Imsouane Life

 It's been a very pleasant week here at Imsouane. Although the wind has at times been a bit challenging but life goes on around us and we enjoy every drop.


There is a very rare bird that lives here called a bald Ibis. He's not the prettiest of birds but he does have a very special and useful diet. He eats scorpions! his long beak is thrust down small holes and up it pops with a tasty morsel! Don't believe me? Well, we have photos to prove it and promise, there is no photoshop involved.

and very pleased with himself he looks!
well, you would be after munching on a rather poisonous creature like the yellow scorpion! But that's what he does all day, sometimes a flock of them, sometimes alone.

It's a fine short drive then a hill scramble to the Source. a natural spring which turns the barren cliffs into a fertile garden. And you can drink the water! It is so peaceful here, an old man turns up while we are washing! He is not troubled and shows us how to use the local stone to scrub himself clean. He then proceeds to do his duty and pray!  As if we were no there.

We are also joined by three lads, who we know must be from the village behind us, Charfai. We had visited Hassan and his family there the other day. So knowing the locals is a bonus when it comes to cheeky ragamuffins. They  calm down quickly and give us a fine demonstration of diving and splashing in the local pool!! Man made and no doubt for irrigation but hey, a pools a pool. Lads need to cool down and have fun.

a fine show of acrobatics.

We fill water bottles to take back to the campsite (as Imsouane water is too salty to drink) and leave the lads to their fun time.
We've had a very peaceful time here and I need to get back for a surf!!! What, old fool 'needs' a surf? well, it's an old passion and sunshine and waves are a good combination.

Sunsets are always spectacular here and this past week has been wonderful.

So it's good night as the waves thunder in from the Atlantic, no doubt from a storm up north. It's been a beautiful week in Imsouane. Now it's time for us to pack up and hit the road to Marrakech to pick up Jaimie and Storm. Another adventure begins.

 

Tamanar Souk and the ipad kid

To start this episode, a couple of fine pieces from our visit to Hassan's on Saturday.


Not completed in time to go on the appropriate blog, one can't hurry an artist!


Well worth waiting for, Aisha, Fatima and Zara are given Krysia's interpretation of their beautiful selves. And Aisha, Mother of the family, a portrait of her own.







Sunday is Souk day in Tamanar, always worth a visit, It's another hot and sunny day and the 30 km motorbike drive is again delightful, especially as it a chance to cool down and it's only 10 am!

We know these roads well now but they still retain a freshness in their stark contrast to what we are used to. Rolling hills as far as the eye can see, dry parched soil covered with the small but mighty Argan tree. Shepherds guarding their goats who scrabble high into these trees, munching on their leaves and nuts. At any moment, we are transported back in time, a scene of simple domesticity, a smile from an ageless face. Tamanar is a Berber town still retaining it's own identity, as it was when we were here in the seventies and still hardly a women to be seen! Which can feel a little strange. Where are all the women? a nice place all the same, friendly folk getting on with their weekly market in the middle of the town. Not a big souk but lively all the same.
It's hot! So our first purchase is a at the mat stall??? A favorite of Krysia's.



Mmm, now this would fit the bike wouldn't it Ted?
I like it but I suppose it's meant for a donkey really! 

                                                  So I'll have this one!!!

                                                  It will fit on the bike,
                                                   no problem.







 On for a bit of lunch at a local fish 'room' ! Tiny little room I should say, Deep fried sardines, bread, two small bowls of something and a coke each for 20 Dhs the lot!!! Moroccan food at its best, with the locals and at their prices.

Maybe the chef is tempted to ask more of us as we're tourists but he does not. He is a young practicing Muslim as is indicated by his beard and clothes. It is himself and Allah he has to answer to. Unlike the next cafe we stopped at for a coffee. An instant with milk and 25 dhs was asked for! I looked at him and said hey, too much. So he grinned and said, 20 dhs. so I paid him and will not return. It's not the money, it's the attitude. It wasn't even a proper coffee.We watched them make it, hot milk served with a sachet of nescafe! All good fun. Communicating.




And now on to the really fun part of our day out, the highlight if you like, in a day of many delights. We decided to rest in the shade of a tree in amongst other locals and just take in our surroundings. Berber town in full Souk day, beggars and merchants side by side. Even Sadie came up and asked for a dirham, well a Sadie lookalike anyway. All people with means give to the less fortunate here, an obligation. No social security here!!
so Krysia gets here magic pad out and starts sketching and very soon, some young lads show interest and start to edge closer. An iPad artist is not a familiar sight in these parts. Soon, people begin to gather and just like the storytellers of these parts, the crowd thickens to see whats going on! soon, I am gently pushed out as Krysia becomes the center of attention. I call out to give her confidence, 'I'm here, keep it up, it's fine, they are really enjoying you drawing of the two lads!' The two lads have eagerly consented to being drawn and stand very still. This is brilliant! We have become the entertainment, just like in Marrakech, Taroudant or any of the squares of fame. Donnez moi un Dirham, I shout, with obvious humour!!

Well done that Krysia, full marks for keeping at it when under pressure, a truly wonderful experience.

and to the images that were made under these demanding conditions? I'll let you see them now!

                                                              I love them

It's already been quite a day but there is a little more to come. The drive home is via a road along the coast which we've done before, always passing this little road which I've been meaning to take for a while now. So we do! The road is tar mac and goes on for miles until it arrives at the coast where it proceeds to plummet down to the seaside, an easy ride for the bike, and there appears to be nothing there!! a dead end!! But quickly we see that there is, tucked away, a small fishing village in a natural harbour! It's quite spectacular in it's isolation!

              And this is where the mat that Krysia bought was carried, very Moroccan !!!

We slowly road back to Imsouane through fields made out of stone!! Well, the farmers had pulled so much out of the ground already but they still seemed to be largely made up of rocks!

Back to the campsite and an evening surf for me while Krysia sits on the beach and draws some more. A perfect end to a rather splendid day.

Motorcycle Delight and Huguette

We've not had much chance to use the Motorbike so far this trip but this day, Saturday 22nd March, reminded us of what delights it can lead us to. Two sides to the day. One, a bike ride and two, goodbye to Huguette.
The bike ride. Not a long journey this one but a trip to remember. Why? Because of where it took us and who we met. Behind the old road to Imsouane are unknown pastures and a road I've driven past in previous years just had to be taken. I had an idea where it might lead from walking in the hills but the road led us up and into a time gone by. A piste is what it's called, a rough track, enough for a car if you had to but a motorbike was fine. It lead to an isolated village only a mile or so inland. A young man waved at us as we entered the village, a friendly gesture encourages contact, so after we'd had a look around this peaceful haven, we shook hands as we passed the same chap, who immediately offered us tea. What could we say? yes please.
Hassan was instantly charming and keen to show us his new house that he was constructing. Mohammed, his son of perhaps three, joined us quickly on the terrace as kids do. People turn up, it's his mum and sister, Aisha and Fatima. They come and shake our hands then kiss their hand! Male relatives kiss the women on the top of their heads, very respectfully. Cous cous anybody? Ted, Krysia, join us please! There is no way out, so we go in to their most humble but beautiful living room and meet Zara, Hassan's wife, who looks a little perplexed at the two extra guests but scurries about the kitchen area and produces a feast for the now table of? Let me see, there's Aisha, Fatima and her very quiet husband with their young daughter Sellema. Hassan, Zara and two children, Mohammed and baby Aiyun. plus krysia and I, that makes 10 all told! Small room, small table, very intimate and totally delightful. Hassan speaks a little french, all the others communicate in Berber and gesture. They are loving having us with them and our few words of Berber give them great amusement. Eesh, Eesh they encourage, eat, eat! Aroum is bread and Tenmirht is thank you. That's our lot. communication is now in fluent Berber, smiles and laughter. We are honoured, they are chuffed. Two large bowls of food are shared, fruit and biscuits for desert and tea to wash it down.
Then comes the photo shoot! Krysia's idea and they happily oblige. What a treat for us and them

So well fed and pleased with ourselves we set off down the piste and back to the campsite as we do not wish to miss Huguette, who is leaving today. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.

So big hugs and kisses from us Huguette, it's been lovely to share this past week with you. Jean-loup runs her to Agadir and the airport. He will come back and see out the winter here. Surf and sun suit him better than the cold and wet of Toulouse, yes, southern France is cold and wet as we find out from Huguette when she rings up to say she is home safely. Hard to believe as it's so warm here!!!!
So may we cross paths again Huguette, Insha'Allah

Lots of love

Ted n Krysia

Lazy Days

It's about time I wrote a blog! It's 7 in the evening and another sunny day has just about finished. We've had a swim and a surf, Krysia stood up twice and come to think of it so did I! The surf was small but good for splashing around and having fun. A Para glider took off from the hill behind Imsouane and lost his control, he was picked up by the fishermen, dead unfortunately! The wind is blowing strongly from the north, as it does often here in the afternoons. It seemed crazy when we saw him take off from above, maybe 800 ft, strong side wind, sheer drop. One always imagines folk know what they are doing when they have all the kit but surely an onshore wind is what you need for jumping off a cliff, not a swirling cross wind. What do I know! A sad job for the local fishermen, picking up the body at the bottom of the cliff in the water. There was a sadness felt in the village tonight.

We've had a quiet week. A rest really. Not been anywhere far, just a walk in to the village or a swim in the cool blue sea. A bit of Tai Chi and some calming meditation. Our good friends, Jean-Loup and Hugette pass on their know how in said area. Just sitting and being quiet. Sleeping well too, very pleasant. A long overdue rest.

Krysia has been drawing a lot and continues to surprise us with lovely images. So this blog will feature several she's happy to share with us. Nice one Krysia.






So I'll introduce you to Benjamin, our next door neighbour. A qualified Doctor and keen surfer from Berlin , who is taking time out to be a traveller for several months. Also being a musician, he is eager to play some music with me. Little did he know that the web had been woven and he was now easy prey for the ipad queen.









Benjamin is a practicing Psychiatrist, so who's a lucky boy to end up next door to these old loonies!
We have plenty to talk about and share with him our many experiences of life. We have been through some tough situations in our time and maybe Dr Benjamin can get some insight into things he might well come across in future patients. Or maybe he's helping us right here and now, and we don't know it! You have to admit, he's got a nice face, the sort of chap you might well pour your heart out to.






How about a drawing, I would say, has to be a self portrait. The resident artist has been hard at work since Christmas morning with the ipad wonder, releasing her creative power like no other tool before it.

But enough promotion of my little Picasso! On with the drawings.

The next impression is of our little gang of four having tea together and is entitled Zen Tea.

Jean-Loup and Huguette are sweet people. They are our age for a start! That helps! May we continue to drink tea with them as we get older.

Now I know that this is not what one would call an exact likeness but it does capture a je ne sais quoi of the talkative, genial joker, who seems to have more friends here in Imsouane than there fish in the sea. It is not uncommon for a quick surf check to take him two hours or more as he is greeted by everyone he meets. As they say in French ' he goes right, goes left ' but never in a straight line! Bonjour Jean-Loup. Blah, blah blah as Huguette would say !





So a big thank you to Krysia for her lovely images, makes a nice change from photographs as well as being a free exhibition space for her!! May you enjoy them as much as I do.

Yawn, getting sleepy now, thank goodness for that !

Sleep well

Ted n Krysia

A swim, Tafraoute and the Diggers

So what are you going to cook for us tonight Adam? Mmmm , now let me think. how about a chicken tajine? Fantastic and what a cook you are. Paired up with Riek, the two of you have made us some splendid meals. Like salt and pepper, Adam and Riek. They go together and when it comes to preparing and serving a desert meal, they are mezyan bezzaf or should I say, bloody marvelous.
These two lovelies have put up their tent in a variety of places. At Amtoudi, they left it until after our walk and as the sun set, the wind picked up with force. I volunteered to help and as the ground was solid, tent pegs bent and stones were chosen to help prevent the tent becoming a kite!! We thought that the wind was due to heat of the day and cool of the night. No doubt we were right, but as we turned over a large rock to attach tent ropes to it, a large black scorpion scuttled out and then back under!! We had no choice as the rock was needed and as we moved it a second time, we must have hurt the scarey creature and Adam bravely put it out of it's predicament. Not a task we would have chosen to do but dark was upon us and the wind was howling so.....sorry little creature but.. and the tent went up! Brave warriors returned to the van to tell of their deeds. Perhaps that's what Krysia has captured in this drawing. Adam was not a happy bunny to have disturbed and then dispatched little stinging creature but sometimes it's better than being stung! Maybe, she has just captured him in deep contemplation over a scientific quandary or a computer related dilemma! It's hard to know these days with Krysia and her drawing, she's managing to capture all sorts of people and events with her wonderful ipad. And we don't even know that she's doing it! Brilliant.

So Up'n atom in the morning and off for a good walk up the gorge to some pools that are reputed to be good for swimming in. The next drawing of Krysia's is called ' Riek swimming with the fishes ' which is exactly what she did! We all did. In the glorious sunshine at the top end of the gorge, surrounded by incredible rock formations, to the sound of wild squirrels chattering, we stripped to our bathers and jumped into the clear cool waters of this fairy tale delight. The surrounding mountains are as dry as, well they are, a Desert. And here we are swimming in a paradise valley, our own little wonder.

As we walk back down the gorge through the palmerie, we spot a second 'agadir' peeking through the palm trees. Perched even more precariously on top of a rocky outcrop, is this one obsolete or is it a working grain store? We shall have to find out another time as we must leave for Tafraoute and it's 3 pm so we better get a move on!

It's another fascinating drive that takes us up into the Anti Atlas, isolated palmeries break the intensity of the hot dry hamada. Black mountains give way to green lush wheat growing communities that are here for one reason alone, Water! Without it, there is nothing but stone and sand, but as we climb higher into the mountains, suddenly a change takes place and we find ourselves surrounded by fields of wheat as far as the eye can see!! so lush, fed by rain??? we don't know but green it is and very prosperous. On we drive with Tafraoute our destination.
Perhaps we missed the meaning of the small sign at a crossroads but for 20 kms we are caught in road works!! not ideal, gravel and dust that fills the air as another lorry whizzes past us and then I get the idea, whizz, gravel or no gravel, so I speed up and to our great relief and the last 20 kms is old road and dust free.
We are safely in Tafroute. The palmerie here is full of campers so obviously it's ok to join them but first we see Adam n Riek to the hotel Tangier, 100 dirhams a night, a bargain and a sweet place for the young ones to finish off their adventure. Hot showers (we pinch one each too ), cooked meals and village life. Makes a change from tent in the dust! We eat at the cafe Marrakech and leave them too their splendor. The moon is full, the stars are shining and it's very peaceful in the palmerie.

The next morning, Krysia and I clean the van inside and out, we dusted good and proper, cough and splutter we need to clean our van ( who's going very well by the way! ). I find a problem, as I do! The motor bike carrier has suffered a break and we are fortunate to have discovered it now. We need a welder. Now would be good as later is only putting it off. And who's that i see leaving the palmerie, ?? It's none other than Jean-loup and Hugette!! Just about to leave but not before they run me into town and help with finding a garage and French is their language so all is well. I know where to take the van and we'll see them in Imsouane soon.

 So as I take the bike and the rack too, Krysia draws an old fella sitting outside the garage. I make good contact with all the young mechanics as well as the boss, a lovely fellow named Ali. The welding is done in no time at all and I put all the bike rack etc back together much to the amusement of all the watching lads. I won't allow any help as I and only I know how to assemble and secure the whole caboodle!







I inquire with Ali how much I owe him and he replies with ' come sit and eat cous cous with us '!!!
Which we do! Withe the other 5 lads, Ali, Krysia and I sit around a table inside the garage and eat a delicious meal. Well it is Friday!! cous cous day!! and we are guests of honour.

Can you believe it? well it's true and after paying the 100 dirhams for the welding work, we're off to join Adam n Riek at the Hotel Tangier. Full of our tales of hospitality and cous cous. While we had been busy cous cousing, they had been off on their own voyage of discovery. Tafraoute is a very beautiful place.

 But time waits for no man and the last day of the young ones visit was upon us and that brings us nicely to the title of this blog. The diggers came upon us on our way out. We had leisurely been having a picnic in the Ameln valley, no hurry, plane doesn't leave til 7 pm! Lovely lunch, plenty of time. So we set off around2 ish knowing there is the main road to Agadir marked on the map, a yellow road, bound to be a good one, right?
Well, how wrong could we be. Out of the Ameln valley was up, up and up! Ok, that's not a problem, van goes well. down the other side is straight forward, Adam reads google maps, wiggles ahead but this is the right road. Now Krysia, Jaimie and I had travelled this road a few years ago and got a bit lost, finding a road that took us to taroudant, good condition and all was well. This road, after passing the junction we must have taken years ago, became narrower and narrower, higher and higher and altogether feeling like we were suddenly getting a bit late for the plane. Then, with drops of a thousand feet to the side, no barriers, we come upon road works and the diggers! Five of them at least. One after another, each 'chewing' out great lumps of rock ,no room to pass until they had swivelled themselves sideways leaving just enough room on the outside, for us to pass. !!! Fortunately, I the driver was on the inside of the road, adam, the passenger was looking down the steep valley side. At one point shouting,' thats it, we've missed the plane, I'm locking the door from the inside. It's straight down and a long long way!! ' Or words to that effect.

  

No photos taken on this part of the journey. We were all very quiet and rather shaken. I focused hard on my inside line of sight and stuck to it well. Never once looking over the outsjde edge. Had to keep my nerves, no going back, onwards the only way. How this can be called the main road to agadir beats us. Why have we not heard about this road before. Without diggers it ranks highly on the pretty scarry scale. With diggers......Krysia's drawing is how it was. Van, diggers and tiny little towns way down below! On the edge. and we still got to the airport in time in spite of the overturned lorry just 100's of yards from the airport. ' You'll have to get out and run for the plane' Krysia shouts. but over  a sea of oranges we drove, locals picking all they could get, we squeezed ( pun intended ) through the mess to get the young ones on their plane in time!! What a way to finish a trip.



What an adventure. Adam n Riek you were beautiful company. A week felt like a month. Now we're back up to Imsouane for a rest. We need it. We drove from Agadir to Imsouane, stopping at Tamri for banana's, arriving at 8 oclock.



We're going to have a holiday now. As I write this catch-up blog, it's 30 deg C and we've had a lovely swim! the sun is shining and the bull bull's are singing.



Lots of love



Ted n Krysia