Day 10: Tuesday again already!

I can't believe we have now been living here in Tahannaout for 9 whole days - that only leaves us 81 to go! This morning we venture once again to the market with Saïd to buy some veg; we've decided to forego the meat as the last lot (lamb) wasn't as good as expected - although the three guard dogs seemed to think so as they gnawed their way hungrily through the bones - I haven't mentioned the guard dogs yet, have I? They belong to Saïd - all strays that he has taken in and fed for several years now. When I ask Saïd their names, he replies  'They have no name', so now we call them all 'Dog-with-no-name'...he says two of them are Mr and Mrs because they are always happy together - a refreshing and simplistic view of relationships! It is sad to see that all three dogs are scared of humans - they will not come near and watch every move cagily, running away at the slightest hint of threat; even Saïd does not get close enough to pet them - yet they seem happy enough to just wander around the garden and lie in the sun, and at night fend off any intrusion in the form of other barking dogs or distant foxes. They recognise us now, wag their tails and then they are off for another lazy day of lying in the sun.

Lazing in the sun

Where was I? Oh yes, the market! After last week's parking fiasco we decide this week to walk the 1km to the entrance to the market - loosely termed. Men on donkeys undertake us on the road as Said explains they will have been travelling since dawn to be here, such is the importance of selling their goods in this market. Every Tuesday they make this same journey, and every Tuesday they must re-pack what hasn't been sold and return to their villages. It's hard to imagine this lifestyle when we are so used to short comfortable car journeys or even bus journeys to get to wherever we want to go...and even then we moan!

Parking Tahannaout style!

Patiently waiting

We've now reached the car park Tahannaout-style! Donkeys everywhere - like the car park from last week, they too face every direction, waiting for their master's return and the long trip home. Today we wander further into the market, having bought our fresh fruit and veg from the same friend of Saïd as last week. In front of us is a row of stalls, each one offering dentistry, barbershop services, so called 'healing' medicines, or the like...or indeed a mixture of all of these. Mart is beckoned to try the services on offer - fortunately, the man only pretends to pull out his teeth, having first bound his hands together with a rag! However, this is a genuine service on offer to local people - the tooth-pulling-out I mean, not the hand-tying! Don't think either of us will be trying it for real...at least I hope we don't have to resort to that.

Ouch!

Our local greengrocer

You name it, he has it...except garlic

Also for sale today are many live sheep, chickens, rabbits, turkeys - I see one man carrying a live rabbit by its ears, its feet tied together, its body dangling precariously at his side as he walks through the crowds. I can't help but mutter 'ah, poor thing' - at which point the man hears me, lifts the rabbit high, waves it at me and smiles - he obviously thinks I approve...though he couldn't be further from the truth! As we stumble over the stony, rubbish-strewn paths we are confronted once again by carcasses hanging from hooks, goats' heads looking up at us from wooden crates, and this time I nearly trip over an unrecognisable foot of some unfortunate animal which has gone astray from a stall - this part of the market, though fascinating, does not appeal to me, and we move along swiftly. I am intrigued to stumble across what look like mounds of earth standing about 4 ft tall dotted around the market...Saïd explains that these are made of clay and straw compacted together with an opening at one side to form an oven in which to cook an entire lamb - to produce probably what we would call a combination of roast lamb and kebabs! I'll never look at a kebab in the same light again!

Not a pretty sight!