Delighful breakfast at 8am this morning. I have not fully described the Kasbah, though I may not be able to exactly. Originally a fort, it is now owned by a man who both offers dorm rooms to school groups, and has added rooms for hotel guests as well. Sam and Steven’s suite is back down the pathway then DOWN stairs and around a corner and down again then up then around then – voila! Their two story mansion. I even hear when they got back today their laundry was washed dried and folded! And after all I went through trying to do it myself yesterday.
Anyway, I digress. Breakfast is outside of my room, up those few stairs to the rooftop open deck and they are serving fresh bread, cheese, hard boiled eggs, jam and honey, yogurt and fresh squeezed OJ. We are all there, but Gladys has decided she will not join the pilgrimage. I am almost jealous but still cannot say I am staying behind too. So we tape up our toes and load up our water and head out on the trail. It is hot, maybe the hottest day yet, and the steep path exhausts me right away, I just cannot get the hang of pacing myself. Some of the begining is scary – those narrow slippery paths again with the big drop off the side – but then the road widens then we cross a huge flat field of stones, then up a sandy rocky path on and on and on and on… there are lots of people going in both directions, and many mules laden with all kinds of gear. It is always a relief to HAVE to stop to let someone by, especially if you can find a hint of shade to pause in. Most of the Moroccans are in flip flops or little satin slippers – I have no idea how they do it. We get to the shrine after 2 and a half hours, less than the 3 Mark predicted. The are is highly populated – camp sites, little shacks selling Fanta and jewelry, a nice river running through but on close inspection it seems pretty polluted with trash. Moroccans have not yet bought into recycling, or even trash collecting I guess. The shrine is a large whitwashed boulder we cannot enter of course because we are not Muslim but it is in full view of our corner picnic area. Another fantastic Moroccan lunch is prepared by our team, now down to a couple of mules and 3 men, Lessan, Saaid, and someone whose name we have never quite gotten. The rain starts, a drizzle then harder then just as we pull out the ponchos it stops.
We head back – though Mira and Mark continue UP, just for the heck of it. The rest of the kids are too anxious to return to their Monopoly game, and the adults are completely wasted we don’t mind saying. The downward path is not very tricky and we get back in one piece though we get pelted with rain one more time. It is 3PM. Those steps entering the Kasbah – they are cruel!! And knowing I have to go down them again to get to the ‘boutique’ makes me less likely to go shop (though they do donate a part of the proceeds to helping Moroccan girls attend college).
We’ve scattered for showers, Mira and Mark are back now, the other kids are ensconced in Monopoly in Steven’s suite which has become the game room, and life is just plain old good. Hope it is as nice back in the USA – a million miles away from where I am now! Singing: ROCK the Kasbah, ROCK the Kasbah……
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