ImageResolution17

Acting as a natural barricade between the mild coastlines of the Atlantic and Mediterranean against the fiery Sahara, the Atlas mountains stretch across the Moroccan landscape like a lizard's backbone for almost 1000km. Their purple and russet slopes provide home settlements to many of North Africa's indigenous people, the Berbers, and it wasn't long after Ali had picked me up that they rose majestically from the road in front of us. Every now and then our climb would plateau and offer us opportunities to take in the scenic backdrop on our way to our first stop in Dou Igri where we would search out a traditional Berber home. These simple dwellings point to times long gone in the developed world but the keenest sense that impresses as we walk through the spartan quarters is the strong sense of identity which exists within the clay walls, Tajine pots and silverware. A small water driven mill used for grinding ultra fine flour stood in its own room near the entrance while, next door, flatbreads lay warming over an open fire in a sparsely furnished kitchen. We live in image obsessed times but Moroccan women are often displeased at being the subject of unscrupulous holiday snappers, so undertaking street photography and portraiture has greater limitations in such a society. It can, however, offer greater returns if we are genuinely interested in our subjects and, as we made our way out through the kitchen, a Berber woman sat tending the flatbreads. I partially raised my lens and communicated "May I take your portrait?" through a tip of my head and facial expression. Her relaxed gaze implied acceptance as she sat perfectly still for me to shoot a photograph that I consider to be one of the true pearls of this trip. On leaving, Ali took us further into the mountains to Setti Fadma where he linked me up with a local guide who was surprised to find that I wanted to see his local neighbourhood rather than the waterfalls. This was the guide's back yard where he played as a child and he climbed like a mountain goat as we took shortcuts from the well worn, winding paths. I was thankful that I had selected some decent walking shoes with grips on their soles and, in the distance, other small Berber towns and apple orchards sat on the rocky slopes as we climed higher. Proud to show me his home, we went on to visit his neighbour where I was immediately offered Moroccan tea while women sat weaving carpets at the loom and cattle and sheep stood in the stables below. Returning to the town centre it was time for lunch and I was presented with a mountain of couscous to get through at a riverside restaurant. Small birds visited the tables looking for scraps while local musicians did likewise, looking for tips, as the peaceful waters flowed in this idyllic spot. It was soon time to meet up with Ali again to start our journey back down the slopes to Marrakech and our penultimate stop was at a roadside pottery where a veritable Aladdin's Cave of sumptuous stoneware and hand painted, glazed artefacts greeted us as the potter showed us his phenomenal handiwork. Of all the wonderful images I captured in Morocco, the portrait of this artisan at the wheel was to prove to be the one which I cherish the most and I couldn't help to wonder that he demonstrated what any true craftsman does as he sculpted the clay with his hands; he made it look so easy. The evening was sublime as I lazed up on the roof terrace back at the Riad, content with my day spent getting to know Ali, his country and its people and certainly knowing I had bagged some beautiful images for post-processing. Travelling shows us that there are many ways of living and so many points of view we could consider as we are challenged to step outside our comfort zone, especially in a wonderful country like Morocco. After all, where else might you find camels on the side of the road and telephone masts made to look like palm trees? I hope that sharing these experiences with you here gives you much pleasure and encouragement to travel and you can check out all the other images, most of which have been taken on my travles from the Portfolio page and other blogs from the Blog page . For those of you who might like to follow in these mountainous footsteps, then you can drop Ali a line at Ali Travel here . This site isn't sponsored so please spread to let others know about and enjoy it and I'd be very interested to read any comments which you can post from under the 'Recent Posts' section below.

Burnt ochre landscapes punctuated by small towns and mosques having signature square sectioned minarets signalled our approach to Marrakech Menara, where the terminal's modern geodetic dome belies the city's architectural roots dating back to the 7th century. Ali, my taxi driver soon to become friend, drove me through the busy streets and dropped me off on the outskirts of the Medina, leaving me a five minute walk to my lodgings through labyrinthine alleys where locals asked "Where are you looking for?" almost as frequently as the passageways changed direction. Marrakech had still not emerged from underneath the shadow of a tourist quelling pandemic so I was more self-conscious about blanking the approaches of well meaning locals seeking a few Dirham in guide tips, and never more so as I walked past the door of Riad Bohemia before getting directed back a few metres by one such helpful Marrakshi. I settled into the Riad's utopian courtyard, registered my arrival and enjoyed a typically amiable welcome accentuated by Moroccan tea; an enticing mix of green tea and mint necessarily poured with precision at some height to the cup to bring out its best flavour. Captivated by the sense of peace and wellbeing I had in my surroundings, I considered my good fortune in having chosen wisely while silently revelling at my aversion towards expensive hotels. This, after all, is a large part of why I love travelling and the experience of being genuinely touched by another culture and a different expression of humanity is high in such an environment. Geometric Islamic art abounds in the walls, flooring, structures, artefacts, glass and textiles of this traditional home dwelling turned traveller's lodge and, once unpacked and rested, I wasted no time in exploring my temporary home which was already promising to be a list topping stay. Vistas into the forecourt through windows and over walls compelled me to walk the stairs ever higher towards the upper levels where attractive semi-ornate furniture nestled in a corner, filtered from full sunlight and inviting thoughts of lazy breakfasts in warm weather. In complete contrast to the calmness, my walk into the centre of the 'Red City' that afternoon meant navigating the bustling Souks to the north of the famous main square, Jemaa el-Fna . As I prepared to leave the Riad I reflected on the saying that we never really visit a place until we get lost in it, so my first move once outside was to walk in the 'wrong' direction. My suitcase had now been replaced by my enduring travel companion over my shoulder so the opening gambit was almost invariably "Hello, where are you from?" but, this time, I wasn't trying to find anywhere in particular. The absence of cognitive dissonance meant that I had every opportunity to engage with the invitations to converse while remaining open to capturing the next alluring image and, as the narrow passageways ebbed and flowed through arches and around corners, I engaged a group of young lads assembled at a corner shop. Raising my trusty companion to my eye with a facial expression which raised the question "Can I take your portrait?" produced an obvious pleasure in my subjects who now sensed that they were important to this fleeting visitor. Relaxed and calmly proud to be the focus of my attention we vetted the image in the viewfinder before I voiced my best "Shukran" and recommenced my wanderings, eventually turning south towards my main destination. Some time later I reached the main road, Trik Jazouli , where my senses fed off the vitality of people going about their daily business. Motorcycles, cars and donkey carts shared the road while a tourist received animated instruction from a bearded man at the front of his bicycle shop. I made my way towards the Souks; a veritable Aladdin's Cave of foodstuffs and goods ranging from teas and spices to bracelets and ornamental plates and, as would become obvious, a place which demands an altogether higher dimension in navigation skill. Business owners and runners alike would greet me so frequently that it was often difficult to gauge the liminal space between affability and sales technique and I wondered if visiting at a time when there were not so many other potential customers that could be diverted towards their wares and uncle's carpet shops or wool dyeing businesses "just around the corner" made my hit ratio into an outlier datapoint. I found myself saying "Get lost"... to myself, once again, as I settled down to enjoying the experience on the basis that I had already decided to spend a certain amount to support these personable, hard working people in a time of relative trade famine. My decision served me well as I engaged in the ubiquitous Moroccan social game of negotiation, the first of which landed me an attractive man's bracelet at a price both I and the store owner were happy with. Much of the value I have in wearing that wristband today has become the memory of the shared pleasure of our conversation and negotiations which, at one point, had me wrapped in an attractive cobalt blue Berber's head scarf. My eyes have never looked so mysterious as in that moment. In and of itself, my circuitous route to and through the Souks might well be described as nomadic and my favourite colour doesn't get any better than cobalt, but I declined the headscarf and continued on Shanks's Pony rather than dromedary. I emerged from the covered passages into Jemaa el-Fnaa and immediately checked my bearings so that I could get off to a good start later, when I would have to navigate my way back through the Souks to the Riad. I stopped a while where I stood, to simply contemplate the intimate sense of being in a place I was vicariously familiar with but which I had hitherto never personally experienced, while simultaneously scanning myriad possibilities of capturing this UNESCO recognised central hub of trade, social life and culture through the lens. The hours pass easily in such a vibrant place where textiles and chinaware, spices, freshly made fruit punches and street food stalls are found all around and where the sight of monkey handlers and snake charmers are juxtaposed against the sounds of the charmers' hypnotic mezmars and the polyrythmic Gnawa drumbeats, but a stop in Arset El Bilk park on the southwest corner of the square slowed the pace and afforded me the luxury of just being and watching as a nearby tea seller sat on his bike waiting for his next customer. I was to undertake another soiree into the Souks in the coming days, on my second jaunt to Jemaa el-Fnaa , but I augmented these enthralling pleasures with those gained traversing some of the wider areas of the Medina where I would share each and every path with the ubiquitous red toned buildings, donkey carts, street markets and two-stroke motorbikes. There's something immensely satisfying about ambling around an unfamiliar area while tuning in to the heartbeat of the local culture and its ambience. Light, shade and texture in the passageways seemed to reflect the comings, goings and rhythms of life of the city's folk like different movements of a symphony while, all the time, I was enveloped in a banquet of possible images which presented themselves to me in the contrasting scenes of bustle and peacefulness around each new corner. Marrakech is most certainly a vibrant and enchanting place but its also perfectly situated for excursions to the Sahara and the Atlas Mountains where the country's indiginous people, the Berbers, still trade in caravans across the dunes and live in towns and villages among the hills. Before leaving southern Morocco I was to undertake the arrangements I had made with Ali for a trip up into the mountains where I sought to immerse myself in a greater understanding of this engaging land and its people while searching for those quintessential photographic rewards that a region such as this promises. Sharing the pleasure of those experiences with you will be my pleasure but, for now, I hope this blog has given you much pleasure and encouraged you to travel. Please do check out other blogs on the Blog page and make sure you check out other images from the Portfolio page. This site isn't sponsored so please spread to let others know about and enjoy it and I'd be very interested to read any comments which you can post from under the 'Recent Posts' section below.