Today is Sunday. The Hamam at the far away end of the property is being heated as of early morning and later today we are all in for the weekly cleaning process with steam and black soap.
But first Aziz, our host Hassan’s younger brother, will take us for a tour around the country. He needs to pick up goods in Ouarzazate and has offered to take us through the palm grove to his own house, which is 20 kms west of Skoura halfway to Ouarzazate.
These are traditional family houses (vith view on the thousand of palms of Skoura).
The painting on this village house illustrates the mountain village of Aid Benhaddou,
where Hans climbed to the top of the mountain some weeks ago.
Aziz lets a couple with two young children live in his house. They don’t pay rent, they are allowed to cultivate the fields and have free water and electricity - but they have no salary and must keep the house clean and constantly repair the mud brick walls, which becomes fragile with age.
Aisha, cleaning sardines for supper.
She is 22 and mother to a boy of one and a daughter of five.
The little girl invites us into the house through a meander of corridors.
The house is build from mud brick, has no roof (for the moment) and is kept neat and as clean as mud brick allows.
We are treated to mint tea with roasted almonds at the mother’s house, just across the road.
The family room, where we are seated (me next to Aisha) is almost as large as my apartment in Brussels. Some 15 x 6 meters. Thick woolen carpets on the floor and comfortable cushions against the walls the whole way round this large room.
Fatima Is so happy to have unexpected visitors, that dances from joy.
Everybody attentive to the way, Hans drinks his tea.
Pretty Aisha and her older sister Fatima serving tea.
Conversation is difficult, but the kindness, we are shown, is without limits.
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