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Published: November 22nd 2010
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View from our guesthouse in ChefchouanWe picked up our rental car in Fez, and excitedly started making our way north to the Rif mountains. The route took us through a region that is known for its hashish production, and we had been warned that it was likely that were would be offered to 'smoke' everywhere we went, and even while we drove along the highway (with other cars slowing down in front of us with someone hanging their head out the window and holding an imaginary cigarette). We would smile and shake our head to say 'no', and didn't have any troubles.
We stopped for lunch in a small town, where we met a friendly fellow named Aldo who spoke seven languages who we chatted with over lunch. Although were were suspicious at first, we realized that this guy was truly genuine and didn't want anything with us other than to be friendly. He invited us to his home, which we accepted but told him that we could only stay briefly as we needed to drive up Chefchaouen before dark.
On the way to his home, he told us that he had one wife, and that was enough for him. His father had four wives, each
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Flags announcing the king's arrival/procession. Benz cab in foreground. of which had 7, 6, 6 and 8 children respectively. Can you imagine! They should have their own reality show! After our visit, we continued on our way to Chefchouen, talking about this somewhat unusual exchange in Canadian context and how we were glad to let go of our suspicions to make a new friend.
After arriving in Chefchaouen after dark, we woke up early to see some of the town before making our way to our next stop. Most buildings are painted blue, and it's a cute town with a pleasant square surrounded by cafes and shops within the medina.
On the day Moroccan's (and the rest of the Muslim world) were to celebrate Eid, we woke up to the bleating of the neighbourhood's sheep (almost each rooftop had at least one) and the smell of incense tickling us awake. It seemed appropriate that on a holy day, we were in Moulay-Idriss, a town with a reputation as one of the holiest and pious towns in Morocco.
Admittedly, neither of us have much knowledge of the Muslim faith and its traditions, so we looked online to learn more about Eid al-Adha and the associated celebration. In a nutshell (and
please mind you that we're not experts – so if we misunderstand any of this please don't hold it against us), Eid al-Adha (also known as the Festival of Sacrifice or Greater Eid) celebrates Ibrahim's (Abraham's) devotion to Allah. The story goes that Allah appeared before Ibrahim in a reoccurring dream, commanding him to sacrifice his only son, Isma'il (Ishmael), as an act of devotion. and asked him to sacrifice his son. When Ibrahim went to Isma'il to tell him of Allah's request, Ismai'il gave his immediate consent without hesitation. Just as was the sacrifice was ready to take place, Allah appeared and stopped, announcing that they had passed his test and to sacrifice a ram instead. The Eid celebrates Ibrahim's willingness to make the ultimate act of sacrifice in Allah's name.
Today's celebrations involve prayer and the sacrifice of an animal (we only saw sheep, but other approved animals can also be used). Families dress in their best and visit with others, sharing their sacrificial meat and exchanging gifts. Charitable giving is also an important aspect, ensuring that no one goes without on this special day.
Moulay-Idriss is named after the the grandson of the prophet Muhammad, and founder
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Aldo, our friend in the mountains of Morocco's first Arab Dynasty. Ruins of the original Roman city, Volubilis, are a short and pleasant walk from town.
It was strange to go to sleep that night in silence; not more bleating of the sheep!
As a reminder, you can zoom into particular areas on the map to see greater detail... we have tried to show all the places we've visited so the map in its current form doesn't have much detail.
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