Morocco, Morocco, Morocco

***Here is link to pictures (too many to fit here): https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=lkelpsaite&target=ALBUM&id=5753100722550628017&authkey=Gv1sRgCOjO9r_Jga2JlQE&feat=email ***

Two weeks of beauty, adventure, and excellent food! Visiting Morocco has been on my mind since I can remember and, like most of the volunteers in The Gambia, I used the opportunity of being so close to visit it. I went with Jen, my fellow volunteer. After the long overland trip to Dakar (~11 hours), during which we took geli geli, taxi, ferry, taxi, motorcycle, setplas,  and again taxi, we found ourselves in Dakar on the patio of the local restaurant at the beach side enjoying the ocean and waiting for a plane. With the layover at Madrid we finally arrived at Casablanca early afternoon of the following day. After having an amazing lunch (chicken with fries, rice, sauce and olives) at the local restaurant next to the train station, Casa Voyegeurs, we went to Fes the same day.  

On the train we met a guy, Mohamed, who spoke perfect English and told us a story how U.S people helped him to have heart surgery and gave him new life. He also knew Peace Corps and talked highly about them. Mohamed offered to arrange the stay for us in Fez (since we did not have reservations).  After promised PC discount (still a bit outside our budget) we agreed to check it out. Well…when I saw the place, Riad Rcif, I was speechless … we entered museum… or a someone’s house few centuries back… The owner, Michel, gave us the tour of Riad and we could not resist the temptation to stay here. The owner, interior designer and restaurator, has worked on restoring the place for 8 years! So much patience and passion for his work!! The following day we had the tasty breakfast on the terrace and with arranged guide went out to explore the city. It was Friday, day-off, so most of the shops were closed and there were no tourists to be seen. We had great time to explore Medina and observe the daily life of Moroccans. The following day we visited tanneries, widows’ carpet cooperative and other cooperatives; did some shopping and practiced our bargaining skills. There are so much beautiful locally made crafts and other stuff to adore and to buy: leather bags, shoes, cosmetics, jewelry, clothes, blankets, scarfs, and others… Not being a passionate shopaholic, I lost the interest and energy after several hours in this beautiful world of color, pattern and noise.  White cheese, harira, msemen, olives, and desserts sold on the street are delicious!!!  Deprived by the variety of foods in the Gambia, my mind wishes were overran by belly’s wishes to do food shopping and tasting than anything else.

The following day we went to Chefchaouen – a cozy blue town in the Rif mountains.  After four-hour bus ride we arrived together with the rain. It was cold! The Medina, old part of the town, is covered with sky blue color… Sometimes it looked like the streets and houses are covered in blue snow… This small Medina radiates calm and peace. It is also a place to go if you want to enjoy the joint (marihuana is grown in Rif mountains). We got it offered quite a few times. We wondered through the ‘blue city’ back and forth, visited waterfall, hiked to several mosques and got attacked by the crowd of dogs on the way back. Our companion (whom we met on the hike) had to beg the passer-by truck to give us a lift in the back through angry dogs because nether me nor Jen could move terrified by them. We had an excellent dinner at the local eatery: Moroccan soup, mixed salad and shishkebabs. The salad included anything one can wish for: mashed potatoes, rice, pasta, pickles, onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, tuna, meat, egg, cucumbers, carrots. One of the best meals of the trip!

Next stop was Marrakesh.  We spent most of the day in a bus winding back through mountains to Casablanca and then took a train to Marrakesh. The scenery changed from the fields of wheat and orchards to the empty deserted area. After three hours sweating on the train we were met by heat, tons of tourists, pushy sellers and harassers.  Neither of us liked Marrakesh, especially Medina, that much after relaxing and low key atmosphere that of Fes and Chefchaouen. So touristy and fake… We wondered streets a bit, found an amazing bakery (see pictures) and café place in Gueliz, where we returned few times.  I fell in love with their chicken pastilla, which is similar to chicken pie sprinkled with powder sugar and cinnamon. Not much to tell about the city…Jamaa el-Fna was also very touristy and full of sellers - each of them pushing to buy their things and food especially at night.

The following day we joined twelve others from Germany, Australia, U.S., Mexico, and Morocco for the three-day trip to Merzouga, Sahara Desert dunes. It was long ride on the van but we got to see large part of the country. We passed Atlas Mountains, Ait Benhaddou, Ouazazarte, Rose valley (although the roses were already harvested), Dades Gorge, Todra Gorge (spent night there), Tinghir, Merzouga (Erg Chebbi dunes). We arrived just before the sunset, got on the camels and traveled to the desert camp. The dunes were incredible (picture perfect!). Well, we do have gorgeous Kursiu Nerijos dunes in Lithuania but they do not have this deep orange color of Erg Chebbi dunes. Upon arrival at the camp we climbed one of the dunes to watch “the sun going to sleep”. Hosts prepared an incredible tagine dish of chicken, carrots, potatoes, spices and peas, which we could not finish. It was a warm night so we slept outside under the stars. I woke up in the middle of the night to see the Milky Way so clear and bright. We got up after 5am so we could meet the sun rising on the way to the guesthouse. After filling breakfast of mseman with jam, olives, bread and coffee, and long car ride we reached Marrakesh in the evening.

Next morning we left for Setti Fatma, a small village in Ourika Valley, about 67 km outside of Marrakesh. All the villages along the way including Setti Fatma were full of people from Marrakesh who came there to enjoy the weekend away from the city. On Monday the village was empty – only locals and few tourists, including us, wondering around. We thankfully were convinced by the restaurant owner to hire a guide for our endeavor to see waterfalls. We would not have done it without him: unclear path, scary steep slopes and rocks… During some parts I walked like “prikakojus kelnes” (sorry, no translation). The views overlooking valley, village and Atlas Mountains were worth all the effort! The guide spoke good English and told us all about the area, people, his family and etc.

When back in Marrakesh we visited Majorelle Gardens that is famous because of its recent owner – Yves Saint-Laurent. Pretty colors of blue, yellow and orange but not that impressive. Casablanca appeared very unwelcoming to us: constant stares, harassment… We visited Hasssan II Mosque, which was truly magnificent. It is the biggest in Morocco and seventh biggest in the world (see pictures=link above). Before coming to the Gambia we had amazing ice cream at Oliveri Cafe (first attempt to have good ice cream at another place failed). I promised to come back...and I rarely break promises:)           

Work update

I have started working with WWF (Worldwide Fund for Nature aka World Wildlife Fund)-The Gambia office about four months ago. I would not lie, I was thrilled to be working with this well known ‘panda’ organization! Well, at the end it is not the name but the work that kicks me out of bed early in the mornings. I have been helping out with two projects: 1. protected areas management and conservation project, and 2. sustainable fisheries project. Basically I continue the work of the other two volunteers who completed their services. Fortunately another volunteer joined organization after me so we share the tasks of these two projects. The activities of the first one ceased early (in March instead of June) due to funding issues so further steps are to work on proposal(s), in other words to look for money for next project. What do I do under the second one? The name of the project is Baa Nafaa which means benefits of the sea/ocean in Mandinka. The project is funded by USAID through the University of Rhode Island (URI). The project has have executed so many different activities: strengthening/working together TRY women oyster harvesting association, preparing and launching sole fish and oyster fisheries co-management plans, doing different biological, socio economical and other studies on fish, fisheries, coastal communities and climate change. Basically the goal of the project is to establish/strengthen the sustainable management of fisheries and coastal resources. I got involved with the shoreline sanitation survey that we did at oyster harvesting sites. The survey is a step forward towards implementing National Shellfish Sanitation Program in The Gambia. Yes, I have tried oysters for the second time (the first one, raw one, I glaringly swallowed some time ago in Minneapolis). I am learning a lot about the oysters. Do you know that oysters have two sexes and can change sex one or more times in their life time? Fascinating!  Together with my co-worker, Gabis, we visit routinely oyster aquaculture and cockle study sites. We are expanding the cockle study to possibly develop the cockle co-management plan for Kartong community. I work with dedicated and fun group of people and I’ve been compiling the knowledge about fish, fisheries, and coastal and marine environments. Loving the unforeseen turns…

Stuff

Lately I have come across the reads on new wave that is gaining speed in the west - minimalism – the benefits of having less stuff. I have arrived in the Gambia with two suitcases and the shoulder bag and found most of the things I brought useful except for few that are still sitting around my house. I can’t remember missing or lacking anything. Well, except food:).  I have accumulated quite a bit of stuff: furniture, clothes (most of them from PC ‘free pile’), books, dishes and other things. I tried to make my new place feel like home and mindlessly bought stuff that I thought is necessary but which have never found its use. Oh well – more things to give away when I leave.  For comparison I have accumulated in my sixteen months of service probably close to half of the stuff that my family of 9 people have had in their lifetimes (except for furniture). Of course the money play significant role in this, but it is not the point. They live happily without much of it. Pot holder? Well, I can use head-wrap or my wrap-up skirt to hold the hot pot. Need a grater? Poke some holes on the bottom of a milk tin and viola!

Sometimes I look with disbelief to how they do not value stuff. Not long ago the nice big umbrella that was used by all family members during last rainy season I saw laying in the garbage pile – dirty, broken and spotted with white paint. I think there are two aspects of that - to value things and be enslaved by them. In Lithuania I grew up with daily reminders to take care of the things I/we have because we did not have much money to replace them. The same habit is still with me. Stuff is not valued here in the Gambia. We had it and now we don’t – not a big deal. People are so flexible to adapt to live in any conditions. Maybe we will afford to get another one, maybe someone will give us another one or maybe we will live without it. Stuff is stuff here. It still mesmerizes how detached people are from things. Where in US we are used to construct our lives, stuff with things. I am guilty of that too. People define themselves and others by the job they have, the cars and gadgets they own, apartment/house they can afford – reshaped values by long-term stuff overflow, consumerism and smart use of media – more and more buy and consume. Money redefines our relationship with stuff – the more money is in our bank account the more we are in love with things. It does make sense, but are we happier? I do not have internet access at home in my village and I do not wish to have it, because it allows me to spend time with my family, read and etc. instead of getting sucked in vast sea of random (most of the time useless) information. The family and relatives takes the central place here. One of the reasons why people have many children is social security – children are the ones who will take care of their parents at the old age, not government. I would dare to say that in the Gambia there are very few homeless people, because in families everyone is being taken care of. They will take you in, give a shelter and feed you (there is a downside of it too, but I am not going to go in the detail). I know about only one orphanage here.

Two extremes are in front of my eyes: a society overflowing with stuff and degraded relationships and a society with very little but strong human bonding. I am not saying that one is bad and the other is awesome – both have pluses and minuses. Where have I seen more happy faces?  Heard more laughs? Yes, The Gambia. A person does not need much to survive. In the consumeristic society the relationships and self value are redefined.  We try to hold on to things because if we lose them, we think, we lose ourselves. Who am I without any of it? What am I? Unfortunately, I see the changes here as well and I am sure in ten or twenty years the Gambian society will obediently learn the western ways… I hope I am wrong.

What made me smile today…(April 23)

I went to see the headmaster of my village school this morning to see if the water system, we installed, is functioning well. I visit the school every few weeks or so. As I started chatting with headmaster, Mr. Cham, in his office he suddenly started pointing to the wall-board full of papers saying something… All I was able to catch was: ”water”, “we did it”, “do you see”, “wrote”, “rules”, ”see there”. I was looking at him confused… Then he started hastily going through the papers on his desk…”I have it here”… “There”. He gave me the piece of paper with the printed rules for using the water system. I was awestruck!… We have been talking about them since the installation of the pump (in December) and it has always been “not yet”, “we are busy”, “it is hard to get senior teachers together”, “bla, bla, bla” or asking me to write rules for them which I refused... I finally accepted that it will not happen. Oh, well. Not the first time. But there they were not hand written but printed and shared with the teachers. Small steps… small things, small surprises that brings me joy.:)

Have a restful weekend!

Today Kucha (Sorel) sauce with rice for lunch

This is not my favorite meal but I don’t have much say in what is prepared for the lunch/dinner daily. Unless I constantly remind my family how much I like Benachin (fried rice), it will be eventually prepared. My host dad usually decides the meal of the day. Usually I do not get inspiration to cook for myself and I don’t, but when I am at home during the day I like to prepare lunch together with the women, chat and/or play cards. So today we cooked Kucha! First, my host mom makes a trip to market to buy the required ingredients: black pepper, chilli pepper, fermented African locust beans, tomato, tomato paste, okra, sorrel leaves, smoked fish, bitter tomato, and bouillon cubes.

In mortar pound black pepper, chilli pepper, fermented African locust beans, and tomato.

Pick kucha leaves from stems, wash them.  Pick the bones from the smoked fish which is usually Bonga, bony fish because it is cheap. Place pot with water on fire and add bitter tomato when it boils. Leave until bitter tomato softens. Then add the pounded ingredients and leave it to simmer for a bit. 

(In the mean time, my host mom was starching her clothes and me preparing the snack - papaya from the garden...hehe)

 

Add tomato paste, bouillon cubes, salt, and picked smoked fish. Leave it again to simmer. Cut okra and add it to sorrel leaves in a pot with water. 

 

When it is ready take it off the fire and place another pot with water, sorrel leaves and okra. Boil leaves for a bit until they soften (and water becomes pink:) - saltibarsciu color). Take out the leaves and pound them in the mortar. 

 

 Measure rice, clean it, wash it and place it in the pot with water on the fire. 

When the rice is ready, add sorrel leaves to the sauce. Mix it. Place rice in a bowl, add sauce on the top and viola - lunch is ready! Bon appetite!     

     

Reflection

I have been quiet for quite some time. To be honest I could not think of what to write, which might sound strange to you. Or more likely I have so much to share which cannot be expressed in few paragraphs on this blog. 

Half way to the finish line it is time to ask the question again: what was the reason to join PC? Well to escape routine, monotony, save the world (as my friend, Asta, teases me) and travel. As I was departing for the service I had low expectations (or tried to), some plans and fears of what is waiting ahead. During first months in the Gambia, despite trying to adjust to new culture and people, I got enough motivation to feel that I can move mountains. My spirits were high. Ah, so naïve. All of it crashed down when faced with the realities, which translates to banging head onto the wall or taking a place of Sisyphus. Over and over again explaining to my host mom that heartburn is an acid reflex and not the worms traveling up the throat while she just stares in disbelief; or constantly repeating to them to plant different vegetables in their garden and not the ones that the entire village plants and sells for nothing. So then in my mind I travel back to Lithuania, where I try to convince my grandfather to do something different from what he has been doing all his life. It is an impossible task. I realize we all are the same – we all have developed resistance and fear of change, including me. To understand and accept that is comforting in this work. I meant to do much difference, but now what makes me happy is hearing my host mom saying English phrases, my host sister saving the money, the school in my village having water, or a stranger observing in disbelief a toubaab woman washing clothes with her hands (“oh, you know how to do it.”). 

After a year mingling in this society I believe in “teaching a man to fish and not providing him the fish itself”. The created worldwide system is so interconnected and “screwed up”. The simple equation became long unsolvable mess of equations like our lives overcrowded with technologies and other unnecessary garbage. How to solve it? – many of us ask. How can one justify stripping a man naked and then handing out the small pieces of used cloth for him to cover himself? How can one steal vegetables from neighbor’s garden and then offer back the leftovers? I do not believe in the handouts and I do not believe in aid (with few exceptions) anymore. But I believe in education and in people who work hard in order for their children to have a better life.

I cherish the newly discovered patience calmly waiting for the gelli to fill, in queue behind doctor’s door, for the contractor who is late more than two hours. Time has a different dimension here. Saying “Time is money” does not apply. People own the time and they are not slaves of time, like I was in the States. I find the joy in sitting around and doing nothing, which is different from wrapping your life in efficiency and productivity. 

Do you think you are making difference? - my friend asked. I leave to answer this question for the community. When draining in a sea of harassment, and constant disturbances, I hear “Oh you are peace corps. You are doing good work. Thank you.” I believe that we impacted someone’s life in one or the other way.   

 More than anything this last year taught me a lot about myself, to leave the safety zone, to let go the control grip and to chill. Things will get solved sooner or later. 

However, I terribly miss my dear family and friends who are scattered between two continents. I am grateful for your acceptance, patience and support. Lots of love to you all!