{"id":7,"date":"2006-12-23T20:41:53","date_gmt":"2006-12-24T04:41:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.joshuarosenstock.com\/travel\/?p=7"},"modified":"2009-06-18T12:37:01","modified_gmt":"2009-06-18T17:37:01","slug":"travelogue-1-morocco","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.joshuarosenstock.com\/travel\/?p=7","title":{"rendered":"Travelogue #1 – Morocco"},"content":{"rendered":"
Salaam Wa Aleikum,<\/div>\n
\u00c2\u00a0<\/div>\n
Ca va?\u00c2\u00a0 Nous esperons que oui!<\/div>\n
\u00c2\u00a0<\/div>\n
We’re writing to you from a “cyber” in Fez where, as we speak,\u00c2\u00a0our newest friend\u00c2\u00a0is making us a cd of Morrocan rap music.\u00c2\u00a0 It sounds pretty good and is making\u00c2\u00a0a great background to this, our first, dispatch from L’Afrique du Nord.<\/div>\n
\u00c2\u00a0<\/div>\n
The cyber-guy is typical of the Morrocans we’ve met, in that he is going out of his way to be helpful.\u00c2\u00a0 Just five minutes ago, we had a slew of men helping us make a call at the teleboutique.\u00c2\u00a0 One guy leapt over the counter with extra change and dialed the number\u00c2\u00a0for us while\u00c2\u00a0another\u00c2\u00a0fed coins into the\u00c2\u00a0phone as\u00c2\u00a0we struggled to avoid getting cut off for the\u00c2\u00a0FOURTH time.\u00c2\u00a0<\/div>\n
\u00c2\u00a0<\/div>\n
Yesterday was even better.\u00c2\u00a0 It being Shabbat and the last night of Chanukkah, we were inspired to seek out the remaining vestiges of Morrocan Jewry.\u00c2\u00a0 The\u00c2\u00a0Jewish\u00c2\u00a0Center\u00c2\u00a0was unmarked and had two guards out front, but everyone knew where it\u00c2\u00a0was.\u00c2\u00a0 Fortuitously, when we wandered in, we met Moise, one of the synagogue’s founding fathers.\u00c2\u00a0 He immediately took us under his wing, called his granddaughter in Boston to share his excitement over meeting us, and had his driver show us to the secret synagogue.\u00c2\u00a0 When we returned that evening, he insisted on taking us home for dinner after the service.\u00c2\u00a0 The Sephardic synagogue was beautiful, decorated completely in carved wood and chandeliers (although Phil couldn’t really see this as she got stuck behind the curtain in the empty women’s section.)\u00c2\u00a0 The experience was poignant as the congregation consisted of only 10 old men keeping the traditions alive.\u00c2\u00a0 Moise explained that everyone’s children had left Morocco and weren’t interested in coming back since opportunities are limited for them here.<\/div>\n
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After services Moise and his driver (one of 5 he employs) took us back to his palatial home for a delicious Sephardic dinner.\u00c2\u00a0 As his servants brought out plate after plate, Moise confessed that he didn’t usually attend Friday night services, but showed up just to bring us home for dinner!\u00c2\u00a0 We were touched by his and his wife’s hospitality and were amused by their excitement over the grand finale of “Star Academy”\u00c2\u00a0 (the French version of the American Idol TV talent show.)\u00c2\u00a0 We obligingly sat through at least a dozen sappy but spectacular musical numbers— one of which included bikini-clad women\u00c2\u00a0wearing full-lengths overcoats and flashing the audience periodically from cages hung from the ceiling.\u00c2\u00a0 Moise’s wife, Georgette, found this display of French excess rather distasteful, but their opinion was divided over which contestant should win.\u00c2\u00a0 Afterwards, we shared family photos and played with our digital cameras.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0Moise and Georgette\u00c2\u00a0were such\u00c2\u00a0wonderful hosts, and we were so pleased to be in their home instead of our unheated, wicked cold, budget hotel.\u00c2\u00a0 Phil even ate the meat– fish AND brisket!\u00c2\u00a0 They also served us mushrooms, because it is well-known in Morocco that Ashkenazi Jews like\u00c2\u00a0mushrooms on Shabbat.\u00c2\u00a0 We told them that our family eats\u00c2\u00a0Spaghetti with wheatballs on Fridays.\u00c2\u00a0 It was kind of hard to explain wheatballs en francais.<\/div>\n
\u00c2\u00a0<\/div>\n
Today we went to cooking school.\u00c2\u00a0 It was great fun to spend the day in the kitchen of a fancy hotel, laughing and joking with the cooks, who, of course, loved Phil because she speaks 6 more words of Arabic than every other tourist here.\u00c2\u00a0 We made all kinds of traditional Morrocan food including pigeon pie, tagine (of course), and eggplant salad.\u00c2\u00a0 It was incredible to get to cook with hand-made fillo dough!!\u00c2\u00a0 But we were stunned when our teacher offered us some Chai– not because it was Chai, but because it was TRADER JOE’S!!\u00c2\u00a0 He couldn’t figure out why we were so shocked, and we’re still perplexed about where it came from.<\/div>\n
\u00c2\u00a0<\/div>\n
Yesterday, we went to the Hammam– the traditional Moroccan steam bath.\u00c2\u00a0 Our guide from the day before, Dris (our new grandfather) recommended it especially, but\u00c2\u00a0Moise and Georgette poo poo’d it.\u00c2\u00a0 We couldn’t really figure out why since we loved it, although we did have to pay an outrageous tourist rate (5 bucks each).\u00c2\u00a0 Phil had the best experience:\u00c2\u00a0 there were tons of women and children hanging out in the steam-filled room, scrubbing each other with black soap, and dumping hot water over themselves.\u00c2\u00a0 A nice Berber woman scrubbed Phil down.\u00c2\u00a0 I’ve never been bathed before or seen so much dirty, black skin peel off me!\u00c2\u00a0 After the scrubbing, which was a little painful, and a lot of questions in Arabic\u00c2\u00a0regarding my marital and child-bearing status, I got a nice, but also painful, massage.\u00c2\u00a0 Then my masseuse\/bather and a bunch of other women washed my hair\u00c2\u00a0and delighted in dumping bucket after bucket of water on my head while giggingly asking me again about my husband.\u00c2\u00a0 It was great!!\u00c2\u00a0 I can’t wait to do it again.\u00c2\u00a0<\/div>\n
\u00c2\u00a0<\/div>\n
The Hammam was much better than the movie theater.\u00c2\u00a0 You all know how much we love to go to the movies.\u00c2\u00a0 We like it even better in foreign countries, where it provides a unique insight into the local culture.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0The theater\u00c2\u00a0was a grand old cinema but in disrepair.\u00c2\u00a0 We paid a toothless old woman 20 cents to show us to some seats, but we couldn’t figure out why seating was restricted to the last 5 rows.\u00c2\u00a0 During the movie (X-Men), men came in and out, argued loudly with their friends, and seemed to be smoking an awful lot of hashish.\u00c2\u00a0 Not only that, but there were some interesting lapses in the story– entire reels\u00c2\u00a0appeared to be missing.\u00c2\u00a0 In fact, the whole film lasted 45 minutes.\u00c2\u00a0 Then, we were treated to what looked like a Moroccan comedy about a\u00c2\u00a0hen-pecked husband.\u00c2\u00a0 We didn’t last too long, as the movie theater was even colder than our hotel, and we were a little worried about the unseemly activities going on around us.<\/div>\n
\u00c2\u00a0<\/div>\n
Besides wacky adventures, we’ve been enjoying doing what we always do:\u00c2\u00a0 wandering.\u00c2\u00a0 The Medinas in Fez and Meknes are labarynthine medieval cities teeming with activity and countless surprises to discover.\u00c2\u00a0 From severed camel heads to hand-stuffed mattresses to the softest leather jackets you’ve ever felt, to hand-woven scarves, pure musk, huge silver-plated bridal chairs and gold wedding belts, to welders making beds and artists making intricately carved wooded panels there’s lots to buy and see here.\u00c2\u00a0 Phil bought a birthday present for her dad, and,<\/div>\n
continuing his tradition of wearing the best of local fashion, Josh bought his very own Jelaba– a pointy-hooded, floor-length robe that men wear over their suits.\u00c2\u00a0 Everyone loves Josh in his Jelaba.\u00c2\u00a0 Just last night, a bunch of cops took one look at Josh, peered under his hood to\u00c2\u00a0double-check,\u00c2\u00a0and excitedly exclaimed, “C’est un Jelaba Moroccain!”\u00c2\u00a0<\/div>\n
\u00c2\u00a0<\/div>\n
Tomorrow’s our last day in Morocco and then we’re off to Mali.\u00c2\u00a0 Stay tuned for more adventures from West Africa and keep us posted on your own.<\/div>\n
\u00c2\u00a0<\/div>\n
xoxoxo -Phil (Sarah) and Josh<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Salaam Wa Aleikum, \u00c2\u00a0 Ca va?\u00c2\u00a0 Nous esperons que oui! \u00c2\u00a0 We’re writing to you from a “cyber” in Fez where, as we speak,\u00c2\u00a0our newest friend\u00c2\u00a0is making us a cd of Morrocan rap music.\u00c2\u00a0 It sounds pretty good and is making\u00c2\u00a0a great background to this, our first, dispatch from L’Afrique du Nord. \u00c2\u00a0 The cyber-guy … Continue reading Travelogue #1 – Morocco<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[5],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.joshuarosenstock.com\/travel\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.joshuarosenstock.com\/travel\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.joshuarosenstock.com\/travel\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.joshuarosenstock.com\/travel\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.joshuarosenstock.com\/travel\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.joshuarosenstock.com\/travel\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.joshuarosenstock.com\/travel\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7\/revisions\/9"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.joshuarosenstock.com\/travel\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.joshuarosenstock.com\/travel\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.joshuarosenstock.com\/travel\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}