Snow!

When you think about Morocco do you imagine sand dunes? Well it’s not like that here. The Sahara is many miles south, and we are in the Atlas Mountains where it just snowed. We have been lucky for the past two weeks with sunny days, although the nights and inside the house are really cold. I’ll admit I’ve taken to wearing the same clothes around the clock for days on end. Who can bear to bare when you can see your breath? Practicality has trumped aesthetics as we stuff the cracks and drafty leaks with plastic bags.

We had to go to Fes to conduct some business, so we took the opportunity to go to a warmer place and stay the night in a heated hotel. It was total luxury—a hands-free shower, TV with English movies, washing hands in hot water, and sleeping without hats, turtlenecks and wool socks.

For lunch in Fes, we ate at a local favorite “Chicken Mac” where I had a large plate of rotisserie chicken, rice, fries, beans, olives and bread for about $3. It was warm enough with a coat on to eat outside, thus avoiding most of the cigarette smoke, but it did require putting up with a bevy of begging cats and rejecting offers of belts, quartz clocks, and a shoeshine. Some peddlers scored, however, as I saw a table of men buying underwear.

I have received more great news concerning Cooperative Adwal—they were awarded a financial assistance grant for both the President and her sister as an interpreter to travel to the Santa Fe International Folk Art Market. This made it financially possible for them to go, and we are all so excited.

Next week I’ll be heading to Marrakesh for another Marche Maroc. It should be a lot warmer there so I’m eager for the break. Doug will be tied up with TV filming of the olive oil press so I’ll be riding the souk bus with one of co-op women. I have learned my lesson on bus riding--I will bring my iPod and not drink water.