South to Agadir

Salam!

I started my Monday morning at 8:00 am, having breakfast with my friend, Muhammad Abounahr, at Cappuccino7, a cafe I find myself working at quite often. After satisfying our stomachs, I made my way to the currency exchange services where I became their first customer of the day. Helping me grab an InDrive, a ride-hailing system found in the area, Muhammad saw me off and I made my way to the CTM bus station in L’9amra. Luckily, I had already purchased my ticket beforehand so I skipped the line and walked straight back to where the passengers were waiting for their buses.

My bus to Agadir launched its journey at 10:45 am, not long after I arrived at the station. I had found my seat next to the window and made myself comfortable. Listening to some music I had downloaded, I dozed off. I woke up again around 12:30 pm when the bus made its first stop for the passengers to stretch and grab a bite to eat. I ran into this girl on the bus who was heading to Agadir to take her exams and see family. Chaymae and I got along quickly. Sitting down for some thin-crust tuna pizza and chatting away, our bus almost left us behind! Finding our seats again, the driver got back onto the highway. Around 3:30 pm, the bus made its next stop in Marrakesh where new passengers replaced the ones getting off. Chaymae grabbed her belongings and swiftly took the seat next to mine since the man who was sitting next to me had reached his destination. At 7:30 pm, we finally made our last stop in Agadir. Hoping to see each other again, Chaymae and I exchanged contacts and parted ways.

With no sense of direction in the new area, I called Houssain Chakir, a teacher I had been in communication with in developing the workshops I will be running at Lycée Aoukba Ibn Nadia High School in Ait Amira. Giving me directions by taxi, I finally met Houssain in Inzegane around 8:00 pm. Due to a few complications in my stay, Houssain ended up booking me an apartment for the night and would not even let me return the fees. The Moroccan hospitality is off the charts! I found the gesture very kind and generous.

Putting down my belongings, I headed out with Houssain to tour the city. As soon as we headed out, Houssain saw a football match on a television in a cafe that he did not even realize he was missing. Around this time, students have completed all their exams so teachers, including Houssain, have busied their minds with grading. With all the restaurants and cafes bustling with football fans, we finally found some seats upstairs in a cafe. At half time, Houssain and I paid for our refreshments and made our way to the beach. Unfortunately, a majority of the lights on the boardwalk were out so the waters were hard to see. However, the vast darkness of calm currents was still quite beautiful. We then went to the sou9s and saw many sellers tending to their customers. One seller stopped Houssain and I as we made our way through the crowded street. The man was selling handmade attire of the Amazigh or Berber people, the true indigenous population of North Africa, to celebrate its culture and impact made on current Morocco. Agadir is known for being the capital of the Amazigh culture where Tamazight, one of Morocco's two official languages, is spoken. Convincing me to try the attire on, he began layering on the colorful pieces. I received so many stares! After taking off the pieces of clothing, we thanked the seller and went in search for a place to eat. Houssain recommended this shop selling basmati rice with grilled chicken wings. Receiving our food, we sat down at this smoothie shop and purchased our beverages. The meal was incredibly delicious. Satisfied and tired from the long day’s activities, I got back to the apartment around 12:30 am.

The next morning came quickly. I took the taxi and met Houssain at this huge taxi lot at 7:30 am. We took another taxi to Ait Amira, a city around 45 minutes away from Inzegane. There, we had breakfast and Houssain went to make copies of documents needed for the workshops. Walking to Lycée Aoukba Ibn Nadia High School, we met with Jenessa Salanga, a Peace Corps volunteer. She came to participate in the first workshop!

The first of the two workshops ran as smoothly as the one I facilitated in Sidi Slimane. With only minor changes to the program, the subject of the workshop was the utilization of the Eisenhower Matrix to prioritize tasks and manage time. After a 15-minute break for refreshments, we dove right into the next workshop. This workshop focused on design and what should be considered when designing for a specific space or function. The students were introduced to the purpose and importance of design. In addition, they got to design their own libraries in teams, thinking about the people being designed for, usage of lighting, and limitations due to the size of the space. They then had the opportunity to share their ideas and creativity with the class! Once again, the students were so engaging and exciting to work with! The purpose of this workshop was not only to introduce to the students a new concept, but it allowed me to grasp an understanding of what the students may want in their library as I start to design for their school!

With the conclusion of the workshops, I said nchofek men-be3d ("See you later" in Darija) to the students. Houssain and I took the taxi out of Ait Amira. Due to a sudden call from the grading center, I saw Hossain off and returned to Inzegane. Tired from the previous day of travel and the morning's activities, I decided to take a bus to the beach. I sat down at a cafe, finally catching a breath and taking in the ocean breeze. It was so hot. Without the ocean breeze, I would have definitely fainted. I ordered myself some 3assir diel limon ("Orange juice" in Darija). After sitting for some time, I went on a stroll along the boardwalk. Stopped by some older man selling jewelry, we held a good conversation. He ended up gifting me a silver bracelet embellished with a rose. What a kind person the man was!

After spending some time watching construction workers progress on a structure for an upcoming resort, I walked to Sou9 El Had. It was so much extensive than I had imagined! There were fruits, vegetables, delicacies, spices, furnitures, home decorations, clothing, and more! Walking through, I was stopped yet again by a man named Rachid Talyani, wanting to show me his spices and items unique within the country. Curious and wanting to learn more about Moroccan spices and these other items, I allowed him to show me to them. I learned some very interesting things! The dried inner part of the Ammi Visnaga plant is actually used as toothpicks, called Berber toothpicks. Alum, a chemical compound that comes in big, white chucks, can be used as medicine or for cosmetic applications. There were also these bars that looked like soap, but they were actually blocks of perfume applied by scrubbing the skin. They are made of natural resins, such as sandalwood, amber, and musk. Agadir is also known for its organic argan oil. I did indeed purchase some of this for only 50 dirhams! After treating me to some tea made with loose, green tea leaves and multiple herbs, I said my thanks and headed my way.

With some time before my bus ride back to Sala Al Jadida, I chose to walk to the CTM bus station instead of taking the taxi or a bus to experience a little more of the city. At 9:45 pm, my bus departed from Agadir and I prepared for the night time journey home.

Tsb7 3la-khir ("Good night" in Darija)!