the high atlas
This is an adventure that begins in the slopes of the Atlas ; in the sometimes barren, sometimes fertile, but always beautiful, Ourika Valley. Adobe houses cast on their land, orchards that take advantage of the water for the garden, olive trees, walnut trees... and the opportunity to experience the Berber world.
JEMAA EL FNA OR THE ESSENCE OF MARRAKECH
We spent the first night in a Marrakesh riad , at the gates of Jemaa el Fna square, which comes alive at dusk. The walk through the famous square and its souk is a continuous provocation for the senses. So much so that it seems as if they had been asleep before.
The musicians liven up Jemaa el Fna playing melodies from which the multiple origins of the city shine through. Andalusian, Berber and African tones can be guessed in his notes. Meanwhile, the snake charmers they handle the reptile as they please, and the fortune tellers try to sing their luck to the numerous tourists who contemplate the spectacle, enjoying a mint tea in one of the many little cafes there.
Djemaa el Fna, Marrakesh (Morocco)
The souk is a labyrinth of alleyways with winding arches through which a ray of light hardly filters through, which struggles to shine among the stalls of skins, handicrafts, rugs, ointments, spices and other irresistible products.
ON GOING
On the outskirts of Marrakech, the muleteers wait to load their animals with backpacks, sacks, food and water, which will accompany us during the tour of the Berber villages of the High Atlas. And we start the walk the Idraren Draren massif, whose name means "mountain of mountains". At first, it appears arid, but it gains color and beauty as we go deeper into it.
Hassan -guide, friend, instructor- breaks down with grace and eloquence the details of the landscape during the ascent of 1,600 meters through the port of Tazgart. The little town of Tasselt It will be the first stop and inn of the journey.
Idraren Draren
Hassan works for Huwans , an adventure travel company that has experts in the geography, idiosyncrasy and culture of the region, a wisdom that they successfully share throughout the journey. They tell us about the fascinating history of the Berber people Imazighen ("free men"), of which we will become part for a few days, sharing the daily life of the family of houcine , in the aforementioned village of Tasselt.
At the end of the adventure, the Berber world will no longer be unknown to us; the sensuality of its aromas, the vividness of its colors, its tasty cuisine and above all, the warmth of its people , they will become a beautiful chapter in the travel notebook.
The look is not enough to cover the many scenes that are presented in each byway. Behind the almond trees in full bloom, a kid appears dressed in a Barça shirt with Messi's name written on it, followed by his colleagues.
They will accompany us when we cross their red clay town, where the women, dressed in bright colors, hang their clothes on the roof, the men have a gathering in the square, the lambs roam freely and satellite dishes, one per house, bring the village back to the present century.
Two Berbers in Ait Bou Said
Hassan tells how the earth changes color and goes from red to green when the iron oxide that composes it alternates with the copper oxide, and how the olive trees reach great heights by not undergoing any pruning, and how his people, the Berber was once a nomad until he became a farmer and thus sedentary.
Between stories and anecdotes, he manages to find a shadow and make a stop along the way. He takes out his bag of nuts, figs and dates, which have the same effect as Popeye's spinach, offers a handful that each one is accompanied by a good drink of water from the canteen, and shortly after feeling the energetic effect of the Berber appetizer , the strength and the desire to move forward return.
OUR BERBER HOME
After a few unsettling climbs and reassuring descents through the Ait Bou Saïd Valley, Houcine's home is reached in Tasselt . Wardia, Houcine's daughter, comes down from the village fountain, where girls and women go several times a day to carry the water needed by the house. The family greets the entourage with affectionate smiles, sometimes ironic, as they observe the clothing, the cameras and the questions from outsiders.
They serve mint tea, delicious freshly made pancakes and freshly baked bread, with honey, thick green olive oil and butter from the milk of the family cow, which mooes every few minutes, nodding at the conversation. And they proceed to accommodate the guests, who, for a couple of days, would become part of the family.
Jamâa, the owner of the house, is a cheerful woman, with a mischievous gesture and jet black hair. Her eyes shine and look straight ahead, the same as her granddaughter Salima, who, at only five years old, dominates her stage. We accompany Jamâa to the kitchen, trying to help her prepare the food, and we share a table in the patio of the house.
Hassan acts as an interpreter during the talks; he talks about almond blossom that takes place at that time and the festivals that celebrate it, the preparation of the orchards after the frosts, the low temperatures of last winter in which it even snowed, and on the Berber traditions at weddings and family or religious festivities.
In the morning, we go out with Wardia to cut grass for the animals, and by the way, we visited the Koran school where the boys learn to recite their scriptures. When, the next day, she leaves for the campsite near the village of Tichki We are sorry to leave our house, although in a couple of days we will return to say goodbye.
Tichki village
SLEEP UNDER THE STARS
On the way to the valley Aït Inzal , we find a stream that, despite its water, still almost frozen, appears as a blessing to cool off from the walk at many degrees under the sun.
The climb up to 2,000 meters It has included some vertiginous moments, especially for beginners -for the rest, it is a cakewalk-, followed by easy stretches in which to enjoy the color of the valley, green from the incipient spring, red from the land that surrounds it. fertile The muleteers have arrived before us, setting up camp on a plain with views of the village.
Ali, who has shown signs of being a great cook throughout his career, prepares kefta - minced meat with vegetables - for dinner. Before sunset we take a walk with Hassan through the valley and its villages, among them, Tichki's, where another of Houcine's daughters lives, who greets us with excitement asking about Salima, her daughter, who spends the summer at the home of her grandparents, Houcine and Jamâa, in Tasselt.
Ait Ali
Dusk comes, and the many shades of the Atlas are gilded in the dim light of sunset, to the sound of the monotonous song of the muezzin calling to prayer. The next day's trekking will last about five hours before reaching the Ait Ali, where the camp will be set up among the great pastures. Some of us will sleep in tents, but the most daring will bivouac contemplating that "**protective sky**" that Paul Bowles would write about.
The four hours of walking that separate Ait Ali from our house in Tasselt They pass without feeling it. Approaching the end of the trip, and already accustomed to walking under the Moroccan sun, it is a pleasure to contemplate the fields, greet the children who follow us and, finally, arrive at Houcine's house to say goodbye, already with nostalgia, to those who have been our Moroccan family.
The bread comes out of the warm oven again, the oil is freshly pressed and a splendid couscous is served on the table for the farewell party in which Hassan and family sing songs full of strength, which echo in the mountains until they are lost in the air and the moon of the Atlas.