Parties

Haven't been  here for a few days as other things took over. The party last Saturday was a success. In the morning the girls started making cakes. First they made a bucketful of biscuits and then some sponge cake. The biscuits were proer ones as they were cooked twice.

Khadija from Erfoud made the yogurt sponge cake with the help of her cousin Khadija from Merzouga. In this area they mix all of the wet ingredients first with their right hand and then add the dry ones. The sponge mixture was poured into a round cake tin and baked in a very simple gas oven. At no time did I see anyone looking at a recipe book.

Meanwhile Rkia was busy cleaning the chickens and Zhour was washing some clothes. All in the same room. In another room Zaid, Youssef and Mohamed were making bee boxes. There is no such thing as a garden shed or workshop at residences. Later Rkia and her friend Biddah were making the couscous and tagines in the cuisine or kitchen. Guests began to arrive later in the afternoon and the women were served their food in the best room after the men had eaten.

But before the couscous and tagine there was tea, caékes, biscuits and nuts. The chicken went into the couscous and lots of beef went with the tagine. We couldn't have music as one of Ammar's sister in laws had had a bereavement.

It was a good visa wedding party and the party poppers were well received, especiqlly by the young women in the family. We took lots of photos. I wore my pink caftan with the sequined scarf and my pink shoes. Some others wore their caftans for a while.

The following day we had another walk to the lake with Rkia - Ammar's sister, Ammar and Mohamed her sons and Khadija and Asma her daughters. Youssef from Agadir had also come to Merzouga and so to the party. He had come to get a family book as he had recently married a French woman. He was on the walk too. It was a sunny walk and hot too so I was glad of my shawl which kept the sun off my head. Khowla came too and for a 4 year old she was a good walker and never complained once.

The lake was very calm and we could see flamingoes in the distance and hear the honking of geese. We sat for a rest and ate some orange and biscuits and drank water while mating dragonflies drifted past. On the way back we encountered a few darting lizards and were followed by a lone yellow butterfly.

Youssef and Ammar were still at the lake but when they caught up they told us that they had seen a snake, which Ammar identified as a cobra.

Yesterday we went to a baby party at Rkia's family home. The baby was born on the day of our first lake walk so he was 7 days old. He has been given the name Hamid. He was with his mother in a small room which was lined with older Berber women along two of the walls. Whenever a woman came into the room she greeted everyone individually and a few said bonjour to me. Later Khadija came to take me  outside so that I could have an early lunch with two French women Beatrice and Mary. We sat by the swimming pool and ate our couscous and tagine. A cat came along and had a drink from the pool but wouldn't come to me.

In the evening we had a meal at our favourite auberge La  Petit Prince where we ate a plate of chips and an omelette with Youssef from Agadir. Then I asked if we could have some drumming so Ammar, our waiter Said and another guy called Mohamed played some tam tams. I love this sort of drumming. I made a small video of them.

The third party was a wedding, which was taking place at the end of the main street. We went along tonight as we could hear some traditional music. Soon after we arrived a group of 4 men stqrting playing their tambours and they were joined by three women to do ahidous - which is a slowish dance done at weddings where the men play tambours and sing and the women reply in song to the song of the men. This was done on the street with a crowd looking on. But there was no sign of the bride or groom. This was the third and last day of the wedding.

I somehow don't think that we will apply for the visa this time as Ammar has some marks on his face and this is not acceptable for the biometric photo which has to be taken. So many hoops to jump through.

We have planned to visit Ammar's sister Fatima on Sunday and will return on Wednesday. She lives in a straggling village not accessible by tarmac road. We will go in a little bus, usually a Mercedes; and the journey will take about 3 hours. The village is called Tafraoute and has only recently been connected to mains electricity and to the mobile phone.

Time to go now as dinner will soon be served. I will add photos later.