I was invited to Morocco for 10 days from October 1st to help create a yoga dvd and also to make my own film.We arrived at Marrakesh and after checking in at the gorgeous Riad Magellan headed off to the gathering place Jamaa El Fna to see snake charmers with their cobras and various stalls and entertainers.
It's a crazy place filled with families on 1 motorbike with no crash helmets zipping through the crowds.The souks in the Medina were filled to the brim with metalwork,textiles,leatherwork,shoes,bags and lanterns.It was like a step back in time to medieval ages.So much character and so many people and animals.
The next morning we visited Les Jardins Majorelle.These were owned by Yves Saint Laurent and he also had a house there painted in' Yves Klein' blue.The gardens were filled with cactii and exotic plants.A memorial to YSL is also there after his death recently.
We then went to a hamman which is a wash house.I had a massage and scrub.I felt very clean afterwards!
That afternoon we travelled by coach for 4 hours to Agadir on the Atantic coast.There is a mountain lit up with the whole side saying 'Allah is Great' in arabic.The beach was beautiful and the sun was hot.It was nice to relax for a few days by the sea. Many thanks to Fatima Legrou at the Palais des Roses who allowed us to film in the grounds of the beautiful hotel.
Next stop is Skoura on the way to the Sahara desert.We travelled through many miles of mountains and desert for about 7 hours via Taroudant and Ouzazarte which is the centre of the morrocan film industry.Many western films like Kundun and Gladiator were filmed around there.
We spent one night at Les Jardins de Skoura miles away from civilization. and I sat on an unlit terrace to watch the stars after dinner. The houses around were made of earth and surrounded by palm trees and sand.It was like being in a scene from the bible.Scorching sunshine too,last year Skoura only had 7 days of rain.
We travelled back to Ouzazarte to meet up with Chris Pyper who we met on the bus the day before.Chris is a member of the Peace Corp who were set up by John F.Kennedy to help Moroccan people with things like business support.It is Chris's job to help the artisans who make silver daggers in nearby El Kelaa M'gouna about 25 minutes away.It's the town that grows roses and every May or June hosts the Rose festival.The town is filled with Berbers and the silversmithing tradition is 800 years old there.We visited the Dagger co-operative where I filmed the shops and showroom and met some artisans.
We stayed at Chris's house in a nearby village where they also make the daggers.They are ceremonial and used at weddings and dances.The Moroccans I met are very gentle,peace loving people.They were shocked when I told them about our problems with knife and gun crime.I was told it is even safe to leave your bags around and they would be completely safe.
In the evening we visited some homes in the village and were made very welcome with mint tea,almonds,dates and madeira cake.One lady had 15 children.I was given a berber name 'Rqia" she was the daughter of Allah and had 99 names.
In another house we had a meal with salad,tagine and fruits.Lots of the villagers came out to say hallo. It was a wonderful enriching experience.We gave some design advice for the showroom and talked ideas about improving business.
The next morning I heard the most beautiful sound I have ever heard in my life.It was the 1st call to prayer and lasted for about 40 minutes.It was truly hypnotic and otherworldly.I wish I had a copy of that sound/prayer.
We left the next morning with M'hamed and Chris to get a taxi to Ouzazarte.We met some people we shared a car with on the way to Skoura so again we travelled with them.From Ouzazarte we took a taxi to Marrakesh across the high Atlas and were they high!.Unbelievable.It took about 4 hours and we went through hairpin bends and really scary mountainside roads so high
up.
We travelled straight to Imlil,again across the high Atlas mountains for an hour.This time we stayed up at 2,000 feet-the same height as Mount Snowdon.We had to get a mule to carry our luggage up the mountain for 25 minutes to Tamaret's Kasbah Samra.We were near mount Toubakel,at around 4,000 feet it's the highest mountain in North Africa.
I met people staying there who had been to my school and the local boy's school and there was a retired school teacher there so it was like a school reunion.We lived for 2 days with the local Berbers more or less .This was real eco-tourism.I can not believe how these people lived in such harmony with their environment.Nothing was wasted and everything was natural.A truly great place.
Our final destination was Marrakesh and after a lovely tour with Hussain seeing eagles,camels and horses we stopped off at our last Riad.Thanks to Aidan Webster at Les Trois Mages for his great hospitality.I hope to stay in his apartment 'Dar Mellah' in Essouira on the coast next time I visit this country.I definitely plan to go back and film there and in Fes and Meknes,hopefully in the near future.It was with sadness I left the sunshine and people of this African country.A life changing experience for sure!!
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