Ramadan Again

A town where I get mail

New police station in my village

Yep, it's very hot in my apartment early evening, imagine it outside...

The sun goes down for Ramadan

Ikram, my neighbor came over to color and brush my hair.

Kids in nearby village

This little guy is quite a character 

Playing with a clown nose

My sleeping cocoon

The call to prayer tells when to break the fast

I love children

We laughed for hours...

Ramadan is different for me this year. I don't feel inclined to be as active in the process. I am getting ready to take another break and go with friends to Spain and Portugal. The heat is getting to me. The village is quiet, things are closed and many locals are gone. Although I am remaining positive, I am grateful that this will be my last experience of Ramadan. I have been making the rounds visiting families and friends before the holiday as well as trying to get my work visa renewed. It's quite the process which I started over 2 months ago. Many trips to the local police station, photo copies, coordination with Peace Corps enjoying breakfasts, lunches, coffee and tea with the Gendarme while taking care of all the necessities. I am reminded of a Johnny Cash song: "I'm along way from home and so all alone, homesick like I'd never thought I'd be and everything is wrong, someone please watch over me." In any case, I am grateful to have my computer, my camera, the ability to travel, this experience.I had the opportunity to have a tender moment with one of my sisters yesterday during the first day of Ramadan. She asked me if I have thought about having a man in my life and will I marry? I replied by telling her it's hard in a Muslim culture and not appropriate in the small rural village, which she agreed and encouraged me to visit the bigger cities to get married. I told her I am waiting for the time to be right and when I get back to America I will try my best. She told me how she met her husband. She smiled and I could tell she felt very sorry for me...Oh Morocco, sometimes you make me laugh!  

Back in the Bled

The cats go after the bird, chicken for dinner

Me, my sister, and extended family

Posing

Sagia

My Grandfather

In the bled, at my grandparents house, a kid took this photo

A visit from a woman and her daughters

Cleaning in the kitchen

Msnmn bread and Moroccan pancakes with tea

Making henna

Mom helps me to crush the plant leaves

Henna then gets applied by my host sister

Paper beads necklaces and braclets

I often look outside my window and daydream

The bled is also known as the village or douar. I am getting back in the swing of things here. A lot of my community is gone for Ramadan as it starts next week. Not too much new as everyone is preparing for the holidays, Ramadan and many locals are gone visiting family in other parts of Morocco. School won't get started again until September and really won't pick up until after L3id Kbir, which is after October. I have been spending a lot of time visiting in my village, as I won't be here for much of Ramadan as I have decided to go to Spain and Portugal with friends instead. The weather has been sunny and up until recently minus a few really hot spells pretty decent. Now, it's just oppressive and too hot to do anything productive. Between early morning workouts and updating my blog, I sit around with my family, creating art, spending time sleeping, eating and having tea and doing henna. It's hard to believe I've been here over a year and I find myself reflecting over the past year here. It's that time where locals are asking me when I will return back to the states. I have been thinking more about my future as the weeks roll by. I still loose track of days where the weeks go by fast and the days are long. I patiently wait for cooler evenings and then enjoy sleeping on the roof where I can star gaze after the long hot days.  

Essouira and Agadir for Work and Play

View from pier, Essa

Friends, Donna and Alex in Essa

Cats in doorway, Essa

Paper bead project

Macrame and paper beads 

Essa beach dog

Asian Thai fusion in Essa

Peace Corps friends, Barbara and Jenn

Vendor making Arabic bracelets, Agadir

Man on the street with an eel

 Peace Corps friend, Alex

Community Based training group reunion

Rabat Peacecorps headquarters, Rabat

Peacecorps sign, Rabat

Gnaoua Music Fesitval, Essaouira

Jam session

Friends in apartment, Essouira

Essa handmade wool hats

Peace Corps and Red Cross

Peace Corps partners with Moroccan red cross

Back to Essouira was a nice way to end vacation in Paris. It was great to see Peace Corps friends and experience the magical music festvial, Gnauoa. Eating ice cream and sitting on the windy beach was refreshing. The music venues happened late and I enjoyed the impromptu jams during the day inside the medina walls. Rabat was uneventful as I went for my mid service medicals and finally got some new glasses. From one beach to the next, Agadir was a regional meeting where I had the chance to meet new volunteers and get support for work. I had the opportunity to work on a small wheelchair distribution project in Tarodant and visit volunteers along the way for some creative and quiet time.  

Northern Morocco and a Little Spain

Fes Medina

Fes Tannery 

Dried roses, Fes medina

Pottery in Fes

Cemetery in Fes

Large doorway in Fes

Men welding in Fes medina

Ruins in Fes

Died leather in Fes

Tannery, Fes

Volubulous, Moulay Idriss

Shoe carpenter, Khenifra

Assilah grafitti artist wall

The sun sets in Assilah

Alert kitten in artist gallery, Assilah

Assilah art wall

Atlantic ocean in Assilah

Pistachio ice cream at Cape Spartel, Tangier

Cous cous in the medina, Chefchouen

Chefchouen, Morocco

Mosque in Chefchoen

Beautiful doors in Chefchouen

Fndq, near Sebta Spain

Chefchouen

Chefchoen blue....

Chefchouen parrot

Morocco Spain

Sebta or Cueta Spain

Northern Morocco is probably the most beautiful place I've seen thus far. I especially like Chefchouen. It may be the striking blues and white against the mountainside along with the mellow atmosphere that extends into the medina and the friendly Moroccan's that welcomed me. There is all kind of hiking and waterfalls to see there as well as a Casbah built in the center of town. Against the Rif mountains, this city sits with a backdrop of the Atlas mountains, this gorgeous place felt like home....A place I am tempted to imagine I would retreat to. Very artsy and touristic, it is a sacred place that has a nurturing affect and I hope to visit again. The Tangier ocean and peninsula full of potential was disappointing in that it didn't have as much charm. My friend and I explored the area and spent time at the Moroccan beaches and medinas. Assilah, a quaint and small place was worth the trip just to see the small charming medina, artful ambiance and beach forefront. Fes, a hopping place with it's windy medina, I felt like a mouse looking for my way out. It was a fun place to explore and I especially loved the cemetery and old ruins as well as a cool cafe called; 'Cafe Clock'. Moulay Idriss, a lovely town built into the mountain, non touristy with it's somewhat aggressive vendors turned out to be a little piece of heaven on earth. We viewed the Volubulios ruins and walked about, no time for the medina there.