May 31st: Tiznit

May 31st Road Trip, day 2
Photos for May 31st - Tiznit

Dawn broke over Tiznit and we had no plans other than visiting the medina, the souk, and pressing on to Sidi Ifni. Travelling during Ramadan takes extra preparation - preparation we had not made because, lulled by the tourist industry in Essaouira and on the advice of locals, we did not believe it necessary. However, once away from tourists, the rituals of Ramadan become more obvious; hotels do not serve breakfast, cafes and restaurants remain closed. Fresh fruits are available in the souks, but coffee… hot coffee, fresh pastries, meats and cheeses. These are nigh on impossible to find between sunrise and sundown. We passed a supermarket and purchased what would become staples on our short trip: bananas, a packet of turkey ham, Danon yogurt drinks - and fresh bread wherever possible. This served as breakfast, lunch, or dinner, depending on the time of day; in bus stations, seated on sidewalks, in whatever shade we could find; sometimes under the eyes of children amused to find such mischievous adults breaking Ramadan, sometimes under the imperious eyes of women questioning our not keeping Ramadan, once under the hungry eyes of a wild dog.

Tiznit is larger than Essaouira, but the guide books list only two attractions: the Grand Mosque (pronounced mosk-eh, in the Canadian fashion) and le source bleue; both located within the Medina, which is a maze of majestic proportions. The people of Morocco are incredibly friendly and do their best to give directions in a mixture of English, French and their native language - always delivered with a smile. Our final impromptu guide to the mosque was a young schoolgirl hurrying to some activity, but trying not to lose the strange women lagging behind. Naturally we arrived at the mosque in time for the call to prayer! We waited for the mosque to clear, and then - covering heads and shoulders -  entered where we had watched the women leave. The interior was simply decorated, many women were still at prayer, and there were no additional public spaces to wander. It was a bit disappointing for a tourist, but the mosque has historical value for the locals.

Following the signs for La Source Bleue, we took our tourist photos of the pool and the reconstructed nomad storehouses, and then browsed the traditional Touareg jewellery in the nearby store. The owner, Abderrahmane ID Bakrim - who collects pens from around the world - plyed us with Morrocan mint tea and showed off the hand made original designs in his store. We spent a pleasant afternoon in the square, watching and being watched by the local residents, and then caught a taxi to the souk.

The souk resembles Eastern market in Detroit; large, covered, clean, bustling - and few tourists. It was late in the day, so only the fruit and vegetable stalls were open. The colours and smells were heavenly … especially to two hungry travellers.

We took another taxi, requesting to be taken to the “boutique traditional” - the closest shopping mall; we had time to kill, and had, apparently, seen all that Tiznit offered! The three storey shopping center housed elegant bridal stores and clothes stores, all with a working sewing machine in use and other clothes stores - ‘sales’ tables laden with clothes “exchanged when the caravan is in town.”

Back to the hotel to pick up our bags, eat a dinner of turkey ham and bread and then a short walk to the CTM station for the evening bus to Sidi Ifni… arriving just in time for the Ramadan break-fast.

Sidi Ifni was a Spanish protectorate, has Spanish architecture and influences, and a thriving resistance movement. The drive from Tiznit has mountain views on one side of the road and crashing blue waves of the Atlantic on the other, with gulleys, ravines, and hairpin bends thrown in for good measure. The town itself is high on a cliff; peeking through alleyways reveals endless flights of steps. It is beautiful.

We arrive as feasting begins for the evening. The main streets are over run by food stalls, we can smell fresh cooked fish and bread, the restaurants are opening. We opt to find a hotel first, knowing that a hearty dinner is assured. The Hotel Safa is a glorious and unexpected haven. Our room has a balcony, with views both westward, of the sea, and eastward, of the mountains. The bathroom is large and has an “Italian” style shower. The beds are clean and comfortable. We could stay here for weeks… But our stomachs call, we make the short walk back into town … but the food market stalls have disappeared, the restaurants empty, the cafes serving only tea and coffee. Thankfully the hotel is still serving dinner; my aunt has brochette de viande (turkey kebabs/skewers) with chips, and I have a seafoid gratin. Hungry, and happy with our hot food, the irony of our portions being too large for us to finish is not lost on us.