We returned last week, October 29th to be exact. We were away 24 days.
Our primary goal on this trip was volunteer work with a Moroccan-based NGO called El Fenn. El Fenn Maroc (Facebook) is a non-profit cultural association whose mission is four-fold: [1] to BUILD bridges across cultures; [2] to SUPPORT Moroccan artists, their families and communities; [3] to PRESERVE traditional Moroccan art forms and [4] to CULTIVATE appreciation for the artistic experience through workshops, exhibits and other related activities. To that end, they initiated a program that uses photography as the method of engagement. Working through a US-based partner, The Giving Lens, a small group of us went to Morocco to help establish the program and provide photography training and mentorship. This workshop was expected to be the first of many.
Our time with the Giving Lens covered just 9 of the 24 days we were away. The remaining days we spent on our own; 5 additional days in Morocco, and 10 days in Ireland. Why Ireland? There were no direct flights to Marrakech so a stop over was necessary. It became apparent that we could arrange our own connecting flights at no material cost difference and thus have the flexibility to spend more time at the lay over point. As we had not been to Ireland, this was the point we chose.
Arriving by taxi that first night in Marrakech was like visiting a scene from Star Wars; the streets were dimly lit, the air was thick with the smoke from roadside food carts and the streets were packed with people dressed in all sorts or attire, some western, but mostly North African with most women covered often with a niqab. Through the crowds of people there were carts pushed by men or pulled by donkeys and then there were the many motor bikes trying to slice through the pack. Our taxi was just one of a very few automobiles. This was an area for people, not cars. The scene was intense and the crowd was flowing continuously, parting for carts and motor bikes and then converging. It was exciting. This scene carried on for what seemed an endless time, until the taxi stopped and the driver said he can go no further. We were met by a porter from the Riad who guided us through the maze of packed streets for 10 more minutes. The movie had changed to a play and we were now participants in the show.
Inside the Riad it was calm, quite and clean.
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