Maroon Moroccan Magic Carpet

In Response to Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge – Burgundy or Maroon and Trinkets and Memories Challenge hosted by me.

Being a big fan of several Photo Challenges, it is always great when a post fits a couple of challenges. Cee’s Fun Foto  challenge is one of my favourites and inspired me to host one myself. I am not sure how long it will last but would love it if you could take part!   Please post a link to your post on this page and I will make sure I put it on my challenge page for others to see too!

I look forward to checking out your posts!

So without further adieu here is my 13th “trinket”

My Maroon Moroccan Magic Carpet

My Maroon Moroccan Rug

Mint tea anyone?

Bundled up small for postage

Yousef showing his wares

Morocco was a delight, made all the more exciting and enjoyable by the fact that 2 good friends joined me. We arrived in Casablanca and traveled overland to Marrakech. It was an eyeopener and at times not at all what I expected. The Atlas mountains and the snow, the lush green oasis-es with orchards of citrus and figs came as a surprise.

I was traveling for a year, so large sized purchases were not really planned but this “little” maroon “trinket” took my fancy and now is adorns my living room floor in Japan. The actual purchase was rather funny. Normally there would have been a bit to to and fro-ing with regard to the price. Lucky for Yousef and unluckily for me I had a monster migraine coming on so I just bought it and told the girls and our guide I needed to get to our next hotel and get into a darkened room. Having said that, there are no regrets. I get immense enjoyment from it and there are many great memories associated with it aside from a migraine!

It is like my magic carpet. Every time I look at it, I am transported back to a back room, sitting cross legged, sipping sweet mint tea and chatting with Yousef about the making of carpets and everyday Bedouin life.

Yousef told us about the courting ritual and how a young man and his family would test the waters to see if a formal expression of interest would be accepted. The “wannabe” groom and his family pay a call on the young lady’s family. The young lady checks the young man and his family out from beyond the rug lined lounge. She  then emerges to serve the ever present mint tea. If it is sugar laden and sweet , the “wannabe” groom and his family know she is interested and a formal approach with the request to court will not be rejected but if the tea is served without sugar the family knows it is not worth pursuing further.

Yoroshiku Onegai shimasu

Leanne