Hanging with Dustin in Morocco-Sefrou

Dustin's recent visit with me was an adventure.  From the twins in Azrou, the sandwich shop in Midelt to the Airport in Kesh we had a great time.
  The first stop after flying into Fes was to go to Sefrou and hang with another PCV for a day.  We met Jim's friend, and mine, Ali who took us on a hike to the hills behind Sefrou.  We visited a weaving school, the campground, the cave dwellings, waterfall and honey hanut.  Ali's best friend Omar joined us on the hike.

 Ali and his family.  The twins are just the cutest little bundles of joy.

 The city of Sefrou is at the base of the hills with farmland and orchards all around.  Farmers bring there wares in to town daily so fresh fruit and vegetables are always available.

Ali went to school at the weaving school when he was younger.  There was a good exhibit of old looms on display and Ali gave us a lesson.  We met his teacher walking up the road and they had a cheerful reunion.  The teacher is now retired but still remembered Ali.  Ali now owns a sandwich shop which I have eaten at numerous times.  It is not doing well this summer because they are tearing down the building next door and has become a hazard zone for his customers.  They dropped bricks on his awning bending the frame.  Of course they did not compensate his for the damage or loss of customers,  Everything is Inshallah here.

 Al Jazerra a few years back did a story about the Sefrou cave dwellers.  Many poor families had been living in the caves scattered in the hillsides around Sefrou.  The authorities decided to clean up this area and built houses for the people and moved them out of the caves they were living in for decades and bulldozed dirt over the openings of the ones they could and put steel doors on others.  Over time some people have moved back into the caves.  No place like home.

 I have lost some weight since I have been here.  No more of Wini's good cooking.  I have to eat what I make, beg or borrow.  I am not starving so I guess my cooking is OK.

The walk to the falls was almost tropical is some areas.  Several small waterfalls were on the way to the big one.  There was a hotel built at the bottom of the falls a few years earlier, but there was a problem with rowdy people at the bar and someone was killed so the hotel shut down.  It looked like a great place to go.  You can swim in a small pool at the bottom of the falls.

After the hike we were invited to Ali's house for Tajine.  It was the best one I have had in Morocco, spicy and full of flavor.  We had beet juice which I never had before.  It was very good.  The twins were entertaining throughout the night.

The next morning it was off to Fes and the Bab Boujaloud, a World Heritage Site.  We met Tyler an other PCV from Tigsaline, those PCVs sure do get around.  We walked down into the bowels of the market and visited the leather workers I work with making the purses for my coops.

 I met this hanut owner while working with the leather workers and visit him when I am in the market.  We always have tea and he speaks a little English which is helpful. 

The tannery as always is an experience.  Tourists watch the process from the tops of the buildings.  I have yet to be there in the heat of the summer and don't plan on going.
Off to Midelt on the 4:00 bus!  Home sweet home.