Morocco Odyssey 21: Ouarzazate

Our sojourn in the Sahara came to an end the next morning as we were to set out for the town of Ouarzazate, which was built by the French as a garrison outpost. But, first we had to drive back and get our bus. Parked next to it was another tour bus with this ‘mural’ emblazoned on its side. I show it now because we were eventually going to encounter this ‘water man’ days later in Marrakesh.

We made several stops along the route, including a visit to a community created oasis museum, where we observed their intricate system of water storage and supply.  The next day was more eventful, as we traveled to Ait Benhaddou, a picturesque fortified city [a ksar]. It is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its striking example of southern Moroccan earthen architecture. Scenes from Lawrence of Arabia and other films were set here.

Actually, we did not go into the city itself. Instead, we experienced another Day In the Life of local people. Here we were hosted by Ali [below], a prosperous farmer, who led us through his fields.

                                         Two women working the land are shown below.

Next we met with the members of a local women’s self help association for rural development. You can read the full title from their poster below. It proved to be a most enlightening and inspiring to see what they are accomplishing. Their patience, determination and productive work has earned the respect and support of the village males.

                                 
                                  The leader of the association is this young woman.

In addition to serving us a delicious lunch, we were treated to a henna ceremony in which I was a volunteer. Once the darkly colored henna began peeling off, I was left with a light reddish-brown color that lasted for many days.

Finally, as we were returning to Ouarzazate, we passed through the area that housed several of the studios responsible for many of the desert films of old. At one roundabout there was this homage to the industry.