Arrival in Ait M'hamed

Ait M'hamed Day 1- Arrival at the second field site

View above Malika's house

After 3 very overcast days in Marrakech (including a freak thunder and lightning storm), I’m finally in at the second field site in the Atlas mountains! The drive into Azilal province were the douar is located was gorgeous, as is most of the Moroccan landscape I’ve seen so far. I went with Addeddaim from the GDF and got to ride in his friend’s car for free instead of taking the crowded grand taxi from Marrakech, so I was very thankful and it was a bit faster (about four hours) despite a longer wait in Marrakech. As we got more into the hill and countryside in the High Atlas, a myriad of wildflowers, especially red poppies flashed outside the windows (wish we were going slower so I could take better pictures). Abdeddaim said that they are weeds and encroach on cereal grains so though some farmers let them grow under tree crops like the olive orchards we saw, they generally spray to keep them off cereals, but I wonder with they are somewhat beneficial in keeping away pests or attracting pollinators. Once in Azilal we took a 15 minute taxi to Ait M’hamed- much like the grand taxi to Imegdal- a tiny 4 seater old Mercedes sedan but packed with 6 of us plus the driver. As I discovered on the first day in Marrakech seatbelts are not really deemed important here except at police road checkpoints. The roads, though bumpy, were much more tame and less cliffy than those to Amslane, and paved most of the way.

The douar is at a lower elevation it seems, but the mountain peaks it is by seem higher than those in Imegedal since there is a lot more snow on them but this could be an effect of rainshadow or other weather patterns. Ait’ M’hamed is definitely larger and more developed than Amslane. The school is bigger there are more stores and other douar association buildings. There is a large main river with several connecting rivers, or rather branching points where the water flows through valleys dividing hills that make up the town.

My host here is Malika, a very kind women who works at Dar Taliba and the douar association I believe. She speaks French and Darija in addition to Tamazirght the predominant indigenous language similar to Tachelhit. But my French is poor after some years of neglect so hopefully won’t be too difficult to communicate. She normally lives here with her mother, but her family is caring for her in Marrakech through all of Ramadan since she is ill, so it’ll be just the two of us. I helped her make a vegetable tagine and finish washing and hanging clothes since there wasn’t much work for me to do yet except observe and settle in. I went on a short walk to explore the area above the river- sort of a rocky hill with small Cyprus trees behind her neighbourhood. First I walked up the hillside directly behind the house, but stopped part way since there were so many barking feral dogs. Did some sketching of the douar buildings as well and watched two goats sparring on top a large rock like on a stage above of the rest of the herd grazing.

Later in the evening Najar and Iesha- neighbours and family of Malika visited for tea and bread with lemon preserve, olives, oil (zit), dates, and some cupcakes and biscuits they had baked together since Malika has two ovens. Was a nice but also awkward without a translator for Tamazighrt. I am very glad I had time to learn some Tachelhit since it is similar to Tamazighrt and Darija phrases as well as eating and greeting physical customs before coming to a place where I can communicate even less.