First of all I have to admit that I don’t have any christmas feelings at all. Winter in Morocco can obviously not be compared with the northern European one. There is no snow, no cold, no traditional christmas food and no family gathering. The plan was to go to Tafraoute, some five hours south east of Agadir. It’s a village in the Ameln Valley up in the Anti Atlas Mountains surrounded by red granite mountains. I had really looked forward to spend a few christmas days there, but the rain has more or less stopped any activity in Morocco. The dead dry river banks are now filled with wild rain water crashing into the Atlantic and according to what little I could understand from the TV, a few people have died in the floodings. So, the trip to the mountains just have to be postponed and I’ll have to do my best to gather all the christmas feelings I can home in Taghazout.At least I dressed up in as much red clothes and accesories as I could, and invested in a big bottle of Coca Cola as substitute for the much longed for Julmust. I’ve done my best with the christmas cleaning as I could, but that’s easier said than done with water pouring in everywhere. And no, I don’t live in a mud house, but there is water coming in from the main door, and for that I can do little but clean the worst up.
Electricity has been out since last night and didn’t come back until a couple of hours ago, and the internet is down as well. All thanks to the heavy raining I suppose. All Moroccans are happy about the rain, and I suppose that I should be too. It will help the farmers, fill up water tanks, feed more people and in a week or so the hills and fields will once more be green. But I can’t help to feel sorry for myself for not being able to do anything special for christmas. But oh well, you can’t have everything in this world eh!
I’m thinking a lot about my family back home in Sweden and hope that they’re ok. Although not considered a religious person, christmas is still an important holiday for me. Not because of silly traditions but because of the cozy family gatherings when everyone is happy and the kids are exhaulted with the waiting for Santa. I wish I could be there to hug them and wish them a merry christmas. God knows they deserve one!
Anyways, Merry Christmas to all of you!
With Love,
Maria
