, there are multiple choice taxis.

The Grand Taxis are for use outside of the city (or from the airport). They are usually cream coloured Mercedes with their number and home town painted on the door. Moroccan’s use them like small buses for longer trips between cities, cramming 6 to a taxi (4 in the back and two on the front passenger seat). Each seat is sold at a standard price and you just turn up at the taxi station and wait for the taxi to fill up (hopefully with 5 skinny people). If you are in a hurry or would prefer more space you can pay for 2 or more seats. You can also book the whole taxi. The fare to Agadir in the south is currently 120dh so you should expect to pay around 720dh. If you are a tourist you could also just hire a grand taxi through your hotel. You will get a newer plusher model, but you can expect to pay anywhere from 900 to 1500 dirham. Remember that price is always negotiable.

For around town you have the “petit taxi” usually a Peugeot 205 or similar small hatchback, which are licensed to take 3 passengers only. In Marrakesh they are yellow, but the colour varies from city to city. These taxis all have a meter, but it is a good idea to make sure that they know you want the meter or “control” switched on for your journey, otherwise you should negotiate price before you get in. Some Petit Taxis also run like buses on a predefined route. You can get in or out anywhere along that route but always pay the same fare - in the region of 3 or 4 dirham per person. Once you get to know your neighbourhood you will soon work out where the Petit Taxis run and where the terminus is.

Travelling round Marrakesh in a petit taxi as they dodge in and out of the rest of the traffic (pedestrians, donkeys, cars, taxis, mopeds and trucks) heading down impossibly narrow streets at breakneck speed, is probably as much excitement as you will need for a day. When they recently ran the first Marrakesh Grand Prix, I half expected a petit taxi to win!

Luckily in Marrakesh you also have the option of the horse drawn Caleche. Nothing could be nicer than a gentle trot round the medina walls as the evening brings some cooler air. You can rest assured that the wellbeing of the horses is monitored closely by SPANA (a charity set up to ensure the welfare of horses and donkeys) and they are environmentally friendly – with their own horse drawn pooper catchers. The rates are posted in the carriage – usually somewhere under 100 dh per hour. As always - discuss what you can expect to pay with the driver before you get in.

Getting from a to b Part 2

Be warned - road traffic accidents account for an average of 10 fatalities a day in Morocco (figures from 2000). This must make travelling by road the most dangerous thing you can do in Morocco.

You can put this down to 3 things:

• in Morocco you can more or less buy your driving license and MOT
• bicycles, motorbikes, cars, buses, lorries... donkeys - all tend to be overloaded
• a generally fatalistic approach to life

The speed limit on motorways is 120km per hour, on other main roads it will vary between 80 and 100, dropping to 60 as you go through towns. There are a lot of police checkpoints along the road, so don’t even dream about speeding. If you do get stopped you need to have all of your papers handy (car insurance and grey card and your driving licence and passport or ID). A lot of policemen will just wave you on when they spot you are a foreigner. If not you may be lucky and get away with offering to pay an on the spot “fine”, otherwise your papers will be taken to the nearest police station and you will have to go along and pay the 400 dirham fixed penalty (unless it is something more serious).

All in all, Moroccan’s have a fairly relaxed attitude to traffic law. There is a joke that sums it up.

Policeman to Motorist “Did you not see that the light was red?”

Motorist “Yes, of course”

Policeman “So why didn’t you stop?”

Motorist “Well, I didn’t see you”

nb that was a Moroccan joke

Even if there is a policeman in view, don’t expect any lane discipline. At traffic lights especially they squeeze 4 abreast and inch forward in their impatience to get through - and then have to wait for someone behind to sound their horn as they are so far forward they can no longer see when the lights change.

Moroccan drivers also use their horn when they pass anything. This is not an aggressive “get out of the way” toot, but is intended to be helpful. They assume that you, like most Moroccan’s will not follow “mirror signal manoeuvre”, and will probably not look over your shoulder or even look in your rear view mirror before pulling out or turning. It is all fairly good natured – you will not see much in the way of road rage or aggressive driving in Morocco.

Once you get out of the cities, the main roads are remarkably good and traffic free. So if you drive sensibly and always bear in mind that the other drivers on the road are Moroccan, you will probably be OK - despite what the statistics say.

An Introduction to Eating

In Morocco eating is something that is taken very seriously and this has resulted in a rich tradition of delicious food. If you are lucky enough to be invited to eat with a Moroccan family you are in for a lovely experience... but there are a few things to remember. The most important is not to wear anything too tight. You will be encouraged to eat till you pop so try and remember to pace yourself! It is also a good idea to remember that you will probably be sitting on low chairs or even cushions on the floor so for ladies, mini-skirts and low cut tops are going to be more revealing than you intended and should probably be avoided.

On arrival (remembering to slip off your shoes as you enter the carpeted room) you will be offered mint tea and little cakes or biscuits.

Before you eat you wash your hands. A splendid kettle of warm water is carried round, usually by a younger member of the household, and as you hold out your hands over an equally splendid basin they will pour a stream of water for you to wash in. This is repeated at the end of the meal and sometimes between courses.

You can expect to be served salad followed by tajine followed by couscous followed by a mountain of fresh fruit. The tajine and couscous will be served in a large communal bowl in the centre of the table. Although you can hold your bread in your left hand you must remember to eat only with your right. You can scoop up the tajine using small pieces of bread, but couscous is much trickier. With luck you will be given a spoon while the more skilful roll a small handful into a ball and pop it into their mouth. You eat only the food in front of you and remember to leave the meat till last. Although no one will say anything, it is really bad form to reach over the table and scoop that succulent bit of carrot from in front of someone else. In all likelihood your host will keep pushing tender morsels over to you and “La Shukran... Baraka... Saffi”* will probably be some of the most used words in your Arabic vocabulary.

It is quite OK, and probably wise, to leave soon after eating, if you stay too long your hosts will feed you again (even though you feel as if you don’t need to eat for another week). As you try to leave your host will hold you by the hand and beg you to stay for another meal, the night, a week.... So be prepared, have a good excuse ready and remember the incredibly useful phrase “Inshallah” is an acceptable response when you are asked to come back soon.

*no thank you... enough... really enough

Marrakesh, the Red City, pearl of the south, ancient and exotic.

Marrakesh was founded in the 11^th century to profit from its position on a high plain in the foothills of the High Atlas Mountains. A welcome stopping off point for traders at the northern end of the Salt Route from Timbuktu, Marrakesh became the capital city for the fabulously wealthy Almoravid dynasty (the Moors who defeated El Cid). And, after nearly a millennium, it is still a vibrant centre for trade and for travellers.

Marrakesh has the beating heart of a great city and it is in the heart that it takes you. I first came to Marrakesh four years ago, just for a short Christmas break and fell in love almost as soon as my feet touched the ground. We spent the customary few days wondering around the souks and palaces, and joining the evening crowds in the Djema el Fna. One morning we found ourselves accompanied by a man who asked us if we would like to look at carpets. I replied that “I would rather look at houses”, partly in the hope that this would deflect him and partly because the idea of living here had been growing in me. Of course this was not a problem and, after looking at carpets, we looked at houses. To cut a long story short (and you will hear the long story eventually), within a year I found myself owning a house in the medina of Marrakesh.

Marrakesh is like Morocco, ancient and alive, exciting, bewildering, old, ugly and beautiful..... and very likely to cast a spell on you. If you need to be in control, for things to happen at the appointed time, if you would rather that things went smoothly or not at all – then Morocco is not for you. But if you still get a thrill from the unexpected and the beautiful, can laugh when you stumble and still have curiosity about what is round the next corner, then maybe Morocco will delight you. There is no point struggling to keep your head – just surrender. You will get lost, you will buy something that you don’t really need and you will probably pay more than you could have.... but you might as well just accept that and enjoy the experience. In time you will get wiser, you will learn to navigate the narrow twisting streets of the souks and you will get to know the price of things as well as their value. I hope that this blog will help you in that process.