It’s been over two years since I have been to Morocco, but for some reason it’s still a country I think about often. It’s a country that holds a special place in my heart for many reasons. It was the first country I visited in Africa and I still remember crying the night before because I was so scared. Not only was I going to Africa, I was also going to my first Arab country… I know the ignorance. My time in Morocco turned out to be a roller coaster of emotions full of love and hate. My first 48 hours in Africa (Morocco) were magical and the week I spent in the Blue City of Chefchaouen are a week I’ll never forget. Then I arrived in Fez and it was all hell from the get go… I ended up hating Fez and well still do because the exhaustion of it all almost sent me home, yes for a minute I was gonna go home and Morocco was part of the reason. Then I arrived in Marrakesh and it all changed… I’ll never forget meeting my Barcelona girls for the first time on the roof top of the hostel I was staying at. It was a friendship that has lasted from that moment to today. We planned a tour to the Sahara Desert and I fell in love with her and her curves… I wrote an open letter to the Sahara Desert . It’s what I needed to remind me what I was doing on the road and doing what I was doing, she in a way saved me. After crazy time in the big cities is was time for the small town beach life and I spent 10 days in Essaouria living the life. In all I spent a month in Morocco and along the way was obsessed with all it’s teapots and loved all the Moroccan food I was eating. In the end though what made Morocco what it really is, is it’s people.
The people of Morocco is what make Morocco what it is. They make you hate it. They make you love it. They make it Morocco. Morocco is a country full of chaos at every turn, but in the mist of all the chaos you realize that it moves at a slow pace. It’s a country that marches at it’s own beat and I was able to capture those small moments in the photographs below. They are all small moments usually surrounded by so much more and because to me Morocco was so chaotic and nerve racking it’s what I wanted to focus on when I snapped photos during my time there. In the end it’s those small moment in life that we cherish the most, right?
—
—Taking a break in the shade on a hot sunny day.—
—I spent one afternoon in Chefchaouen watching this man make a wool blanket. If I wasn’t backpacking I would have bought one from him. —
—I remember spending over a week in Chefchaouen and I always caught this man through mid siesta.—
—This lady was just resting. Right next to her is where ladies come to wash their clothes near the river bank.—
—I bought a glass of orange juice from this man. He sold glasses of orange juice from a small cart and he always had a small line.—
—Passing time playing chess in the alley ways of Chefchaouen.—
—Catching up on the gossip… I suppose.—
—Every time I see this photo I wanna know why is she pouting?—
—I loved seeing old ways of transportation all over Morocco even major cities like Fez.—
—Moment of prayer.—
—They charged me to get this photo. They are dying the threads for the rugs. —
—12—
—Siesta on a sidewalk. Why not?—
—This lady painted a scorpion out of henna on my calf for free.—
—I love that grown men would walk around wearing fairy wings to try and sell them. —
—I don’t like giving anything to children because then they well expect that from all tourist. When I do I prefer to give food or water. In this case I had a lot of chocolate bars and decided to share with them. That’s me in the center.—
—17—
—Soccer the universal sport.—
—A couple admiring the view.—
—A long days work.—
—This is a vertical shot of one of my favorite photos.—
—Took this from my bus window in between Marrakesh and Essaouria.—
—23—
—I couldn’t focus this photo because the room was full of smoke. Smoke from the hash they were smoking. These two guys welcomed us to their home in Essaouira and we just had a good time. I didn’t smoke. I don’t even know how.—
—Mom is holding the girls balloon.—
—26—
—One of the things I will never get used to is watching children working on the streets all over the world. This little boy tried to sale me some fish. I of course didn’t need it so didn’t buy any.—
—I remember this man trying to talk to me because he thought I was Moroccan.—
–After the boats come back from sea you will find tons of men just sleeping along the boats.—
—30—
—Yum!!!—
Hope you enjoyed the photos & I hope you share your thoughts below.
PREVIOUS IN PHOTOS
- Ibiza street art in photos!
- A collection of photos of Manshiyat Naser (Garbage City) in Cairo.
- The detail of Park Guell in Barcelona.
- The colorful town of Burano in photos.
- Athens Street Art in Photos.
Wow, what a great selection, Jaime. I *LOVE* the one of the men in pink fairy wings! And the one of the couple admiring the view is just a great photo.
Sam recently posted..Eco Hotel Review: Black Sheep Inn, Chugchilán
Thank you Sam. Those are some of my fav too.
Great Job .. Morocco is a country where we found a lot of cultures mixed , but what i didn’t understand , u showed just pictures where its seems that there is just poor people ?
Thanks Adi, Morocco is filled with a lot of culture. As for all these people being poor, I do not agree with that statement at all. I look at these photos and the majority are of working people or people taking breaks from work or sitting around enjoying the moment in other cases they are playing soccer. I do know the one photo of the guy laying on the floor with his face covered may be, but the rest I wouldn’t say they are poor. I wouldn’t say they are rich either, but that’s my perspective.
love the guy sleeping in the armchair
Hogga recently posted..Why Everyone Should Go Eat a Pecker
Me too Hogga, I would seriously see him work the shop for like an hour each morning adn then spend the rest of the day in the chair.
Love seeing your photos as always 🙂 You do capture people wel.
Heather recently posted..Guest Post: Brisbane’s Great Steak Debate
Thanks Heather! Miss ya… been a while since we’ve chatted!
“Roller coaster of emotions” are usually the words I’d use to describe my favorite and most memorable trips! Sounds like it’s the same for you. As always, your pictures are beautiful. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Lauren Meshkin @BonVoyageLauren recently posted..The Savannah Taste Experience – Eating my way through the Hostess City!
Thanks so much Lauren!
What amazing photos. It’s nice to see into cultural things that can make a place unique. Some things people would never think to capture and share. Catching people in their every day lives doing what they usually do instead of the attractions. What is one of your favourite moments in Morocco?
Thank you so much Sheereen. I always love capturing people in their every day lives. That is what truly gives you a feel of a place. Oh as for favorite moments it had to have been the Sahara Desert hands down. I fell in love with her and always think of her and want to go back for sure.
I want to visit Sahara and have researched and it seems that in North Africa, the best place to set base and travel to the desert is from Morocco but have heard one too many bad reviews of the people there and the bad experiences (although the place is beautiful).
Did you go through a tour agent for your trip to the desert?
Anyway I do feel you about the street children. Sometimes I’m in such a dilemma. I don’t know if I should give them some money as they have been up all day. But if I do so, I’m so encouraging child labor. And which of those are actually under a syndicate which I’m fuelling if I do purchase.
And I always go back to logic and basic mindset. Childrens’ natural instincts are to play, fiddle around, laugh and run about. Not bare-footed and peddling on the streets or asking for money. Children at a certain young age range should not have any idea what money can bring them unless 1) they have been told so, or 2) really genuinely helping to get some cash for the family’s survival. I’m always so torn. I was once pinched by a little girl probably about 6 years of age, in Phuket for refusing to buy a rose from her.
That said, I was torn in Phnom Penh over a night market where kids were asking not for money. But asking for food (as we were dining), on their half-empty disposable plates which they picked from the bin (half filled with left overs from the bin). I bought some of them food and gave them some of my skewers and what ALL of them did touched me. Each of them ran back to their own “group” and shared with the rest with whatever that had. Immediately. Even if it was just one skewer prawn.
Anyway.. nice pictures. Love your write up and photos as opposed to touristy places. Some of the places are those that I will never think of venturing for my own safety but you just gave me a glimpse of how life looks like over there. I can find touristy photos online anytime and don’t feel a thing for them. But you make me feel like I’m experiencing the place myself without having to be there. Thank you and keep up the good work 🙂
Hi Melissa, I have visited the Sahara Desert twice. Once in Morocco and once in Egypt. The best place to do it is in Morocco. I did it through a tour agent in Marrakech. A group of us got together and went from agent to agent to find the best deal. We haggled like crazy and asked a million questions to find out what exactly was going to be included and what not. I love your out look on children in the streets, because that is how I feel too. I also preferred a million times more to provide them with food than money. Because when I give them food I could see them eat it right then and there, where as money I know it goes to the parents and normally they don’t care about their children. I am gla you enjoy my photos and I am happy I can show places you may not think of venturing for your self.
Lovely photos! I have only scratched the surface when I went to Morocco a few years ago. I only went to Marrakesh and the Sahara. I loved my time there though and would love to go back one day and explore the rest of the country a bit more.
I hope one day you do go back Tammy, it’s amazing. I sometimes catch my self thinking of Morocco and wanting to go back.
Great blog! Peculiar photos collection and informative information in it. Thanks a LOT for sharing such a nice blog ……………….
Thank you very much!
I also take portraits of people during my trips. I smile at them and greet them in their local language and if they respond either to my greeting or smile, I’d ask them if I could take a pic of them. 99% would say yes.
Yes so agree with you. It’s just small interactions that make the human connection to then get a photo.
Morocco is such a beautiful place with very interesting culture. The portraits are excellent and perfect illustration of how these Moroccan live their daily lives. Thanks for this share.
Thank you very much Kara!