After a weekend in the desert of Morocco, a city trip sounded perfect. Noise, colors, smells- all of my senses aroused; and Fez did not disappoint. In the historic Souq of Fez, we saw for ourselves exactly what Old World Europe must have been like. Chickens being sold alive, weighed and then their heads chopped off right at the buyers request; spices by the bag, camels heads hanging, gold, silver, donkeys, tea, and the constant jabber of “you can only get this here”. What differentiated Fez from the imagination of Old Europe was the calls from the Muezzin, requests devotees to come to prayer. The sound is both beautiful and chilling for it unfamiliarity. And as the rain fell, we found beauty in every corner of the great labrynith.
Tag: morocco
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Erg Chebbi, Morocco
Stillness, peacefullness, and nothingness; the expanse of the Sahara is mind blowing. Many times, winding down long Texas highways, with only the occasional tumbleweed, I have often thought, “Wow, there is nothing here. I hope my car doesn’t break down.” But, after seeing the Sahara, Texas seems like a fountain of water. I mean, atleast you can find some bushes for shade or some small cavern of hope. In the Sahara, there is only sand and a glimpse at forever. However, this glimpse at forever is truly captivating. There is something about it that draws you in. You know you are about to embark upon a journey that will surely only unfold the same picture over and over again, in a monotony of sand, but yet the sense of curiosity- feeling forsure that there has to be something out there, draws you in. And then night falls and you find that exact change, that something you were looking for: the landscape of stars. As expansive as the desert itself, you feel such a sense of smallness in their presence; the wholesomeness of the world for those momentsand the fact that there is so much out there, brings a sense of peace to you and humanity. The same sense of hope that you feel at the embarkation of your journey catches you again. Hope and wonder are a powerful mixture.
Allison A Janssen 