Will you give me a ring if you are free?
Shop selling rings in Sefrou, Morocco
Wandering around the village of Sefrou near Fes in Morocco we happened upon this delightful little shop. I use the word “little” correctly. What you see in the photo is the whole shop. This is quite typical of small businesses in Morocco.
What is more, the owner is quite a specialist, selling mainly rings and bracelets. Quite an amazing array. Sadly, I can’t remember the price of any items in the shop.
And no – I didn’t buy my wife a special memento. (I did that in Nepal where I bought her a lovely necklace featuring an amethyst.)
White Storks in Sefrou in Morocco
White Stork in Sefrou, Morocco
I don’t normally post photos of birds and write about them here on this site. I usually do that on another of my sites, Trevor’s Birding. (I’d love you to visit – and even leave some comments too. Click here to go to that site.)
Despite that general rule I sometimes write about birds here and this time I couldn’t resist showing these photos of a pair of White Storks (I assume they are a breeding pair) on their nest on top of the local mosque in the town of Sefrou near Fes in Morocco. It is quite a magnificent nest an so photogenic, especially against such a beautiful blue sky.
White Stork in Sefrou, Morocco
Children in Sefrou near Fes, Morocco
Children in Sefrou near Fes in Morocco
On our wanderings through the town of Sefrou near the city of Fes in Morocco, I came across these children playing in the street. I thought they might be like all children and eager to pose for a photograph. This group was a little different and were somewhat reluctant.
Eventually they did line up for a photo.
Perhaps the language barrier had something to do with their reluctance, but I eventually communicated what I wanted them to do.
Taking things for granted
Public water fountain in Sefrou, near Fes in Morocco
When one travels overseas, especially to developing countries like Ethiopia and Morocco, one starts to appreciate how well off we are living in places like Australia. The poignant scene shown in the photo above shows that not all people in Morocco have reticulated water in their homes.
This woman is at the public fountain in the street, filling a series of water containers to take home. We grumble if our water supply is cut off for pipeline repairs or maintenance, even if this is only for an hour or two. Imagine having to go a distance down the street to collect water on a daily basis.
In more rural areas we saw people riding their donkeys great distances in order to reach a reliable source of water.
We take far too many things for granted here in Australia.
Sefrou, near Fes in Morocco
Sefrou, near Fes in Morocco
Scenes of Sefrou, Morocco
Sefrou, near Fes, Morocco
Some of the buildings in the town of Sefrou near Fes in Morocco are badly in need of repair, as is illustrated in the photo above. Some have indeed collapsed and others seem destined for the same fate. Sadly, many of the locals probably do not have enough disposable cash to deal with the problem. Many of the poorer quarters we travelled through or visited were like this, and it was sad to see. Far too many seem to be simply just surviving.
Some basic amenities we take for granted here in Australia are simply not available. We all assume we will have safe drinking reticulated water right into our homes, and we get upset if the water supply is cut for repairs for even an hour or two. Notice the man in photo above. He is carrying two water containers to the public fountain to the right of where I was standing.
Sefrou, near Fes, Morocco
Sefrou, near Fes, Morocco