I had been concerned about how I would feel coming back to Ifrane. The last five months have been some of the most stressful I’ve ever had. When people back home asked how I had lost 10 kilos in the last year my response is simply 'stress at altitude'. After leaving friends and family and having such a good time at home over Christmas I was anticipating the heavy weight of dread to arrive on my shoulders as soon as I walked through the door to our apartment. Instead it just felt nice to be back in our cosy home surrounded by all our cushions, rugs, art and high wooden ceiling. We had given ourselves three days before school started to settle back in. then when we started we only had two days of teaching before the weekend. This is definitely a recommended way to ease back into the swing of things.
As well as the cosy apartment there have been a few other things that have made it easier coming back. First is the sun. The sky is as crystal clear as ever and is that deep blue of summer holidays. It is glorious outdoor living weather. It makes you want to run, cycle and hike whenever you have time. I have nearly done more exercise this week then the last 5 months combined. At night it gets down to freezing and in the day it is said to feel around 10-15 degrees. Our thermometer on our window claims got up to 57.5 degrees C yesterday. We live in a sun trap. Next week it is forecast to be maximum of 2 degrees, minimum of -8 degrees. Those snow boots and thermals aren't going to be waisted then.
When we arrived back we were car-less and felt slightly lost. We had only purchased it two weeks before we left and already feel dependant and lost without it. It's amazing how well we coped before, then two weeks with a car and calling a taxi or catching the shuttle bus seems like too much of a faff. We had left the car at a mechanics to get checked out over the holiday. It was returned to us having had a Moroccan style service including the replacement of four engine belts, the spare tyre and drivers wing mirror, all for about 150 GBP. The spare tyre cost 15 Dirhams. One Pound is 13 Dirhams. We are baffled by this as tyres aren't that cheap here. It is a bit battered and old, but it's a snow tyre and as long as it gets us to a garage in an emergency you can't go wrong for less than one pound fifty. Now we have a car again and we have found that if you hit a bump right we can get the stereo working and life feels so much better with music in the car. Blue sky, sun, music and wheels.... it's that joy only a seventeen year old understands. The difference is that unlike when I was seventeen I’ll actually be able to drive a bit. Ifrane is the perfect place to get back behind to wheel. The speed limit is about thirty kilometres an hour in most places with speed bumps and roundabouts... it's a drivers training area.
As well as fully appreciating the freedom of a car, we have found that absence definitely makes the heart grow fonder. Being away has made me appreciate our surroundings far more. There seems to be beauty at every turn. The trees, lakes and buildings are spectacular at the moment. All set of by the colour of the sky and that feel good feeling of the sun on a frosty morning. We have been out to our favourite restaurant three or four times this week. Sun, blue sky, warm fragrant bread and pastries, fresh orange juice, good coffee and Bob Marley while overlooking the impressive football skills of the local kids playing in the village square. What a way to relax and unwind. This is a good start to my new chilled 'it will get done when it's done, don't stress' attitude.
The final little revelation and potentially imminent life changing discovery was made on Friday night. Out with friends for a little reminiscing of the good holiday life, we found our regular drinking bar in the Hotel Grande had been made uninviting a looked closed. We had liked this area of the hotel as although it was usually empty it was small and cosy so you didn't feel weird. It also had nice non florescent lighting and wasn't full of smoke. Because it was small we could make our own atmosphere and pretend we were out in a normal bar. To our disappointment it was closed and we had to revert to the other drinking area of the bar. Called Charlie's Pub and probably the most pub like room we have seen in Morocco, it was silent and quite dark, with two tables taken by people with no drinks who decided their best entertainment was to stare at the foreigners. Gradually the place filled up and became less silent. Sadly it also became s lot more smoky, but you want people and atmosphere here then you have to have smoke. Everybody smokes and being behind the times as they are they generally choose to do it indoors. So, surrounded by smoke we were also surrounded by other people drinking, chatting and having a good time. I was quite perplexed when I went to the toilet and had to navigate my was around two semi naked women applying make up in there. When I returned a small group of local musicians had set up and started to play. After a short time the aforementioned ladies came out to dance, thankfully wearing a lot more clothing (otherwise I’m not sure I could have coped with the embarrassment. Thailand is one thing, but go-go bars in a place where it's rude to show an ankle is a bit wrong). These girls wearing high necked, long sleeved floor length flowing white dresses had jangly belts around their waist. The preceded to belly dance around the tables. My only experience of belly dancing has been of slightly older and droopy rotund women wearing very little and wobbling too close to your wine glass. This 'covered' version was much more flattering. While we were working out a polite moment to leave they came over and danced either side of our friend. In most other place money would be exchanged for this, but here where offence and insult occurs far easier we didn't really know what to do. It was only after leaving and checking with the bar tender that we were told that is what the belts are for. While this kind of drinking, music and dancing is not really what we are used to and long for, it is a huge improvement on what we thought we had access to.
On a further note this week...
….ended up being pulled up to join the belly dancing and was given jangly belt as well,
….newly fixed car is squealing horrifically,
…..had about 30 cm of snow and have lived in snow boots for a week. Thermometer at this moment says 51 degrees yet there is still snow on the roof across from us. Sitting in the apartment in a towel with windows open and feeling hot while there are still piles of snow outside is a little weird.
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