10 November 2011

Day 33: Ouirgane Wanderers

A bit of a lie-in today as Mart's not working...7.30am get-up! We do our usual lazing around, drinking tea, watching sunrise, checking emails routine and plan the day ahead. Today is another beauty so we decide on another trip into the mountains, this time to a place called Ouirgane (pronounced Weer-gan). Ouirgane is a pretty Berber village nestled in the foothills of the High Atlas mountains, lying about 1000 metres above sea level. We have been meaning to visit this village for a long time, but have never quite made it; Today is the day!

Having checked that Mrs Dog and her pups are okay, we set off from home in our trusty car and within five minutes find ourselves back amongst beautiful mountain scenery. It is late morning by now and the sun is beaming down on the majestic mountains, providing light and shade in equal measure. We can see for miles as we trundle along the uneven mountain roads, from the Haouz plain of Marrakech to the snow-covered  Tazaghart plateau. Village upon village cling to the hillsides, camouflaged against the red rock and stone. Children sit on the hillside, throwing stones at goats below, women carry their babies on their backs as they walk between villages, old men sit in cafes drinking their umpteenth glass of mint tea whilst the young men sit on the rocks at the roadside, chatting and watching the occasional car go by, sometimes even shouting a cheery 'Bonjour'. It makes us wander what day-to-day life is like for these people who live in the valleys..do they ever get bored? What are their hopes and dreams? Will these young men stay in the village or will they chase the allure of the bright city lights? It's difficult for us as Westerners so caught up with the materialism that our society dictates to understand the seeming simplicity of these young mens' lives - yet they are happy, or at least appear to be!

A valley en route

A hilltop fortress

Our car

A camouflaged village clings to the hillside


Finally we reach our destination - Ouirgane. It is a lovely place, but neither of us is in the mood for doing lots of walking today after our long journey here, so we opt to stop off for a leisurely lunch at a hotel called La Roseraie instead. I've seen this hotel advertised in holiday brochures and have always wanted to visit. The name of this place describes it beautifully - everywhere you look are gorgeous roses, flourishing even now in November! These are planted alongside pomegranate trees, date palms, olive trees, magnolia trees and cacti of all descriptions and interspersed with small ponds, one of which has lily pads floating on the surface and terrapins hidden beneath. The gardens stretch endlessly in front of us....but our stomachs beckon us to have lunch and leave the gardens till later. We are seated at a table overlooking the N'Fis river with a mountainous backdrop and under the shade of olive trees. The location is very peaceful, only the chirruping of chaffinches in the trees and the gurgling of the rose petal-filled fountain next to us can be heard as we enjoy our lamb chops, chips and veg lunch. Yes, I know, lamb again! It is on every menu at the moment wherever you go - but we're not complaining! This lamb is extremely succulent and we both feel fully satiated by the end of the meal.

La Roseraie

Starters: a variety of warm breads with olives

Petal-filled fountain

Seed cluster and fruit of Magnolia Grandiflora

A Date Palm laden with dates

Pollination

Roses and Palms
Lily pad covered pond

After a last look around the garden, we set off once more and head for Tin Mal Mosque. To get there we take  the dramatic Tizi 'n' Test road that eventually crosses the High Atlas mountains. This route is even more winding and hair-raising than others we've taken before! To say that the scenery around us is stunning would be an understatement. From the road we finally catch a glimpse of the Tin Mal Mosque, nestled into the hillside. This mosque was built in 1156 and is one of only two mosques in Morocco that is open to non-Muslim visitors. It has been partly renovated in the 1990s but much of the original structure remains, although it is no longer in use.

Tin Mal Mosque viewed from the road

As we drive up the winding path to reach the mosque we are met by a group of young men running downhill towards us with frightened looks on their faces; we wonder what on earth is going on. Then we see why they are running... they are being followed by another young man who is dressed head to toe in goatskins, brandishing an olive branch, and he is chasing them at full pelt. This is the Boujloud! The Boujloud is an Amazigh ancestral tradition, similar to our Hallowe'en. Young men dress up in the goatskins that are left over from the slaughtering of goats a few days earlier, and when the children hear the drum beat signalling the arrival of the Boujloud  they must run or give him money - or they will be picked up by their feet and hit with the olive branch! There are many horror stories that children share about the Boujloud in the days leading up to his appearance, so when he arrives they are already anticipating what he might do to them. Hence, everyone fears him. We find ourselves face to face with the Boujloud! After a quick 20 dirham negotiation (after all, we don't want to experience his wrath!), the Boujloud agrees to pose for a photo for us. As we thank him he runs off, leaving the stench of dead goat behind...these are the genuine article, not a costume! He must be wearing at least six dead goats around his body...yuk!

The Boujloud!


Anyway, back to our visit to the mosque! We enter through a narrow door and find ourselves in a giant open space full of columns and archways with intricate carvings and solid wooden doors. As we wander around it is easy to imagine people praying in this peaceful place, and to believe that once upon a time this would have been magnificent. This is a rare opportunity to see the inside of such an ancient mosque, and it does not disappoint.

Wall and door of the mosque

Archways 

An ornate doorway
Looking across the mosque

Soon we are on our way home after an interesting day out...and all is well with the world.

2 comments:

  1. A very talented writer and photographer! Beautiful. L&M. xxx

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  2. Thank you. I can't take all the credit for all of the photos though. Some were taken by Mart. Both of us enjoy trying to capture the scenes and people we come across x

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