Today we said goodbye to Africa, and Africa delivered quite a sendoff. The port of call was Agadir, in southern Morocco, a city of half a million that is best known as a seaside resort destination for shivering northern Europeans. Sunbathing was the last thing on our minds, though, and we booked an excursion to take us inland to the old walled city of Taroudant.
But first a little background. While Casablanca and northern Morocco are Arab, Agadir, Taroudant, and southern Morocco are Berber. Berbers are the indigenous people of northwestern Africa and predate the Arabs by millennia. They have their own languages and customs, though most are Sunni Muslims like their countrymen to the north.
The other thing that I found to be significant is that this area is earthquake prone. Agadir was completely leveled and rebuilt after a big one in 1960, and portions of the city wall in Taroudant are currently being repaired after a smaller quake last September. Fortunately, all was calm during our visit.
Our morning began with a bus ride to Taroudant, a market town of 80,000 inhabitants. Fifty miles inland and almost directly east of Agadir, Taroudant was a former caravan stop on the so-called Gold Road from Timbuktu to Marrakesh. Today the main source of revenue is tourism, as visitors like us come to see what life is like away from the big coastal cities.
The first thing we noticed as we left Agadir was the Atlas Mountains off to our left. The Atlas Mountains stretch across northwestern Africa, with peaks as high as 13,000 feet, and I am pleased to say that we saw them at a distance and avoided experiencing another of our frequent nail biting adventures on narrow, hairpin-filled precipices. The road to Taroudant was pancake flat and quite good.
Like too many places on the planet, Morocco is experiencing a multi-year drought, and many crops that used to flourish in the country’s south are just a memory. One crop, if you want to call it that, which is still doing fairly well, is the argan tree. Argans only grow in southern Morocco, and they produce a fruit not unlike olives. Argan oil has a wide range of uses, and is superior to olive oil in some aspects, including its oxidation point. Argan is also used to treat skin conditions and can be found in some cosmetics. We tried some argan oil later in the day, and I liked it, but that wasn’t what drew my attention on the drive to Taroudant.
It was goats. When there is no food to be found on the ground, goats will climb trees to eat the leaves. Who knew? Our bus driver pulled over at one point so we could take photos of goats up in an argan tree, though in retrospect it’s pretty clear that the whole thing was a setup for tourists. The goat herder probably makes more money from tourist tips than he does tending goats, and the tour company is almost certainly in on the deal, but the goats really do climb trees, and it was a pretty cool sight.
And then we arrived at Taroudant, and it was fabulous. The town is surrounded by a wall, which was necessary to protect the overnighting, gold carrying camel caravans back in the day. The wall obviously isn’t necessary anymore, but it’s very cool and adds to the town’s aura. It was quiet outside, but once we entered through the gate we were transported to the Morocco I had hoped to see yesterday in Casablanca.
Donkey and horse drawn carts, narrow alleyways, and a colorful souk, or bazaar, were a delight, and once we entered the souk, it was complete sensory overload. If you’ve never been to a souk, the aisles are narrow, crowded, noisy, dark, and you can buy anything there, from spices to shoes to satellite dishes. I loved it as we snaked our way through, never sure what would be around the next corner.
All too soon our time in Taroudant was over, and it was time for a very late lunch at a small resort, where we were treated to a traditional Berber feast under a large tent. I’ll post a photo of the main course below, but for now I’ll just say that it was amazing. We all ate way too much, but enjoyed every bite of it. We also enjoyed the entertainment, and again I’ll post photos below.
The drive to our lunch destination had taken us part of the way back to Agadir, and now we traveled the rest of the way for a final treat, the souk in our port city. It wasn’t quite as wild as the one in Taroudant, but it was a lot of fun. Once you get comfortable with the sights, sounds, and smells, and don’t mind being jostled a bit as you squeeze through the mass of humanity, souks really are a special experience.
At last it was time to return to the ship, and we got back a little after 7:00, tired and sweaty, but elated after a wonderful day in Berber Morocco. My advice if you’re interested in visiting Morocco is this: come to Casablanca if seeing the Grand Mosque is a high priority, but otherwise come to Agadir and travel out to Taroudant. It’s amazing.
Tomorrow is a sea day as we point the Serenade northward on the Atlantic toward Lisbon, Portugal, our next destination. I’ll be back to tell you all about it, so stay tuned.
Just about the only water we saw all day, not counting the swimming pools where we stopped for our morning snack and late lunch. Those are the Atlas Mountains in the background.
An argan tree. Not much else grows here.
Closeup of the fruit of an argan tree. In a month or two it will turn black and be ripe for harvesting.
That is, if the goats don’t pick the trees clean first.
Just outside the gates of Taroudant.
Entrance to the walled city of Taroudant.
Closeup of the wall. Not sure what the holes are for.
Inside the walls it’s a different world.
Just inside the walls. You can buy anything here, from a blender to pots and pans to old shoes to used auto parts.
Typical street scene.
Inside the souk. If you couldn’t find it outside, it’s probably in here.
Lots of spices, nuts and olives.
The dates looked really good.
Typical shop in the souk.
Men usually dress more plainly. I found this gentleman’s garb interesting.
Here’s something you probably won’t see anywhere but here. The local custom is for a man to offer a woman a gold belt when he asks for her hand in marriage. Yep, you can even find gold belts in the Taroudant souk.
Baking bread over a wood fire. The bakery is the local gossip center.
Michele enjoyed some really fresh bread.
Streetside fruit market in Taroudant.
Horses and donkeys are a common sight in Taroudant.
On our way out. That’s quite a wall.
The main course at our lunch stop, served family style. It was absolutely delicious.
These gentlemen serenaded us during lunch.
And there was a dancer.
Back in Agadir, this is the entrance to the souk.
Lots of fruits and vegetables.
There were many food stalls in the souk.
Olive lovers can indulge here.
Watermelon, anyone?
Filo spinning. This guy was a real pro.
On our way out. Unlike the one in Taroudant, the Agadir souk has a wide central aisle, which makes it harder to get lost, a definite risk in Taroudant.
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